Cost of Replacing a Cracked Laptop Screen

One of the most nightmarish situations is to see a cracked laptop screen! It is the thing that you have always feared and it has come true. It is the worst of all the laptop screen problems. As you sit looking at the cracks which now have horribly disfigured the once beautifully smooth veneer of the laptop screen, you wonder what your options are. There are only two options really, considering that the screen cannot be repaired. You either buy a new one, or get a replacement screen fixed.

Problems like laptop screen going black can be dealt with, through repair. However, a cracked screen has to be replaced. There is one certainty in this whole business, that you need to be ready to shell out some money to cover the repair cost. The first thing you need to check is whether the laptop manufacturer's warranty can cover the damage, and whether you can get it replaced.

Replacement Cost

When your laptop computer's screen cracks, it need not be the end of the road for that laptop. First thing to do is contact the laptop manufacturer's company customer service. Inquire whether the warranty will cover the charges of replacing the screen. If the warranty is lapsed or it doesn't cover the replacement cost, inquire about what will be the replacement charges for a brand new screen. From what I've heard, the laptop LCD or LED backlit screen could cost you in excess of $500 and the replacement procedure cost will add to it.

The price entirely depends on what brand your laptop computer belongs to. If it's a MacBook, then expect an even higher price for a new screen. All this may well push the cost of repair, well beyond the actual cost of your laptop. Common sense dictates that you should rather sell the laptop for whatever price it will fetch and get a new one. However, there is another alternative.

Instead of getting a brand new LCD screen, you can search at your local computer store, or online auction sites like eBay, for an old laptop screen, matching the dimensions and model of your own laptop. It is actually possible to get hold of such a used laptop screen. Still it will cost you around $200 to get such a laptop screen. Then, you can either perform a transplant procedure to transfer the old screen to replace your damaged one, or you can hand over the job to a professional computer repair technician.

A local computer technician could charge you anywhere between $50 to $100 to get the screen replaced. So the total cost of replacement, even with an old replacement screen, will be in excess of $300. The economics dictates that buying a new one is a better way out!

If the cost of a replacement screen exceeds the price of your laptop screen, I don't see any point in getting it repaired. It is best that you go for a new one. However, if you are lucky enough to find a replacement screen from an old laptop of similar model, then you can get it fixed from your local computer technician.