Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

It just means you're not doing anything that requires processor power. Try to convert a video and your machine will freeze in less than 10 minutes because temperature won't go below 90°C. Try connecting an external monitor while you're doing some 'serious' photo editing and you'll face the same thing.

I'm also running my mbp without the AMD chip, but it's nothing more than a piece of electronics on crutches.

Well, that piece of electronics on crutches is still highly functional.  For the vast majority of owners who rely on it for browsing, word processing and watching (if not converting) videos more than 90% of the time it's turned on, this would seem to be the best possible alternative to buying a new computer and/or suffering repeated trips to the Genius Bar. 

In response to a prior posting, "gfx card status" is the program.  A search w/those terms should turn it up pretty quickly.

Sure, that is the right thing to do....

Doesn't really matter you spent extra money to have beefed up graphics speed.

Like buying a car with a turbo in it and then switch that off to prevent you wouldn't be able to drive it anymore should it fail...

G-man,

From where in Belgium?

Vlaams ou Francais?

Since two weeks ago I have the same problem. I temporarily fixed the problem with the GfxCardStatus application. But since yesterday the MacBook only boots with a white screen of death. Safe mode and all other options don't work anymore.

I will have to wait just like all other victims till Apple starts a replacement program. Till then I have removed the hard drive and connected it through USB 3.0 on the MacBook Pro (2014 model) which I got from my work. So I can boot the MacBook Pro (2014 model) with my MacBook Pro 2011 hard drive.

weeweqwewqewq wrote:

 

Since two weeks ago I have the same problem.

Please report your case to Apple immediately whether or not you decide to repair your laptop. We need more numbers.

Dan4783 wrote:

 

I am having the same issues with my Early 2011 MB 8.1. The screen randomly scrambles. Any fix from apple yet? Sorry, I didn't have the patience to read through all 799 pages.

Not a word from Apple.

Please report your case to Apple immediately whether or not you decide to repair your laptop. We need more numbers.

taha23 wrote:

 

Yet another ****** off customer...computer will boot, show the Apple logo + pinwheel, and then go to a white/gray-ish screen and remain there. Get your act together apple!

Please report your case to Apple immediately whether or not you decide to repair your laptop. We need more numbers.

john2b_75 wrote:

 

Very disappoint to find my MacBook Pro has developed the GPU fault

Please report your case to Apple immediately whether or not you decide to repair your laptop. We need more numbers.

FYI

In Belgium we don't have Genius bars (or maybe a few?) we have shops like switch who do Apple products and service.

The also sell used mac's which have been restored.

There are many 2011 models there. doubleudoubleudoubleu dot restorebyswitch.be/collections/macbook-pro

You can also calculate the rest value of your used mac: http://i-t-pro.com/ecodays/macs_guide.php

They accept and sell 2011 models like nothing is going on.

There is 1 year warranty on those macs.

Same thing happened out of nowhere a week ago. Early 2011 15-inch Macbook Pro, bought in Russia.

I wasn't running any heavy apps or anything like that. All of a sudden my computer tries to reboot itself and then ends up with light blue screen of death. After reading up on the issue I forced my macbook to run the integrated Intel GPU. This way I managed to boot it and hectically extract all the vital information (not the most pleasant process given new graphics' response time).

I'm bringing it to the Apple Store tonight (London, Covent Garden). Let's see what kind of chat Apple Geniuses give me.

Anyways - feedback is sent, petition is signed and fingers crossed for the best!

kirillf_ldn wrote:

 

Same thing happened out of nowhere a week ago. Early 2011 15-inch Macbook Pro, bought in Russia.

I wasn't running any heavy apps or anything like that. All of a sudden my computer tries to reboot itself and then ends up with light blue screen of death. After reading up on the issue I forced my macbook to run the integrated Intel GPU. This way I managed to boot it and hectically extract all the vital information (not the most pleasant process given new graphics' response time).

 

I'm bringing it to the Apple Store tonight (London, Covent Garden). Let's see what kind of chat Apple Geniuses give me.

 

Anyways - feedback is sent, petition is signed and fingers crossed for the best!

If you had a bunch of 4 year old mother boards what is their sales value?

If you updated each of them to fix a known problem would that make them worth more than doing nothing to them?

If you used these known faulty boards to repair customer's failing computers for a repair fee: would that solve the problem of what to do with the old boards and get something for them?

How to turn a lemon into lemon aid.

D3us wrote:

 

G-man,

 

From where in Belgium?

Vlaams ou Francais?

Vlaams. Jij ook, meen ik begrepen te hebben?

The G-man wrote:

Vlaams. Jij ook, meen ik begrepen te hebben?

Jup, bij Antwerpen.

I've been experience said symptoms on my 2011 Late MacBook Pro 15" with the AMD 6770M, vertical lines, screen shifted, distortion, colors but I can't seem to replicate it. When it first happened I did a forced shutdown and tried to replicate it but using Heaven on Max settings for about an hour and it ran perfectly fine, then I tried opening and using several gpu intensive applications such as Google Earth and Logic but it wouldn't happen. However when I do minor random things like google image search then I'll see it crash again. If my discrete GPU runs for 1+ hour using demanding applications like Heaven but crashes with more random things does this mean I am affected by this fault?

P.S. I am using an external monitor via my display port so I'm always on the discrete gpu.