Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

No, there's nothing related to any software. If you boot your macbook into Windows by Boot Camp, you'll also get a gpu failure. Even if your macbook is running out of OS X (no matter Mountain Lion or Marvericks), you'll still see the same problem, and then you'll understand that this is totally a hardware problem.

Another evidence is that a huge amount of macbook pros including mine went borken in Auguest, when Marvericks was still at the beta phase. Read earlier posts in this thread more carefully with patient, PLEASE. Any attampts to solve the problem at software layer, such as reinstalling or downgrading the os, resetting the SMC, or doing EFI upgrading... didn't fix this issue permanently, while a gpu replacement and reballing with lead solder did.

sorry, I think you are missing my point. I'm not suggesting that software CAUSED the problem, but rather is EXASPERATING the problem. Big difference. It would be useful to see if anyone's maching "suddenly" started behaving better after removing a certain plugin. It would provide another data point. Sorry if this annoys you.

M

I have the same problem has everybody else in the forum with my 2011 Macbook pro GPU.

Started with the flickering screen and major system crash some weeks ago then gray striped screen then blue stripped screen and today just the gray screen I can't even start the OS, I've tried this with Snow leopard and Mavericks on the same machine and same behavior for both OS's. I've tried to get a Genius meeting in Opera's Apple store (Paris France) with no luck they are overbooked in a week but they don't even take inscriptions later than that so I don't really know how I'm going to communicate to Apple that I have a faulty GPU!

Since I really need my MBP for work, I have a big contract waiting validation from a client this week, if its validated I have no way to make changes in the music I'm working on for them this week, I'm losing a lot of money!

Since 10 years that I am an Apple client but today I started to interrogate myself if probably I will just build an Hackintosh just to finish my work but come on, I paid almost 3000€ for my MBP 2 years ago, I expected at least 4 years of life!

And its true that this machine heated a lot, I even bought an USB fan cooler pad on its early months and remember to look for this heating issue in some forums  and found already at that time that people complained about the overheating. We are talking 1 year and an half ago so Apple its aware of this since a long time.

I couldn't work all day so I had the time to travel in a lot of  forums and found in some forum that even if the warranty its over there is in Europe a  "Legal warranty against hidden vicious" sorry for the bad translation.

It means that Apple has to replace the faulty equipment and even after that the client can attack them in justice for reparations of the losses. If I don't have a solution fast from Apple and I lose my contract due to this problem I will go to justice with this.

Source (In french):

http://www.macg.co/ailleurs/2012/10/garantie-legale-garantie-contractuelle-et-ap plecare-un-point-pour-mieux-comprendre

I'm not expecting to have a no problem machine but 2 years its just to short and hundreds of complains show that this is Apple's responsibility but their silence continues.

I'm sorry too. I wrote that replay because I think there are still many people who are not clear about the problem. And hope Apple will solve the problem soon.

I posted last week that a Reball is the only reasonable solution (since replacement logic boards are also unreliable).  Since my $150 service, my Early 2011 MBP has been running BETTER than it did new.  The folks who did my computer removed and tested the GPU (which was fine), cleaned the board, and properly reballed with professional equipment (RUN away from anyone who uses a heat gun and temperature probes).  Additionally, they cleaned and applied better thermal past to GPU and CPU, and as a result my computer is running around 70-75C under load (parallels and VLC running at the same time). 

This is a hardware issue through and through and through.  No software will fix it.  gfxCardStatus held me together for a little while, but eventually that failed and I spent hours each day with reboots praying I could get the computer to a state where I could turn off dynamic switching.  Now, I boot clean, I wake from sleep exactly as I should, the computer is cooler, peppier, and I am happy and productive. 

For those of us who use our computers to make a living, waiting for Apple is not an option.  So I reiterate my position that a Reball is the only practical solution for some.  Just be SURE that whomever you hire to do that really knows what they are doing, has already done dozens of MBPs, and has the proper equipment.  I spent a day researching, and called no less than 10 places only to find out that either a) they had little clue, b) they wanted to reflow rather than reball, or c) they were using mickey mouse equipment.  So, do be careful.

@ MacforSound

Have you tried the fix I published here?

https://discussions.apple.com/message/23737231#23737231

If you can live with the internal Graphics Chip, this could help you at least with your job.

You actually don't need a Genius appointment, just bring your faulty machine to the Apple store with a failure description.

Enjoy your 

@ MBP-FL

Sorry, I disagree with you.

1. Any other repair center than APPLE will not allow you to get a refound once Apple comes up with a fix.

2. More important is the fact, that you will end up in about 1 or 2 years with the same problems if you go for a Reball solution.

Enjoy your 

We repair in the UK and some of our customers successfully had a refund from Apple for a brand new Chipset reball option when Apple told them the GPU was not the problem under the 4 year extended 8600M pre unibody program.

So as long as the Company is reputable & VAT registered you may get the money back.

@ apple_power

1. true, there will be no refund.  However, I can't wait another 2-6 months to have a working computer.  In my other 15" early 2011 that my kids use I PAID for the logic board replacement.  It failed within 2 weeks, same problem (apple even PROUDLY told me that this was original equipment that would have been manufactured at the same time and in the same place as the original).  It's not a critical computer to me (was actually supposed to be my backup), so I can wait on it.  But if you use your hardware to earn a living, waiting is not an option, and repeatedly visiting the Apple store is also not an option.

2. In 1-2 years you'll end up with the same problem if you reflow.  reballing with lead solder should be a permanent fix.  And even on the off chance that it is not permanent I know I can have the problem remedied in a day for very little cost.

Again, it all depends on how you use your mac and if you can live without it for periods of time to determine whether you wait and hope on an Apple solution.  If you can wait, then definitely wait.  It's not right that anyone should have to pay for ANY service on these machines, but some of us must do what we must do in order to carry on and earn.

apple_power wrote:

 

@ MacforSound

 

Have you tried the fix I published here?

 

https://discussions.apple.com/message/23737231#23737231

 

If you can live with the internal Graphics Chip, this could help you at least with your job.

 

You actually don't need a Genius appointment, just bring your faulty machine to the Apple store with a failure description.

 

Enjoy your 

Sorry to disagree but I went this afternoon to the Opera's Paris Apple Store with my Macbook pro and I got no assistance. I'm using Protools so I can't only use the internal graphics chip only Protools won't run properly so I can't "get my job done".

@ MBP-FL

Yes for sure, if you need your machine for a living you have to descide if you can work with the internal Graphics Chip or not. For me it is OK, I'm working with Aperture an usually with the Thunderbolt Display. So I applied this FIX https://discussions.apple.com/message/23737231#23737231

For the moment I have to work with internal display only, that is fine for me - at least for a certain period of time.

But I'm confident, that Apple will come up with a solution.

Enjoy your 

2. More important is the fact, that you will end up in about 1 or 2 years with the same problems if you go for a Reball solution.

 

That is not true. Actually if Apple (and their ASPs) continue to just swap faulty boards by new (or worse refurbished) boards they will they the same problem within the timespan you mentioned again. A reball can be a permanent fix if done right but I absolutely have to disagree with our Florida man here -- no small shoppe will have the proper equipment to do that procedure right because if done right it needs very expensive equipment, is very labor intensive and risky too hence costing a proper amount of money. Only the manufacturer itself (or the company doing the packaging for them) will have the perfect equipment to do it. The far cheaper option is to just get a brand new GPU soldered on as they'll have a proper set of balls right from the factory.

We repair in the UK and some of our customers successfully had a refund from Apple for a brand new Chipset reball option when Apple told them the GPU was not the problem under the 4 year extended 8600M pre unibody program.

 

So as long as the Company is reputable & VAT registered you may get the money back.

Safest would be to bring it to an ASP. However they'll likely have clauses in their contracts not to try anything but replacing the boards or they'll lose the status.

@ MacforSound

MacforSound wrote:

 

Sorry to disagree but I went this afternoon to the Opera's Paris Apple Store with my Macbook pro and I got no assistance. I'm using Protools so I can't only use the internal graphics chip only Protools won't run properly so I can't "get my job done".

Strange, I even can work with FinalCutX, but I have not installed Protools, so I can not help you with that matter.

Enjoy your 

@ apple_power

the "fix" you posted works on Mavericks?

I´m still worried about upgrading...