Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Are you saying that when I change the gpu test type in the GpuTest_GUI, the GpuTest.app isn't supposed to change the image it displays?

So when I check box in GpuTest_GUI for "Full Screen", why doesn't GpuTest.app window expand to fill the screen?

All I ever see regardless of change in GUI settings is same size app window with colored triangle on black background, a window that is about a quarter the size of my 1980x1020 display.
So Is GpuTest running correctly or not? Should I just let it run as is?

(Two what? I don't have your Mac.com address. Did I have it at one time? Dare I ask how I can get it again, or is that against the ToU too?)

thanks for asking.

it is against the TOU to solicit personal information from other posters.

Darrell Stall wrote:

 

Are you saying that when I change the gpu test type in the GpuTest_GUI, the GpuTest.app isn't supposed to change the image it displays?

So when I check box in GpuTest_GUI for "Full Screen", why doesn't GpuTest.app window expand to fill the screen?

All I ever see regardless of change in GUI settings is same size app window with colored triangle on black background, a window that is about a quarter the size of my 1980x1020 display.
So Is GpuTest running correctly or not? Should I just let it run as is?

(Two what? I don't have your Mac.com address. Did I have it at one time? Dare I ask how I can get it again, or is that against the ToU too?)

The image being displayed is not the result of the GPU test.  Imagine two parts to the GPU chip.  Part A is the mathematician and Part B the artist.  The GPU test is testing Part A only.  Part B is displaying something to keep you from thinking your computer died, eye candy.  Kind of reminds one of fractional banking for those who follow the Mandrake deceptions of the Federal Reserve System banking.

My email address is plain sight now that you know my mail server is mac.com

Welcome to the club!

In short, how much of support you're going to get, depends which country you're from. I'm from Belgium and had telephone contact twice - because they obviously don't like to e-mail about this subject - with Apple Customer Relations. I thought I was about to get sick at the end of the second conversation. The Apple PR woman began her defense saying she knows Belgian law very well, which immediately indicated the direction this conversation was going. In one word: DISGUSTING!

I made a plea for a free of charge logic board replacement, because it is clear that the mbp15" (early2011) has a hidden defect that is there from the very beginning. This makes them liable for a repair at no cost, period!

Only she said I don't have a case, because there are no issues known, and thus there are no 'hidden defects' due to a manufacturing flaw ... silence ... My lower jaw fell to the ground. Monica Lewinsky must have felt the same when she heard Bill Clinton on the television saying ... you know. Yeah right!

It's pathetic to see a reputable company like Apple fall so low, and I sure hope they'll eventually change tack with the imminent lawsuits. Mr Cook, WAKE UP!

<Edited by Host>

Csound1 wrote:

 

D3us wrote:

 

In UK you can get it repaired under warranty up to 6 years.

 

Nope, the UK Sale of Goods Act places the responsibility on the retailer not the manufacturer, thus the warranty is not involved at all. A period of Up To 6 years can be considered, but that is a maximum, not an absolute.

Don't think I said to go to Apple for the warranty?

Didn't I say to check sales of goods act...

Same here, Belgium, in theory 2 years warranty, first year is to be handled by manufacturer directly, 2nd year reseller who claims from manufacturer.

If selling a pc to a business customer in legally we only have to give it 1 year warranty.

Well, stil get and give 2 years.

On some parts/brands even up to 10 years, private or business, doesn't matter for most distributors.

3 Guesses who makes an exception on this...

Yup, Apple, they give ONLY ONE year to business customers...

darrel, have a look here: http://mbp2011.org/?page=info

This website is collecting data, and once you fill in your data, you get to see the distribution of systems having this problem.

I love that they somebody has time to go around "banning" people from the "support" forums. Another great response from Apple...

There is a website that has a lot of information regarding this issue and where to find resources etc. Google "early macbook pro symptoms". A lot of valuable information there to help you get back up and running, screen shots of the problem to compare it with yours, fixes etc.,

Good luck!

Thanks hansa69, I think I've already filled out that survey, and I've bookmarked the page as well as Zach Clawson's on which the page you reference is based. KJKoncert, I've done everything listed on Clawson's page and everything I can with AppleCare. About all that's left is writing a letter appeal to Apple Sr. Customer Service about the whole ordeal I've suffered since buying yet another Apple product for $800 on JAN 5th. (What an unhappy way to start a New Year!). As I wrote to Feedback and Support regarding the "ban", what a way for Apple to show "support" to its customers at their weakest moment, when they're suffering from hardware failure and come to this thread looking for answers and comfort from others in same boat. It's not like a typical thread where "technical" info can and should ONLY be given, so being cited for being "personal" instead of "technical" is just being a stickler. Everyone needs to vent their frustration ("complain") which is "technically" in violation of the Terms of Use, and no one needs to be harrassed or bullied by anyone casting dispersions or calling them a liar in regard to their report of what's happening with their Apple hardware.

I think the weakness of that online survey, however, is that it doesn't ask for serial nos., so I'll email the address on the page from which it's linked and make the suggestion. I notice in my email archive that the law firm isn't requesting serial nos. either so I'm going to make the suggestion there as well. Serial nos. are the best retort to any dispersions cast on numbers, which claim that anyone can sign the petition, even those without failed MBPro '11 hardware, etc.

There is no warranty involvement in the UK Sale of Goods Act, none at all.

Nevertheless, I still say Apple knows better than anyone. Apple knows how many MBPro '11 machines were manufactured, how many they've "replaced", how many have had logicboards replaced at the Apple Stores by "geniuses" and by the Depot, and how many have come in for diagnosis but didn't go through with that costly repair. Apple knows, and that's what makes the whole ordeal incorrigible on Apple's part.

And one more dead MacBook Pro   Mine is late-2011. Contacted Apple Support and was redirected to local service center. We'll see how it goes ...

Somehow (luck?) thats my second laptop in a row getting some faulty situation. Previous one was Air with that infamous SSD. That time Apple did a great job helping me out - but that was in US and in official Apple Store. This time I happened to be in Europe (with US laptop) and at the mercy of local service men

My computer has been having similiar issues. I'm still under AppleCare thank god.

It's currently on its third logic board, the last of which was installed only 12 days ago. It's glitchy again and tomorrow will be getting its 4th. I have 30 days of apple care left and had a lengthy chat today with a higher up at Apple about a replacement and he told me that if the next board fails I should call him directly to "discuss a replacement," which is promising. I didn't fight it, since if the new board works finally I'll be thrilled (I love my 17 and am crushed they don't make them any more), and if the board fails I'll get a new computer. Seems like a win, win situation for me... but I know in my gut that the new board will be buggy and fail.

For those of you still under AC, get the boards replaced as much as you can, and then argue that it's the part that's faulty, and if they can't give you a difference logic board, then they should supply a different computer.

What a ridiculous issue. Such a shame for the last 17 inch ever in production to be this way. I once said I would use it till the day it died... turns out that's every day or so, LOL!

The G-man wrote:

Mr Cook, WAKE UP!

G-man, he's too busy right now with "human rights" Twitter followings and photo ops to care about our Apple quandry right here at home.

https://twitter.com/tim_cook

Have a look at what he's "following". It ain't our dilemma in this thread.

We don't count remember? There's no epidemic here or "rights" violations. Our 1 year limited warranty is over. So what's our beef? Right?

HumanRightsCampaign   @HRC

#TimetoTHRIVE is this weekend! #FBF to @EllenPage bravely coming out at last year's event: j.mp/19d3tnP

View on Twitter

Followed by Tim Cook.

UN Human Rights   @UNrightswire

UN Human Rights Office launches major public online database on #Treatybodies case law

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Followed by Tim Cook.

(RED)   @RED

On this day 25 years ago, Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

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Followed by Tim Cook.

Scientific American   @sciam

Nuclear blasts may prove best marker of humanity's geologic record [in photos]. ow.ly/IQTY7 #science

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Followed by Tim Cook.

Scientific American   @sciam

Global warming may boost huge dead zones in the ocean, where no life can survive. ow.ly/IYScJ #science

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Followed by Tim Cook.

I just paid $310 for the logic board replacement and decided to simply disable my graphics card altogether to avoid another failure.  There's no discernible difference in performance since I did this.  The machine runs cooler, the fans barely make a peep and the battery life seems to have improved.  

The onboard Intel graphics processor seems more robust than I assumed.  I'm not running any seriously demanding programs on this laptop, mind you, but I don't imagine that too many serious designers are still using these machines for heavy graphics work anyway.

All that said, I'm still mildly incensed over Apple's indifference to this problem. 

How did you disable the card?