problems with amd gpu on early 2011 macbook pro

Just had the Logic Board replaced at the Apple Store.

As it was out of warranty £415!

I will be emailing them a complaint but i'm disappointed they refused to even consider making a contribution as this is a KNOWN FAULT.

I concur! I have tried since the day mine arrived DOA due to many issues. They never replaced it even after it was in the shop for the very same thing several times. I poured money into it to work around the issues then the video issue, over heating and shutting down, airport dropping off, usb disconnecting, and the list goes on began I sent it in over and over within 3 months time the logic board as well as many other things were replaced with the same defective parts so the same results happened, it broke. Apple refused to acknowledge there is a problem it would probably bankrupt them if they had to replace all the machines with new machines and the new machines do not even have the features I need guess why? The reason you get less and less on the Macbook pro is because they DO KNOW there is an issue and it is a heating issue so to fix it they took away the optical drive, some of the other ports and wished everyone would just go to the Macbook Air so it would solve all their problems. Unfortunately most people that actually use the machines to produce work can not do so with the Macbook Air its too light weight. Even the newest Macbook Pro's from what I understand have their own issues that people are complaining about.

I concur! I have tried since the day mine arrived DOA due to many issues. They never replaced it even after it was in the shop for the very same thing several times. I poured money into it to work around the issues then the video issue, over heating and shutting down, airport dropping off, usb disconnecting, and the list goes on began I sent it in over and over within 3 months time the logic board as well as many other things were replaced with the same defective parts so the same results happened, it broke. Apple refused to acknowledge there is a problem it would probably bankrupt them if they had to replace all the machines with new machines and the new machines do not even have the features I need guess why? The reason you get less and less on the Macbook pro is because they DO KNOW there is an issue and it is a heating issue so to fix it they took away the optical drive, some of the other ports and wished everyone would just go to the Macbook Air so it would solve all their problems. Unfortunately most people that actually use the machines to produce work can not do so with the Macbook Air its too light weight. Even the newest Macbook Pro's from what I understand have their own issues that people are complaining about.

I concur! I have tried since the day mine arrived DOA due to many issues. They never replaced it even after it was in the shop for the very same thing several times. I poured money into it to work around the issues then the video issue, over heating and shutting down, airport dropping off, usb disconnecting, and the list goes on began I sent it in over and over within 3 months time the logic board as well as many other things were replaced with the same defective parts so the same results happened, it broke. Apple refused to acknowledge there is a problem it would probably bankrupt them if they had to replace all the machines with new machines and the new machines do not even have the features I need guess why? The reason you get less and less on the Macbook pro is because they DO KNOW there is an issue and it is a heating issue so to fix it they took away the optical drive, some of the other ports and wished everyone would just go to the Macbook Air so it would solve all their problems. Unfortunately most people that actually use the machines to produce work can not do so with the Macbook Air its too light weight. Even the newest Macbook Pro's from what I understand have their own issues that people are complaining about.

Sorry for the same post over and over my iMac is doing the same thing the Macbook Pro's are doing, it was bought at the same time with the same configuration. It kept locking up and I couldn't see my post so I pasted it again only to have the machine locked up and die. I only meant to post once but it apparently posted 3 times, I apologize.

I just had my graphics card fixed by finding someone that can do a REFLOW. Meaning a resoderring of the circuit board components. Apparently it was the AMD graphics chip that was loose due to overheating. The heat softened the original soder which my tech guy (Not an apple genius by the way) said was pretty inferior quality compared to whats out there and available that can resist higher temperatures.

Do yourselves a favor. If you warranty is expired, and/or apple genius is telling you its gonna cost you about as much to get a new machine, then forget your warranty cause its useless, find a tech who can do REFLOW and that has repaired Macs as well as PC. Only cost me under $100 to get fixed and its better than it was cause he used better quality sodder.

This is the -fifth- time I took my 2011 macbook pro to repair because of the video card issue in a year timeframe...

Apple in response to this told me they cannot do anything about it because my 2 year warranty is over.

When this happened for the first time they told me that my 1 year warranty was over…

I wrote to Tim Cook's email and they contact me back insisting in having a phone conversation. (I assume this is to not to have it on written form) The phone conversation finished in a representative agent telling me that he understand my "feeling" that something was wrong on the fabrication process of this computer but that this is not true and apple cannot do anything about it. He check my "case" with the serial number of my computer to let me know that the warranty was over. They really are pretending that they are not aware of any issue with this machines.

gmd78,

I find it really strange that Apple has not given you a replacement machine - from what I've read on these boards and on other boards, Apple is offering a replacement after a fourth failure of the 'replacement' logic board.

If I were you, I would try to find someone in Customer Relations that would listen to your plight as you explain it calmly and in detail. Make them know that many (if not all) customers who have reached the point where they need board #4, Apple is offering a replacement Retina machine. Don't even bring up the issue that thousands of others are in the same situation - focus on your case and your computer.

And good luck...

Clinton

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS Mavericks 10.9.4, 16GB RAM, 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

Hi Clinton, thanks for the answer. I will check on that. But I contact them several times and they don't care about my "case" cause it's out of warranty.

gmd78,

I think ALL cases in which replacement machines were given they were all out of warranty. Even if you purchased AppleCare's 3-year extended warranty early in 2011, you'd be out of warranty! When my MacBook Pro died, I still had (and still have) AppleCare until April of 2015. So I've only had one logic board replaced so far. When it dies again, after warranty, I'm going to just have my GPU BGA reballed onto the logic board. Much cheaper and some reball services even offer a one-year warranty.

Where are you located? You might want to go for a reball yourself...

Clinton

Hi there, same problem in a MacBook Pro 15".

I bought on 13/04/11. It's the same problem with all the Mackbook of early 2011. In my opinion, there is a lot of other users who didnt read this post, and other that will face this same problem soon.

I am calling Apple and requesting a recall. Did anyone got the rights of a recall with Apple, or thay are not being responsible for this problem?

Thanks,

Gui

Well....

seems that I just joined the club after updating the OS to 10.9.4.....

one day the touchpad was not working, just the external....

one week later I got my first "blue screen of death".... It's my 4th MacBook and the other one (2008) still runs smoothly....

Mine is a MB Pro 15" 2.2Ghz 16 G RAM, AMD graphic...

what to do?????

Any solution from Apple???

Same issue here.

MBP i7 17inch early 2011. While working recently the graphics became scrambled and screen froze. A reboot with various resets to no avail, just a stripy screen after the apple loading logo. Plus unusual warmth emanating from the unibody.

Had been all working fairly well until this disappointing fiasco. After timely applecare running out.

Apple, please acknowledge and come up with a reasonable solution! Don't make me lose faith and turn to PC, please!!

Woefully yours,

BP

i have the same problem. (macbook pro 15'' early 2011)

apple changed me the macbook when i bought for a problem with discrete card and one more time the logic board 6 months ago for glitches and crashes...now i have the problem again but i'm out of applecare. the repair is expensive and i know the problem will return...i start to hate apple

hi,

I had this very known problem. It comes from mother board and the graphic card. I went today to an Apple store and they change it in 3 hours for free. Because that's a quality problem. It should be announced soon...