Keys that do not respond, keys that type by themselves, a coffee spilled last week and half the keyboard doing as it pleases ever since.
One question moves the quote: does the maker sell the keyboard on its own? On many laptops the answer is no, and the part is the whole top case with the trackpad.
Free diagnostics: we check what actually exists for your model before ordering.
Three brands, three different answers, all verified in the official manuals. HP lists the part as «top cover with keyboard». Dell, on the XPS 13, lists «palm-rest and keyboard assembly». Lenovo, on ThinkPads, lists the keyboard as a standalone part, classed as customer-replaceable.
What that means for you. On the first kind of machine, one broken key and a spilled glass lead to the same part: the top assembly, which in practice brings the trackpad with it. It is not padding — it is the only part in the catalogue.
Liquid deserves its own rule. Liquid runs downwards. First we open and see where it went, then we decide. Carrying on «because it still types» is the fastest way to turn one part into two.
In diagnostics we check three things in order: keyboard or board connector, whether the maker supplies the keyboard alone, and how far the liquid travelled. Then we quote, once.
| How the maker sells the part | keyboard alone or full top case — varies by brand and line |
|---|---|
| Trackpad included | «top case» parts include the trackpad |
| Keyboard layout | Italian, US, backlit: they affect availability |
| Spilled liquid | where it reached is checked before quoting |
| Board connector | sometimes the fault is there and the keyboard is fine |
| Availability | depends on the model code |
The factors that actually move the cost of this job. They are not our rules: they depend on how the manufacturer supplies the part, and they are checked at the diagnosis stage before anything is ordered.
ElectrONIK Lab is an independent workshop: it is not an authorised service centre and is not affiliated with the manufacturers. The trademarks named here belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the devices we work on. Your statutory consumer rights towards whoever carries out the repair are unaffected.
Free diagnostics, a clear quote and the part chosen by you.