Is it cheaper to fix a laptop screen?

Laptop screens are remarkably fragile!

While most modern laptops are equipped with an impressive array of design features to protect its innards from shock damage if a laptop falls on its screen or even if it is jarred hard enough by a pointy implement! it can easily sustain some form of damage.

In this quite guide, well guide you through your options if youre dealing with a damaged laptop screen. Well also offer some tips for properly diagnosing display issues.

And remember, if you ever need your laptop brought back to its former glory, Nerds has you covered for laptop repairs.

When to Cut Your Losses and Spring for a New Laptop

Lets start with what seems to be the most common question from folks facing laptop screen problems.

Should I just buy a new laptop?

We get why this question so often gets asked. Laptops seem so slender and fragile! Surely its way more trouble than its worth to replace bits of it!

While laptop screen repair and replacement are tricky procedures, they are cost-effective and practical alternatives to full replacement, provided you work with a technician who is suitably trained, and who has the right tools.

The only time wed advise that you might wish to simply discard your old laptop is if it is extremely old, and you were on the cusp of purchasing a new one anyway. In this case, the cost of the screen repair may well be better sunk into the cost of a brand new cutting edge machine.

In all other instances, a laptop screen repair is definitely going to work out cheaper for you.

Know the Scope of Your Problem

Now, obviously, if your screen is cracked or has suffered some other obviously physical damage, you can be pretty sure why your screen isnt working! However, some display problems might appear to be screen damage but actually have their root cause in other hardware failures.

Examples include screen flickering, a black screen, or regular screen-freezing. All these problems may originate in other parts of your laptop. Before going down the screen replacement path, itll pay to spend a little bit of time doing some detective work.

Some Simple Diagnosis

If you happen to own an external monitor at home, your first diagnosis step is easy. Plug your laptop into the monitor, and watch how it performs. If the external monitor displays the same glitches you observed on your laptop screen, this is a smoking gun that your problems arent actually screen-related.

This is valuable data when it comes to describing your problem, preferably to one of our friendly, skillful nerd technicians!

Ruling Out Other Problems

So lets say your display problems arent a result of obvious physical damage. Youve plugged your laptop into an external monitor and you continue to experience display glitches. What next?

A good option is to run a complete malware scan on your laptop. Many problematic display issues are a red flag for malicious software, so its good to rule out as early as possible.

Holler for Nerdish Aid

Finally, you always have the option to have Nerds On Call run a complete diagnostic on your laptop. This is a free service, and its a great way to know, with absolute certainty, exactly whats wrong with your laptop.

Moreover, we can give you a range of repair options, so you can know up-front precisely what needs to be done to fix your laptop, and how much itll cost.

Why We Advise Against DIY

Lets assume youve done your detective work, and youre sure your laptop display problems are caused by a faulty screen. The next important question is, can you fix it yourself?

It is possible to repair your own screen, but.

You knew thered be a but, right?

Generally, we dont recommend a home repair for this kind of damage, because the home repair enthusiast will immediately face three obstacles in a laptop screen repair:

• Tools Youll typically require fairly specialized tools to perform a laptop repair. Moreover, youll need to know how to use them safely!
• Parts Every laptop is different. Half the battle of repairing your screen boils down to having access to the correct replacement components.
• Model specificity Every laptop model is different. Generic instructions you find on YouTube may be misleading, and in some cases, may actively lead you down a path to causing further damage.

If you know exactly what youre doing and have all the equipment, by all means, attempt the repair yourself. But if you feel ill-equipped, its definitely smart to get a nerd to help for this particular repair job.

Lets Get Down to the Moolah

By now, youre hopefully broadly aware of why laptop screen repair is an intricate process, thatll change a lot in scope depending on your laptop model and the nature of the damage.

No surprises then that the cost of repair can vary by quite a lot.

Costs of Screen Repair

Speaking purely in terms of averages, your average repair cost, all-inclusive, is around two to three hundred dollars. Its not the cheapest kind of repair, but its a far cry from the cost of purchasing anything but the most entry-level of laptops.

Generally, it makes a lot more economic sense to get the repair done than to scrap your laptop and buy a new one.

What if the Problem Runs Deeper?

But what if your problem isnt just the screen? You may have video card problems, malfunctioning RAM, or even just an especially nasty malware infection.

This is where youll really benefit from taking advantage of our free diagnostic service. Before you spend a dime, one of our techs can thoroughly diagnose your laptop problems, giving you an accurate breakdown of what needs to be repaired and why.

Well make it a known quantity for you!

Dont Put Up With a Busted Screen!

If your laptop screen is cracked, has dead pixels, flickers or is too dim to use comfortably, the take-home message is that there is no reason whatsoever to put up with that. Screen repair or replacement is entirely doable by a trained technician, and ultimately your eyes and sanity are worth a lot more than a repair job.

Nerds On Call offers a complete laptop repair service, and if you live in the Sacramento area we can set you up with a repair from the comfort of your own home. Thats right, we offer a to your door repair service.

Heres a page that gives you a complete breakdown of our full range of laptop repair services. Or if you prefer keeping it old school, just give us a call! You can reach us at 800-269-8084, and same-day service is available.