Chosen Solution
I recently got a decent deal on a used early 2013 (edu) iMac. The specs weren’t great (i3, 4GB, 500GB HDD), but I purchased an i5-3570k, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 240GB SSD to put in it. I took it apart no issue, upgraded the parts, and put everything back together. Before I put the screen on, I tested the screen to verify functionality. Unfortunately, the Mac chimed but the display didn’t turn on. Every light except for the 4th LED lit up, indicating a display issue but I’m not sure as to where the problem issue is. I tested the Mac with an external display and it worked fine, but the built in display will not turn on. My three ideas are The screen itselfThe connector on the logic boardThe cable connecting the display and logic board I included pictures of the display connectors on the logic board/display as well.
Does anybody know how I could narrow down the list of potential issues so I don’t waste money on a screen/logic board that I don’t need?
Sadly the logic board connector was damaged when you pulled a bit on the cable. You could try bending down the detent clips (the two bent up ends, use care as you can easily snap them off) but I fear the connector contacts are distorted and really require a new connector installed. Someone with good micro-soldering skills can replace the connector. I don’t recommend doing this your self if you’ve never micro-soldered I wouldn’t attempt it as you’re more likely to make things worse! Here’s the needed part LCD Display Connector (eDP)
