2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

NVIDIA ? don't you have a early 2011 with the AMD 6750 ?

Dude, my laptop is dead too, and I'm in a foreigner country I even don't speak the language trying to do my life as freelance, and no Apple Store here, just authorised seller, so please ... I know how stressful is it.

On mine that was quick... Yesterday I had the split screen / lines for the first time. The day before I had a "simple" crash and then a blue screen when trying to boot of my USB OSX install key, but I didn't know it was related to the GPU at that time. After installing gfxCardStatus, I had to reboot and couldn't boot anymore since then (grey screen after the OS is loaded). I managed to boot from an old SL install but it crashed right after launching Chrome so I couldn't download gfxCardStatus. Then I couldn't boot in SL either.

I'm just going to have my GPU replaced and reballed, I don't have the time to wait for Apple to provide a free fix/replacement. Sad but 200 EUR of reinvestment in a 3 years old laptop is not that much for a professional use (that doesn't mean Apple's non reaction is acceptable either...)

HA! as I said b4 this problem is years old already existing on previous models like mine MBP 15" mid-2010 model type MacBookPro6,2...

AND STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE!!! 😟

It all started go crazy once I upgraded from SL to ML. I've took it to the Apple authorised centre and the technician said that I was probably one of the lucky ones to get this problem so latr in the life of the machine cause I kept the machine immaculate and they didn't even charge me for the diagnostic cause they straight away knew what the problem was and confirmed that is a manifacturer fault on these models....

Just wanted to add myself to the list of users who experienced the issue. Early 2011 17" Macbook Pro Quad with the 6750 discrete graphics card. So far the workaround for me is the suggested method of allowing the laptop to shut itself down when it hangs on a grey screen at boot. Then after reboot and login use GFXStatus to select integrated. Last time the computer was up for 2 days before it froze again. We'll see how long this round lasts.

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A SOLUTION of sorts (so far, so good for a week now)

For two months my 15" mbp (late 2011, 2.4 Ghz Intel Core i7, 8GB ram, AMD Radeon HD 6770M, Intel HD Graphics 3000, latest Mavericks OS) has been crashing and burning with the ubiquitous GPU problem.

The only way to boot was multiple times via Internet Recovery and SUM (to clean up permissions, etc.) Cannot boot from USB to recover (always blue screen), the DVD drive died a long time ago and no second mac to link to.

Enough was enough, so:

1. I backed up my data and completely erased the drive with Internet Recovery Disk Utility (Fastest).

2. Then using Internet Recovery (command R) I installed Lion (which was the only install option given).

3. Installed gfxCardStatus v.2.2.1

http://www.downloadcrew.com/article/27732-gfxcardstatus

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/downloads/3328418/gfxcardstatus-221/

4. Checkbox gfxCardStatus to 'Integrated Only' and uncheck Preference 'Use power source-based switching'.

5. Then choose System Preferences > Energy Saver > Better Battery Life.

6. Install smcFanControl > Preferences > 4000rpm default.

http://www.eidac.de/smcfancontrol/smcfancontrol_2_4.zip

7. (Optional) Install Photoshop > Preferences > Performance > Graphics Processor Setting > Uncheck "Use Graphics Processor".

Reinstall your favourite apps and use your backup to get your browser plug-ins, contacts etc.

When you back up, also back up (iCloud?) as separate files your contacts , bookmarks, little snitch settings (if you use), etc. which makes it easier to find them when reinstalling.

Caveat: the only time it has crashed is when I put it to sleep without the cable (on battery) and woke up to a black screen with the disk still spinning, so I though bx11oxs, but after a PRAM reset (Command, option P,R (hold twice until you hear the loud boot up tone)) and two restarts it came back to life. So when putting to sleep probably best to keep the mains cable plugged in. (I do put it to sleep for 30 minutes when taking to work with no problem).

I haven't risked any graphics intensive software like video editing or 3D games but I can surf, use YouTube, VLC, DVD Player, Photoshop (but no silly business with the filters), Illustrator, Acrobat, iWorks, MS Office, uTorrent, etc.

My mac is cool to the touch (46˚C), faster and I can't hear any spinning fans, and I've rebooted with no problems all week, it's almost like having my old friend back.

Eventually I will probably get a reball, but as I'm in Thailand my options are limited (perchance, does anyone know a good lead (as in zeppelin) reballer in Thailand?). If I send to the UK or US I will probably have to pay local customs a lot of 'tea money' when it's returned. I'm loathe to fork out my hard earned wonga on a 'new' logic board which by all accounts will shuffle off within months.

I have a feeling Mavericks has something to do with it, maybe more processor hungry, I don't know I'm not an expert, Lion just seems a lot more stable.

Also I used to work for large design houses and corporate consultants who had offices full of macs but I've not seen one of them shouting about it on these forums, just individuals, why?

Give it time and the newer models will start to show the same problems.

So, I hope some of you can find this solution useful - it took a lot of messing about and research on the interwebs and a bit of luck to work this out.

Here are some useful SUM scripts (my thanks to various sources) - copy and paste:

1. Always do these two first .

fsck -fy / (do this as many times until it says no modifications)

mount -uw /

2. To repair permissions

/usr/libexec/repair_packages --repair --standard-pkgs

3. Disk repair (fixing invalid node structure)

ls -1 /dev/disk* (to find which is your startup disk)

fsck_hfs -rf /dev/disk0s2 (hfs for mac formatted and 0s2 for my particular HD)

4. Use this to clean your mac when it is really fxxxed up)

fsck_hfs -y -Rc -d /dev/disk0s2

5. Turn on / off wifi

networksetup -setairportpower airport on

networksetup -setairportpower airport off

I tried using Applejack but it didn't do much, the above scripts are a lot more useful.

Chock dee krap (good luck)

Hi Nikonea,

I have been using the exact same process to run by MBP from last one year. It's complicated but has kept the system running.

So I am little worried about this new update if it stops gfxcardstatus from running. Is this update in some way replacement for gfxcardstatus? Has your system been stable ever since?

My enthusiasm of yesterday has been a little bit shattered by what happened next.

After the upgrade and a very promising stable usage of the system, i played a bit too much with iCal, and the system went crazy, forcing a switch, with crazy patterns on the screen i never had seen before, and of course, hanged up the system.

Then i spent 2 hours of nightmare to jungle between reboots, cmd+s reboots, gfxcardstatus until i came back to the original situation i was discribing in my previous post.

So here i tell you: the security upgrade did NOT introduce a change in the internal of mac os x GPU switching mechanism, at least, not a change that is good for us.

Switches are still happening, and gfxcardstatus seems to have more difficulties to prevent them than before.

Also, the option in " Preferences : Energy Saver : Automatic graphics switching " was deselected and i tried to put it on again, but the system was hanging up immediately afterwards... Sometime, the options would revert to an old version of the GUI: "Graphics : better battery life" ....

So it seems that this security upgrade does change something that gfxstatuscard does not like... but after many tried and patience, i managed to boot on the integrated card, select the right option in the preferences, load gfxcardstatus with the "integrated" option... and i have a stable system again... but i wont try iCal anymore!

Chrome is ok... all my other apps too...

So i dont know what to recommend you. Except that before doing the upgrade, close all your apps, and do not ask mac os x to reopen them at the next startup. try to have the most lightweight boot up possible... so that the switch will not occur, and then you ll probably have time to check all the configuration options of preferences and gfxcardstatus to make sure you are safe.

I cannot confirm yet that gfxcardstatus works fine... ill try to update you.

i am on Lion.... but i had the problem of fgxcardstatus hanging up the system as soon as i selected "integrated only" yesterday, several times.

Someohow, i managed to come back to a stable situation after several reboots.

after the upgrade, you have to check that you still have the "automatic graphics switching" enabled , or the option " better battery life" selected in the Energy Saver preferences....

Hi All,

After emailing Tim Cook and getting an Executive Relations employee to offer a free repair/replacement of my Logicboard I finally after a week of it being away for repair have my MBP back.

Whilst it was away for repair I got a voicemail from the store which concerned me a little as they stated they had put a new logicboard in but it had failed the stress tests :/ (Did they use a refurbished board or was it just a duff new part?) either way in the voicemail they stated a replacement was on order and I was a priority. Next day they fixed it and left me another voicemail letting me know it was ready to collect stating no payment required as it was covered under consumer law. Executive relations employee did not mention this when authorising my repair when he phoned me but regardless it is fixed and I havent had to pay anything.

Few things worth mentioning.

The employee got back in touch after its repair to ensure I was happy via email and I haven't responded as you do but have also raised my concern I might come up against this issue again with time if it is indeed a design flaw as too many people are having this issue way too early in to its lifetime for it to be wear and tear or an appropriate period of time to not cover the repair under warranty.

I have also asked that the employee looks at this thread and see's not everyone has been as lucky as me to get a response and repair for free and that Apple should be responding officially.

Hope this helps other people but I think Apple are only going to respond on a case by case basis as this issue has been going on far too long.

I just hope this repair holds out. Good luck all

hi im getting this on mine as the moment the pictures that are shown nd also a full white screen any help would be grateful cos went into apple store meadow hall and they try to say it was cos i was using parallels

i can confirm now that gfxcardstatus works well with the new upgrade.

but, if you get the same problem as rridder page 433, you should reboot and close all apps, try to have the most lightweight mac os x running. then go to preferences, energy saving, and choose the "battery life" or "automatic switching". then reboot immediately. On the next reboot, check that the preferences option is still set as it should. Then go to gfxcardstatus and select "integrated only".

i got the same problem as you, but on Lion.

Here is how is got it to work again:

you should reboot and close all apps, try to have the most lightweight mac os x running. then go to preferences, energy saving, and choose the "battery life" or "automatic switching". then reboot immediately. On the next reboot, check that the preferences option is still set as it should. Then go to gfxcardstatus and select "integrated only".

Yes , also got it to work again after some restarts and reset pram. Could t start it anymore beyond the grey and blu screen. But after a couple of tries doibg blindlogins its now working again. dont think i will shut down anymore, dont want to risk it.

An update: Today received my MacBook back, fully repaired for €0,- under warranty (Dutch law says expected lifetime of a notebook is 3 years).

They have replaced the logic board, allthough the shop employee couldn't answer my question if it was replaced with a new (improved) logic board or the exact same, in time faulty, motherboard. He thought it was replaced with the same logic board.

This is related to the GPU, I had the same issues and these are the signs that eventually your MacBook will fail to boot.

Maybe you can ask the shop to repair it under warranty (don't know where you live, but in Europe it must be repaired for free under warranty within 3 years)