Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Don't forget about Target Disk Mode. If you have another Mac (or can borrow one), and a Firewire or Thunderbolt cable to connect them, may still be able to boot the other Mac from your MacBook's HD. You could also swap hard drives with another MacBook, or put your MacBook HD in an external case for use on another Mac. All of this will give you  full access to  your user account, to use it or run a final backup before repair. That's how I've been surviving the past few days.

Bart

Everyone with this problem needs to inform Apple via both steps below, so they see it as the problem it truly is:

Step 1:

Take ahmeds84's advice and fill out a feedback form here:

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

Be sure to reference this forum thread in your feedback:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577

Step 2:

Call Apple at 1-800-275-2273 and tell them you would like to report a problem.

They understand the problem real quick when you reference this thread by number 4766577.

Tell them to look at the screen shots on page 10.

Ask them to fill out a "Data Capture Report" for submission to their Senior Advisor or Engineering Department.

If they say  you need a case number before they help you, follow this procedure to get one:

• Visit expresslane.apple.com (no www before it)
• Click Mac
• Click Mac Notebooks
• Click Other Topics
• Select "Display Flickering"
• Click Continue
• Click Call Apple Support Later
• Enter your contact info
• Click Continue
• The next screen should display an ID number and the phone number to call. Mine had 1-800-275-2273.

Do this now - not to bug them, but to let them know just how many of their machines are failing.

Bart

Exact same here.

The graphics card is dead after 2 years only.

Here is the description of my problem:

http://x704.net/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6538&start=25

At the Apple Store today, my MacBook refused to fail. It was like nothing had ever happened. At least I had photos of the odd screens with me. Their only solution was to ship it in for repair. No Apple Care, so the cost is $310 plus tax for a new logic board.

They said I could send it in without the hard drive, so I brought the machine home and put its drive in an iMac. It works just fine.

My only remaining concern is how long the new board will last.

Bart

That's funny.  They refused to allow me to take my laptop out before sending it in for repair.  I was told Apple will not accept repairs without all  original components intact.

I'm also having the same problem..  anybody here had try to replace the GPU thermal paste? just wondering why its happen after 2 years.. probably due to the thermal paste is not working well after 2 years...
This hardware fault also cannot be found if tested using Apple Hardware Test AHT.

I did replace all the thermal paste two weeks ago, no help at all

Here's an odd question... How do I force this problem to happen?

I'm sending it in for repair, and now it won't fail. I've tried all three settings in gfxCardStatus, played six videos at once in Quicktime while also playing a DVD, etc. No matter how hard I push it, it just won't produce any symptoms.

Bart

Select Discrete on gxfCardStatus

Install & open photoshop

Do a design & add more than 50 layers

& then "$"@@&"$ screen become crazy

If u want the macbook screen become normal, u need to boot up several time until your mac select integrated GPU instead of Discrete GPU..

Hey, same problem here (Germany)

MBP 15", 2,2 i7 with Radeon HD 6750M (> 2500 USD)

27 month, no warranty/Apple Care

Split screen and other grafic issues (as on screens above) after switch to dedicated and a little time.

With gfxCardStatus on integrated graphics works "fine".

(even though that is no acceptable solution and I cannot use my ext. screen)

When Apple opened a case, I referenced to the discussion and explained my diagnosis, they told me it would be repaired for free since it would be a known issue, would have to let the diagnostic be confirmed by a Premium Reseller. After having it checked with a Premium Reseller (mStore), they sent the failure description to Apple - answer: the first statement "free repair, known issue" was not correct, so no free repair, they offered logic board replacement EUR 650 (850 USD).

Now I am not even sure if it would solve the problem.

as you wrote:

Seems to be a known issue, and everyone that's got this problem should post to http://www.apple.com/feedback/ - Apple might react in some way.

Any reactions on the feedbacks so far? What can we do?

As I commented in the longer thread that's largely focused on this issue, my early 2011 15" MBP is on logic board #3.  The first one lasted nearly two years, then started having boot/display issues, and the Genius Bar replaced it last month  to the tune of over $500.  That replacement logic board still had issues, so it went back in for another repair (under the 90-day warranty on the replacement parts) for just the labor cost.  #3 is really not much better - still boot issues, still plenty of flickers and freezes and freakouts. 

I've written to Apple Feedback, and I've emailed Tim Cook.  I'm about to document my issues and return to the Genius Bar for (hopefully) another logic board replacement.  I'm not convinced that will do anything, but in theory it'll keep my logic board under a 90-day warranty, cost Apple an increasingly silly amount of money, and draw more attention to the problems inherent to these models. 

ETA:  I have also submitted information about these issues and the related threads to EveryMac.com, which maintains a variety of info about Macs beyond the basic specs.  It would be fantastic to see some of the info sites start to reflect the issues with this GPU and these models - it would bring more visibilty to the issue, and perhaps keep some prospective secondhand buyers from picking up a flawed MBP.

Hello back,

I've been talking to a "Technical Senior Advisor AppleCare".

a) He was NOT aware of the problem with the MBP early 2011 model. I brought this thread into his attention and he called me back after reading all the posts

b) He said that there ware care programs (=know issues which Apple will repair for free) for the MBP 2010 model, but not for the 2011 models.

c) He did not want to give me any free repair because I have been out of warranty (no AppleCare) for 400 days.

d) He promised me that he forwarded the problem to the technical research team in order to evaluate if a care program could be started.

e) In case a new care program is started, the repair costs could be refunded.

f) the "Data Capture Report", mentioned above by BART, extract logs and compresses them into a dmg file. It documents software problems and has not much to do with the graphic chip problem, which is a hardware problem. The best way to document this hardware problem would be to use a clean install of Mac OSX on an external harddrive (USB), and to demonstrate that the graphic problems persist while running from this clean external system.

I am not sure about the importance of this "Technical Senior Advisor AppleCare" guy, I guess in every country there are several like him, but I wanted to let you know.

Best, Ququq

Same here in Poland,

I have problem since couple of days. I have MacBook Pro 15" Early 2011 2 GHz Intel Core i7 Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB.

Symptoms are the same. Pink Apple logo at boot, splitet screen and freeze's. It' really annoing.

I'm using only integreted Intel HD Graphics, and after i switch on discrete card problem is appear. I don't have Apple Care too, but I think Apple have to do something with that. It's very common issue.

Tommorow I'll try call polish support.

Bests

I submitted post here http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html with link to this thread.

Ququq, did the Technical Senior Advisor have any advice about how to demonstrate/document the issues (in a way that will be useful and convincing to Apple) if the Data Capture Report doesn't log them? 

I've completely wiped the HD on my affected MBP, and reinstalled the orginal OS from the restore disks.  The only further installations I've made are software updates.  So I've got a nice, clean system right now, perfect for documentation.