abelliveau

Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro (2.2 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 memory) running OS 10.8.2.  It has two graphics components: an AMD Radeon HD 6750M and a built-in Intel HD Graphics 3000. Since I've had the computer, the screen would get a blue tint when the computer switched between them.

 

However, as of two days ago, the problem has become substantially more severe.  The computer was working fine, when all of a suddent the screen when completely blue.  I had to force restart the computer.  Since then, the screen has gone awry on numerous occassions - each time necessitating a hard reset.

 

I installed gfxCardStatus, and have discovered that the computer runs fine using the integrated card, but as soon as I switch to the discrete card - the screen goes .

 

I am just wondering what my options are (any input on any of these would be appreciated!):

 

1) Replace the logic board.  Would this necessarily fix the issue?

 

2) Is there any way to "fix" the graphics card? 

 

3) Keep using gfxCardStatus and only use the integrated graphics card.  This is definitely the easiest/cheapest option, but to have such a computer and not be able to use the graphics card seems like a real shame.

 

4) Is there any other alternative?

 


MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB memory

Posted on Feb 1, 2013 4:45 PM

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Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

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  • by cbetsinger,

    cbetsinger cbetsinger Feb 6, 2015 10:11 AM in response to ZeFish
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2015 10:11 AM in response to ZeFish

    I cant post links for you, however...

     

    There is a petition and a class action going on right now.

     

    Report the issue to a rep at your local Genius Bar so its logged in to the system. Once we have enough people that surface this issue maybe... just maybe... we will get a recall.

     

    I hope you and all of us will someday see the light about this issue. Its horrible that if you replace the board, your still gonna have the issue come up. Its depressing that a "premium" laptop has had as many as 4 logic boards replaced based on this issue.

     

    <Edited By Host>

  • by Smokerz,

    Smokerz Smokerz Jan 20, 2015 3:38 PM in response to abelliveau
    Level 6 (9,699 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 3:38 PM in response to abelliveau

    I'd install OSX on an external preferably thunderbolt. Only the OS X and check the video condition for a while. My son had an early 2011 15 inch MBPro with the blue screen and other issues. Turned out be a software problem, Chrome.

     

    Redid his Mac and its been fine for 9 months. No undo other software installed.

  • by cbetsinger,

    cbetsinger cbetsinger Jan 20, 2015 6:37 PM in response to Smokerz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 6:37 PM in response to Smokerz

    I had erased my hard drive, formatted/partitioned it, installed yosemite fresh... it helped for about 3 weeks, once the computer went into play a hd video the computer crashed. Ive been able to boot it to a Yosemite bootable usb... but it crashes and crashes...

     

    Ive tried the smc etc's resets, even the one with a "twist"... I'll try and redo my OS and as you stated not load any 3rd party software. If thats an issue, and causes it to fail, thats still bs because this "PREMIUM" laptop needs to be able to do what it needs to do or just tell me it cannot run the software, not just brick.

     

    The weird issue is for me at least, I can boot into recovery SOMETIMES and it will stay there no issues for HOURS, is the logic board going into a "panic" or other issue? anyone else have more direct input on the cause of the issue(s). If the GPU is causing the issue, why cant there be a firmware update to shut it off completely? My MBP wont allow me to make the correction in terminal to disable the discrete graphics.

     

    I wont get it running and sell it to an unsuspecting person, so Im stuck with a silver paperweight. Id prefer a rock from my yard to do that.

  • by blsswnd,

    blsswnd blsswnd Jan 20, 2015 7:43 PM in response to cbetsinger
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPad
    Jan 20, 2015 7:43 PM in response to cbetsinger

    I just want to say to  cbetsinger that the exact same thing you just typed is what i did, and the results were the same for about 4 weeks, Dec. 21 to be exact.

     

    I thought all was well,

     

    then I went out on an errand and while I was out,  for no reason, because the computer was asleep, I found my computer had

     

    started to restart by itself over and over again...no fan, no over heating, just as calm as it wanted to be...

     

    Of course I went back to what had worked in the past,

     

    but nothing, no recovery mode, no boot to disk utility, just an apple logo trying to startup and when it gets to about

     

    an inch or so, it just goes into grey screen and sits there....very sad, as I am not a rich person and my Macbook Pro 17" is for strictly business.

     

    I am a graphic designer and freelance at that ;-) ...I hope Apple fixes my computer, i am willing to trade for a refurb of even a 13" MBP, (just so it hooks up to my Cinema display) my MBP 17" is in pristine condition, but it doesn't work, LOL

     

    I have to laugh to keep from crying.   HELP Me Apple, I will call again tomorrow. Thank you for answering the phone. ;-)

  • by sclodeca,

    sclodeca sclodeca Jan 20, 2015 8:17 PM in response to abelliveau
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 8:17 PM in response to abelliveau

    Count me as a new victim.  Macbook early 2011 17" was working fine until yesterday.  Now I get grey/blue bars on the screen and the system will not boot up.  I am taking it to Genius Bar on Friday and see what my options are.  Ugh. 

  • by DanielMayer,

    DanielMayer DanielMayer Jan 20, 2015 8:53 PM in response to abelliveau
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPad
    Jan 20, 2015 8:53 PM in response to abelliveau

    Well,

     

    I join you all in reporting the same problem here.

     

    My Macbook Pro 15 Early 2011 has just begun restarting or shutting down randomly to a black screen or sometime to a grey screen.

     

    Freezing or shutting down seems to be related to having browser windows opened with flash running animations or videos, or video playing in DVD Player. Sometimes, it seems related to having apps working and requiring more complex graphic rendering.

     

    Conclusion : add me to the long list of people having a MBP showing GPU problems.

  • by brucefromwauconda,

    brucefromwauconda brucefromwauconda Jan 20, 2015 10:45 PM in response to abelliveau
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 20, 2015 10:45 PM in response to abelliveau

    OK - add me to the list.  My Late 2011 with AMD 6750M went to a white screen, so I rebooted it, then I saw the faint horizontal lines across the screen, a few moments later back to grey screen - then the fans run up to high RPM.  Started Googling (on my crappy PC) and found you guys, and petitions and stories about class action lawsuits.  How sad this is.  This was my first Mac since my LC475 which btw is still working. I loved this laptop, totally superior. But to pay $2000 and have a brick 3 years later is a total losing proposition. This means I paid $666 per year for this machine, and now it's totally obvious that this is a design flaw that can only be fixed by getting a new machine, new gpu, retina display spending a LOT more money.  Apple needs to make this right by not only acknowledging the issue but issuing some kind of program to get deep discounts on new hardware since the hardware is obviously flawed and it from reading this thread it appears that the fix from the Apple Store may only last a couple months.

     

    As others have said, the way that Apple responds to this will likely steer me into my next purchasing decision, since I require a working laptop with working GPU I'm sure I can find plenty of other brands/models out there for a bunch cheaper. Not that I want to go there.

     

    BTW the Apple Store quoted me over $520 for the mainboard fix through them (which the guy said no one ever does), and $310 to send out to their provider.  I chose option 2 and they had no problem with my aftermarket SSD and RAM being installed.

     

    Now I'll have spent $2310 on this puppy.. hopefully it works for a while longer.

  • by JPE435,

    JPE435 JPE435 Jan 21, 2015 12:09 AM in response to brucefromwauconda
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 12:09 AM in response to brucefromwauconda

    Yes another failed MBP to add to the list, about to contact Apple - wish me luck..

  • by IvnOs,

    IvnOs IvnOs Jan 21, 2015 3:27 AM in response to IvnOs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 3:27 AM in response to IvnOs

    Really strange thing happend. I restarted my mac yestraday several times, but had not any problem. After that i made a test via disk utility and it found an error with code 8. I restarted my mac from recovering boot sector and repaired hdd there. After that it is working fine, going to try some hard video testing this evening.

  • by blsswnd,

    blsswnd blsswnd Jan 21, 2015 8:44 AM in response to brucefromwauconda
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPad
    Jan 21, 2015 8:44 AM in response to brucefromwauconda

    Please keep us posted on your fix and how long it last.

     

    I hope it last a long time for you.

  • by aspessoasmudam,

    aspessoasmudam aspessoasmudam Jan 21, 2015 11:16 AM in response to abelliveau
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 11:16 AM in response to abelliveau

    You can now add a new macbook pro 17 (early 2011) to the list!

    I opened Google Earth and boom, the screen went all blue and I had to turn it off.

    When I turned on again, the computer won't boot and simple had vertical RED Stripes all over.

     

    I found you guys and I hope that apple show some respect.

    This is not right!

     

    I wish every one al the best.

  • by JroenVN,

    JroenVN JroenVN Jan 21, 2015 11:30 AM in response to aspessoasmudam
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 11:30 AM in response to aspessoasmudam

    It looks like more and more are starting to fail, +-5/day reported here... probably just a fraction of the total.

  • by tomasfn93,

    tomasfn93 tomasfn93 Jan 21, 2015 12:37 PM in response to JroenVN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 12:37 PM in response to JroenVN

    Please Steve Jobs send your replacement program for this machines, from wherever you are

  • by Darrell Stall,

    Darrell Stall Darrell Stall Feb 6, 2015 10:07 AM in response to abelliveau
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 6, 2015 10:07 AM in response to abelliveau

    Currently, Apple will not repair at no charge any units that are out of warranty, and is not actually fixing the problem, only installing new logic boards that contain the same faulty graphics cards which eventually fail all over again, necessitating having to pay another $400-$600 for logic board replacement over and over again on machines that initially sold for around $2000 on average.

     

    <Edited by Host>

  • by carl wolf,

    carl wolf carl wolf Jan 21, 2015 2:34 PM in response to Darrell Stall
    Level 6 (14,625 points)
    Jan 21, 2015 2:34 PM in response to Darrell Stall

    "I suggest filing a complaint against Apple Computers with the Better Business Bureau, for all those in states not covered by pending class action litigation, in hope of putting more pressure on Apple and having your state included in lawsuit."

     

    Filing a complaint with the BBB will not result in having your state included in the lawsuit.

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