MBP Logic board failure

You know that is funny. I've been using PCs for over 20 years and can count on one hand the problems I've had with all the system I had. Those problems were caused by some type of hardware failure not OS failure. All hardware fails eventually. Even in Mac computers, as you have found out.

I have Mac just because I can and for the last year+ of owning a Mac I have come to realize there are no real differences between the 2 operating system. The hardware is the same on both.

stychentyme wrote:

I recently had to replace my logic board which was a pain,... but nothing can get me back to a PC. PC and Windows issues were the reson I got a Mac in the first place.

So an update. I had the same problems as everyone else. I took my Macbook Pro to the Apple store in late August 2012 and paid the $300 to get the logic board replaced. It's now been 7, almost 8, months and so far I haven't had any issues with my Macbook Pro. I also was able to get a free battery replacement which was a nice bonus.

Still I think you have to make the decision based on what you need. If you need a laptop to last for a few more years then I would just buy a new one. I paid the $300 thinking the laptop would last at least a year for me.

I have exactly the same problem with my MacBook Pro 15" early 2011. Yesterday while I was watching a movie, it just died. Black screen and that's it. I live in Bulgaria, but bought the laptop from USA in August 2011. I am feeling very frustrated that this kind of expensive laptop died in just 20 months. Brought it to service today. They told me the same thing which I was expecting to hear. The logic board has to be replaced. No further info. They want to charge me 750$ for that which I don't have. This amount equals to two average monthly salaries over here.. Wrote email to MacBook Pro feedback and Tim Cook as well :) didn't find another email address to write to.. :D any advice would be appreciated. Seems strange that a large number of 2011 pros have defective logic boards... Maybe it's time for a petition or something? This is just not right..

** CONFIRMED! MACBOOK PRO DIY REPAIR LASTS ONLY 4.5 MONTHS **

Well, I haven’t yet got round to contacting BGA REPAIRS as I’ve been busy on other stuff. But tonight my early 2008 MacBook Pro died again for the 4th time, only 4 days earlier than the date I predicted it would. The good news is that I am now relatively proficient at this DIY fix and I was back online in under 3 hours. It took me approximately 200 hrs the first time I did it! The bad news is that the time between failures has shrunk from 147 days, to 139 days, to 128 days. So maybe the end is nigh. But I hope to use my MacBook Pro for another 2 years (5 more bakes!?), as I haven’t bought into the spin that customers should only use an electronic product for 2 or 3 years before the retailer expects him/her to buy the latest new model - Madness!

** CONFIRMED! MACBOOK PRO DIY REPAIR LASTS ONLY 4.5 MONTHS **

Hi Prometheus, been there done that and had the same results. If you keep baking it you will damage the board eventually, best go to BGA now as I did and have a fully functioning Mac - mine was done a year or so ago IIRC for a fraction of the price Apple charge and has a NEW NVIDIA GPU with NEW solder. Best of luck

I bought a brandnew 15" MBP, 13 month ago...the Logicboard seems to be broken as well. It is currently getting examined at the Genius Bar. This will cost me 500€ at least! I paid 1800€ for a computer that fails completely (completely dead, no signs of activity at all) the exact moment my warranty is over 😟

This is stupid and makes me angry...You would guess, that such an expensive machine would last longer than a year...

Cook your book ... IT WORKS !!!!

Here's the sollution , you have nothing to loose ...

Works for me and it cost me 10 Eur. for new paste

http://russell.heistuman.com/2010/04/27/cooking-the-books-or-baking-my-macbook-p ro-logic-board/

My logic board before and after clean . The problem is that the macbook's are badley build in there factory !

Look at my pics before and after ....My mac book is up and running

Read it

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/08/class-action-filed-against-a pple-for-defective-macbook-logic-boards.html

** WILL CLASS ACTION PROMPT APPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR CUSTOMERS LIKE MYSELF ? (4TH DIY REPAIR LASTED 123 DAY) **

Branstanka, thanks for the post about the Class Action against Apple in Texas (I live in the UK). I’m sorry to hear that the issue of the faulty logic board has gone this far. But hope Apple now wake up to the degree of frustration among its loyal (?) customers and now do the right thing. It probably won’t help myself, but in a year or maybe less I will be purchasing a new Mac Book Pro (because my 2008 device will have finally and permanently died) and I would have more confidence in the product if Apple now respond positively to this Class Action. Please keep us all updated on this post!

I still haven’t got round to contacting BGA REPAIRS and again a few days ago (31st July) my early 2008 MacBook Pro died again for the 5th time, a few days earlier than the date I predicted it would. It took me approximately 3 hours to re-bake and re-paste the logic board (including 1 hour slow cooling after baking). The time between failures has now reduced to 123 days. So I expect another failure in late November. I have now bought an iPod Touch (which I love!). I have installed on it FileBrowser and GoodReader so I can access my (externally stored) data should my MacBook Pro irreparably fail. I even installed iOS Pages and Airport Utility on the iPod. But unfortunately the software cannot read any of my numerous iWorks ’08 (Snow Leopard) pages documents, so I am now trawling through the documents to ensure I “save as” (replace) using the “Include Preview in Document” option which will allow my iPod Touch to view the documents when I finally need to. I don’t want to feel forced to immediately purchase a new device the day after my MacBook Pro irreparably dies. In this way my iPod Touch gives me some flexibility.

I have mixed feeling about Apple and my MacBook Pro. On the one hand I still prefer Apple products to those of its competitors (which I use at work) and I do get a real “buzz” from being able to repair a MacBook Pro myself, and so other than all the 100s of hours I initially spent in investigation because of the Logic Board issue, I don’t actually begrudge the 3 hours I now spend repairing it. I enjoy it, and the most recent failure has “forced me” to learn more about the apple system I use. However, I do feel let down by Apple. If I eventually buy a new MacBook Pro in 2014/2015 and it too fails within say 7 years (my 2001 Dell Inspiron Laptop still works!), then I may give up. I’m not getting any younger!

** WILL CLASS ACTION PROMPT APPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR CUSTOMERS LIKE MYSELF ? (4TH DIY REPAIR LASTED 123 DAY) **

I would like to share my story with Apple and love to have your thoughts or suggestions on any possible further steps on the following experience with apple.

I have an old MacBook pro (2007) that its logic board failed in November last year due to some issues with the graphic processor (as stated in the support article: ts2377). At that time, I called apple to see what I could do about it. The lady at applecare told me that some incorrect information and she wasn't very helpful. So I decided to buy a new one which I did already.

A few weeks ago, I thought there could be a solution to that issue so I looked online and surprisingly found that there was a free logic board replacement program running by apple for the same MBP model I have. However, the program ended after one month to my call to apple ;/ and I missed it because of that lady who had all the info about the issue but didn't help unfortunately.

I called apple again and I told them what happened insisting that they misled me to mis the opportunity to get my machine repaired. The person who I talked to was very nice and seemed very helpful on solving the problem. She provide an exception to get my logic board replaced for free with the condition of the availability of the part as the program already ended and parts may not be available.

She called apple stores in Australia, Malaysia and singapore but non of them has the part in stock. ;( and I was told there is no other option that they can help me with!

So now I ended up leaving with my old macbook pro broken because of the misleading from apple and missing the opportunity to repair my old MBP which costed me around $4000 (at that time).

I thank and appreciate any thoughts or suggestions in my case.

Cheers,

Aziz

Gee .... I wonder if there is anyone else who has experienced this failure.

Really though; some of the CSR's have been extremely helpful and have gone beyond what I had expected in some repair situations.

Then again ...there have been interactions with Apple TSR's that could well be described as just complacent. (sic) "Next in line please"

My 2006 died after 4 years of use. When brought to the Genius Bar to have diagnosed, they looked at it from the lid to the bottom, without opening it up, and said flatly, that they are "not allowed" to handle any MBP older than 4 years old. Only keep parts in stock for models up to 4 years. Used to be the law in the U.S. that stated that auto manufacturers had to keep parts available to sevice models for no less than 15 years. Apple could take a page out of that book.

Unfortubately for the greater majorityof us who have had the misfortune to suffering from MBP Damaged Logic Board Syndrome, Apple is treating this global issue as SOL.

Welcome to the club that nobody wants to be a member of.

I have 3 logic boards in my Mid 2010 since May of 2013, all replacement boards. And the second one failed the diagnositics within 2 hours of being installed.

Macbooks are becoming like Italian sports cars: They're beautiful to look at, are great when they run, but they cost a lot to buy (including a 10% premium called Apple Care), cost a lot to repair, and you really need something else on a day to day basis if you actually have responsibilities and need something that works all the time.

Well, that something can't possibly be a laptop running Windows - that's for sure. The Macbooks are not (and possibly cannot be perfect in terms of reliability) - seeking perfection in a portable computer and with the specs we are now all used to expect is a trully tall order.

I had my logic board replaced by Apple as well, so I know the pain. However, I cannot even imagine going back to Windows and all the s*** I went through, as well as Microsoft's idiocies. Yup, my Macbook overheats when I throw a lot of stuff at it but I just keep my fans at full speed all the time and that takes care of the problem. It is a 6 year Macbook and other than that, it has kept going very decently.

It will be a difficult decision, without doubt. But we have several MacBook Pros and all but 2 have required logic board replacements. We switched to Apple in late 2010. We will replace all computers in December of 2013. We had 20 years of experience with PC hardware with only 2 premature failures that, because they were not proprietary, cost less to repair, collectively, than the cost of a single Apple logic board. Plus, we didn't have to buy a $300 extra warranty for each machine because they were reliable.

Still, in our environment, OSX and software save us at the bottom line on our Tech budget. But hardware is a different issue. I provide iPhones to all employees and that prompted our switch to Apple MacBooks after the MS Vista debacle. But until Apple is willing to acknowledge the problem and stand behind their product, this will be a difficult decision. And, if we switch back to PCs, we will probably switch to Android based phones as well.

Early 2011 i7 MBP 15 same day MLB replacement - £416 at Apple Store Brent Cross London. Great service from Genius Bar, but extremely disappointing that issue happened in first place. Does anyone have any numbers to determine scale of problem? If customers/other repairers are doing DIY fixes, how will Apple know numbers....