Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

For those in Australia, today's ruling may be interesting:

http://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/apple-australia-gives-undertaking-to-accc-t o-improve-its-consumer-guarantees-policies-and-practices

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/18/accc-finds-apple-misled-customers-a bout-their-consumer-rights

Tomorrow I'm picking up my 2011 MacBook Pro after a second logic board replacement.  Will mention it to a Genius and report back if pigs fly.

You beat me to it!

I've been suffering from the same problem (+1 to the long list) and after a disappointing session with an Apple Genius (where she simply ran a hardware diagnostics test and told me afterwards the only option was to shell out hundreds for a logic board replacement), I thought I'd wait for Apple to make a move after seeing signs they were exploring this issue.

The ACCC ruling gives us Aussies hope of getting some attention. Do tell us how the Geniuses react though. I'll probably book in another appointment and give it another go.

hey what do you know, Apple deleted my post, how about responding to our problems instead wasting time keeping people from knowing how badly you support your products! Hye you know what if you actually addressed our concerns this thread wouldnt be as big as it is, but you've made this problem worst due to your company's indifference to our problems.

How are ya'll getting by in terms of the lost productivity not being able to use an external monitor and/or not being able to work on you MBP for days (weeks?!) at a time because it's in some shop being "repaired"??

Since first having to switch to "integrated only" mode a week after Mavericks came out, my productivity has more or less CRATERED.

The people who bought the 2011 MBPs with a discrete graphics card aren't your average, 'I use it to surf the Internet and watch movies' customers. They're graphic designers, web developers, 3D-modelers, engineers, etc. who use these machine to EARN A LIVING.

Paying $300-600 + Loosing the ability to work for more than a day or two (so that an apple certified tech can install a "new" logic board) is bad enough... but the possibility of having to do so a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th time is total and complete BS (because it traps a lot of us in LIMBO who only want to send our MBP in for repairs if the solution with actually fix the issue)

At this point, I would/will happily pay (the market price for a new/replacement GPU) if Apple makes clear that this is a real, long-term solution to the GPU failure issues we're all experiencing. What I won't (yet) do is pay for a temporary band-aid, because I simply can't loose access to my MBP for weeks at a time because it's in some Apple center being "repaired".

Why doesn't Apple understand this? All we're asking for is for them to provide an "official response" that lays out a real, long-term solution. If it costs a couple hundred dollars (for those like me w/o Apple Care), fine. But enough with the radio silence. Being is LIMBO is in many ways worse (re: most costly) than being told that a fix does not exist and that we all need to buy new MBPs.

How are ya'll getting by in terms of the lost productivity not being able to use an external monitor and/or not being able to work on you MBP for days (weeks?!) at a time because it's in some shop being "repaired"??

Luckily I could borrow a spare 13" MBP from my company. Still a huge loss in productivity for moving the SSD, travel to the shop and of course the much smaller screen compared to my 17" and the far slower computing speed...

Actually the new logic board did cost less than my loss in productivity...

I've been plagued by this issue for close to a month now. My macbook pro is collecting dust now as we speak and becoming a white elephant. Right now, Apple should just recognise that there exist a problem and keep us on the loop on how long they'll come out with any fix to this. Not knowing that there is a permanent manner of rectifying this issue, I've not bothered travelling all the way to an apple store just to replace the logic board.

Apple just needs to acknowledge our problems!

p.s. what's the likelihood of them ever issuing us an entirely new macbook pro?

To be honest..never

Time to add my two cents.

Few weeks ago my MBP 15" Early 2011 with AMD 6750 started showing glitches. It happened just after updating to Mavericks and the new iPhoto and iMovie.

The screen would turn blue with vertical dark lines or turn black.
I could shut it down the harsh way or just wait for it to shut down itself. Luckily I was always able to restart my machine. I discovered that the problem mainly appeared when I was exporting one movie in iMovie whilst editing another one. I thought it might be a software issue and checked with an authorised reseller. He told me to do a clean install, because it sounded like a software problem to him too. Did the clean install, didn't help. Tried setting it back to Mountain Lion with my Time Machine backup, I succeeded but the issue didn't go away.

I wanted to visit the Genius Bar in Amsterdam for some advice, but I just didn't have the time for it then. One day after taking notes in class, I put my MBP to sleep and a few hours later I wanted to wake it up, but it didn't respond. Just a black screen and the standby-led turned on (steady, no blinking). I was not able to restart it, not in any mode. Took it to the Genius Bar in Amsterdam and the genius over there told me that it was almost surely a logic board issue. They could replace it, setting me back nearly €500,-. I just didn't want to give in too quickly and now I took it home again and I'm planning on calling Apple's Customer Service today.

Bad thing about this is the timing, I just bought Final Cut and Motion the week before it went down. Can't use it now, so I'm working on my 2007 MacBook. Back to iMovie, yeah... Hoping to have some answer from Apple by this afternoon.

Hello people

I just want to contribute to the list of people being subject to this issue.

This fact happened earlier this year i was lucky the first time beacuse I got an extended warranty for the first replacement and didn't check too much this issue on internet i was just thinking of a bad model in my hands. after 90 days it repeated while working hard on a cinema 4d project: same model mbp 2011 with ati bga started distorting and blue screnn with lines etc...went back to apple store but this time they wanted me to pay because i was out of any warranty so decided to keep it for myself. i found this thread and seen thru the posts the temp fixes, at first i was using the gfxcard but it was very frustrating because i couldn't shut down the mbp without problems on turning on again : tried everything from single user mode to safe mode done this done that but it was always such a pain. Then i tried the method of removing the ati drivers when in single user and at least it started booting again even if this is a beta fix (you can find it at asyncro.com) and here is my prob...in reality even if it boots now if go to About this mac it shows that i am still using the radeon hd 6750 and not the intergrated giving me problems (i don't know why) with folders, safari and mail browsing...while using it with google chrome seems to not use that and works a bit smoother. By the way it is not professional for a company make such mistakes and do not properly test the components of their computers since this happened in the past already with other machines (2007 and some models of old macbooks but differnet issues) and what is making me crazy is that i can't work, so i can't get money, and i can't get a new machine. and also for the beta fix of removing the extensions, i don't know how still i am using that bga instead of the integrated (gfxcard if opened in this way shows me the discrete and doesn't switch because of the external monitor he says). Does anyone did experience the same problems if removed the chip and knows how to fix the fix? as long i have read only one guy highlighted this problem with safari etc...but no one replied him and the problem seems more focused on blaming apple for their mistakes (and we have all the rights to do that because it seems we are ignored) than to try and find a way to have a computer that simply boots smooth and uses intergrated by default. If someone knows how to fix it at least i have a computer working (without an external monitor sadly). thanks for your patience to read my post i'm not very skilled at english but i hope i have been clear enough. Apple should care about us a little more at least recognizing that there is a problem with this model just to keep our mood in a happier state...then if there is not solution they could simply make us a huge discount on new working machines if we bring back this one (the rest of the pieces are working is just the bga crapping and i don't understand if we have to blame also the ati company or only apple).

Talking too much.

Need solution for the beta fix and run only on integrated from boot.

Dear Apple here there is people who works with your products and not only have it for fashion. You are losing lot of costumers ignoring us all. 15 years of apple products and i am back to my g5 dual? that's not good for your reputation.

I am thinking seriously to buy another laptop and make it an hackintosh at least i am sure the components will work.

merry christmas to all

I am missing Steve Jobs.

Shouldn't you have an extended warranty from the first replacement within the 90 days? It does not sound right to me.

Same experience her after (re)moving driverfiles named ATI* and AMD*. This is that:

gfxCardStatus reports that discrete card is used, and can't switch to internal due to connection of external monitor. No monitor is connected, and it does not change if rebooting, or connecting and disconnection an external monitor.

Both Mail and Safari can be very very slow. Seems like they sometimes enter an endless loop of slow windowupdates.

Would also like to know about how to enable use of internal graphics only.

...oh forgot 2 other issues:

1. Brightness controls do not work.

2. Can not put the Mac to sleep.

@DASonneveld

I live in the Netherlands too and my board is currently being reballed. I found someone who can do this for a reasonable price (170E)

If it turns out to work you may want to consider this. Let me know if you want more info or need help getting the motherboard out.

yeah the first time i brought was already out of the standard warranty (i think it was just one year) but the guy was kind and i got this extention just for that occasion. the second time it happened just after the 90 days so when i brought they told me i have to pay 500e and more to get it replaced (and not fixed aargh).

and by the way i tought that removing amd drivers as in the instructions did isolate the bga and let me use integrated but it seems there is more to remove in the system may be toget totally rid of it.

peace

Bummer

Anybody knows a good place in LA to have the gpu replaced?