Desktop fault - need advice / options

nrishiraj

Hi everyone
Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong section, please move if I have. 
I bought a All-in-one desktop PC from Currys back back 2017. I'm outside warranty. It's developed a faulty where the screen is distorted, it's been diagnosed either the motherboard or the screen is damaged.

Would it be cheaper to take out a insurance or warranty from a service and get it repaired? Rather than directly repairing from the manufactures?

Thanks

MattMattMattUK

nrishiraj said:

Hi everyone
Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong section, please move if I have. 
I bought a All-in-one desktop PC from Currys back back 2017. I'm outside warranty. It's developed a faulty where the screen is distorted, it's been diagnosed either the motherboard or the screen is damaged.

Would it be cheaper to take out a insurance or warranty from a service and get it repaired? Rather than directly repairing from the manufactures?

Thanks

Taking out a warranty service or insurance after the item has developed a fault and trying to claim on that policy is fraud.

unholyangel

MattMattMattUK said:

nrishiraj said:

Hi everyone
Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong section, please move if I have. 
I bought a All-in-one desktop PC from Currys back back 2017. I'm outside warranty. It's developed a faulty where the screen is distorted, it's been diagnosed either the motherboard or the screen is damaged.

Would it be cheaper to take out a insurance or warranty from a service and get it repaired? Rather than directly repairing from the manufactures?

Thanks

Taking out a warranty service or insurance after the item has developed a fault and trying to claim on that policy is fraud.

Depends on the terms. Like car breakdown cover, a lot of companies might have a clause saying you can't claim for preexisting or within X days of policy start date. But there are also companies (positive AA is one) who will allow you to buy cover for a vehicle that is already broken down - they tend to be a lot more expensive than companies offering more restrictive cover though.

Op a 3&4 year old pc probably isn't worth insuring. Do you have another screen you can check it on (TV perhaps) to at least establish whether it's the mobo or monitor? 

You say it's been diagnosed, who diagnosed it and did they give a reason for the failure? 

Fosterdog

Who's diagnosed it as either motherboard or damaged screen? I've never seen a damaged screen that could be mistaken for a motherboard fault and I've never seen a motherboard fault that could be mistaken for a damaged screen. A second opinion before considering your options would be best, if it is screen damage you could claim on your contents insurance if you have accidental damage protection, if it is the motherboard then you may have a claim against the retailer under your consumer rights.

Spank

Strange diagnostic, most AIO's have video output so plugging it into a monitor will tell you if it's either.

mattyprice4004

Without a crystal ball it's impossible to know - you give no details of make / model etc. 
If it's a relatively cheap unit then it's probably time to bin and upgrade, if it's more expensive then I'd get a quote for repair from a reliable local repair shop. 

Jenni_D

Fosterdog said:

Who's diagnosed it as either motherboard or damaged screen? I've never seen a damaged screen that could be mistaken for a motherboard fault and I've never seen a motherboard fault that could be mistaken for a damaged screen.

An AIO device will likely have the graphics chip on the motherboard (like many laptops do). So a screen distortion fault could be either the screen driver itself OR the graphics output from the motherboard. So the problem having two possible causes is a valid assessment. The fact that the person making the assessment doesn't know which applies simply means they've not diagnosed in enough detail to determine this (or they're not good enough/don't have the right tools to be able to do so).

Fosterdog

Jenni_D said:

Fosterdog said:

Who's diagnosed it as either motherboard or damaged screen? I've never seen a damaged screen that could be mistaken for a motherboard fault and I've never seen a motherboard fault that could be mistaken for a damaged screen.

An AIO device will likely have the graphics chip on the motherboard (like many laptops do). So a screen distortion fault could be either the screen driver itself OR the graphics output from the motherboard. So the problem having two possible causes is a valid assessment. The fact that the person making the assessment doesn't know which applies simply means they've not diagnosed in enough detail to determine this (or they're not good enough/don't have the right tools to be able to do so).

If it was just the distortion then yes it could be either, however OP specifically says diagnosed as "screen damage", not screen fault, or graphics fault. Screen damage is different to screen/graphics fault and is very obvious and can't be mistaken for motherboard fault.

Ganga

Fosterdog said:

Jenni_D said:

Fosterdog said:

Who's diagnosed it as either motherboard or damaged screen? I've never seen a damaged screen that could be mistaken for a motherboard fault and I've never seen a motherboard fault that could be mistaken for a damaged screen.

An AIO device will likely have the graphics chip on the motherboard (like many laptops do). So a screen distortion fault could be either the screen driver itself OR the graphics output from the motherboard. So the problem having two possible causes is a valid assessment. The fact that the person making the assessment doesn't know which applies simply means they've not diagnosed in enough detail to determine this (or they're not good enough/don't have the right tools to be able to do so).

If it was just the distortion then yes it could be either, however OP specifically says diagnosed as "screen damage", not screen fault, or graphics fault. Screen damage is different to screen/graphics fault and is very obvious and can't be mistaken for motherboard fault.

I think the original post says " screen distortion "

Spank

Ganga said:

Fosterdog said:

Jenni_D said:

Fosterdog said:

Who's diagnosed it as either motherboard or damaged screen? I've never seen a damaged screen that could be mistaken for a motherboard fault and I've never seen a motherboard fault that could be mistaken for a damaged screen.

An AIO device will likely have the graphics chip on the motherboard (like many laptops do). So a screen distortion fault could be either the screen driver itself OR the graphics output from the motherboard. So the problem having two possible causes is a valid assessment. The fact that the person making the assessment doesn't know which applies simply means they've not diagnosed in enough detail to determine this (or they're not good enough/don't have the right tools to be able to do so).

If it was just the distortion then yes it could be either, however OP specifically says diagnosed as "screen damage", not screen fault, or graphics fault. Screen damage is different to screen/graphics fault and is very obvious and can't be mistaken for motherboard fault.

I think the original post says " screen distortion "

It also says  that "it's been diagnosed either the motherboard or the screen is damaged"

Jenni_D

Which could easily be the OP misinterpreting what was said, and using damaged when the intended word was faulty.