Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Here I'm in the club ... MacBook Pro 8.2 .

Same problem. I just sent an email to Tim Cook and Dan Riccio, no answer yet ...

Same Problem here,

macbook pro early 2011

startet after update to 10.8.3

I guess its production issue with the gpu. Time to start a class action? i'm sure more people experiencing the same problems.

One more to the group.

The problems with my late 2011 macbook pro 8,2 started by the end of May 2013.

It took a long time to confirm the problem was in the dedicated graphics card (AMD Radeon 6750M).

I could manage to use the machine with the integrated card only (Intel HD3000) but, progressively, the problems in the dedicated card became worse: it would not come back from sleep and the boot process could not be completed anymore.

At this moment, I have just filled a form in the link http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html and cited this thread.

I've the same model, 8,2, and had the problem about a year ago but it suddenly just stopped after a couple of weeks. I've no idea why, but the problem has never returned and, even though I've the extended AppleCare Plan, have never had to use it.

Clinton

I also have the same issue. it started on May 2013.!!! I install GfxCardStatus and I can at least do some work. but try to use VMware Fusion and it didnt work! And I use VMware a lot

I am having the very same issue with the discrete (dedicated) GPU on my 15" Early 2011 MacBook Pro. It is currently in the shop right now getting repaired, I took it to the Apple Store last Thursday. Since I have AppleCare, it is covered under warranty but the repair estimate was a mind-blowing $1,000! They said it could be the logic board and/or display so the estimate includes both.

Now, I did have my MBP repaired last November for another issue (failure to sleep), and Apple replaced logic board as well as the top case. I have had no other issues with the computer except this issue started last week very spontaneously.

I normally run GPU-intensive apps like VMware, games, and some fight simulators. I have no idea what caused this except that I have had no other software updates for the computer in the last month except 10.8.4.

If I run the MBP off of the internal GPU (Intel), I have no issues. However, once the MBP heats up and the dedicated GPU kicks in, I get corrupted video (same as some of the pics others have posted)  and sometimes it goes all blue or black.

Had I not had the AppleCare, I probably would have just bought a new computer because the repair cost is just astroomical. I am not impressed with the quality of this computer in the last two years I have owned it (July 2011) but then again I'm not about to blow $$$ on a Windows 8 laptop either. I would happily post pictures but I'm relegated to my ipad until I get my computer back from the shop.

My early 2011 MBP is in the shop getting the logic board replaced. Every time the computer would switch over to the discreet graphics it would crash. Apple is charging me $310 for offsite repair. For a 2 year old laptop I normally would not think much of it but the forums are full of these complaints.  Funny my last Macbook Pro with ATI graphics also had a recall.

I do love my Macbook pro. Working pm a tablet is for the birds.

Everyone at the Apple Store was great.  Absolutely the best customer service.

Add one more in this sad group.

Early 2011 MacBook Pro - with RAM and SSD replaced after buying it. I never had any problems with it, but this started to happen about one week ago. A few weeks earlier I noticed, what I now think is a first symptom, that every time I got to the login screen, by starting the computer or swithcing between users, the screen turned blueish for 1-2 seconds and than got back to the normal colors. After that I got my first crash, than it worked fine for a few days and right now I can't even get past the boot screen. I can't even boot - it crashes into a light grey screen - with faded white vertical lines.

It seems that the Apple Support Communities is full of threads with this problem - they should really do something - it's a premium product.

Premium Product =/= Premium Price.

Our home iMac (early '08) has lasted for five, going on six years now.... It hasn't skipped a beat and runs everything I need beautifully on two screens (native and 22" HP w2207 monitor). I truly have never had an issue with this model and it works terrific. I bought AppleCare for it at the time of purchase, and never used it. My wife's white unibody MacBook (2009) has been used constantly, every single day in her classroom--it hasn't skipped a beat, and has not needed repair since she got it.

The punch line here is that both the iMac and the MacBook each cost approximately 1/2 (if not less) of what my then-premium Early 2011 MacBook Pro cost. I realize technology is a gamble, much like automobiles, but one cannot help but notice the irony of this.

The unit failed on me, quite literally, overnight and halted my workflow in VMware. Not pleased. This will be the second logic board replacement for this computer since I bought it; it is covered under AppleCare but that doesn't help for lost time without the machine.

This happened when I booted my MBP last week, without warning....

Then it started doing this once I got logged into OS X.

....and then it would lock up with a double-image. You get the point.

Shutting down....

Anecdotally, it has now been five days without my MBP, I have yet to receive a telephone call or update from the local Apple Store regarding the machine. The repair status on their website has been unchanged: "Repair in Progress." I have no idea what this means--there is no estimated time of completion or notes as to what exactly is going on.

I'm certainly trying to be patient with Apple about this but not even my car dealership takes this long for a repair, nor does it leave me hanging as to when to expect it back.

Yeah, they're hiding a lot of these things under AppleCare, which shouldn't be what's fixing them, but it is, since they haven't done the recall program that they should be doing.

I filed a complaint with the BBB of Silicon Valley, and Apple just responded with some crap about my warranty being expired (no DUH) that wasn't relevant to the issue at hand. Next is my state's Consumer protection department and AG's office, but I highly doubt that any of that will go anywhere. The more and more I attempt to get Apple to deal with this problem, and the more and more they refuse to, the more and more I have to believe that it is out of malice, and not just sheer incompetence.

My machine now has two problems. One of Apple's software updates completely broke it, so that it won't boot at all now, and because of the logic board issues, I can't do the normal boot up off the DVD to run Disk Utility or restore from a backup. So now the machine is doubly hosed, still with no solution in sight. Time to shop for a Lenovo or something? I'd really hate to give up my MBP, but it looks like Apple is completely unwilling to deal with this issue.

I hope that they get slapped with a big class action lawsuit on this one, although unfortunately due to the nature of class actions, none of us will get much of anything for it. It's a pretty simple thing to throw a service bulletin out there to just replace any logic boards that have failed on Early 2011's free of charge, but no, they are trying to stick their problems to us and screw their customers. I expected better from Apple, this is just sad.

As a last resort you should try to "bake" your logic board - there are too many successful stories. I will do it as soon as the local service provider tells me there's nothing more to do than change the logic board.

http://russell.heistuman.com/2011/05/09/baking-a-macbook-pro-logic-board-video/

Do a search for a comment by user Nik. He has/had the same issue and it got fixed for him.

True. I guess I could try that. It's a rather comically absurd substitute for Apple taking ownership of their problems though...

I won't bore you with the details, but I also have  the same problem described here, and am surviving on "Integrated Only" mode via the gfxCardStatus app.

This is obviously a DEFECT.

Bart

I just spoke with Todd in Apple Care's Ft. Lauderdale repair facility, regarding my early 2011 17" 2.2ghz MacBook Pro.

He was very helpful,  eager to get this problem solved, and even said he knew exactly what it was: "It's a problem on your hard drive, a bad image. We have to scan for it, like looking for a virus, and remove it." When pressed for details, he referred to it as being a "bad disk image" and something they could fix by remoting in to my system.

I asked about reformatting the drive with Disk Utility, and selecting one of the zero-out options. He said that would not remove the problem. I asked about replacing the hard drive (OWC has a 1.5TB for only $117.76), and he said that would fix it.

Pricing for them to fix it without Apple Care coverage was for 6 months of software support for $169.99, or 12 months for $249.99 (and a $50 gift card).

They then offered 12 months of both hardware and software support for $199.99, including free shipping to them, and a $100 credit towards a hardware repair. Logic board replacement was estimated to be in the $300-800 range.

Finally, a 30-day software plan was offered for $119.99.

If replacing the hard drive fixes this, and I get to double my capacity in the process, then that's my best option. From everything I've read here, though, this isn't going to solve it.

Has anyone else gone through this with Apple? If so, did they really fix the problem by remoting in?

Bart

Same problem here, super "impressive 3D screen" (remember to put your 3D glass on). Using as "Integrated Only" mode via the gfxCardStatus app as well.

Try to install back to 10.7 (on different hard drive) but still having same problem. In my guess that changing a hard drive can fix this issue.

Maybe a virus, maybe something else, but this is obviously a DEFECT!!!

case id：455845721

Jason