Bench data
Common laptop problems by brand
Every brand has its signature failures. After hundreds of repairs, we see the same patterns over and over. Here is what breaks, why it breaks, and what it costs to fix — brand by brand.
Dell
Dell makes reliable business machines (Latitude, Precision) but their consumer lines (Inspiron, Vostro) cut corners in predictable places.
| Problem | Models affected | What causes it | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinge cracks | Inspiron 15, Vostro | Plastic hinge mounts crack from repeated open/close stress. The lid gets wobbly, then the casing splits. | $89–$149 |
| Thermal throttling | Inspiron, G-series | Thermal paste dries out in 18–24 months. CPU hits 95°C, slows to protect itself. Feels "slow" but is actually overheating. | $99 (tune-up) |
| Charging port failure | Inspiron, Latitude | Barrel-jack ports loosen from daily plug/unplug. USB-C models rarely have this issue. | $89–$129 |
| Battery swelling | All lines, 3+ years old | Lithium-ion cells degrade and swell. Pushes the trackpad up or the bottom case out. Stop using it immediately — swollen batteries are a fire risk. | $99–$149 |
HP
HP consumer laptops (Pavilion, Envy) are some of the most common repair visitors. Their business lines (EliteBook, ProBook) are significantly better built.
| Problem | Models affected | What causes it | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard failure | Pavilion 15, Envy x360 | Membrane keyboards wear out or accumulate debris. Individual dead keys are common. Spill damage accelerates this. | $89–$129 |
| Screen flickering | Pavilion, Envy | Loose display cable (especially on 2-in-1s that fold) or backlight inverter failure. The cable flexes every time you open/close the lid. | $79–$149 |
| Fan noise / overheating | All consumer lines | Dust-clogged fans + dried thermal paste. HP consumer laptops run hot by design — the cooling system is marginal for the CPU they put in. | $99 (tune-up) |
| Trackpad problems | Pavilion, Spectre | Ghost clicks, unresponsive areas, or the physical click mechanism wears out. Spectre haptic trackpads are more reliable. | $79–$149 |
Lenovo
Lenovo ThinkPads are built like tanks. Their consumer Ideapads are not. The difference is stark.
| Problem | Models affected | What causes it | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard failure | Ideapad 3, 5 | Membrane keyboards with shallow travel. Debris gets under keys easily. ThinkPad keyboards are spill-resistant and rarely fail. | $79–$119 |
| Hinge / lid cracks | Ideapad, Yoga | Plastic hinge mounts on consumer lines. The Yoga 2-in-1 hinge mechanism is particularly stressed by constant folding. | $89–$149 |
| WiFi disconnects | Ideapad, Legion | Weak WiFi antenna placement or a failing Intel wireless card. Legion gaming laptops sometimes have antenna routing issues. | $49–$89 |
| Battery drain | All lines, 2+ years | Normal degradation, but Lenovo power management can make it worse. Update BIOS first — sometimes it is a firmware fix. | $99–$149 |
Apple
Apple hardware is well-built but repair-hostile by design. Some repairs are straightforward; others require parts that only Apple can source.
| Problem | Models affected | What causes it | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly keyboard | MacBook Pro 2016–2019, MacBook 2018–2019 | Apple replaced the butterfly mechanism with Magic Keyboard in 2020. If you have a 2016–2019 model, keys stick or fail. Apple had a free repair program (now expired for most). | $179–$299 (we source third-party keyboards) |
| Battery degradation | All MacBooks, 3+ years | Normal cycle wear. Apple rates batteries for 1,000 cycles. After that, capacity drops below 80%. macOS shows battery health in System Settings. | $149–$199 |
| Screen delamination | MacBook Pro 2015–2017 | The anti-reflective coating peels off the screen. Apple had a free repair program (expired). We can replace the display assembly. | $299–$449 |
| Charging port (MagSafe / USB-C) | All MacBooks | MagSafe ports wear out from magnetic alignment issues. USB-C ports are more durable but still fail from debris or force. | $129–$199 |
Apple note: We cannot do Apple Silicon board repair (M1/M2/M3 chips are soldered to the board with underfill). If the logic board fails on an Apple Silicon Mac, it is usually not repairable at the component level. AppleCare+ or replacement is the path.
ASUS
ASUS gaming laptops (ROG, TUF) are powerful but run hot. Their ultrabooks (ZenBook) are better thermally but have their own issues.
| Problem | Models affected | What causes it | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU artifacting | ROG Strix, TUF Gaming | Solder joint failure on the GPU from repeated thermal cycling. The laptop displays visual glitches, crashes in games, or shows colored blocks. | $250–$400 |
| Thermal paste / liquid metal issues | ROG, Zephyrus | ASUS uses liquid metal on high-end models. If it shifts or oxidizes, cooling performance drops dramatically. Regular thermal paste is more predictable. | $129–$179 |
| Screen coating wear | Zephyrus, ZenBook | Soft anti-reflective coating scratches easily. Some users notice it within months. | $199–$349 (display replacement) |
| WiFi / Bluetooth drops | TUF, VivoBook | Mediatek WiFi cards in budget models are unreliable. Replacing with an Intel AX210 fixes it permanently. | $49–$79 |
The pattern across all brands
Regardless of brand, these are the top 5 laptop failures we see:
- Battery degradation — every laptop, every brand, 2–4 years. The most common repair.
- Thermal issues — dried paste, clogged fans. Causes sluggishness that people mistake for "the laptop is old."
- Screen damage — drops, pressure, or cable wear. The most visible failure.
- Keyboard failure — debris, wear, or spill damage. Input devices take the most physical abuse.
- Charging port — the most-stressed mechanical connection on any laptop.
Not sure which brand you have? The $49 diagnosis covers it. We will identify the model, the failure, and whether it is worth fixing — all before you commit to anything.
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