Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Can you recommend any shops in the US that can do this?

I am not sure. We get quite a few customers from the US but this is Shipping logic boards only to keep the costs down.

bga_repairs wrote:

 

Just carried out a Chipset replacement on a Macbook Pro 2011 6490m with GPU Failure. Here are some pictures if anyone is interested.

Wow, thank you so much for documenting this!  I've saved your info in case my latest logic board goes bad after its 90-day warranty ends.  Have you noticed an excess of thermal paste with these boards?  Any obvious signs of damage or defect as you've worked on them?  (The old GPU looks a little "rough" but I wasn't sure if that was just due to the removal process and/or not being brand new.)

As for the hardware vs. firmware debate currently going on - if you look through the threads about 2011 MacBook Pro graphics issues, this debate is always going on!  The problem I have with linking a firmware (or software or OS) update with these issues is that there isn't one upgrade that preceded all of the problems... and when people started comparing firmware versions on affected computers, the answers were all over the map.  So it's very hard to see causality when the timelines and the versions don't match up in any obvious way. 

My macbook pro 15" 2011 is totally dead. don't turn on anymore. The last thing i have viewed in my screen is like this... is unfair

Coppershims dot com is the company I used.  He has Reballed dozens and dozens of MBPs and hundreds of HPs and other computers.  inexpensive, fast, and my computer runs better than the day I bought it.  Much, MUCH cooler now.  I searched hard before landing on him.  He does reflow, but because of the bad solder only does reball on the MBPs.   You can just have him reball the existing GPU or he can replace and reball with a new chip.  Your call.

h-q- I believe too that the firmware has something to do with this problem. No that it is the only cause, but it helped make the things worse. Maybe this update made the gpu chip runs hotter accelerating the deterioration of the soldered components. Just a conjecture…

The 1.8 firmware is in fact for the 2012 model. The correct version for the early 2011 is the 1.7. I didn't updated to this firmware and my computer still running fine (30 months). As I said on a previous post, even if I want, I can't upgrade to this newer firmware as it doesn't show on my software update anymore.

@ bga_repairs

Do you have the two photos of the side by side GPU in al lager size than the 800 x600?

Enjoy your 

zjc11 wrote:

 

My macbook pro 15" 2011 is totally dead. don't turn on anymore. The last thing i have viewed in my screen is like this... is unfair

 

When you press the power button, can you hear the power-up sound? Can you hear the HD starting up?

Enjoy your 

p4t0 wrote:

 

h-q- I believe too that the firmware has something to do with this problem. No that it is the only cause, but it helped make the things worse. Maybe this update made the gpu chip runs hotter accelerating the deterioration of the soldered components. Just a conjecture…

The 1.8 firmware is in fact for the 2012 model. The correct version for the early 2011 is the 1.7. I didn't updated to this firmware and my computer still running fine (30 months). As I said on a previous post, even if I want, I can't upgrade to this newer firmware as it doesn't show on my software update anymore.

I just had got my mbp 8,2 back from an AASP with a new (refurbished?) logic board.

The SMC version is 1.69f3 with no option to update.

My old logic board was 1.69f4.

Who knows why Apple pulled the firmware, if it is because of the gpu issues then they are aware of the problem however I think we're jumping to conclusions it could be for many other reasons.

Here's hoping the logic board holds up... I'll report in a few weeks.

bja_repairs Can you sell the complete logic boards with new GPU installed? It should be cheaper for American (the continent) costumers.

After this, would apple be willing to refund this expense if/when a recall is issued? I mean, are you apple certified?

I don't hear the power-up sound but the HD is on.! i hear the sound and feel the warm temperature in my computer. i don't know what can i do, i can't work anymore..

saramwrap- Not that I want to disagree with you but, using the graphic in your summary about this problem we can see a spike in the reports of the glitch.

After May 2013 the number of cases has been growing anomaly. The ones reported before May could be included in the normal failure rate of any hardware. But after that, we have too many cases at the same time coming from machines with a totally different hardware usage.

I don't disagree with you, in fact I have to thank you for your effort in this forum and for providing the form to collect peoples experience about this problem, but I still think that the firmware has at least something to do with this.

bga_repairs- Amazing how you kept the contacts so clean! Unfortunately I can't count on a professional work like yours in my country.

@ zjc11

zjc11 wrote:

 

I don't hear the power-up sound but the HD is on.! i hear the sound and feel the warm temperature in my computer. i don't know what can i do, i can't work anymore..

Press and hold the powerbutton for five seconds, the MacBook should then turn off. wait until the computer cools down and then follow the instruction here:

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

If you are using an  OSX older than Mountain Lion, you have to put an additional command after step 7:

Type mv ATI*.* _temp and ENTER

You can also file a Bug Report here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

Enjoy your 

Wojzo wrote:

 

I just had got my mbp 8,2 back from an AASP with a new (refurbished?) logic board.

The SMC version is 1.69f3 with no option to update.

My old logic board was 1.69f4.

 

Who knows why Apple pulled the firmware, if it is because of the gpu issues then they are aware of the problem however I think we're jumping to conclusions it could be for many other reasons.

 

Here's hoping the logic board holds up... I'll report in a few weeks.

The fact that the firmware is neither on the software update nor the apple website is a strong indication that something was wrong with it.

Good luck with your new board.

Do we need to enter the actual gfs card model?  We do this for both AND and ATI..I did this ans it said the AND file couldn't be found..