Screen turns black when gaming?

I have also this problem. 😟 Bought my MacBook Pro Unibody on November the 14th.
Apple Hotline in Germany says they have no problem, the only thing I can try is to go to the service provider to fix the problem. But the service provider told me Apple do not know this problem here in germany, so he can not fix anything...

I phoned with Apple, telling them about this thread on a native apple homepage, telling them that there are users with the same problem, but they seems to be uninterested in that case. 😟

Do not know what to do. Hopefully the service provider will change the logic board, hopefully.

I am new in the Mac community, but now I am really frustrated and every PC User I know is blaming me.

Spend 2 weeks of testing and searching the problem until I found this thread. 😟

I have the latest updates onboard! Problem appears very seldom using MacOSX, but very opften playing a game using Windows XP.

Fallout 3 is a nightmare, every hour or less the game ***** my MacBook Pro.

I paid 2300 Euros for this machine and now Apple is not interested in helping me....


<Edited by Moderator>

Here is some more information on all three of the MPB's that I have gone through. I have done some stress testing on my latest one. I would not say I have done enough to give it the all clear but it looks good so far. Note that my two busted MPB's came from the same factory during the same manufacturing week. Can anyone else post similar data so that we can compare and try to figure out if maybe week 46 produced the duds? If you are not sure of how to find this information check out this site:

http://www.chipmunk.nl/cgi-fast/applemodel.cgi



NEW MPB
---------------------------------------------------------
Serial number: W88486XXXXX
Name: MacBook Pro (Late 2008)
Model: Mxxxx MacBook Pro 2.53GHz
Screen size: 15 inch
Memory - number of slots: 2
Factory: W8 (Shanghai China)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com code tonumber: 6MP - CK144KFSL4Y

Model introduced: 2008
Production year: 2008
Production week: 48 (December)
Production number: 7673 (within this week)

BUSTED MBP #2
-------------------------------------------------------
Serial number: W88461XXXXX
Name: MacBook Pro (Late 2008)
Model: Mxxxx MacBook Pro 2.53GHz
Screen size: 15 inch
Memory - number of slots: 2
Factory: W8 (Shanghai China)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com code tonumber: 1MZ - CK043H49K5C

Model introduced: 2008
Production year: 2008
Production week: 46 (November)
Production number: 1903 (within this week)
Uitbreidingen: Uitbreidingsmogelijkheden van dit apparaat

BUSTED MBP #1
-------------------------------------------------------
Serial number: W88463XXXXX
Name: MacBook Pro (Late 2008)
Model: Mxxxx MacBook Pro 2.53GHz
Screen size: 15 inch
Memory - number of slots: 2
Factory: W8 (Shanghai China)
URL: Technical specifications by apple-history.com code tonumber: 3DA -

Model introduced: 2008
Production year: 2008
Production week: 46 (November)
Production number: 3920 (within this week)

Check out Apple Insider. They posted something about a 3M update for NVIDIA! Is this what we have been waiting for? Has anyone installed it?

I figured that I'd throw myself into the mix here. I had been having BSoDs on my Week 01 Pro only in Steam on CrossOver. It would crash in every game, Team Fortress 2, HL2, Portal, etc. I had never had any problems with native CoD4. I was dealing with the problem with smcfancontrol, which minimized but did not eliminate the crashes. I took in my computer, not to fix this problem, but to fix a broken ethernet port. My receipt says they're going to replace the logic board, which, now reading this thread, makes me nervous. Hopefully, it all turns out for the best.

To answer the previous post, I'm also fairly sure that the graphics update today was targeted at the Dual-link display adapters and HD video playback.

I wish it were but it does not appear to address the 9600 GT, only the 9600M. Here is the full article from Macworld:
------------------------------------------------------------

Apple update fixes issues with some Nvidia cards
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld.com

Apple on Monday afternoon released Nvidia Graphics Update 2009, which according to the release notes is designed to improve cursor movement (reducing jumpy or erratic movement) when using Apple's $99 Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter with the latest MacBook Air, MacBook, or MacBook Pro.

The update is available via OS X's Software Update feature or from Apple's Web site, and requires OS X 10.5.6

A clear statement that NVidia shipped faulty 9600M GT and a send-in program and the world would be a bit more happy... 😟

<Edited by Moderator>

This is not looking like a fix for the "Black screen of death" problem...

nothing happen...i'm starting to hate apple, they don't really care about us (to mention MJ) after we spend lots of money, 2300euros...

Have the same problem and agree that Apple needs to do something immedately. This thing is just too expensive for lousy service. I'm overriding the problem with FanControl now, http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/31130.

Using FanControl is not the solution for a 2300 Euro laptop!

If your 9600M GT Chip will die in 2 years, Apple will not help you.
We have to take care that we will get the needed support now!

HP is selling a similar laptop with 9600M GT GPU and 4GB of ram and
a Core Duo. The laptop is cheaper, but ugly and only for Vista made.
BUT a game like FALLOUT 3 is running fine on this laptop with the same
settings like on the MacBook Pro without the "Black Screen of Death"!

My logic board will be changed tomorrow, but the service guy told me that I maybe get again a faulty logic board, until Apple will check their stock of spare parts.

Thumbs up that MY case will be solved in the next 2 days...

Correct. For the heck of it after I installed it, I went to WoW and the queue was 500 or so, so let it sit there SMC default, fans never got above 2006RPM and it BSoD after 6 minutes.

Apple *****

Can some more of you folks post your build week? I know this might be a premature assumption but it looks like week 46 has the duds. I have stressed the daylights out of my week 48 machine and have not had any issues yet (knock on wood)

It seems this thread has got so long now that Safari can't show the page without 'unresponsive script' errors. No issues with any other 'inferior' browsers though 😉

Whilst it remains my firm belief that the issue lies with the faulty SMC/fans not spinning up fast enough and extreme chip temperatures rather than an Nvidia based cause - a problem that can be proven and replicated on many machines - the situation is serious enough for me to consider downgrading to a Macbook for the time being. I'm loathed to admit it, but Apple's silence on the issue for a number of months has me worried, apprehensive about the lack of attention this issue has received, and now I am actively looking for alternatives.

This thread is being locked as it is very long and is causing some browsers to time out. The thread is being continued at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1882489

Brett L
Apple Discussions Host