2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

You could try these.

1. Find a repair shop that has a BGA -machine and does MacBook Pro GPU repairs. (no baking of the board). Had just my MacBook Pro 17' Early 2011 repaired in a local repair shop. Wasn't even Apple certified. Cost was 260 euros (including VAT).

2. Before you give them the laptop make sure they solder a new GPU chip - not the old one - as the the soldering quality won't be in that case equally good. The chip price was included in the 260 euros.

3. Use gfxCardStatus to take more control what GPU you are using and when.

4. Use your laptop only on hard surfaces to maximize the air ventilation. I admit it - little bit before mine broke I was watching La Vuelta VoD broadcast in HD in bed. Not having it on my legs but on bed. Bad airflow and HD video made it to heat too much.

5. You might consider also a temperature monitoring software. I haven't picked one yet myself. Any recommendations?

6. Prepare for it to fail again. Backups etc.

A great pity, and harsh of Apple. I had the same problem - early 2011 15" MacBook Pro, a truly excellent machine, then the screen problems started shortly after the guarantee period ended. I had the logic board replaced by the Apple Repair Centre near Brussels in Belgium 4 or 5 times, I had paid for the first replacement, the others were under guarantee. After the last replacement I called Apple and they agreed to replace the machine gratis with a new late 2014 15" MacBook Pro. They also agreed I could pay the difference to have a 1 TB SSD installed instead of the normal 500 GB SSD. So for a minimum outlay I got a more modern, superior machine. I must say though that my previous experience with the 2011 machine was disastrous and absurdly time-wasting. Apple then re-imbursed the cost of the first replacement logic board under the compensation scheme they introduced, but I think they ended it in 2016.

So I re-became an Apple fan, but I think it is extremely unfair of them to not recognise later cases of the same damaging problems.

Have you tried 'phoning them?

I wish you the best of luck and persuasion!

Hi Mate, in my case back to 2016 I got the entire logic board replaced (but this was nothing but a bandaid as the board they used contained the same faulty GPU). Back to December 2017 I started to have the same problem (on the new logic board). This is just pure rubbish from apple, as they didn’t really fixed my issue but they bandaid, and yeah the recall program is already over for 2011 Laptops. Now I’m in the market for a New laptop but really thinking twice before dropping 2.5k on a MacBook “Pro”. Just pitiful. So if you think that replacing the board will take care of the problem, is not a final solution that faulty Radeon GPU will make its way thru start failing again. (I wish I had better news). Cheers mate.

Got my MCB back from the local repair shop. They installed a totally new GPU chip with a BGA machine. Everything seems to work fine. Downloaded nevertheless gfxCardStatus. Gonna use the integrated GPU when no need for heavy use. Switching between the GPUs is easy.

I have the same problems after two motherboard replacements through the Apple service and one year after the last replacement. The exchange program no longer supports MBP early 2011. As always, this happens during important work 😟 Now only the replacement of a video card in an uncertified service or its disconnection via a terminal.

My old Powerbook g4 1,67Mhz still does not have similar problems either with a video card or with a display like Retina, but unfortunately can not perform modern resource-intensive work.

How to choose a MacBook for work and avoid problems with returns and replacements...The question is rhetorical ...

Evan612 wrote:

What does really cause all those issues? Is it inadequate airflow, bad gpu chip, some related component on the logic board (capacitor, resistor, other chip) failing, all of the above?

Apple prioritizes form over function, so the MacBook Pro is too compact to properly dissipate its heat. Add to this the fact that components are soldered/glued to the mother board, so repair is not economically feasible, and it is evident this hardware is dead by design. As Apple usually wiggles its *** out of consumer laws, this has become the scam of the century.

Just an update on this painful journey with my MacBook 2011, after my motherboard was replaced (after visiting several times the apple store). The same problem showed up exactly 11 months after, now the computer is totally unusable so be aware that apple "solution" was not more than a band-aid to the problem to purchase some time for it's to fail later on the road. This particular incident has built nothing but distrust for me to apple, as this was a very expensive computer back to the days and Now I'm " of course " hesitating to reinvest on another MacBook pro because these computers are freaking jukeboxes and you never know what's you're going to find! Why paying the Big Bucks for a laptop, you're paying prime but getting a very unreliable computer that was meant to be for "PRO usage". Just pitty.

And headsup, the MB 2011 is not the only one with this issue, I have read about 2015-2016 MB with the same problem. So their lack of acknowledgment is outrageous keep you head up buyers.

Early 2011 Apple store has replaced the logic board in 2015 for free, the problem came back in January 2018 and now I do not know what to do, I called the apple call center assistance, I was told that the Macbook Pro is obsolete and apple does not repair, I can only scrap it, but no refund if it does not turn on. The call center advised me to replace the logic board with a new one, conceived without the problem, even built recently, it seemed like a solution but I contacted the assistance center that contradicted the operator at the call center claiming that there are no logical cards that can replace 820-2915-B. Did any of you replace the card with a new one conceived in the following years? is it a solution? a road that can be traveled? I am undecided whether to entrust the macbook to the service center for replacement to more than 250 euros with a six month warranty. But I'm not convinced, the problem has come back with a new logic board figured with a patched up, do you have any experience?

thanks sorry for the english, I write from Italy.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

Apple further demonstrated by its own actions that replacing the producation main logicboard with another producation main logic board produced the same failure and failure rate.

Nonsense!

When the logic boards were replaced (typically with remanufactured and retested logic boards, as is standard practice in MANY industries) the problems were fixed. They were shown to be fixed by those boards passing the same test that had condemned the previous board.

Your saying all those boards are defective does not make it so.

We agree that Apple tested the boards used for original production and replacement repairs with the best test available to Apple.

Apple has demonstrated "Because of the high failure rates detected by their own internal processes, Apple extended the coverage for this specific failure to four years." that those proof of functionality tests failed to find near future failures during original production, failed to find near future failures during initial warranty repair and failed to find near future failures during the extended warranty repair.

Apple's extended warranty program verifies that Apple could not find those problems with their proof of performance final tests.

Customer comments on during this discussion have talked of intermittent failures, of heat related failures of both original production main logic boards and replacement repair logic boards install by Apple service techs according to Apple's procedures.

Customers comments on this discussion board talked of making several trips back to Apple service centers before the failure was caught by Apple's proof of performance test, to me indicating there are issues with Apple's suit of diagnostics. That is a closely related issue for another discussion.

As you said Apple subjected these rapaired machines to the riggers of Apple's proof of proper function testing prior to returning the repaired machine to the customer and these machines passed Apple's proof of performance test, only to fail at abnormal rates in abnormally short periods of time according to Apples's own internal monitoring process.

Well my MBP 2011 late 15inch had the same issue but my screen went to black.

Thank's that i had Apple care and 90 days remaining on it i was able to get it fixed they replaced the Logic board.

The tech spec's for the video card before fixing of the Logic board.

Graphics and video support

• AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memory on 2.2GHz configuration; or AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory on 2.4GHz configuration
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory5
• Automatic graphics switching
• Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors

My Mac Model

My Video spec'sof the Intel 3000 pro video card after Logic board replaced.

NOTICE!! The 512mb.

This means Apple must be aware of the issue they revamped the logic board with a newer video card with more ram.

Everyboard need to make Apple aware about this issue!!! We all need to to sign this petition to make apple know they need to fix this for free.

FYI I am Mac tech i work in Publishing industry and admin 200 Mac's.

Thanks Joey Jacobson

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Same problem here, now in October 26th, 2017. My macbook pro 15-inch late 2011 has been repaired 5 times, between Italy and USA. The last time in Italy, in the summer of 2015, at the Mac Store of Bologna, under the warranty program by Apple. Some days ago: boom: the same problem of the GPU failure. I called Apple many times, they told me that my macbook pro is "vintage", they do not produce anymore the repairs for it. As a professional using it, I am quite disappointed. Moreover, the new macbook pros have specs that do not satisfy me at all, forcing to sell all my pro audio equipment. All this is so frustrating, and irritating as well.

If you encounter the problem, which will happen if you have the macbook pro 15-inch late 2011, call Apple and try to obtain some discount (they proposed me a 100EUR discount, which I did not accept) or a gifs (an accessory of 200EUR, which I am considering to accept).

mountainguyy wrote:

This time though got given the "Sorry, it's now a vintage model, and no parts available..." yadda yadda speech. After an extended conversation and a check with the "Apple Godfather" out back, they came back and said the best that they could do was to refund the cost of the logic board (which they'd earlier replaced free of charge).

Lucky you. I paid EUR 700 for a patched up logic board that lasted one and a half year, and got a big fat middle finger from Margaret L., Executive Relations EMEIA of Apple Distribution International in Cork, Ireland, with the advice to not use Apple if I don't like it. Add to this the fact that in The Netherlands the liberal government kisses the butt of big companies like Apple, even though this means they have to leave its own tax-payers out in the cold, and you can imagine why there will be at least one Apple employee who will thoroughly regret they screwed yours truly out of his money.

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

I would look at Craigslist for options. I purchased Mac Pro laptops from 2014 and newer for $700 from a few resellers. 16 GB of RAM too. The ones with 8 GB that I bought were $650. Look on Craigslist for honest resellers.

agranado wrote:

Hi guys,

I don't know if you are having this problem a third time. I have MacBook pro 15' 2011-early. In middle of 2014 (Jun-Jul) I had this problem. It was before Apple accept the problem and start the repair program. So I paid for the repair. When Apple started the repair program, they contact me to refund me. It was awesome.

However 1 year and 3 months later (Oct 2015) I had the same problem. In the begin Apple said that they won't repair my MacBook for free because they've already refunded for the previous problem. But after I show them that they used a motherboard + graphic card with same problem. They accepted and repair. Ok, it was great. I thought that all my MacBook pro 15' 2011-early was solved....

But Now my MacBook pro is showing the same symptoms. It's warming a lot (the fan is going to the máx rpm) always when I need some graphic resources. And two days ago it started to distortion my image screen with horizontal lines and reboot my MacBook after that. I'm really worring about that...

Does someone had the same problem for 3 times?

Sorry to write guys... I'm just really disappointed that Apple for not solve it in two repairs... :/

Your experiences are not unique. Apple has both dragged its feet on making warranty repairs and customer have experienced multiple failures of those warranty repairs. I am not sure how to automate a search of previous entries to this discussion for such criteria, however there are responses from many Apple customers commenting on experiencing multiple failures and Apple's resistence to making warranty repairs.

The watch dogs for this discussion have often made it difficult to voice critism of Apple's involvement in this product problem. This response my suffer such censoring.

Good luck getting your problem resolved. Persistence will win the day.

I have probably been deleted from this forum for a few days, while I sent my macbook pro 15 "2011 for repair at an authorized apple center, the estimate is: 180.00 euros for the replacement of the graphics card and 160.00 euros for the repair of the short for almost € 400.00 I am undecided, do you have such important repairs?