Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Take it to an Apple Store.

So, i got my mbp 15 2011 back today, 2 days before planned.

Everything works fine, they didn't remove my ram or ssd. Sadly, they formatted my ssd, even though they said they wouldn't do it in the apple store..

Same old fan noise, same degrees on cpu and gpu. They changed the logic board and cleaned it.

So far, yay!

Hey GS,
I have the same problems and exactly the same circumstances, only I am in Spain at the moment. Can you please email me (I'm Dutch as well so that's maybe easier ), so I can get more details on what you did? I can't seem to grasp if people get the repair refunded by Apple and what exactly has been fixed. Also I bought mine in april/may 2011 and I read that this program doesn't prolong the warranty period (which is only 3 years right?).

Please help me, I am stuck on my desktop, unable to open any graphical applications because this will make it crash (with the weird screens and such).

Thank you in advance,
Mitch

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So apparently I replied to someone in this big heap of comments ;p, sorry for the spam!

I will also share the general story, please help me out on this guys because the topic is so broad, it confuses me.

What happened in short: Drawing in Photoshop, MacbookPro (early 2011, 15") 'crashes', see all weird distorted lines and music is stuck. Reboot shows the gray screen with apple-logo but a lot of horizontal green lines (logo is distorted a tiny bit). Then after loading I got stuck on an all-gray screen and nothing happens. Shutting off with button and rebooting a couple of times, nothing new happens. Did a PRAM-reset and a Safe Mode-boot; SafeMode results in an all-darkish-blue screen with black vertical lines. Fan goes up but nothing happens. Another reboot after letting it cool down results in a good 'normal' boot, I log in and start backing up as much as I can (I don't have any external drives so I email some small important stuff).

I do a utility scan and disk needs repairing in Recovery HD-mode. I first continue backing up and tried opening up Photoshop to flatten an image, when PS opens my MBP crashes again with the same symptoms (although first I see a light-black screen with grayish vertical lines). Same booting-issues but after a couple of times I can boot normally again. I put my laptop in sleeping-mode and go to bed myself (3.30am). Next morning nothing changed and I can go on searching for answers. Made a lot of space by deleting stuff and used OnyX to clean almost everything. (This resulted in 'com.apple.IconServicesAgent' going haywire!). So I had to fix my disk in Recovery HD, this helped and I boot normally again. But after starting InDesign I get the same crash, again!

What can be the problem and how can I fix it? The repair program: https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/ states: "This worldwide Apple program does not extend the standard warranty coverage of the MacBook Pro. The program covers affected MacBook Pro models until February 27, 2016 or three years from its original date of sale, whichever provides longer coverage for you."

I bought mine around april/may 2011 but I can't find a receipt, am I still covered?

At the moment I am in Spain (I live, and bought the MBP, in The Netherlands). I don't have anything here but a 8GB usb-stick and crappy internet. I got deadlines upcoming week, please help me out
Oh I installed gfxCardStatus, I will now see what I can do with that.

Hi Mitch, just read your posting. Al symptoms look like you have a broken GPU like I had and many folks on this thread. Apple extended the warranty for affected Macbook's as you correctly read and will (if yours has indeed a broken GPU) replace the motherboard for free.

What I did and you could do is: Call Apple, see this link: Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support and have your serial number ready. They will pick it up (or sent you a box) and sent it back to you with no additional costs. My Mac is working great again!

Other option is to find an authorized Apple repair centre near you in Spain, they also will fix it for free. You will find Spanish locations on this Apple website: https://locate.apple.com/es/es/

Beware: it has to be an authorized by Apple repair centre, otherwise the will charge you + 600 euros to replace the motherboard. 

Repair time seems to be about one week. Hope you have time enough for that in Spain...

If your desktop is also by Apple, you could remove the harddisk from your laptop and connect it to your desktop as startup disk so you can 'use your laptop' on your desktop.

Als je meer vragen hebt, laat weten, ik weet helaas uit ervaring hoe frustrerend het is om met een kapotte laptop in het buitenland te zitten!

Cheers, Gerard.

Hi Gerard, thanks for your quick reply!
So I found out it's my Discrete Graphic Card for sure (this is my GPU right?). Because when I use gfxCardStatus to keep it on Integrated ("geïntegreerd" in Dutch) it will work fine, if I switch to Discrete ("toegeweid" in Dutch) it crashes.

I am able to boot the MBP after maybe 20 reboot's (it helped to let my macbook heat up big time and then restart, but it also works sometimes without the heating).

I'll be flying back home in two weeks so I'll try to keep it alive for so long. Can't risk that people here (Mallorca is an island) don't understand me well enough or the repair goes too slow. I'll head over to the Apple store where I bought my Macbook (Utrecht) as soon as possible when I'm back home, although I first might make a HD-clone. My laptop is more than 4 years old but maybe they are willing to help me out on this. Thank you in advance, I am glad your laptop is fixed now!

Good luck everyone! For those looking for the gfxCardStatus-app: https://gfx.io/

Hi Mitch, Correct, Discrete Graphics Card is the GPU. You have two GPU's: Integrated and Discrete. The discrete gives the problem, for some reason a production fault with no-lead-soldering, (de discrete = 'externe'' GPU is niet correct op moederbord gesoldeerd, er mag geen lood meer gebruikt worden en hij laat door hevige temperatuurwisselingen bij grafisch gebruik 'los'.) I've learned all this from this thread, it was totally new for me as well.

Indeed best to let it fix in NL, (Apple Store Amsterdam will be your fasted solution) hope it keeps up for the time being.

Best to make a clone quickly, just buy an USB HardDisk, I recommend minimum the same capacity of your internal HD, must be easy to find in Mallorca. (USB 2 is OK but USB 3 will work also but with USB2 speed), grab Carbon Copy Cloner from the web, (full version is free for 30 days) make a clone and you're all set. Good luck, Gerard.

And... It failed again...

The same day I got back my MBP I got to work... After a few minutes working using the discrete card it showed graphic glitches and lines all over the screen, then just got on lockdown and restarted.

Ran AHT a few times and no problem was found, keep running AHT then it shows an HDD problem... Decided to do a clean re-install of El Capitan, hoping the HDD problem disappears, but after reinstalling OSX the problems are still there, so back to the original HDD it is...

After a HDD change and re-install the HDD problem is gone, but the graphic glitches are still present even after a clean install on a different HDD, now I try to find a way to reproduce the graphic glitches before bringing the MBP to service again, as I knew they will not receive the MBP if their tests on site showed no problems. Installed the gfx tool and the unigine benchmark tool and tested for a while, after a few tries I got my pattern: Once the GPU reaches 70 degrees Celsius the GPU glitches, sometimes using the gfx tool I can select the integrated to "get off the glitches" and let the GPU cool so everything goes back to normal. Now being able to reproduce the problem got a few pictures and videos just in case I have any problem trying to reproduce the glitches with the service guys.

On October 26 I go back to the service, telling them all I did and I'm able to reproduce the glitch in front of them, but as the problem happens while I'm using an uncertified tool to reproduce it they can't just replace the logic board again, but will consult with Apple and let me know the resolution in 24 hours.

I just hope the guys see this as a related problem, if they don't I''ll be... well. Just screwed. I'm getting delayed work done on other systems but can't afford a new MBP just now, not even next year with the current prices and specs. So, I'm sad now.

I have a macbook pro 2011, which has had graphic distortions, crashes and sudden log-outs for a couple of years. After I discovered the MBP2011 GPU issue in the summer of 2014, I have had several calls to Apple's support, where they each time concluded that it definitely sounded like the GPU issue. They also a couple of times admitted that they had a lot of trouble with this issue, seeing many of these. But they could only at this time suggest for me to bring my mac to be repaired at my own cost. They even  said it was important that I did so, so they could investigate the issue, but still insisting that I had to pay, which I refused.

Fast forward to the summer 2015, where the repair programme had been initiated, I finally brought my mac to be repaired, and they quickly concluded that it was covered.

When I got it back, they said that they had replaced the logic board. However, almost immediately I got the same glitches and symptoms as before, and contacted Apple again, who asked me to send it back for repair. When I received my mac the second time, I was told that they had made several tests, and concluded that there were no issues with the machine. Immediately after, on the same day, my computer crashed once more, again with the same symptoms as before, and I sent it back to be repaired. When I received my mac the third time, I was told that they had isolated the problem to some software problems, and that they had reinstalled the whole system. To be fair, I must also tell that they did not charge me anything.

All this happened in June. Shortly after I began experiencing once again the same type of glitches, graphic distortion, Images that are broken, and sudden log-out. This seems to get progressively worse. I called Apple and were insisting that the problem had to be solved for good, as this is my work computer, and as it has already cost me a huge amount of time, working with an unstable computer. Furthermore I found it strange that the same errors should appear with a new logic board, and so quickly. I have not got any explanation of this. But it appears that the repairs are not solving the problems. Apple states that the logic board has only been replaced one time, and therefore the other repairs do not count in order to qualify for a replacement.

I have noticed another thing, though. Since I got my computer back after the last repair. It appears that the color depth is smaller than before. Especially it is visible when playing videos, or when I look at my wake-from-sleep-login screen. The images (which should be smooth) are layered in the color gradients. I cannot remember this being so before, and wonder if it has to do with either the graphic problem, or maybe some settings that have been changed. I am curious if anyone else have seen a similar thing?

I have a MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.3 15-Inch (Early 2011) with dual graphics processors.  Last week it started distorting, crashing and failing to restart like everyone else here. I brought it to the Genius Bar and mentioned to the genius I thought it was the graphics card issue and that I hoped I was covered by the repair program (i know next to nothing about how my MBP works but knew full well it was covered). He said you're not covered and that he'd never heard of this issue on this model. He ran diagnostics and of course the video/graphics failed. Into the back of the store my machine went.

A few minutes later he returned and said you need a new logic board. No surprise there! Then he said again, you aren't covered by the repair program BUT WE'LL COVER YOU ANYWAY because of what an apple rep said to me in an apple chat, not because my machine qualifies. On my receipt it says they're doing it for free bc an apple chat person had said they would do it for free -- but that never happened, no one ever promised or even suggested that!

Athe time I was like oh god thank you I don't have $500 pls just get my machine back to me Asap. Now I'm wondering, should I insist Apple acknowledge this machine failed bc of the hardware flaw and cover me under the repair program? Why are they being shady? What else should I be looking out for as Apple deals with my machine?  Should I ask them to look at anything else?

This board is so incredibly helpful and educational. Thank you all for contributing, it's helping me understand. Like I mentioned, I'm not an expert so any more advice on dealing with Apple or caring for my 2011 MBP would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the announcement of the repair extension program:  https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

As you see, your model is one of them suspected of having the problem.  To qualify for the repair extension program, further tests must be performed to determine that the symptoms are indeed caused by the GPU.  That is apparently what was done at the Genius Bar.  So your machine definitely is covered by the repair extension program.  I find it strange that the "genius" wasn't aware of the repair extension program. 

I find it even stranger that the free repair is being provided on the grounds that some Apple representative allegedly told you that in this forum, since officially the forum isn't monitored by Apple.  I can only assume that, when talking to the genius you called this forum a "chat", and he thought that you had used Live Chat (one kind of support offered by Apple) to contact Apple about the problem.  That's quite different from users discussing among themselves in this forum.  In your situation I wouldn't make an big issue out of this.  When you pick up your repaired machine give the genius a copy of the announcement of the repair extension program just in case somebody else comes in with the same problem.  After all, that might be you, if whatever Apple is doing to your machine doesn't really fix the problem.

Good luck.

Richard thanks! After reading this forum I fully assume this won't be my last time requesting repairs for this issue.

I have an early 2011 MBP 17" and only started having this problem recently. When I first noticed the problem and knew what it was, I checked online for solutions and didn't find anything encouraging. Best I got was to allow it heat up and go off itself and see if there's any improvement so  I did that. I switched to the faulty AMD display on boot camp and when the fans started spinning I Put the MBP in a bag until it heated up and went off itself. After it cooled down, I put it back on and noticed everything was back to normal but it remained that way for only about 5 days before things went back to being bad. I just came across this post and this might be my best option as I live in Nigeria and don't have any Apple care or many technicians that are good with MBPs. Please I just have a few questions:

1. Is the thermal paste meant to be applied to just the GPU or both the GPU and the CPU since both are in the same place and their heat sinks together?

2. What is the probability of the CPU being affected?

3. Can any thermal paste be used?

I'd be grateful if you reply directly to my email ********.com

Thanks

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Please... Beware...

Do not reply directly to ANY 'private' email addresses unless you are sure it is trustworthy...!

Nigeria, with all respect, is a country with a lot of internet fraud.

If Seyl38 is sincere, my deepest apologies, but I do not understand WHY asking answers by private mail and not via this 'safe' thread.

Furthermore, all questions asked in his or her post can easily be found.

I agree with you, private contact is not safe, I shall request that the email address be removed.