What is more likely to fail on a macbook... the HD or the logic board?

[one1]

I'm trying to see what the weakest link is between the HD and the logic board on a macbook. The old iBooks were horrible for logic board failures and I have seen many failures on the macbooks logic board across the internet.

How often or common are HD failures?

Are they more or less common that logic board failures?

 

[SoLibertyDies]

I don't think anything will top the iBooks.

 

[Pressure]

Any specific reason or fears?

The harddrive is mechanical and is bound to break at some point. Th platters are spinning around at 5400 or 7200 Revolutions Per Minute after all.

Haven't heard much about MacBook logic board failures.

 

[calguy]

I just had my hard drive fail on my MacBook. But, AppleCare had it replaced and back to me within 4 days after hanging up the phone. I have owned it for a year and half. When I got it back with the new one, I had to decide to keep the 10.4 that came back with it and load up the apps and docs I had (from my clone backup drive) or put Leopard on it.

I choose to put Leopard on it (10.5.1) and am very happy working and playing with it. It has been almost a month now with no problems. It took me a day to load everything up and reset the owner permissions and serial #s for some apps. That is the toughest part. Adobe's photoshop was the most difficult and had to go through more hoops than any other app.

I've never had a logic board fail on any of the 7 Macs I have had through the years starting in 1987.

 

[bigandy]

I'd hazard the HD is more likely to fail, just for the fact it's got moving parts.

 

[one1]

Well, I had 4 Ibooks die on me in 2 yrs (logic board, no surprises there), so I was curious if the macbooks suffered the same fate yet or not.

I just bought a macbook that was taken to apple by the seller and (not under applecare) they told him it needed a new HD ($300) and he decided to sell rather than keep it. I paid him for the MB and bought a new HD pulled from a macbook from one of those ebay persons who part out new macbooks.

I've been wanting to add an MB to my collection so I was happy to buy this one and I'm weighing the options that the logic board could be at fault rather than the HD since I have a few days to ponder this before the book and the HD get here ......... and my luck with iBooks has been so ..... well "usual" as the ibooks famous logic board flaws go.

 

[dmw007]

I would say that the HDD is the most likely to fail. I have not heard of any problems with the MacBooks having logic board issues (as opposed to some of the iBook G3s).

 

[gnasher729]

I just bought a macbook that was taken to apple by the seller and (not under applecare) they told him it needed a new HD ($300) and he decided to sell rather than keep it. I paid him for the MB and bought a new HD pulled from a macbook from one of those ebay persons who part out new macbooks.

If the seller was told that the hard drive is broken, then that is quite likely what's wrong. It is easy enough to test: Just put in the Install DVD and see if it works. If the logic board is gone, then its unlikely you can boot from the Install DVD. You could even install MacOS X on an external hard drive and check if it works.

 

[one1]

That was supposedly their solution. He said they stuck it on an external HD and it fired up fine (I don't know if that is part of their testing procedure or not). I'm just trying to make sure he is not "getting rid of it" due to other issues.

I just got bit a few too many times by the iBooks, so I am a bit logic board shy.

In any rate from the searching I have done there seems to have been some bit of reference to faulty fans in the earlier macbooks and the overheating would kill the HD? This would tie into his description fairly well.

Overall I'll be pleased I believe. I figured this could replace my 17" Powerbook I have had for 4 yrs that I bought from Apple Lennox in Atlanta in '04-ish.

$275 for the Macbook and $60 for the new HD pulled from a new MB put's me at $335 investment so I'll come out ok no matter what.

 

[masse]

Hard drive.

The hard drive in my powerbook was damaged and I had to replace it.

Only problem I've had.

 

[heatmiser]

The hard drive, now, always, and forever. Don't forget the tens of thousands of defective Seagate drives Apple sold (despite knowledge of their high propensity toward failure) with Macbooks until last year. Those alone would tip the percentages in favor of the drives over the logic boards.

 

[kskinct]

Both

I have a 15 month old MB and so far it has had 2 HD's replaced and one logic board and three batteries. I spent the day arguing with AppleCare asking them to declare this a lemon and replace it, but they won't. Anyone else have similar problems with either MB or AppleCare?

I'm a longtime Appler, but getting pretty darn frustrated and contemplating ditching them.

MB, IMac, iPod