Logic board repair costs $600–$1,200.
Sell the dead-board Mac instead — get a fair quote in 60 seconds.
A failed logic board is the most expensive MacBook repair Apple quotes — and the one most commonly declined outright by trade-in programs. But the display, keyboard, battery, and chassis above it usually survive completely. We buy from surviving parts value and pay real store credit for no-power, no-display Macs that every buyback site offers $0 for.
Common logic board failure symptoms
- •No power at all — presses the button, nothing happens, no fan spin, no chime
- •No display — fans spin, drive runs, but screen stays completely black
- •Random shutdowns — dies under any load, sometimes immediately on boot
- •Kernel panics — repeating panics that prevent macOS from loading
- •USB ports not working — devices not recognized, or port has no power
- •No charging — charger LED shows nothing, System Information shows no battery
- •Won't POST — Apple Diagnostics (hold D) never loads
- •Liquid damage aftermath — worked fine, then died weeks after a spill
Not sure if it's the board or the battery/port? Call (740) 223-5530 — our techs can usually triage over the phone in under 5 minutes.
What condition is it in?
Be honest — we pay for broken ones too.
Pay Apple $800+ for a board swap, or trade it? The math by model
| Device | Apple Repair / Trade-In | BackMarket / SellCell | LuxuriousComputers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M1/M2/M3 — dead logic board, won't power on | $800–$1,200 (logic board replacement, if Apple accepts it) | $0–$30 (declined or pennies) | $80–$200 |
| MacBook Air M1/M2 — logic board failure, no display/no power | $600–$900 (board swap, out of warranty) | $0–$25 | $50–$140 |
| MacBook Pro 2016–2019 — logic board dead, no boot, kernel panics | $600–$900 (board replacement, out of warranty) | $0–$40 | $40–$120 |
| MacBook Air 2017–2019 — failing logic board, random shutdowns | $400–$700 (board swap) | $0–$20 | $30–$80 |
Values shown in store credit toward any purchase. Logic board repair costs more than most Macs are worth — trade-in toward a working refurbished machine is almost always the better financial decision.
How it works
Stop trying to force it on
Repeatedly pressing the power button on a dead logic board accomplishes nothing — and on some failure modes (short circuits, power delivery faults) it can make diagnosis harder. Leave it off. Describe the last thing it did to Rick at (740) 223-5530 and we'll start triaging before you bring it in.
Get a parts-value quote in 60 seconds
Use the calculator below or text a photo to (740) 223-5530. A dead logic board doesn't kill the display, keyboard, chassis, or battery — we quote from those parts. On Apple Silicon machines the board failure is usually contained and the screen assembly alone is worth real credit.
Bring it in or ship it free
Walk in to 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH (Tue–Sat 10am–7pm) for a same-day bench diagnosis and quote. Or accept the online quote and we'll send a prepaid shipping label. We wipe any data on the failed board before processing.
Apply credit same day
Store credit goes toward any Mac in the shop — same day, no waiting. Most people with a dead logic board walk out on a working M2 or M3 Mac, and we transfer data from iCloud or any backup you brought before you leave.
Why a dead logic board doesn't kill your MacBook's value
The display is still worth $250–$500. A clean Retina panel — especially a Liquid Retina XDR or ProMotion display — is the most in-demand spare part in our shop. A dead board never touches the screen.
The keyboard and chassis hold independent value. Top cases, aluminum unibody chassis, and working batteries are in steady demand for other repair jobs. None of them care that the logic board is dead.
The SSD is usually intact and separable. On most MacBook board failures the NAND storage chips survive. A micro-soldering shop can sometimes recover data or transplant storage — we'll tell you before we do anything that changes that possibility.
We price from what survived, not what died. Apple's $800+ board replacement quote is their only option — they don't buy parts, they replace whole assemblies. We price your Mac the other way: every surviving component counts.
Related sell options
Frequently asked questions
What are the symptoms of a failed MacBook logic board?
The clearest signs are: no response at all when you press the power button (even with a known-good charger), a black screen with fans that spin but never do anything, random kernel panics or shutdowns under any load, USB ports that stop working entirely, no charging recognized by the charger LED or System Information, and a machine that won't POST even in Apple Diagnostics (hold D on boot). You may also see a "blinking folder" or a machine that shuts off immediately after the Apple logo — when the SSD is ruled out, the board is usually the culprit.
Do you buy MacBooks with a dead or failing logic board?
Yes — every week. Logic board failures are one of the most common reasons a MacBook gets retired, and the board itself is only one component of the machine. The display assembly, keyboard, battery, and chassis all have independent parts value regardless of board condition. We quote from those surviving parts and pay real store credit for machines Apple and every online buyer declines.
How much is a MacBook with a dead logic board worth?
It depends on the model and what else is intact. A MacBook Pro M-series with a confirmed dead board earns $80–$200 in store credit from surviving parts. An M-series Air earns $50–$140. Older Intel 2016–2019 machines earn $30–$120 depending on screen and chassis condition. Use the calculator above for your exact model and configuration — we confirm the number on the bench.
Is it worth paying for a logic board repair on a MacBook?
Almost never. Apple's out-of-warranty logic board replacement runs $600–$1,200 depending on model — often more than the Mac is worth on the used market. Third-party micro-soldering repair can bring that cost down to $300–$600, but there's no warranty and failures often recur. Trading the board-failed Mac toward a working refurbished machine almost always gets you a better outcome for less money.
What causes logic board failure in a MacBook?
The most common causes are: liquid damage reaching the board (corrosion destroys traces and chips over time, sometimes weeks after the spill), power delivery faults from charging on damaged cables or third-party chargers, overheating from clogged fans or dried thermal paste causing solder joint fatigue, physical impact damaging on-board components, and T2/Apple Silicon chip failures. On 2016–2019 Intel MacBook Pros, a specific video IC (sometimes called "AMD GPU fail" or "5k iMac" variants) caused widespread spontaneous logic board failures — Apple extended service on some of these.
Will Apple repair a MacBook with a dead logic board?
They will repair it out of warranty — for $600–$1,200 depending on model, which is typically more than the machine's resale value. They also require the machine to pass their diagnostic triage, meaning partially-failing boards may be declined outright. Apple's trade-in program requires a functional machine and pays $0 for a no-boot Mac. We do the opposite: we quote from parts value and pay you something real.
My MacBook won't turn on at all — is it the logic board?
Not necessarily — a dead battery or charging port can mimic a dead board. Before assuming it's the board: try an Apple-branded USB-C cable and charger (not a third-party), check the charger LED if you have one (green/amber = charging, no light = power delivery fault or dead board), and plug into a known-working wall outlet. If the charger LED shows nothing and the Mac is completely unresponsive after 20 minutes on the charger, the logic board is the likely suspect. Bring it in — our bench can distinguish a dead board from a dead battery or port in about 15 minutes.
Can data be recovered from a MacBook with a dead logic board?
Sometimes. If the SSD itself is intact (it usually is on board failures), micro-soldering shops can sometimes transplant storage chips or use a donor board to read the data. On Apple Silicon Macs the storage is encrypted and tied to the Secure Enclave on the dead board, which often means data recovery is impossible without the original functioning board. If data recovery matters to you, tell us before we do anything — we'll advise on the best path and won't destroy anything without your say-so.
Logic board repair costs more than a working Mac. Get paid for the parts that survived.
Walk in Tue–Sat 10am–7pm at 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH — or call (740) 223-5530 for a phone triage first. We'll tell you in 5 minutes if it's the board, the battery, or the port.