Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Submit a bug report on Apple's bug reporting system, too. I think it's a more direct route to their engineering department. I've received a reply pretty quickly asking for more information e.g. screenshots.

This thread soon passes 200,000 views. I wonder how long it will be invisible for Apple.

I had the first troubles last november. You can find my story somewhere in this threat.

I spoke to Apple a few times on the hotline - to be honest the austrian or german hotline is very friendly but couldn't help me at all. Finaly a Relations-Manager from Apple Europe in Cork/Ireland helped me a lot. She invited me to bring my MBP to an authorised Apple Service Partner, they found out that the logic board had to be replaced. After a call with an Apple Engineer and again with the Relations-Manager I got my MacBook Pro repaired free of charge within 2 days.

They happy - MacBook Pro happy - me happy!!!

@HERZBLUAT: Can I assume that this was all while the machine was in warranty?

@tsgm: No, it was already out of warranty. That's the reason that made the whole story a little complicated at the beginning.

That is exactly what happened to me.

Same issue here.

My MBP February 2013 crashed today after put an 27" TB-Display from Apple on it for exactly 5 days.

The screen was immediately grey with green horizontal lines. Nothing more was to see.

I can see a login screen after a reboot, but after the login only grey background on the display appears. Display means here the MBP display. I disconnected the TB 27" display from my macbook. I updated to maverick at the first day it was availabe and work with it on an 24" HP display via DVI.

Since tuesday 7.1. i worked with a new thunerbold display on my macbook and today it crashed.

My company has still warranty for the macbook, so i hope it will be replaced by apple witha new one.

Kai-Uwe Beyer wrote:

 

Same issue here.

My MBP February 2013 crashed today after put an 27" TB-Display from Apple on it for exactly 5 days.

The screen was immediately grey with green horizontal lines. Nothing more was to see.

I can see a login screen after a reboot, but after the login only grey background on the display appears. Display means here the MBP display. I disconnected the TB 27" display from my macbook. I updated to maverick at the first day it was availabe and work with it on an 24" HP display via DVI.

Since tuesday 7.1. i worked with a new thunerbold display on my macbook and today it crashed.

 

My company has still warranty for the macbook, so i hope it will be replaced by apple witha new one.

You'll get a new one free of charge, no problems. But hey, are the 2013 MBP's already showing the same symptoms? After a year?!? That is ridiculous!

I have a Early 2011 15-inch MBP suffering from every problem I've read on this thread.

I scheduled an Apple Genius appointment back in October and a Genius told me my hard drive was failing. The price for that would have been $200 for labor and a new hard drive. I explained to her that all these issues began appearing after I updated to Mavericks. She went on to say, and I quote, "I can't even gurantee your computer will turn on tomorrow. You'll need to get the hard drive replacement as soon as possible." I did not agree with her so I went back to the Genius Bar another time. This time I mentioned that GPU Restart Reporter was a common permission that turned up whenever I ran permission repairs through Disk Utility. He immediately knew it was my graphics card and that I would need a logic board replacement. I asked how could this have happened and he said this problem simply happens over time. My first quote for a logic board replacement was $500. I'm sure everyone here agrees that price is ridiculous for something that is clearly a manufacturer issue. I went home and got on the phone with Apple Care even though I don't have insurance. I spoke with someone who claims to be as high up as I can get with over the phone support and he quoted me $350. It has been over 2 months that I've been speaking with the same guy over the phone and he continues to ask when I'm going to send it out for repair. I informed him that I am a college student without a job, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were all getting closer, and that my MacBook Pro is my only computer. I had to complete my finals in the library because my computer only turns on when it wants. Most times not for days or even weeks at a time.

Over a week ago, I sent my over the phone Apple representative a link to this thread after he said he could not find anything relating to my specific computer model and the issues I described. He said thank you and that he would get back to me after speaking with Apple technicians. Two days ago he called back and said they can't do anything because there is no repair program for the 2011 MBP. I am now completely frustrated by the fact that after 2 months, my computer still won't be fixed for free without Apple Care for a problem that everyone in this thread is complaining about even after having their logic board replaced. Is it not suspicious that we are all suffering from this problem around the same time? We have not had our computers for 3 years.

I am livid. Sorry this post is so long.

<Edited By Host>

I feel your pain Daniel. I'm still hopeful that Apple will do the right thing and initiate a recall program. I'm giving it a couple more months then I'm just going to have someone reball my GPU.

<Email Edited By Host>

I wish I could tell you something encouraging. Apple voluntarily recalled iMacs made at the same time using the same brand of GPU exhibiting the same problesm (but with easily replaced daughtercards rather than logic-board-mounted GPUs), but at this stage unless lines of communication with Apple improve it'll take external pressure for them to move on this.

Because I don't own the laptop that was affected, I don't have standing as a plaintiff and that's frustrating. I got hit right before a year-long deadline and spent hours transferring my accounts and apps to the only machine available which was 3 years older, with half the RAM and a core 2 duo instead of an i7. Chrome runs like a dog and so do most of the heavy hitter apps I need on the job. There are things I can actually do faster on an Android phone.

I should mention that my employer requires (and purchases) a 3 year warranty on their Macs, which means my (employer's) laptop will probably endure at least two board swaps at no expense to us before they demand a complete replacement of equivalent value (and they will). But how many of us have universities or well-heeled corporate employers?

I'll keep track here (or in whichever thread succeeds this one) of what happens to the laptop. Since it's still under warranty, it'll be interesting if it gets different treatment than others have reported here. It's still winter here and I guarantee the laptop will undergo the same environmental stresses that triggered the fault the first time.

I too was a victim of the crappy AMD video card. I was forced to fork out $310 to replace the logic board. Talk about some BS

Strange, strange, strange... I took out the extra optibay 750GB hard disk, wiped my main Macintosh HD and did a CLEAN INSTALL of Mavericks last night. Now the mac is running heavy graphics. Fans are blowing but no display errors and glitches.

Could it be the extra heat generated by the optibay HD although it worked for two years like that? Maybe Mavericks can't deal with this 'cause problems started a week after the big upgrade from snow leopard.

Or is it simply a clean OS install? New reseated drivers?

Macbook Pro 17" early 2011

It's more likely that working near/on the mainboard temporarily re-established the contact at the broken solder point.

I thought of that too. The back cover needed to be closed by pressing it gently into the holders untill it clicks. Maybe that gave some pressure on the GPU contacts? My iphone 4 audio chip suffered from the well known bad contact issue. I placed a small piece of a credit card on top of it to give some pressure. Since then the phone is fixed.