Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I tried installing on an external drive this morning after reading your post.  I installed and upgraded just Mavericks without any optional applications.  So far 3 of 3 attempts to get into System Preferences - Energy Saver and uncheck Automatic graphics switching, which should result in the AMD Radeon HD 6750M being used, has resulted in a system hang requiring power on reset and several restarts to be able to boot and sign in.  The cursor disappears and I have no control using keyboard, holding power button until system "shuts down" is the only option.

I've been unable when taking system in to recreate the problem and in store testing has not failed.  Although shortly after returning home system fails.  I'd had most of the startup and graphics glitches that have been described and share frustration with the others that have posted...

I've been looking for a way of triggering a hard failure, that points directly to AMD and which can't be ignored by Apple Support.  Perhaps (he said optimistically) you have given me a way of doing this.  A very clean install of Mavericks and an attempt to only use AMD GPU...or perhaps the AMD has completely failed...or perhaps I'm just being overly optimistic.

Have you tried this:

https://discussions.apple.com/message/23840461#23840461

It worked for nearly all of us…

and don't foget to give APPLE a feedbak here:

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

Enjoy your 

Yes! If you can reproduce it then you are golden (assuming you have AppleCare). I was not able to reproduce it, so while our symptoms were identical, the root cause appears to be different.

M

Using gfxCardStatus got around the problem previously, but this is NOT a fix, and recently attempting to use gfxCardStatus to use integrated only has also resulted in system hang and the need for power on reset.

Perhaps my system has gotten closer to a hard failure that can't be ignored by Apple Support.  I'm backing up my data getting ready to install a clean copy of Mavericks with the hope of less and less intermittent behavior...

I think that most of us believe the root cause is either poor design or poor manufacturing.  The problem can apparently be triggered multiple ways.  Perhaps the "real" root cause is the lack of Jobs...

Have you checked your System.log for an entry like this:

GPU Hang State = 0x00000000

Enjoy your 

GPU Hang State = 0x00000000

---

Same happened to me..

oh I agree there is a QA problem with these machines. I think it is pretty common knowledge that Apple's A-Team is working on IOS not OSX. And while I am committed to Apple products, I too am leery of purchasing one of their new laptops. Generally, I like to get 5-8 years out of my Apple purchases, which is why historically it made sense for me to pay a premium (none of my PCs ever lasted more than 4 years before becoming useless).

It's just that in my particular case I believe the root cause intially was a failing SMC which led to a cascade of events ultimately leading AppleCare to agree to replace my logic board. But after the logic board upgrade, the bad behavior returned almost immediately and the root cause turned out to be (pretty compellingly) a corrupted file system and/or corrupted apps (take your pick) -- a clean install fixed it.

Both of these two completely different root causes presented with the same annoying results, which makes diagnosing quite difficult of course. And having a damaged GPU would also give the same results. So by my count there are three possible root causes. If we are going to prevail with Apple, I believe we need to develop a way of identifying which "bin" people fall into.

YMMV

Michael

I think the problem is from the Apple side, since no matter what happens they just chage 400+ and replace the logic board (I learned this from reading the posts).

It would not unfair for us to diangositic the problem, and why we are doing this is just because the servise is ***

I got the same problem

graphic card Broken and they need to replace mainboard...

475 euro from Apple store Bologna - Italy

That is crazy you pay 1700 euro for a laptop and you aspect at least 5-8 years of life...

I was Apple fans since 2005.. altough now im starting to doubt.

I also have the high-res screen

IT'S RIDICOLUS... 99 pages of forum and Apple still don't understand

Unbelievable...

ANDREA ANNOVI from ITALY

Same problem (Paris): GPU Hang State = 0x00000000

MBP Early 2011, i7 2.2 GHz, 8GB, 256 SSD

Hi-res Matte display.

To the trash can. Will not buy a retina display now for sure: heard of so many gpu card problems/replacements, heat problems and every component is soldered: even RAM. If ram fails you have to pay apple for the replacement, wait and shut up. Do not like this ridicoulous marketing game for pseudo-cool people anymore. Guess i'm going to buy a pc or an used pre-retina MBP. Bye bye.

Mine was refurb, so I'd imagine that's why it's placed in the first half of 2012.

As one last test, yesterday I plugged in an external monitor and switched to discrete. After about 3 minutes, it crashed to a black screen.

But since then, I can't get it to boot at all. I can't even get the screen to light up. No startup chime, no backlight, nothing. The sleep light comes on, and the fans start and the HD spins up, but nothing else. So I can't zap the pram, or Safe boot or boot into single user mode. ***** to be me, I guess.

Any thoughts? I'd love to be able to still use the computer, even intigrated only, if I could.

So, MBP now back after HDD replacement.  Less than six hours in, while trying a Google Hangout, same graphical issue, but I got the error report:

Wed Nov 20 21:56:15 2013

panic(cpu 4 caller 0xffffff8029e35e6d): "Spinlock acquisition timed out: lock=0xffffff802a4ca528, lock owner thread=0xffffff803d86c8a0, current_thread: 0xffffff803e9f8b20, lock owner active on CPU 0x2, current owner: 0xffffff803d86c8a0"@/SourceCache/xnu/xnu-2422.1.72/osfmk/i386/locks_i386.c:365

Backtrace (CPU 4), Frame : Return Address

0xffffff811c6cbca0 : 0xffffff8029e22f69

0xffffff811c6cbd20 : 0xffffff8029e35e6d

0xffffff811c6cbd70 : 0xffffff8029e35d33

0xffffff811c6cbdb0 : 0xffffff802a1c390f

0xffffff811c6cbe20 : 0xffffff802a1c2f2b

0xffffff811c6cbf30 : 0xffffff802a1c2aa4

0xffffff811c6cbf60 : 0xffffff802a23db67

0xffffff811c6cbfb0 : 0xffffff8029ef3af8

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: Google Chrome

Also:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/i9hx913zo0a6itc/20131117_092817.jpg

     and from the actual hangout tonight: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w2sr9nj41006isd/ghangout20nov13.tiff

What the ****.  Apple, there is about to be a very serious problem at one of your stores.  At this point, take my old hunk of crap and give me a new MBP.

Message was edited by: ClanWelk

Here is my info. I have the same problem as others. I changed the thermal paste but no luck.

Machine Model: MacBookPro8,2

Name: MacBook Pro (2011 core i7) 15 inch

Family name: A1286

Model Number: MC723

Group1: MacBook Pro

Generation: 82

CPU speed: 2.2GHz

Screen size: 15 inch

Screen resolution: 1440x900 pixels

Production year: 2011

Production week: 28 (July)

Model introduced: 2011

Factory: C0 (Quanta Computer (Susidiary = Tech Com) China)

degger wrote:

 

We have seen endoscopic and X rays used but the expense and time involved is not worth it.

 

I think the question was more: Did you happen to do a Xray before and after the replacement to see the difference in the solder joints.

Yes, thank you.  For anyone considering this type of repair, there is no harm in asking about a pre-repair inspection.  Invite them to put their logo and URL on any images that they provide and tell them that you're planning to post those images for discussion on internet forums.  I'd think that this would appeal to most.  First, it shows that they care enough about their own work to have such inspection equipment.  And if their images play a role in solving this puzzle, they will be posted and re-posted on more forums than they can count.  They can then ride the 2011 MBP gravy train for several years.  If you happen to be in a position to give them a few days of leeway, that would make it even more appealing, allowing them to do it during their downtime.  To be clear, I'm not asking anyone to pay extra.  I'm suggesting that it's possible to make a case for why it could be to their benefit.

degger wrote:

 

If a repairerer claims they have 20k + machines they are probably lying as they would never see the money back. I belive there is a Greek website saying they have a 100,000 EURO rework machine.... they must work for foxconn!

 

That's a really strange statement to make for a pro company. In my former company we had equipment (e.g. reflow machines and semiconductor placement robots) much more expensive than that.

Also agree.  I certainly wouldn't hold it against a small operation for not thinking it worthwhile to purchase and maintain an X-Ray machine, but I can't imagine doing this without some form of optical inspection.  I mentioned Ersa by name earlier and it is quite true that they are charging prices as if we're still in a booming economy, but you don't need the latest and greatest for this type of stuff.  You can get a very nice optical inspection system second hand for $2K to $3K.  Heck, even a 90° prism, a nice mirror, and a cheap USB microscope can get you intimately acquainted with the first few rows and those all-important corners for under $400. 

Sounds like you worked at a fun place.  I've never had robots at my command.  If I ever do, I'm pretty sure that I will rule this planet.