Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Thanks akamyself. I might just try that when I get a bit of time! Should not be too difficult as I also have Parallels Desktop and a Windows partition (uniquely for MSAccess because of colleagues' data-bases!).

Yes I was extremely patient with the replacement boards - luckily I live only about 35km away from an Apple Repair Centre and have an old White MacBook which I could limp along with during repairs - but the build-up to each demonstrable failure was slow and tedious, with a slowing machine and repeated re-boots, PRAM resets etc.

All over now, hoping the same thing doesn't happen to this machine later on.

Same issue here, with my MBP currently having the LB replaced under the REP program.

However, I was told by a authorised repair place that the parts being replaced are the same components that originally failed, rather than revised models, and suggested I made my case under EU consumer law.

I seems unlikely that those who have had their LBs replaced 2/3/4 times are just unlucky to be affected by unrelated fails, and based on the way Apple is handling this program, if Apple were confident that had "revised" the component to address the issue, why replace multiple times on out of warranty/Applecare devices.

Mine lasted almost 5 years, so I hope I'll get a similar amount of time out of this one, but if I don't and it fails after the deadline, then I'll be looking to exercise my rights.

Hi, I would like to know if when you use it as a server, do you open the MBP or leave the lid closed?

I took mine in a few days ago, and I had photos of it acting up with the strange switched screen, dots on it and little pixels all over the photo and the girl didn't even care. She didn't even look at them, just booted it and then started some tests on it. She told me it would be 3 to 5 days and they would call me. I don't know if that means it will be repaired or just checked during that time, being as it's Thanksgiving and they will be closed probably for several days. I don't now why I waited so long as this problem has been bothering me for over a year now and I installed the gfx and have been doing OK with that, kind of, till it started freezing all the time. I really got tired of that fast.

Strictly speaking, the tests determine whether your MBP qualifies for the extended repair program; however, sometimes an MBP fails to fail the test.  In such cases photos have sometimes convinced Apple personnel to take the machine into the program anyway.  So if wherever your MBP is celebrating Thanksgiving  calls to tell you that it does not qualify for the program, show them the photos and some first-hand reports in this thread of Apple personnel accepting photos when a machine passed the tests.

Good luck!

And... It's back from repair... Just took them 30 days to replace the logic board this time (they told me there was a stock problem with the replacement parts, so they needed to ask Apple for more and it could take a few weeks to arrive), but I'm finally writing from my MBP again. So the re-install begins!. But before I made a few test with the unigine heaven benchmark to check it for a while and it runs fine, even using an external display... But noticed something somebody mentioned here before, and it seems they applied some throttling to the discrete graphics once it reaches 70º C. Starting from a "cold" MPB I get a higher score, subsequent runs gave me lower scores as the temperature gets higher till it reaches 70º C. Then it remains almost the same score and the temperature doesn't rise above 70, like before, as it could go as high as 90º C.

Now the system remains cooler, but hope the throttling doesn't make me work slower, as this is my battle-horse for everyday. Still need some time with the MBP to give the final verdict, but now I just hope it runs fine for a long, long time.

unluigui:

Just took them 30 days to replace the logic board this time (they told me there was a stock problem with the replacement parts, so they needed to ask Apple for more and it could take a few weeks to arrive)

Are "they" an Apple Retail Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple Repair Center?  Based on my experience Apple Authorized Service Providers do not carry stock for repairs.  They diagnose the problem, order the parts, and must return either the faulty parts or the replacement parts to Apple by a certain time.  This means that they don't even have the opportunity to stockpile spares.  I would be surprised if the situation isn't the same with Apple Retail Stores.  This simplifies the whole process and avoids situations like the one I'm experiencing with a Nikon camera.  Nikon Switzerland doesn't have a part and must now find out whether Nikon in some other neighboring country does.  If not, it will have to be ordered from Japan.  Given the reasonable prices of overnight delivery, having individual Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers forecast demand for spare parts and then store them ultimately costs more than overnight delivery.

The store is an Apple Premium Reseller and Apple Authorized Service Provider... Is one of the few available in México as there are no Apple Stores here yet. So, I'm not sure if the stock problem was in my country because they have a centralized stock center or if the stock problem was with Apple... Didn't ask because I went to pick up my MBP in a hurry. The first time they replaced the board it took a few days only, I'm sure someone mentioned there that it was an order made directly to Apple for the replacement parts, and they ship it back overnight to the store, but don't know where the stock problems are now... If they have not a centralized stock center here then I think they meant it was a problem on the Apple side.

Just wrote this:

<Link Edited By Host>

Just wrote this:

MacBook Pro Late 2011 - Discrete graphics issue

I took my computer in on November 23, because of these graphic problems. It kept freezing or screen splitting and getting all kinds of fuzzy weird dots, pixels, splitting in half and changing places, rebooting with the gray and blue stripes, etc., and I just called them and they said it checked out fine. That they ran two different tests on it for hours and it never had any problems. They even played games on it and it never messed up once. I've never played games on it in my life, can't use iPhoto, or anything intensive or it freezes on me and won't restart till it sits for a while, or sometimes after multiple reboots. They said to come get it, it's fine but I know it isn't. I told her it was ridiculous. She said maybe it got bumped and straightened itself out. Is that possible? Or are they just pushing me off?

ella70, can't you make them a live demo?

launch anything you know for sure will make it freak out instantly.

they can always say whatever they want, obviously you can't play any game when you're affected by this cpu/gpu thing so either they got extremely lucky or straight lying.

if you can, go to another apple store, or at least have another person to talk to, take another appointment. you most likely won't end up seeing the same "genius" next time...

Live demo has the same problem:  Some machines refuse to fail the tests when they are being closely observed.  Better:  Set up everything to photograph or film your MBP when it is experiencing the video issues.  Once you have the evidence, take it and your MBP  back to the Apple Retail Store, Apple Authorized Service Provider, etc.  In the meantime, find the contributions in this thread which prove that other Apple Stores or Service Providers have accepted such evidence in lieu of failed tests and take them along with the photos, films, etc.

what about you bring films & pics, they take it in and they say computer passed the tests? back to square one. should probably combine the two, bring evidence + make the live demo. as long as trying with a different person if not another store.

Thanks for responding. Yes, I was thinking of trying to make a video or DVD. I can figure out how to do that.

I also thought maybe I could send it to apple. Can I do that even if I have an apple repair here? We only have one Mac repair in the area that I know of and it's very small with few employees.

I've got photos I took last time it messed up, in a folder on the desktop of the MBP and they wouldn't even look at them when I dropped it off. Maybe I can get them to this time. She just kept saying that maybe it was something that got jogged back in place or something.

One time it quit working, it did say it had a problem with the Ram, that it was loose or something, but that was only once. I was hoping that maybe that was it and the machine would be OK. Does anyone know if a loose ram could cause any of these problems?