Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I want to add to this discussion I am facing similar problems:

first I had my computer motherboard and graphics card replaced (it was still covered by my Apple Care Protection Plan) because it would just fail/crash and try to reboot for no reason and would also show me random glitches of pixelated windows.

I was using anti-virus if anyone says it could be a virus - it wasn't. This problem appeared after Yosemite new install.
After the replacement I keep seeing graphic distortions: random glitches of pixelated windows, blue tinted screen.... etc.
I am so sad to imagine I had 2 motherboard replacements (for system crashes) and right now that the 3year extended warranty expires this problem worsens. I have paid 2600$ for this computer and I just feel it was a huge mistake... I feel so disappointed....

MacBook Pro (late 2011) | 2,5GBz Intel Core i7 | 8GB Ram, 1333 MHz DDR3 | AMD Radeon HD 6670M 1024 MB | OSX Yosemite 10.10.1

Correction to my post from yesterday. Apple does not seem to care about european law. As the EU enforces a minimum warranty year, technically I would have to get it fixed for free, but Apple can somehow only give 90 days of warranty

Just adding my voice to this thread.  My early 2011 MacBook pro with separate graphics card just failed yesterday - booting to gray screen.  It's certainly the graphics card that's the problem - I can boot to console, move the graphics card drivers out of the extensions folder and the machine then boots normally - though all graphics are too slow to do anything but check I'm fully backed up.  Went to the Apple Store and the Genius claimed not to have heard of the issue ('people are always reading things on the internet that aren't necessarily true').  I ending up going for the $310 flat rate repair - if Apple computers that cost $3000 are now only lasting just over 3 years (as my last two, this included, have) then that's $1000 per year so I only need to get a few months worth out of the flat rate repair to make it worth it relative to a new computer. 

Overall this is a pretty rotten experience from a supposedly premium company.  It's bad enough that the lifetime of Apple computers seems to be getting worse and worse but there's nothing like a wall of silence (especially face-to-face) to really leave a bad taste in the mouth.

I've had this issue for about a year, got the GPU replaced by an eBay company for about $250US. That helped for about 8 months and I'm experiencing the same issue again and now can't boot at all - I'm assuming because the computer boots using the discrete graphics card. Is it possible to force the MBP to boot using the integrated graphics card instead (BIOS settings or similar)? FYI, safe mode dosen't work either.

Hello,

I feel Your pain so try this with Apple... The Logic Board has a 90 warranty from Apple, but the Repair Agreement itself under EU law is warrantied for 1 Year so Apple would be expected to install as many replacements that would need to be replaced for 1 Year from Your original service date, simple as that. If Your logic board fails 91 days after the service then EU law dictates Apple replace that failed logic board with another that has 90 days warranty, the part warranty is separate from the Service Agreement Warranty.  The Service that Apple provides for a flat rate is what is bound under EU law. Try this approach, should work.

*For the record I live in Los Angeles, CA.

Just dropped mine early 2011 Macbook Pro 15" off for it's second logic board replacement.  My first failures started happening early this year and then ultimately it died and would not even boot.  Received it back from Apple on Nov. 29 (just over a week ago).  In less then hour of using it the day I got it back, the screen went blue with vertical lines and was locked up. 

Then it started failing again over the weekend.  In addition to the blue screen had it go to sleep once and could not wake it up. The Genius didn't acknowledge knowing about any issues.  If the root cause is in the manufacturing / design, I don't have high expectations.  My only hope is this repair will also fail in a short amount of time, then maybe I can get them to do something other then offer to replace the logic board again.  

hey guys

I'm from Brazil and it's great to find out that so many people are finding these issues.

I've saved a poll from several posts behind and I'm going to sue Apple in my country.

laws here say that if a product prove to have a design flaw it's still the brand's job to address it even after several years.

I Hope this will help all of you somehow, because even if it takes a long time, Apple is paying back my repair and maybe this will force them to recall all the mbps in my country for a Logic Board replacement.

I'll try to keep you guys updated.

Just an update here from me. I redid the thermal paste on my computer and even changed to Integrated graphics card. The computer worked great for two days, then died. Sent it off to get reballed yesterday. Fingers crossed....

Idk if this might help with the forcing integrated graphics card use

http://www.zdnet.com/article/little-utility-rescues-a-macbook-pro-with-failing-v ideo/

On a Side note, I've opted to opt out of the MacBook/ Apple experience. Apples refusal to give attention to this clearly consumer wide issue is terrible. If I care to waste productivity and time on the expensive paperweight that some of us have been forced to own, I'll update you guys. I did enjoy my mbp 13" machine, and the MAC experience. I didn't enjoy the headache, constant freezing, the crazy lines across the screens, the deleted work because the machine froze in the middle of me being productive, the constant restarting, the several genius bar trips, the lack of knowledge of the "geniuses" at those bars and the etc.  It's so sad, to tout the best hardware, the best graphics, the best  etc and leave your customers which have made you the "best" in the dark is just deplorable. If this is the best I don't want to experience the worse. I'll get me a handy Alienware or Lenovo machine. Apple mbp 2011 - Worst investment ever

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Dropped off my laptop last week for a 400 repair.  Even though I have a mbp2011 with vertical stripes the not so genius suggested since my laptop was 17" it was not having the typical problem.   I had to show him articles online that listed 17" laptops as part of the problem.   Today Apple called and said they needed my approval to possibly erase the hard drive and needed my administrator password.   I had already given them my guest password at drop off.   But the guy on the phone said my only options were for them to either ship the computer back to me at my cost, or to give them my administrator password.   I reluctantly gave it to them, knowing they now would have access to all my keychain passwords, all my email, all my personal pictures, etc. etc.   I feel raped and humiliated and can't stop thinking about how I got blackmailed into this situation. 

I didn't see any blue tint issue on your Screenshot

1st motherboard replaced July 2014 under AppleCare, 2nd replaced 2 weeks ago under AppleCare, now experiencing the same issues again.  Under AppleCare for another few weeks so I suppose they'll simply give me a 3rd motherboard?

Unbelievable that with this number of comments, plus the petition, that Apple are continuing to ignore the issue.  Like so many, I rely on this computer for my livelihood, and I've lost at least 10 billable days because of these issues. 

I'm not going to threaten to stop using Apple products at this point because I'm truly wedded to them, but I can and will recommend that anyone who asks me about switching to Mac not do so, under any circumstances.  Given that I was also impacted by the 2007 NVidia issue (and missed the replacement deadline by a few weeks), I reckon I've probably put 15 people or so off of buying MacBooks already. 

So Apple, that's how this kind of thing hurts, and although you might not feel it near-term, eventually, if this kind of behaviour continues, you will. 

canirl wrote:

 

1st motherboard replaced July 2014 under AppleCare, 2nd replaced 2 weeks ago under AppleCare, now experiencing the same issues again.  Under AppleCare for another few weeks so I suppose they'll simply give me a 3rd motherboard?

 

Unbelievable that with this number of comments, plus the petition, that Apple are continuing to ignore the issue.  Like so many, I rely on this computer for my livelihood, and I've lost at least 10 billable days because of these issues.

 

I'm not going to threaten to stop using Apple products at this point because I'm truly wedded to them, but I can and will recommend that anyone who asks me about switching to Mac not do so, under any circumstances.  Given that I was also impacted by the 2007 NVidia issue (and missed the replacement deadline by a few weeks), I reckon I've probably put 15 people or so off of buying MacBooks already. 

So Apple, that's how this kind of thing hurts, and although you might not feel it near-term, eventually, if this kind of behaviour continues, you will. 

I totally agree that Apple are still shooting themselves in the foot over this for that exact same reason.  When many users are considering switching to the Mac post Yosemite, when long term Mac users who have been unfairly made to foot the bill it is these long term peer Mac users themselves who I have lost count how many of them are in this thread alone that will cost Apple new customers over the long term by not recommending Windows users to switch to OS X.  Sadly the lawyers and bean counters are still failing to see this bigger picture that I have always seen and also you now.

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth and why when any client wants a retina 15 I advise to get the Iris Pro integrated model minus the Nvidia GPU unless they specifically need it for apps like Photoshop, and any client which wants a new 5k Retina iMac with the option AMD GPU I advise to buy a Mac Pro 6,1 instead with a 4k display which I have complete confidence in lasting as long as I expect them to!