The $340 repair vs the $180 port swap
You've seen a cheaper HDMI quote somewhere. Fair enough — so have we. Here's exactly what the extra money buys, what can go wrong when it's skipped, and the cases where the cheaper job is actually the right one.
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Two different jobs, two different prices
A port swap and a board-level repair both end with a new HDMI port on your console. That's where the similarity stops.
Port-only swap
Old port off, new port on, plug in a monitor, ship it. Quick when the port is the only thing wrong and the board underneath is untouched. The price reflects the time: it's a 20-minute job when it goes to plan.
Board-level repair — what we do
Diagnose first, so we're fixing the actual fault. Remove the port under a microscope, repair any pads and traces it took with it, check the retimer chip that so often fails alongside the port on PS5 and Series X, fit the new port, inspect every pin, then test on a real display. One fixed price whether or not the retimer needed replacing.
What a port-only swap can miss
None of this is theoretical. These are the consoles that arrive here after a cheaper repair somewhere else.
New port, still no picture
On a PS5 the HDMI signal runs through a retimer chip before it reaches the port. When the console took a knock or a yank, that chip is often damaged too. Swap the port without checking it and you've paid for a repair that changed nothing.
Works for a month, then dies
A snapped port usually tears the copper pads it was soldered to. If those pads aren't repaired before the new port goes on, the port is only half attached. It holds until the cable gets tugged, then it's back to no signal.
Damage that wasn't there before
Removing an HDMI port takes controlled heat. Too much, or too long, lifts pads and cooks nearby components. A rushed swap can turn a straightforward port repair into a board that's now a much harder — and dearer — fix.
Inside the $340
Not a price breakdown — one fixed price covers all of it. This is the work that price has to pay for.
Diagnosis before quote
We confirm it's the port and not the cable, the TV, the retimer alone, or the mainboard. You approve a fixed quote for the fault your console actually has.
Microscope removal
Damaged port off with a hot-air station under magnification. Controlled heat, clean pads, nothing lifted, nothing cooked.
Pads, traces, retimer
Torn pads rebuilt, broken traces bridged, retimer tested and replaced if it's faulty — all inside the same $340. No surprise line items.
Fit, inspect, test, warrant
New port soldered, every pin checked under the scope, console run on a real display, then posted back tracked with a 3-month workmanship warranty.
When the cheaper repair is the right call
Not every console needs board-level work, and we don't pretend otherwise. PS4 and Xbox One boards are simpler and their ports fail more cleanly, so a port-level replacement is the correct repair there — and we price it that way at $190. The board-level price is for PS5 and Xbox Series X, because of how those boards are built and what usually fails with the port. If you've had a cheap port swap elsewhere and the console is working, keep gaming — you got a good outcome. If it's back to no signal, the retimer and pads are the first things we'll look at.
Comparing quotes — the honest answers
Why is your HDMI repair $340 when I've seen $180 advertised?
The cheaper price is usually a port-only swap: the old port comes off, a new one goes on, done. Our $340 covers board-level diagnosis first, repair of any pads or traces the old port took with it, a check of the retimer chip that often fails alongside the port on PS5 and Xbox Series X, microscope inspection of every pin, a full test on a real display, and a 3-month workmanship warranty. Same fixed price whether the retimer needs replacing or not.
What goes wrong with a cheap port-only swap?
Three things, mostly. The port gets replaced but the console still has no picture because the real fault was the retimer or a lifted trace. Or the new port works for a few weeks then fails because damaged pads underneath were never repaired. Or the heat from a rushed job lifts pads on the board, turning a repairable console into a much harder repair.
Is a cheaper repair ever the right call?
Yes. PS4 and Xbox One boards are simpler and their HDMI ports fail differently, so a port-level replacement is the correct repair there and we charge $190 for it. The board-level price applies to PS5 and Xbox Series X because of how those boards are built.
What if it turns out the port isn't the problem?
We diagnose before we quote, so you only ever approve the repair your console actually needs. If you decide not to go ahead after diagnosis, it's our standard $88 service fee plus postage — nothing else. Full detail in our terms.
Does $340 include shipping?
No. Mail-in shipping is a flat $100 both ways, fully insured, added to your invoice only if you approve the repair. Walk in to Charlestown and there's no shipping at all. Turnaround upgrades (Express Post +$49, Express Workshop +$129) are optional — see pricing.
What does the 3-month workmanship warranty cover?
If our work on the HDMI repair fails within 3 months, we fix it again at no charge. It doesn't cover new damage — a fresh drop or a yanked cable — but it does cover the repair we did.
Console-specific detail: PS5 HDMI port repair · Xbox HDMI repair · Xbox no signal: port or board? · HDMI port damage explained.