Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Did they say whether they got the board from the Manchester store? 

I asked that and was assured that no, it had been ordered 'centrally' and would be returned to stock. Yesterday they told me the stores were not able to transfer the boards between them, nor could they reserve them for customers.

Yeah, I had that problem a few years ago.  I didn't want to have my machine in repair waiting for a part to be ordered, and the ASP said that he had had bad experience with customers who promised to bring the machine in as soon as the part arrived and then did not.  It turns out that Apple wants either the replaced or the replacement part returned within a few days after the Apple Store or the ASP receives it.  The ASP didn't offer any reason for the policy, but apparently it hasn't changed.

Bonjour, y a-t-il un lien (Tableau) indiquant les softs qui utilisent le GPU Dédié ou Intégré ?

Autre question : Ma puce dédiée « AMD Radeon HD 6750M » est endomagée sachant que j’ai gfxCardStatus version 2.3 puis-je forcer mon systeme a utilisr le GPU Integré « Intel HD Graphics 3000″ seulement ?

Bonjour, je n'ai jamais vu de liste des applications qui forcent l'utilisation de la carte graphique dédiée. Mais déjà iPhoto, DxO Optics Pro, les Photoshop etc, GIMP et l'utilisation d'un moniteur externe en font partie.

Il y a eu dans cette très longue discussion des propositions de méthode pour forcer l'utilisation de la carte GPU intégrée en permanence via le "Terminal" mais je ne pense pas que je pourrais les retrouver rapidement. Par contre Gfxcardstatus devrait vous donner le choix de forcer l'utilisation exclusive de l'une des cartes, ou de laisser le système décider, via le menu déroulant qui apparait lorsqu'on clique sur l'icône de gfxcardstatus dans la barre des menus. Ca marche (normalement) si la machine n'est pas déjà en train d'utiliser une application gourmande et si la machine est froide - si nécessaire, l'éteindre, attendre qu'elle se refroidisse, rallumer et commuter tout-de-suite en GPU interne.

Bonne chance.

Personnellement, après 4 changements de carte logique (le premier changement payé 700 €, les autres avant l'expiration de 90 jours sous garantie) Apple m'a changé la machine ("early 2011 MacBookPro") contre une "Mid 2014 MacBookPro Retina" avec Yosemite pré-installé. J'ai demandé à Apple, et ils ont accepté, de m'envoyer une machine avec le processeur le plus rapide et 1 TB de disque SSD, au prix normal de ces extensions. Ce qui m'a donné assez de place pour une partition supplémentaire :  j'ai pu faire un back-up de Yosemite, re-partitionner le disque pour créer une deuxième partition vide mais "bootable" sans affecter Yosemite, et y copier mon ancien Mavericks que j'avais sauvegardé depuis mon ancienne machine avec CarbonCopyCloner. Ceci m'a évité d'écraser Yosemite avec ma sauvegarde de Mavericks et tout migrer vers Yosemite par la suite. Ainsi je migre "proprement" mes applications et mes fichiers petit à petit lorsque j'en ai besoin depuis Mavericks vers Yosemite - car les deux partitions sont visibles dans le "Finder".

Cela fait 4 mois jusqu'ici et tout marche très bien depuis - pourvu que ça dure !

Yesterday I got my MBP (15-inch, Early 2011) back from the repair program. Logic board was replaced and turnaround time was 9 days. I immediately installed Hardware Monitor and gfxCardStatus because I want to observe the temperatures and identify which app uses the discrete GPU.

Everything looks normal and the system is working stable. I noticed that whenever I open an application that uses Java the system switches to discrete graphics. Even the Java Control Panel in System Preferences uses discrete graphics. This happens at least on my system (Mac OS X 10.7.5 Lion, Java 8 Update 45).

Now I use my MBP with mixed feelings because I know that many users already replaced the logic board 2 or 3 times. So i just ask myself: "How long will it last?"

Je m'excuse.  Mon français est très mauvais.  J'écrive aussi en anglais pour que les autres puissent comprendre l'explication.

I am running OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks.  In the Activity Monitor in the Energy tab there is a column, "Requires High Perf CPU".  You may have to configure Activity Monitor to display it:  View > Columns > Graphics Card.  I am not sure whether "Yes" means that the application is using the graphics card.  Perhaps it means that the application might need the graphics card, depending on what you do in the application.

I hope this helps.

I noticed that whenever I open an application that uses Java the system switches to discrete graphics. Even the Java Control Panel in System Preferences uses discrete graphics. This happens at least on my system (Mac OS X 10.7.5 Lion, Java 8 Update 45).

I can confirm that Java Control Panel uses the GPU on OS X 10.9.5 as well.  I also have installed Java 8 update 45.  I know that I use several applications that require Java, but Java does not appear in the Activity Monitor while they run, and they themselves do not seem to require the GPU.  I did experience something that might be related.  An application used JSplashScreen when it started up and left it running.  JSplashScreen needed the GPU.  That was an oversight on the part of the developers and they soon fixed it.

Now I use my MBP with mixed feelings because I know that many users already replaced the logic board 2 or 3 times. So i just ask myself: "How long will it last?"

That is the question that we are all asking ourselves.  Bear in mind that this discussion thread pre-dates the repair extension program.  Some of the people whose logic boards have been replaced more than once are still on their first replacement made under the program.  Several people, I among them, report having been told that the replacement boards are "revised", i.e., not the same as the original.  Nobody has conclusively proved or disproved that claim.  Some people have experienced the video problems again after having their machines repaired under the program.

I am using my machine as I always did before the video issues occurred.  If those issues recur I will take the machine back to Apple as long as the repair extension program is in effect.  The Apple employee who returned my machine to me said that if the video issues recurred the machine would be eligible for the program regardless of whether the ninety-day warranty on the replacement board had expired or not.

I'm from the UK.

I took my 2011 15" MacBook Pro to my local Apple Store who replaced my logic board under the 'MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues' on Tuesday 5th May, the part arrived on the 6th May and it was ready the same day I took it in to be fixed (7th May).

Even though it passed their video test in store, I had pictures of the computer video failing on my phone, which they looked at with an immediate look of familiarity (pursed lips and nodded head and an almost roll of the eyes - it was clear they'd seen this before).

Anyway, yeah, they replaced my logic board but now I'm having constant memory issues! The computer will crash and either; 1 - Hang with sound repeating or; 2 - crash with three loud beeps (signalling RAM is either broken or not seated correctly). So I've tried 3 different RAM kits (2 Crucial kits that work in other Macs fine and one Apple kit that came in the laptop originally), all have the same problem when I move the computer slightly.

So basically I've diagnosed that the RAM slots or the RAM clips on the new logic board do not embrace the RAM sticks properly causing a very loose connection and when the computer is moved (slid on a table, screen adjusted, picked up, etc...) the RAM modules dislodge by a tiny amount, but enough to cause a problem. I have booked this in at the Apple Store on Thursday and will keep you updated.

I'm just writing this here in case it's some other widespread problem with all these new boards they're replacing peoples' with.

So I've just had my second kernel panic since the logic board was replaced under the replacement programme. Is anyone else getting these, or had a replacement board fail?  I was told that these logic boards are new and not refurbished and do not have the same design flaw, but I'm not convinced.

Also, the machine runs a lot slower than it did before and struggles with more than two apps running simultaneously. I'm seeing temperatures above 80ºc when it struggles.

Anyone else?

Thanks for the report.  I think several people have reported that their machines ran much slower after they had been repaired,  One person's problem was evidently due to bad sectors on his start-up disk.  Another reported that his hard disk had not been seated properly when it was reinstalled after the motherboard was exchanged.  I do not recall (m)any reports of repeated kernel panics.  If you want a more exact count of how many people experienced the same problems, I can only advise you to read pages 820 to the current one.

As far as what to do:

1. Document any changes made to the machine.  Did it come back with the same amount of RAM?  On rare occasions Apple has replaced user-installed RAM with Apple RAM (usually less), but they have usually returned what they removed.  Did you subsequently install any new hardware or software?
2. At any rate, do contact the Apple Store or ASP that serviced your machine.  Make an appointment to have the machine checked.  The replacement motherboard has a ninety-day warranty.

Good luck.

Thanks for replying.

I have both Crucial Memory sticks of RAM installed and since getting the machine back from repair, I've installed SMC Fan Control and reinstalled gfxCardStatus, so I can keep an eye on what's happening. I mention the kernel panics, because they were the first symptom of the previous two logic board failures; it would start with those - the machine resetting itself - become increasingly frequent and finally the striped screen crash and the grey boot screen.

I'll make an appointment at the Apple store, as you suggest. For whatever good it does, I do send a report back to Apple each time the panic occurs.

Has anyone ever experienced their MBP screen going black for a second or two when you're doing something semi-graphic intensive, like streaming Netflix or watching a YouTube video?

It's happened twice now, it's very quick - if you blink you'll miss it - but this is something I've not experienced with my MBP before so I don't know if it's a logicboard/graphics issue or something else.

MacBook Pro 15” Late 2011

2.2 GHz Intel Core i7

8GB 1333 MHz DDR3

Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB Built-in

AMD Radeon HD 6750M PCIe

I purchased this MacBook Pro new in mid 2012.  It was around mid - late April 2015 that it started acting up.  A few months prior to April I noticed my MacBook Pro getting too hot to handle, mainly when I was using Safari or watching videos.  The fans were not kicking into high gear as they usually would.  It was the winter months (around late Feb early March) so I opened my sliding door to allow the cold air to flow through it.  And it did help cool it down.   At first I assumed an issue with the fans.  Then as I mentioned in mid - late April 2015 the computer would freeze and when I booted up it would beep three times.  Which apparently is an issue with the RAM.  So now I suspect a fan issue and a RAM issue. 

A few days after the three beep warning the screen would glitch and duplicate itself horizontally and I would have to reboot.  When I rebooted, there were red horizontal zig-zag lines across the loading screen with the Apple logo and progress bar.  Every time this happens it would not fully load.  It would load to a blank grey screen and not go any farther.  Sometimes it booted to a beige or blue coloured screen.  There are times I would cool the computer down using ice packs and was 50/50 for a successful boot.  Then I found I could control the fans using smcFanControl and for a time it worked.  Then it would glitch and freeze again.  It once got up to 97˚C…for you American’s 100˚C is boiling point.  Now with smcFanControl I am able to keep the computer at a steady 47˚C - 51˚C.  But whenever I go online to watch a Youtube video or do something graphics heavy here comes the glitchy graphics card.  Its probably why I have been having issues running Star Trek Online at full resolution.  I might also consider using gfxCardStatus and rely mostly on the Intel graphics rather than the AMD.  But as the smcFanControl, its only a placebo, a temporary measure that does not address or solve the problem.

I would try booting in safe mode over and over and over until it finally worked.  I tired single user mode (fsck -fy).  First message “The Volume HD is OK” then immediately after “FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED).  I ran (fsck -fy) again until the volume was ok.  I tried resetting the NVRAM.  These issues seem to do nothing because the problem still persists.  There are no corrupt files, the disk is not damage.

I have no idea if it is solely the malfunctioning AMD chip or is it due to overheating which is guaranteed to be an issue with poor application of thermal grease on the thermal plate.  Basically (unfortunately) apathetic Chinese workers without regard smearing far too much thermal grease on the thermal place in a very sloppy manor, which will have the opposite effect of what it was designed for.  I have watched enough videos about how to remove, prep, and PROPERLY the thermal grease.  But will this solve the problem?

Right now I am looking at 4 possible problems.  And I think I should address all of these with Apple Repair.

1) A fan issue (due to the fans not kicking into high gear when it reaches 97˚C!) and having to use smcFanControl to manually control the fans, which at the moment seems to be keeping the temperature at bay. 

NOTE:  I highly recommend using the computer on a glass surface.  I have a glass coffee table and it absorbs and disperses the heat from my laptop like NOTHING ELSE!  Wood, leather, fabric will accelerate heat retention.  Glass will absorb and disperse.

2) a RAM issue due to the dreaded 3 Beeps.  (which I have not heart thankfully since this first started)

3) A possible faulty, malfunctioning AMD graphics card.

4) And without question poorly applied and dried out thermal grease.

5) And just for the **** of it check for any corrupt files, malware, or spyware.

As an Apple user since 1992, I've used the II GS, various early Macintosh models, the LC 575, PowerMac G3 "Beige", PowerMac G4 "Graphite", PowerMac G4 "MDD", and the new MacPro.  Not to mention my second MacBook Pro, my second iPad, my second iPod, my third iPhone, and AppleTV.  None of the aforementioned computers EVER HAD ISSUES…until the late 2011 MacBook Pro.  I expect Apple to produce the same quality today.  Yet because of the outsourcing to China, we have completely apathetic workers in China assembling computers, putting too much thermal paste on the thermal plates, causing overheating and competent failure.  The new MacPro, assembled in the USA has yet to have issues.  As a Canadian (I'm my opinion), Apple’s desktop and laptop computers should be assembled in the US or Canada.  For the price paid, the profit Apple has earned recently, this disregard for building and assembling quality products is utterly unacceptable.  The fact that I have my entire life on this computer (personal, business, finances) and I cannot count on it is frustrating and enrages me.  Fortunately, I have a back up.

Im not done with Apple, but I am extremely disappointed.  Strike 1 Apple.  Apple, you have the power to make this right.  Your attention to detail, style and design, the gestures of free OS upgrades, ease of use, connectivity between other Apple products are a few reasons your customers and fans continue to purchase your products.  Don’t let this become a stain on your otherwise exemplary record.

If anyone has any info or suggestions I have missed, I’m all ears.

hopeless romantic wrote:

 

 

 

If anyone has any info or suggestions I have missed, I’m all ears.

Welcome to the club of failed MBP owners.

It's your turn to go to see the Apple Geniuses for an Extended Warranty repair which is Apple replaces the motherboard.

Take some pictures of the screen in its states of failure.  A few people have taken their computer to Apple for them to test only to have it pass in flying colors.  But when the techs see the pictures they immediately recognize the problem and send the computer in for repair.

Good Luck