Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

hansstevanus,

What country are you in? You may be able to find an Authorized Apple Service Provider in your area -> https://locate.apple.com/country.

Clinton

My early 2011 MBP 17" is dead too.

In july 2013 it started with weird graphics glitches each time I opened photoshop cs6. Having to reboot to use the mac.

Then later it couldnt boot leaving the sleep indicator light (SIL) at half brightness without getting past that.

In the genious bar they managed to wake it up after some dilligent testing - and to my big supprice -  Their hardware tests showed a light sensor in the screen was faulty and concluded that to be the problem. Their solution was to change the entire screen. Or at least cover the sensor with gaffer tape if I didnt feel like spending money on changing the whole screen.

I did find the conclusion a bit dubious. But it actually worked. Covering the upper part of the screen where the camera is kept the issue at bay.

The machine would then run perfectly for about two months more untill one day where I just suddenly got a black screen that no magical voodoo shortcut combinations could fix.

Back to the genious bar where they - after looking at the MBP 30 sec - told me that the logicboard needed replacement. No thourough examination this time.

Even denying the conclusions made by their owncolleagues a few months earlier explaining that there are no sensor in the screen.

They told me that it is quite possible a bad capacitors on the logic board provocing this.

I havnet decided what to do yet, the replacement cost €431+ 21% tax (spain) I havent got applecare since in the EU you are covered by law 2 years. But this happened 3 months after the warrenty ran out.

I know more people with the same issue with 2011 MBP.

It is very anoying having to worry about component failure after only a couple of years of use.

It does not fit the brand

Hi Clinton,

I live in Singapore. While there is an authorised Apple Service Provider here, I am not sure if they will be able to take care of my MBP should Apple issued a recall of the laptop. Also, the last time I came to them, they charged me about USD750 for the repair cost. Currently it is just sitting in the corner of my room as it no longer able to even enter the OS.

Hans

IF (and I write that in capital letters) Apple were to issue a recall/repair option sometime in the future then certainly the AASPs would participate in such a scheme.

I don't blame you for not wanting to sink any more cash into your machine - we're all just waiting for Apple to do SOMETHING.

Clinton

There's something wrong in the state of design:

Encountering problems with GPU after 2 years using an Early 2011 MacBook Pro i7 with external monitor all the time (just for development, no games...). Started with replacement of right side fan, problems solved after authorized service 3 times replaced the logic board (being forced to buy 2 years old logic board... at a price of other brand new laptop, while my original logic board has been sent by service back to Apple. Likely to be resoldered and sold to someone else?) and finally internal LCD panel cable replaced (broken likely due to too many authorised service logic board replacements...).

BTW, after one of service visit, just half of the RAM worked... (Bank not clicked in enough...).

Now up and running, but I can expect the very much same problems, as the overheating not solved, just postponed by replacement of the same model logic board...

So it took 5 visits to Apple authorised service and a couple of weeks witout the MBP... Cost about other brand laptop and ended up with more then 2 years old HW with the same potential to last about 2 years more.

I am in the identical situation as Clintonfrombirmingham, Applecare expires April 2014. 

I must be about 45 days into my (first) replacement logic board.  I received a new logic board; if anyone knows how to identify a logic board build date or other characteristics, please let me know; I am curious myself and I would publish it here as well.

When I put my 8GB RAM in right after the swap, I noted and reported here that the logic board looked new (extraordinarily clean) and a darker color(?) than I recall.  Keep in mind, the last time I had my 2011 Macbook pro open was April 2011.  Are all of the logic boards black?

I will say this based on subjective observation:

...This logic board runs better than my previous (original one) ever did.  When the 6750 kicks-in, then fans spin-up like one might anticipate... when the switch back to integrated happens, the fans slow as one might expect.  I know this for a fact as I still have gfxcardstatus installed and running.  ...the upshot of all of this is my computer runs better/cooler with this logic board than it ever did with the original.  Going back to when the computer was new, my fans would often spin and spin on the old board, even when I was not using the AMD.  I could not say if the system was stuck using the AMD due to an OS thread or some other issue. 

...I run bootcamp (Windows 8.1) and the same is true, the system and fans run better then they ever did.  Spinning up and down when it makes sense (obviously I don't have gfxcardstatus running under windows).

I tried to push for a new logic board when the first went in mid November.  Applecare US senior reps told me it was fine to ask (the Bogota, Colombia authorized repair desk) to seeka new logic board.  They could not; they could only seek a replacement according to their service contract with Apple.  I made a specific point of asking at time of pickup and they called the tech in and he said he, himself, was surprised it was not a refurb board but a new one.

...whether this means I am lucky or if there is some internal Apple awareness (and policy shift) of what is happening, I can not say.  I can say that this logic board seems to run the fans/gpu differently than the original. 

I am running Mavericks (10.9.1).

I am currently back in the US, such that if the logic board fails again I will be dealing with Apple Stores and staff directly.

I must say the iShop/Techpeople repair crew in Bogota (Gran Estacion II) werev ery professional and someone did an outstanding job cleaning my notebook inside and out, including fans, before i got it back.

LociKW wrote:

 

I must be about 45 days into my (first) replacement logic board.  I received a new logic board; if anyone knows how to identify a logic board build date or other characteristics, please let me know; I am curious myself and I would publish it here as well.

I was curious about that myself - and I know of no way to find the actual build dates of the new logic boards as any information is tide to the serial number and my 'old' serial number was, of course, flashed onto my new board.

Because I received a new larger capacity SSD whilst my machine was in for repair, I did dig into my machine after the repair. The board was scrupulously clean but I didn't notice any difference in the actual color of the board - still a darkish green in my case.

45 days is good - some people have had the board replaced only to have the 'new' board failing within days.

All I can do is cross my fingers and pray!

Clinton

Here's my story:

Early 2011 MBP with Radeon 6490M

Purchased March 2011, no applecare - started failing Dec 2013

I got to meet a "genius" at the Velizy 2 (Paris, France area) Apple Store on Wednesday and told him about this thread (and the others), the faulty discrete GPUs and all. He pretended to be surprised and hear about this for the first time but both him and his co-worker seemed to be hiding something. I think they know very well about this...

He confirmed that the GPU is failing and quoted 410 euros + tax to get a new logic board. Obviously I'm out of warranty so I gotta pay or I can just keep my pricey MBP paperweight...

Thing is: I'm not gonna pay and have it fail again! Since this is not a repair we can trust...

He did say there has been a replacement program for 2010 MBP (similar issue, regarding video I think) so there is a slight chance there will be one for our problem.

Like many here, my laptop is my work tool. I'm a professional photographer/videographer and I can't work. Thank you Apple!

I did get a satisfaction survey email after my appointment and filled it pretty angrily. I let them know I am very disappointed in Apple for ignoring us all and linked to this thread again.

Please do book appointments at genius bars around the world. Hopefully they will end up getting so many reports that they'll issue a replacement program eventually!

It would be interesting to see if the affected computers are from a certain batch or if it's more widespread.

I checked my serial number here: http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php

According to that site, my computer was manufactured in week 24 (June) 2011 and the 17th to be built that week.

I was curious about that myself - and I know of no way to find the actual build dates of the new logic boards as any information is tide to the serial number and my 'old' serial number was, of course, flashed onto my new board.

Funny thing that. I also noted that my serial number stayed the same, however some other identifier must have changed because I had to put another user on my iTunes Store account (GAH! And iTunes support refuses to remove the old identifier and refers to their standard account management policy. For me that is already annoying (2 accounts wasted, one for the replaced board and one for the borrowed notebook during the 3 week repair) but if I had several replacements like some here I'd be very mad).

IMHO the only information that gives away the approximate production date is the version of the installed firmwares. I believe during refurbishment they'll always update the SMC firmware but if any other firmware (most prominently probably the Thunderbolt one because that one had quite a few updates since 2011) needs updating after the swap I'd check what the old version was and when the next update was issued and that should be the potential manufacturing range of your new board. If no update is needed you either have a very recently produced one (or much more likely) a refurbished part.

If you look at some of the polls here (and I'm not going to post any links as they just get deleted by the hosts) there only seem to be more early 2011 models rather than late 2011 models that have the problem. Otherwise, there's no real pattern.

I thought I was safe because my machine was manufactured in February of 2012 - I was wrong...

Clinton

hi hansstevanus,

janeannemark seems to have some luck at A.Lab at Plaza singapura. Post at page 152.

I will give it a try too next month.

degger,

The techs 'flash' the 'old' serial number on the 'new' boards but most vendors recognize that you're using a 'new computer' - you have to re-register/authorize your machine, etc.

I got my machine back right as the TB update was released, so I can't use that as an identifier of any sort.

I just wish I knew WHEN this board was made!

Clinton

Hey Roscoe, how much did the guys in the UK quote you for a new logicboard?

That's exactly what I'm saying, it seems from the stories that the repair centers aren't doing the repair job properly either as part of the repair would require checking the fans, removing/re-applying thermal paste to the CPU and resoldering the graphics card with lead.