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View Full Version : To Fix or Not to Fix that is the ???



shaolin77
December 21st, 2010, 05:14 PM
Hey Everyone,
I need the community's voice of reason here....I recently was given a faulty 19 inch wide screen Monitor and I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should invest some money into fixing it...part of me doesn't want to junk it..its actually a nice monitor.

The monitor is a Dell 19 inch Widescreen (model SE198WFPS) and I think that CCFL backlights are starting to burn out.... I can turn on the monitor and see images and at times for more than 5 minutes...then the screen goes black...however..if you look really closely you can see there is still an image...some say its the backlights going bad others say could be the inverter which powers on the backlights.


The problem here is cost benefit...I've been searching the web for the right CCFL backlights...and have only found one online place that provides the full assembly which could save me time in soldering..cutting cables, refitting tubes..etc.


This Monitor requires 2 CCFL assemblies and the cost for both will be around..around $55.

At this price..for 2 CCFL backlight assemblies...something tells me its not worth it...I can save up a a few more bucks and get my self a monitor a local store online such as NewEgg.


I guess worse case scenario is that if its not the backlights and its the backlight power inverter..then...I just spent $55 for nothing...and and replacing the inverter will be more expensive....which at that point I could have bought a new monitor...hassle free....as I'm writing this...it seems sounds logical to just save a few more bucks up and get a new monitor...but wanted to know what the community thinks.



Thanks Everyone.

kgarbutt
December 21st, 2010, 05:37 PM
Your monitor is probably around $300 to buy new. I am the kind of person that tries to fix everything. So I would say fix it since it sounds like you are able too. What if it is really jut the $55 to fix it? Even if you spent another $75 to fix it (assuming you are able to) you are still ahead of the game. A used or refurbished 19" monitor probably goes for about $100, and there is no guarantee that it will last either. Good luck man.

sydbat
December 21st, 2010, 06:56 PM
Bring the monitor to your local electronics recycling place and leave it there. Then, save you pennies and buy a new one.

shaolin77
December 21st, 2010, 08:25 PM
Well I actually don't plan on getting the same monitor if I decide to buy another..however what made start second guessing myself was that I can get a decent wide monitor for about $180.

If the total price also for these backlight CCFL assemblies was less than $50 and assuming that this the only problem then...I would go for it...but like I said...at one point do you make the logical decision and say it worth it or not.

These are full backlight CCFL assemblies..meaning they already come soldered, wired and just ready to plug in....so I guess its not too bad.

Still if the inverter is the issue...well then I will have to replace that would I think they range at about $80...

Tristam Green
December 21st, 2010, 08:28 PM
Bring the monitor to your local electronics recycling place and leave it there. Then, save you pennies and buy a new one.

^---sage advice, OP.

Zzl1xndd
December 21st, 2010, 08:37 PM
Bring the monitor to your local electronics recycling place and leave it there. Then, save you pennies and buy a new one.

Gotta agree, you can get a new monitor for around 100ish.

shaolin77
December 28th, 2010, 07:29 PM
Thank you all who posted...I went with buying a brand new sweet 22 inch wide screen LG monitor...and best of all its LED Backlit. The price was too hard to pass up. I'm glad I didn't invest in ordering replacement CCFL lamps for the 19 inch wide screen Dell monitor...as it turns out..I would have spend about $70 all together with shipping costs. At that point I directed that money to a brand new monitor.


Thanks everyone!!!