Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Brycekl wrote:

 

I have the same problem on a late 2011 15 MBP. Didnt even use the thing to its full potential and now its useless.

I only bought it in Cannes,FR in Jul 2012 and it bit the dust in Dec 2013.

 

Those 17 months were great though. Pretty dark that this seems to be such a comman problem.

If you are European you have 2 years warranty.

No matter what Aplle store says.

It's European law.

If Apple doesn't give it, store has to give it.

And they have to sort it with Apple.

Victor Ga wrote:

 

Got my MBP back with its third logic board yesterday... So far so good I will keep you up to date if it holds or not.

 

The "genius" told me it was the last replacement next time we consider the machine is as good as dead. Good news is one of the Apple store employees has the exact same problem as us so we are not alone.

Does that mean you'll get a new computer?

Isn't tha tlike buying a car with a 4 cilinder motor of wich you have to switch of 1 or to as it otherwise doesn't start?

Would you really accept that?

You paid extra for that GPU to get better performance, didn't you?

Es verdad, como dice D3us, Yo recuerdo haber elegido el equipo con dos tarjetas graficas para un mejor desempeño y haber paga mucho mas... ironico e injusto,¿ Existira una forma de ejercer presion legal entre todos?.

PD: Yo tendre que suspender mis estudios de finalcut y motion graphic ya que no tengo dinero para volver a pagar por otro computador como el mbp que me permita seguir trabajando...

Yep same problem here..  mine is a late 2011 15" Macbookpro.. It died pretty much 2 years after purchase. Was having the same problems with it freezing and going grey and blue etc.. and eventually it just stoped working a couple weeks before Christmas just before I was about to take a trip and needed it for work. Now it boots up has the apple logo and spinning wheel and goes straight to a white screen. tried booting in safe mode and all I get is a blue stirped screen. did the reset pram etc etc.. and nothing.

I'm pretty dissapointed for having paid that much also only to find out that the problem seems to persist even when people get the pieces replaced, so doesn't even seem worth it to fix it, which now makes my 2 year old Macbookpro totally worthless.

Not happy at all!

If Apple refuse to fix it for free (like they should), then try to find a company that can resolder (reball) the dedicated GPU with leaded solder. This seems to fix the problem for quite a few and it should not be that expensive.

I will give it a try since I'm unwilling to pay $1000.

Well he didn't say it like that, but I believe it is what he implied. However I do not know the conditions.

So far my laptop is working well with Logic Board nr3 but I wait for the next heavy photoshop / final cut session to be sure.

Hope for you it lasts this time.

Better to some thorough (stress) testing before it runs out of warranty.

This is a real shame, my Macbook Pro had 2 years.

The technical services, said me the problem it´s the LOGIC BOARD and i need buy and replace a new

and add the labor of the technical support, all for $1.700,00 USD Could you belive that????

This it´s really bad and APPLE must take responsibility for this failure / error.

Someone knows what can i do? i´m from Chile.

I think some employee of Apple must give an answers.

Regards,

Sergio Orozco.

seol84 wrote:

 

This is a real shame, my Macbook Pro had 2 years.

 

The technical services, said me the problem it´s the LOGIC BOARD and i need buy and replace a new

BOARD, LOGIC, 2.2 GHZ

and add the labor of the technical support, all for $1.700,00 USD Could you belive that????

 

This it´s really bad and APPLE must take responsibility for this failure / error.

 

Someone knows what can i do? i´m from Chile.

 

I think some employee of Apple must give an answers.

 

Regards,

 

Sergio Orozco.

That's a rip-off.

Full logic board replacements where prices around 400-600$ on this thread I think.

It can be repaired however for under 200$, including new replacement chip.

Reflow/reball only is even cheaper.

The price for a logic board replacement seems to differ alot depending on which country you are in. It's about $1000 for a new logic board inc. labour here in Sweden.

It's "interesting" that previous similar cases resulted in a recall but not ours (YET!):

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5167
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2377

Let me recount my experience(s):

One December 31, 2012, my Thunderbolt Display popped off. Then, when trying to boot, I got the deadly vertical black and blue lines. My machine seemed to have just died on me - couldn't boot from anything. Made an appointment for January 3 (earliest I could get) and rolled up to the Genius Bar. When they plugged my unit into their diagnostics server, everything came back OK. But now there were horizontal black and blue lines running across the screen.

The Genius decided that the problem was my Crucial RAM - but he tested the machine with 'known good' RAM and the problem persisted. Finally he said that he was just going to order a logic board. And I got my machine back yesterday.

So count me in as one having problems with the GPU - it had a number of symptoms but it was the faulty screen lines that got me a new logic board.

BTW - I've been thinking that this only affected Early 2011 models, but my machine is a February 2012 build - certainly a LATE 2011!

Just welcome me to the club...

Clinton

EDIT: I must point out that I have AppleCare and that my logic board replacement was free - it would have been $437.50 + $39.00 labor had I not had AppleCare.

Message was edited by: clintonfrombirmingham

YES, ONE MORE DYING!

My Macbook Pro 17" early 2011 is having exactly the same graphical problems since one week. With gfxCardstatus I can let it run OS X.9 on the integrated Intel but ofcourse after effects or logic need the GPU. I tried to run my backup OS X.6.8 but experience the same display error and system lockups.

Luckily I have AppleCare until May2014 but will a new motherboard last any longer? My wife's 2007 Macbook Pro is still up and running every day and never had a serious hardware problem at all. These type of expensive machines should at least run as long as a Mercedes.

How many more Macbooks to die before Apple shows any sign of respect? How many more pages here do they need before they come up with an answer to all these questions? Is it the lack of lead? Too much thermal paste? Software? Firmware? Cooling?

It all takes a tremendous amount of precious time and frustration. And again, will the new motherboard give me a sense of reliability next time I need it for a presentation or in a tight deadline?

I would trust a reballed (leaded solder) board with a new GPU more than a new board from Apples old stock. Seems like some of these replacement boards suffer from the same problem and show the same symtoms just after days/weeks.

I've not seen too many posts from users of the 17" machines - but then I thought I was 'safe' because my machine was manufactured in February of 2012.

There have been many reports here of people having multiple boards replaced before they finally just got a new machine. Swapping the logic boards just doesn't seem like a solution, where BGA reballing does. I know that if I have another failure during the period that I have AppleCare, I'll get Apple to replace the logic board again. After that - who knows? I may look at reballing or just purchasing a new MacBook Pro (which really hurts because I HATE the closed systems).

Good luck,

Clinton