Is it worth paying $940 for a logic board repair on an M3 Pro MacBook?
Hi everyone,
I'd like to get some honest opinions and advice before making a decision.
I have a 2024 MacBook Pro 14" M3 Pro (18GB RAM / 512GB SSD). Out of nowhere, the laptop completely died. It just switched off, went totally blank, and will not turn on at all or accept a charge( charged it with multiple chargers for almost 2 days, nothing happened).
I brought it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and they couldn't even run apple diagnostics because it is completely unresponsive. The technician tested the battery and said it seems fine, so he thinks it's a logic board failure. He also mentioned that if replacing the board doesn't fix it, they don't know what else to do.
The quoted costs:
Full logic board replacement: $940 USD
Data recovery (sent out to Gillware): $2,500 USD
My main dilemma right now:
If I just pay the $940 for the logic board replacement, they will entirely wipe out my data, leaving me with what is essentially a wiped, brand-new laptop. But since a $940 repair bill is more than half the cost of what I paid for the computer originally, does it even make sense to fix it? Or should I just skip the repair entirely, buy a brand-new laptop, and put that $940 toward a replacement machine?
Important notes:
No liquid spills, drops, or physical damage. I have always babied this laptop, and the technician confirmed the inside is completely clean with no debris or dirt.
The issue is a complete failure, not intermittent. It is a total brick.
I am incredibly disappointed that an $1,800 machine just killed itself through zero fault of my own. Paying almost either $940 or $3.5k total between the repair and data recovery feels insane.
Has anyone dealt with Gillware or any other repair shop (like Rossman , I'veseen many posts on reddit related to their repair)for an Apple Silicon Mac, or are there reliable independent recovery options for dead M3 boards that cost less in and around midwest? What would you do in my shoes regarding the repair vs. buying a new laptop altogether?
Thanks in advance.