MBP Logic board failure

Useful post. I bought Apple Care for my MBP when I purchased it in mid-July 2006 and it was worth every penny. My computer is a 1,1 - part of a well-documented early group of MBPs that has had a higher rate of repair. Fortunately, I only needed to get the screen replaced in past 3 years (due fade spots caused by heat coming off the keyboard). I write "only" because I didn't encounter any video anomalies...that is, not until AFTER my Apple Care had expired. In the past 3 weeks, thin, horizontal lines of distortion have appeared in my web browser or music programs. Tonight, I had my second crash due to video problems. Based on various posts I've read, I believe I'm in that unfortunate position of watching my MBP's GPU die.

As a relatively early-adopter of MacBook Pro, I did take a risk buying it because most reviewers noted that it ran quite hot. That couldn't bode well for components in the long run — and it hasn't. A number of other people with an ATY RadeonX1600 like me have been experiencing failures and posting their woes in recent months. But everyone's Apple Care runs out eventually and what was otherwise a perfectly good machine could require an $800-900 repair — with the same components that gave out the first time. That Apple has nothing to say about this doesn't surprise me. I don't believe Apple would or even could admit that they had misjudged how heat generated by the early Intel machines could be detrimental to the life of components. The NVidia issue was a recall; this points to a possible design flaw centered around improper heat dissipation.

I didn't intend this as a diatribe against Apple (I own five!). I've gotten a lot of use out of this computer and love it. However, I also have a Powerbook G4, the very last generation before MacBook Pro was launched. It runs cooler and seldom crashes. Now, I have to plan and save for my purchase of a Unibody. I'm crossing my fingers that this MBP will last another month or two. Wish me luck!

It is not uncommon to be unable to get the start-up gong with the NVidia problem, derseidel, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the computer is unbootable. Can you hear any disc activity if you listen closely when you attempt to start it up, for example? Can you boot it in target disc mode when attached to another computer?

One problem can be that after the NVidia chip goes attempts to get it going again (such as forcing a shutdown during the boot-up sequence because you can't see anything on the screen) can lead to OS corruption which prevents startup anyway. Sometimes doing an SMC reset will allow it to actually boot, even though you can see nothing on the screen at the time, too.

I would suggest that if you are not happy with the service from whoever you have been going to that you try another AASP or Apple Store. For a new poster here you make a lot of very generalised negative comments about your experiences without providing much real information about what you have tried and what you have not tried to fix such things. I'm often struck by how many of those who post about draconian problems, calling for draconian action, seem to be very new arrivals on the boards, who say they have been been having problems for years but somehow never got around to asking about them here before. Somehow the same problems rarely seem to affect people who have been here a while in the same fashion. Chance, perhaps, or simply new posters not knowing how to access better support, or something else altogether?

Personally I've always found Apple to be remarkably good at dealing with real issues in Australia. Sure, very occasionally you may have to go beyond your local AASP to get things sorted out. Some aren't as good as others. But if you really have an MBP with an NVIDIA GPU issue if you pursue the matter I'm sure you will get it resolved properly.

Cheers

Rod

Just another note on this thread: I took my computer in to an Apple Authorized Reseller to get the logic board replaced for the NVidia problem and they put in a slower processor. I probably wouldn't have noticed except that I was thinking about getting some more memory, so I looked at "About this Mac" to verify that I had 2Gb and noticed that the processor had changed to a 2.4 instead of the 2.6 I originally bought. So now I have to lose my computer for another couple days.

So check your specs when you get your computer back.

My company's third macbook pro died in the same way as the two others. Everything points towards the nvidia error (has the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT, seems to boot up fine - can be seen on the network, but blank screen). The two first machines went to the repair shop, and we got them back with the message that is wasn't the nvidia error but motherboard instead and it would cost around $1300 to get it replaced. Both of the times we had to pay around $100 just to get it checked, so now, this third time the macbook will just be directly trashed like the two others, only without going to the repairshop.
A lousy experience 😟

I bought my MBP in July 2007 and have had no problems until now.

The Nvidia 8600gt looks to have gone bad. I cannot connect to an external display but I know my laptop is on and connected because I can see on the router DNS entries that it is.

So, I'm guessing it's the Nvida 8600GT problem.

I have an appointment at 12:15pm at the Apple store on Monday and will let you know how it goes. I'm going to print out KB TS2377 along with me and let them know about it up front. I fully expect Apple to replace the faulty logic board with the NVIDIA processor on it.

I just got the blank screen of death (Logic Board Failure).
Bought my MBP Oct 2007, died Jan 2010, (< 27 months).

I took it to my local apple store to be told that it was the logic board, and that my model did not fit the NVIDIA warranty. (bad luck I guess).

I was able to find out (via my serial number) that my MBP was manufacture in the same factory as the recalled MBPs, coincidence?

<a class="jive-link-external-small" href="http://">http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html, if you enter your serial number it will let you know where it was manufactured and production number.

I don't have any extended warranty what so ever with it.

I am quite dissapointed with Apple & NVIDIA, I definately think that this is the same issue as with other NVIDIA chips, they are just not admitting to it.

Unfortunately, the cost to repair is about $1500 (cnd $). Which is way too much for me.

I really think this might be my last Apple Computer, unless Apple acknowledges that their is a bigger problem with the Santa Rosa logic board.

Just an update to my previous post,

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1028703/nvidia-g84-g86-bad

Interesting reading.

I am also severely disappointed. I'm a seminary student, and chose to dole out the extra money to purchase a MBP for the advertised reliability. The fact that my Logic Board needs to be replaced only a year and a half after purchasing my MBP is ridiculous. It's going to cost me around $450 to replace it, and frankly, I don't have that kind of money to spend. I am severely disappointed that these issues are being ignored by Apple, and they are falsely advertising a reliability in their products which is certainly not quite there.

hi all,

i've recently had the issues described in this thread 😟 but my macbook pro is out of warranty (didn't purchase apple care this time - not sure why!)

here's what's happening:

upon holding start button there is no "chime" but the super drive goes through it's starting procedure, then the machine shuts off and the sleep light blinks quickly before stopping completely. the entire time the screen remains black.

after taking my machine to an authorised service centre the diagnostic is that the logic board has failed.

am on the phone to apple now and am facing the same issue several of you have reported: unless the service centre can state it's the graphics card and not the logic board then i am left with a $4000 brick.

again, complete denial from apple that the actual issue is the graphics card that has caused the logic board to fail!!

i've already lost A WEEKS WORK (i'm a photographer) due to having no machine to process with. a mate has lent me a pc but it doesn't have lightroom 😟 so i have to open ALL my raw files in photoshop before i can even see them to select which ones make the cut!!! arghhhhh time wasting!!! add that to the two weddings i have booked for this and next weekend and I am starting to get EXTREMELY annoyed!!!!

will update this all the way, as i am not content to have just thrown 4g out the window due to a known fault!!

same problem; black screen even if the computer is on. I've been to the local apple center and they said that it has passed the nvidia test, the estimate was around 850 euros. back at home I've replace by myself the hard disk with another one pretty smaller. I was convinced that it would be a cause. at the end I've connected the mbp with another mac by a firewire cable and restart it pressing the T. after two minuts the display from black become regular. it's the second time I've solved the problem with the firewire. it's empiric but it's still working for moment, specially waiting the definitly failing of the chip.

Update:

My discussions with Apple have proved fruitless. Joanna (the Customer Service rep dealing with my case) has returned a call to me denying all responsibility that the graphics card is the problem. She had discussed with the service center and they have confirmed what I already knew: the logic board has failed.

In my case, the logic board being soldered to the graphics card and the known faulty graphics card causing that failure has been completely ignored by Apple.

For those of us in Australia who have experienced this complete lack of responsibility from Apple, what is the recommended best course of action to take from here? I am not content with Apple's position on this. $4000 of "pro" Apple product should not just stop working!

Due to the NVIDIA issue my logic board was replaced in Oktober 2009. A few weeks ago (3 month later) it died with the symptoms that have been brought up here: No chime, Superdrive spins, sleep light blinks ...

My "service provider" (Gravis Berlin) admitted that it was a failure of the board that had been replaced before but denied to replace it again due to their 90 days warranty (I had 110 days).

Apple-Care told me that they would replace only in case of NVIDIA issue, not the logic board (...)

Well, thank You!

After taking this matter up with the Office of Consumer Affairs here in SA the information they have given me is conclusive: find a authorised Apple Service Repair Center that will conclude the failure is due to the graphics card and not the logic board.

I'm in the process of contacting all Apple Service Repair Centers in SA at the moment, but I wonder if anyone here could recommend any others?

benon, I hate to say this, and I feel for you, but the extension repair program which Apple and NVidia have provided for the MBPs with NVidia 8600M card failures simply does not apply to your computer if, as you say in your signature, you have the 2.33GHz model.

The 2.33 Ghz MBP that you say you have is fitted with a graphics card from a completely different manufacturer, ATI . It is an ATI Radeon 1600.

Even if your failure is due to the GPU rather than a more general motherboard failure it is not going to change this. The extended repair program simply does not apply to your computer, and no AASP is going to say that it does.

The standard process for replacing a GPU on these computers is to replace the entire motherboard (whether it be under warranty or through the extended repair process or Apple Care, or on a fee for service basis). You may find an indpendent computer technician with appropriate equipment and ability who can replace the ATI Radeon GPU on your motherboard at a lower cost than this, if it is just the ATI GPU that has failed, but it certainly would not be an authorised Apple repair.

I suspect that the advice you have received from OCA SA is based on the assumption that your computer would otherwise be covered by the extended repair program if it was the GPU which failed. I'm afraid this simply does not appear to be the case. You have the wrong GPU to obtain such coverage anyway. Remember, the NVidia is a "special case" situation caused by a very widespread premature component failure, and therefore beyond the realm of normal warranty limitations. Yours is not.

I know this may not seem fair, but that seems to be the real essence of the issue.

Rod

Hi Rod,

Apologies mate, I had neglected to update my profile with the specific Macbook Pro I own since last time I was on these forums. I understand this may have caused some confusion, so I have removed that part of my signature (for those looking for it now)

The first thing I did when this error happened was to check which machine I have from my documentation (and while it's not here with me right now) I can assure you it's the very model that has this problem.

Thanks for pointing that out 🙂

Now, back to the thread:

Can anyone recommend a Authorised Service Repair Center in Adelaide that will be able to conclude what we already know, but without Apple will not fix my machine.