Same here, and I already had the motherboard replace in January 2012, under warranty, after just a few months of use...now 2 and a half years down the line, here we go again...I already booked a Genius appointment, but this time I am afraid it will be a very expensive journey...

I am going to throw my experience in here as well. My 2011 2.2 has been in 2 times and they replaced the logic board both times, the first time they replaced my 16GB 3rd party RAM with 8GB OEM and they replaced my 500GB SSD with another OEM (probably refurb)  2nd time they replaced the logic board again and the display. I was having the same problems as most and I spent a whole weekend trying to troubleshoot before I took it in. It was not covered under apple care but fortunately my company has a business venture partnership so the repair was only $295 instead of over $1000. Now my MBP is completely frankenstiened with the only original equipment being the top case/keyboard. everything else has been replaced over the last few years. Ironically I have a 2008 17" MBP that is still kicking with only a new hard drive and ram.

Apple really needs to own up to this problem as there is another MPB same vintage in the office that has since started behaving the same way.

Really disappointed again for my MBP which was reflowed a year ago, i try to install the Yosemite Beta, and suddenly the graphics came back again while installation in progress. APPLE should do actions now, reflowing is not a long term solution. trying to go back to repair shop and planning to replace with new GPU. in Jesus name! APPLE please create the recall program now!

I have the problem with my macbook pro 2011 early i7 AMD Radeon 6750M. Blue Vertical Lines with amd driver activated, I disabled AMD driver from /System/Library/Extension, and  my mac boot with opaque graphics.  I don't have an option, only make a reballing temporary fix. The next step is buy a cheap Intel laptop with i3 o i5 and install hackingtosh. I'm very angry with this situation. Spend $2,000 in a computer that only work for 3 year is not good business.

After reading this thread I am somewhat relieved to discover that I am not the only one suffering these hardware problems.  I also have a 2011 MacBook Pro 15" with the AMD Radeon HD 6750M.  All of the same symptoms in the multiple posts on this thread started happening to me about 5 weeks ago.  One week ago I could not handle it any more because my laptop was crashing several times per day and I could not get any work done.  Took into Apple Store and they tested memory there and ran a diagnostic.  They suggested I send in for a refurb and I did that (knowing exactly what the problem was - the AMD Radeon HD 6750M - all along).  Got laptop back today and works fine....but... I am worried that it will just happen again with use.  If it is true that it is the solder on the chipset or the heat sink glue then maybe I have a year or two of use on this $310 repair before it happens again and the chip fails.  Kind of a bummer that Apple has not stepped up to the plate on this and performed a recall on this unit.  I'll bet it would be a different story if this was a 2013 or 2014 model and not an "older" 2011.

PROCESSOR 2.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7

MEMORY 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB

HARD DRIVE 128GB Solid State Drive

OPTICAL DRIVE 8x Double-Layer SuperDrive

DISPLAY MBP 15"HR Antiglare WS Display

AMD Radeon HD 6750m

After reading this post I am certain that I am being shafted as we speak.

My first two fails came within the first 6 months and then it started acting up (screen glitches, overheating) not too long after but I could never be bothered to be left without the machine for 7-10 days. Last time I took it to service was because it absolutely died on me, always hanging before the log-on screen, found myself staying with it on my lap for up to 1.5 hours till I got to that log-on screen.

Then, I took it to service, of course I was left without it for about 7-8 days and when it came back, that 15" HR Antiglare became a 15"LR Glossy display and the machine would be overheating like crazy, even with only a couple of processes running (word, skype, google etc), and the keyboard illumination was way off. That was at the beginning of August. Not even a month later I am experiencing glitches again

not only that, but my ESC key has melted while I was playing Skyrim. Not to mention that I can't get more than an hour or so until the machine basically powers itself off in order not to burst into flames.

Now I don't know what to do, I have spoken with many senior advisors and most of them "cannot confirm" that when you do a simple google.com search of "macbook pro 2011 early" you get something like this. Now my problem is that my applecare warranty expires this week and even though they replace the logicboard and its soul I'm afraid that the components (or design as I have seen it mentioned here) are faulty and thus, will end up broken again not before too long.

Now I have not paid nearly 2000£ for a machine that only lasts 3 years and I really don't want to scam someone and sell it after I get it back. Has anyone got to the bottom of this?

Yes.

Its your GUI. Its overheating and the solder is likely loosening up. You'll need to have it re-soldered or reflowed as they call it...That is if your GUI is not fried yet. Take it to PC tech who also knows mac, not to Apples Mac Genius! They'll just try to upsell you once your warranty is up! A pc technician is much cheap and will diagnose for free before giving you an estimate. So find one that does! Only cost me $85USD to reflow the GUI and clean the board and fan of any debris or dust. He used a much higher rated solder capable of enduring higher temperatures. He was surprised that apple would use such inferior solder for what we pay for compared to a PC. He also suggested that in future I try not to place my Laptop on any soft surface like top of a bed, because this will obstruct the vents and the fan from doing its job which is why we get overheating. To Instead always place a smooth hard surface for the laptop to sit on top of. So now I use a laptop stand tray with a built-in cooling fan under it for added precaution. So problem solved!

SO my suggestion. Take it to a PC tech that will diagnose and give you a free estimate! And then take to apple and demand to have them replace or do the reflow under your warranty. Or better yet just pay the PC guy and get it over with. He'll most likely have it done in less time than apples Mac Genius and use a higher graded solder to do the job with. My PC guy had it done for me the following day! And so far, no problems for over 3 months since the work was done. So your choice. Good luck!

Totally agree, I paid for reballing, then I use Cooler Master ThermalfFusion 400 thermal paste, work me better than silver artic 5, and cut a little copper foil (same size as amd copper plate) and put over amd chip copper plate for better dissipation. Also I did that in the cpu and Intel chipset. Last thing to do is use gfxCardStatus in "Integrated Only", with this the macbook only use Intel HD Graphics 3000 and the program smcFanControl with 3025 rpm.  With this configuration my macbook pro 2011 has a temperature of 39c to 45c. When I use youtube HD 1080p video or Win8.1 VirtualMachine the mac has temperature from 50c to 60c. Before that I had a temperature of 70c to 90c with Virtual Machines and HD Videos. I hope I've helped. 

I have been everywhere to try to get this resolved.  I have also been told I have to pay over £400 (GBP) for a logic board replacement that I have read fails within months far more times than I can recall. I emailed Tim Cook and I got a phone call from a very nice apple rep yesterday who's job is to call people like me and you, then try to sound friendly and understanding, but basically confirm there's nothing apple are prepared to do. I have bought more macs than I can remember, I have persuaded many friends and all my family to 'go mac'. Never again!! I couldn't be more disgusted with the brand I once loved with a passion.

The apple rep said this problem is 'just emerging' to apple . . .  everyone who is on this thread should actually get the problem recorded with apple, so they can basically prove to themselves how massively they messed up with the 2011 macbooks, then probably do nothing. If you are reading this then email your repair case number and mac serial number to Tim Cook.  I myself have decided to ensure all my friends in the media get word of this in the hope they can find a story in it.  Its my ambition to get this story covered with the BBC before Christmas. The only way apple are going to consider a replacement program is if they are forced due to very honest publicity. As the size of this thread proves . . they couldn't care less about our very common issue, its time to make it an issue for apple!

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Seems you cannot send a mail directly, got a message its a send only account.

Wish they could analyse the issue and come with repair that different that a new board with the same weakness.

Count me in !

this model seriously messed up.

friend of mine purchased this macbook when its released, not even a year, the macbook start having lots of issues, blue tints and black lines,

after a year - this macbook died. stuck in grey screen forever.  no more warranty so this thing ended up sitting inside the shelf for almost two years until I decide to take it.

went to apple retail shop, told me to replace the WHOLE logic Board cost me almost a brand new Macbook. They did not even know what is wrong actually. just saying "ah right ! the logic board is busted" .

so finally I manage to get the AMD GPU replaced by apple repair centre

cost me a lot. but it only holds for 3 MONTHS(luckily, still under warranty from the repair centre!). its dead again, not even a chime sound start, nor grey screen, nothing happened.

so I ended up just get my AMD GPU replaced again yesterday and I feel bad with this early 2011 model

I'm doing a lot of photo editing with lightroom and adobe photoshop, and I do travel sometimes to certain places.

this is just simply ridiculous that such a expensive machine cant stand the heat issue.

there is no point of using this amd discrete graphic card if its just spoiling the whole macbook, rendering it to be totally unusable, and yet we pay more for something that we can't use.

To me, its much better if it is possible to take out that discrete graphic card, and stick to only intel hd graphic.

slow but better than making the whole macbook become useless.

(as for now im using gfxCard, not sure how this thing can help, hope it works)

really hope apple can do something about this

this ultra expensive machine from APPLE

I have an early 2011 Macbook pro with an radeon AMD 6750M. I know that the Imac form 2011 with the same card have a replacement plan because of the AMD cards. Why do not the MacBook PRo with the same card from the same year have a similar plan? I think Apple should be responsible for that, the Applecare is out of range and someone who bought that cannot buy one to be covered. I am a macuser but i am starting to think that todays macs are not the same.

I have an earle 2011 Macbook pro with an radeon AMD 6750M. I know that the Imac form 2011 with the same card have a replacement plan because of the AMD cards. Why do not the MacBook PRo with the same card from the same year have a similar plan? I think Apple should be responsible for that, the Applecare is out of range and someone who bought that cannot buy one to be covered. I am a macuser but i am starting to think that todays macs are not the same.

I have a 2011 MBP with AMD GPU and in the last month have starting getting the screen freezing issue.  It has escalated to getting blue screen's etc and the only way it seemingly boots now is to get into internet recovery run the HD tests and then reboot.  The upper left also gets extremely hot to the touch.  its sad apple will not address the issue.  Taking it to the apple store on Friday and will say what they say.