problems with amd gpu on early 2011 macbook pro

My 2011 macbook pro had the gpu failure last year. I paid to replace the motherboard, it lasted 9 months and has now failed again. My backup macbook pro, similar model, shows signs that it will fail next.

I just called apple and escalated the issue as high as they would let me. I mentioned the class action suit and asked what could be done. Apple said the best they could offer was to sell me another full motherboard replacement at full cost, or in other words, nothing.

I would suggest that nobody pay to fix your macbook pro or try to bake it and repair it yourself. We will need to wait until the class action suit passes and then get apple to offer fair compensation for their failed manufacturing issue.

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2014/05/a-class-action-lawsuit-is-la unched-against-apple-over-faulty-macbook-logic-boards.html

I think I had the same problem. The 1st of october my macbook pro 15" die, I made tests and probably the logic board was the problem. I've taken all to the genius bar, for a diagnostic and finally it was as I thought. The logic board. so I've repaired it! I didn't see and have any problems with graphics, simply my mac wouldn't "live". Now, reading this thread I have a little bit of fear for the next months...

In addition to replacing the GPU for $400, I had to replace the hard drive and have had sub-par performance consistently with this laptop. My previous MBP (early 2006) is still operating with nothing more than a battery replacement. My current MPB has been a disappointment all around.

Just so that Apple doesn't go deaf, I am joining this thread. I have the same issue and it started about 2 weeks ago when suddenly, all I got was a blue screen of death! Since then I have tried reinstalling between 5-10 times and every next day, it just crashes. I have tried all the tricks. I was looking to buy another mac but it looks like that won't happen.

Add mine too. I've been talking about this in another thread but mine became consistent about 2 months ago. I bought my 17" MBP in August of 2011 and by November 2011 the logic board failed. They replaced the laptop with a new one and now here we all are only 3 years later. Failed GPUs and Apple is denying it's a problem.

POSSIBLE FIX!!!

I did not read all posts in this thread, but maybe no one here has posted the method I used:

So I have had the exact same problem, which started about 3 months ago. My GPU failed, and my MBP didn't work anymore. Crazy lines on my screen, crashes, and often it didn't boot at all. Fortunately, I had Bootcamp installed with a windows partition. Somehow Windows 7 was slightly more functional than the Mac OS. I downloaded the AMD automatic detection and driver update software here: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download

I uninstalled current drivers, then had to try 3 times to reinstall the latest version, because the first 2 times my MBP just crashed during the dowloading. But eventually it worked! I rebooted windows, and somehow after that my Mac OS was working perfectly fine too! To be sure I was using the AMD card, I played some video games that only the discrete GPU (the AMD Radeon card) would be able to handle. (There is also an integrated Intel HD card).

The problem occurred again unfortunately, and the second time was worse than the first time. I ran a check at the Apple store, and according to the test my GPU was broken and had to be replaced. However, I could not fix it for free and did not have the 560 euros required. So I tried to fix it myself, and it worked! Here follows my description of what I did:

Windows could not boot at all, and if I wanted to boot my Mac OS all I got was weird lines and then a grey screen. The solution was to boot Mac OS while holding Shift+cmd+V. It allowed me to boot my Mac OS in an unstable but functional way (after rebooting twice this way). Then I downloaded gfxCardStatus here:https://gfx.io

The gfxCardStatus allows us to turn off the faulty AMD card and run the Mac OS on the integrated GPU. This works just fine for many tasks, and it is stable for me. But definitely not desirable, because now the MBP has very weak GPU. After this I could reboot in Windows again, to be sure I used safe mode. It told me that there had been problems, and asked me if I wanted to return to a previous version of my Windows partition. I said yes, and rebooted Windows. I reinstalled the AMD drivers again, and after that Windows told me that the GPU was working properly. To be sure I tried an intensive video game, and it was working perfectly! I rebooted, and Mac OS worked perfectly again too. With gfxCardStatus I can turn on the AMD Radeon card, and it is perfectly stable!!! I think that if the problem happens again, I can just repeat this process and it will be fixed again.

Most people here probably don't use bootcamp, and it is ridiculous to need it for a functional GPU. But if you manage to run your Mac OS on the integrated card via gfxCardStatus, you can probably try to install bootcamp and windows. It takes some effort, but I believe this way you can consistently bring the problem under control.

I hope this helps some people!!

Thanks for a very good input! I have this on my Early 11 15" top model since some months and I am trying with Markus company if now possible sending from Sweden?? I have written an email in my not so good German and will be hoping for the best...

I think Your solution is the best way and a good alternative to the scrapyard! Hoping for a positive feedback from MJ! All the best and again thanks a lot hnrk!

I think I've found a solution...

Here's a little back-story:

• My Early-2011 MBP started giving me some graphic issues an started to fail

• The case would feel very hot to the touch just above the F2/F3 keys, almost too hot to touch.

• Installed gfxCardStatus, it helped some, but in the end the graphics card still failed.

• After the card failed, I found a website that a guy said if it failed and would re-start on a grey or black screen, to force it to overhead (I placed it on my laptop bag) and it will re-solder the graphics card since they used low-temp solder. This did work, but it would still fail because the graphics card would overheat in normal use. I did this option several times over a couple months, usually getting about a week out of it before doing the process over again.

• Took my MBP to Apple in July 2014, the cost to replace the card is a Flat-Rate of $310+tax. They will fix anything that could be wrong with it. They replaced the graphics/motherboard, replaced the fans and my two memory chips.

• Although it was fixed, it would still get really hot watching a video.
• Upgraded to Yosemite (DON'T USE FileVault it will crash, but that's another story)
• Solution for the crash, don't install FileVault. I wiped my hard drive and did a clean install of Yosemite. When I did this, gfxCardStatus was erased among other programs.

• Still having an overheating issue

• Borrowed a Laser Thermometer from a friend and the case above he F2/F3 keys, while streaming video, the temp of the case was 106ºF

Now that the back-story is set, here's what I did last night...

• I was watching a TV show that was streamed and the case is 106ºF, the same almost too hot to touch temp I felt before my card was replaced. I'm thinking if the case varies from one corner to the other by 20ºF, I bet the graphics card is ~20ºF hotter then the case.

• Now I also want to mention, the fan speed doesn't always increase the case would get 106ºF. When the fan would increase speed, it would run only enough to cool it back down to a certain level and lower to the normal speed. This made me think of figuring out a way to get the fan running faster under normal operation.

• I did a google search to find out how to increase the fan speed on the MBP, What I found was smcFanControl 2.5 which only will increase the idle fan speed. http://www.eidac.de

• Installed smcFanControl 2.5

Here are my results:

Before installation:

Case Temp above the F2/F3 Keys: 106ºF

Can't hear fans running

After installation - Stock Fan Setting while streaming video (2000 RPM):

Case Temp above the F2/F3 Keys: 106ºF

smcFanControl Temp Display: 125ºF

Can't hear fans running

After installation - "Higher RPM" Fan Setting while streaming video (4000 RPM):

Case Temp above the F2/F3 Keys: 86ºF

smcFanControl Temp Display: 103ºF

Can hear fans running, but not like full blast (5500 RPM).

After installation - Modified Fan Setting while streaming video (3000 RPM):

Case Temp above the F2/F3 Keys: 83ºF

smcFanControl Temp Display: 106-113 ºF

Barely hear the fans running

After installation - Modified Fan Setting not streaming video (3000 RPM):

Case Temp above the F2/F3 Keys: 81ºF

smcFanControl Temp Display: 91 ºF

Barely hear the fans running

I think this solution is great! It solves the overheating problem which is the cause of the graphics card/motherboard failure. I'm going to keep it at the 3K setting for awhile an see if that's were I want to set the low point. If you can keep the temps down, I see no reason to install gfxCardStatus back on my MBP at this time. If anything changes, I'll keep you all posted. If you don't hear from me, it means it's still working 🙂

I had exactly the same issue with my 2011 mbp. It was so annoying. The screen froze every time after 15-20 minutes working on photoshop. Here is my solution: six months ago, I bought a heat gun from eBay (about $60). I set the temperature to 230 degree celsius and heat the GPU for about 5 minutes. (make sure to use aluminium foil to protect other components). The issue never happen again.🙂

Hey there!

My macbook failed the first time something around january 2014 and finally crashed in march.

Right in time to prevent me from finishing my bachelor degree. Luckily my university gave me

a macbook to do so. Now that I am done with my bachelor degree, I unfortunately don't have

a macbook to work with.

A friend of mine had the same problem and went to an apple store, where they told him he could

purchase apple care and they are going to repair his macbook afterwards. I am going to try that

myself and hope I'll be lucky and have a working macbook again soon.

Did anyone of you get the same offer?

Cheers

I Have a 2011 MacBook Pro 15inch. Same issue and even worse with Yosemite. I now have an overheating issue since the update and have received no help from apple.

See my fix just above your post.

I'm just adding my case in too as that's the only way to get heard. I don't have new information to add. Just that I have a late 2011 MBP 17" with the same GPU issue. I was able to run gfxCardStatus for a week or two and used my computer almost normally until it crashed and now it won't boot even to safemode. It just boots to a blue or grey screen every time. Luckily I have it backed up. But I need my laptop for work and this is unbelievably frustrating.

I will do my part to sign the petitions and email apple directly to try to get this issue heard. This needs to be addressed.

I have exactly the same problem.

Hello Wingingit74, your solution seems very interesting but I am not competent to do it by myself.

Do you know anybody in France which could make it for me (I live in NICE - southeast of France)?

Or is there somebody on this list which can inform me ?

Apple asks me between 500 and 600 euros for the repair and I have no money for it.

Best regards

Same problem here, Macbook Pro early 2011 won't even boot up. Will call Apple helpline on Monday and see what they suggest me to do.

3 years life span for a €2.5k computer isn't really the best value for money...