Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

A just about to be ex-customer.

I've almost gotten to that point, too. The problem is all of the investment in Mac software that I have... since I already use Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, those would be simple to utilize on the Windows side. I really hate to be at this point - after being a Mac user since 1985 and I'm feeling that Apple just isn't the company that it once was. They used to address issues and care about providing the very best customer care around.

If this MacBook Pro, after having once had the logic board replaced, goes out again and when my AppleCare runs out in April of 2015, I'll be looking at state-of-the-art Windows machines.

Sad to say...

Clinton

Why tell us? Please use whatever you desire but this isn't the place to convince everybody to use Windows just because your machine broke down. I got the same problem and i'm not happy about it, but a computer eventually will break down wether its a mac or a windows machine. Deal with it! i'm sorry to say but this will probably happen a lot more in the future with other hardware as well and in the case of professional use i take it you have a backup machine, right? You should know, in the case of a known issue Apple always had some sort of quality program.

Wanted to add my MBP early 2011 to the list... what an annoying situation!

Anyone who says that we should expect that a laptop systematically break down after 2 years is smoking crack.

I have ALREADY switched back to a PC after this being my first experience with an Apple computer/laptop. And YES, I WILL tell everybody because I'm ****** that my $3k went down the drain and Apple needs to know that they are losing customers because of it. And I am also telling my friends/family not to be fooled by Apple like I was. They are just like everyone else. Or maybe worse because they pretend like they are not.

I didn't say i expect a laptop to break down after 2 years. What i did say was that machines will break eventually. The fact that you expected a godlike machine when you bought a Macintosh tells me more about you than about Apple and yes Apple is exactly like everyone else. You probably shouldn't spent that kind of money on something you can't effort btw. Did your complaints fix your computer yet?

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You know, this issue makes me so angry (and so sad), as I'm sure it does everyone else...i.e., meaning, the thousands and thousands who have been affected. It particularly grates me as I'm been an Apple loyalist for 25+ years now. Yet, the non-response from Apple has worn me down to the bone. Granted, things go wrong with all computers and, for sure, Apple is not immune. But while I understand Apple does not wish to open itself up to huge liabilities, I would think SOME kind of acknowledgement of the issue should at least part of their response.

That said, in the meantime, yesterday, I happened to be in a BJs Wholesale Club pushing my cart past their electronics section. Sitting there was an HP laptop that (surprisingly to me, anyway, since I never look at Windows machines) looked almost exactly like my early 2011 15" MacBook Pro (ex the bad GPU, of course), aluminum casing, quad i7 chip, black keys, 750GB hard drive...for $669.00! After having paid roughly $2K for a machine that worked well for six months before the graphics issue began rearing its ugly head (and getting MUCH, MUCH worse over time), it had to make me think about WHY I should not simply fork over $669 (rather than deal with the non-responsiveness we're experiencing)...at least I could immediately get back to work! Worse, there were several alternative machines there, priced as low as $325 with the max being around $800.

I've probably purchased roughly 20 Macs over the years, some for family members as well as for my own use, not to mention iPhones, iPads & iPods not to mention all the evangelizing I've done which has certainly resulted in revenues 3-4 times my own purchases. I have certainly been a stong Apple advocate. But something seems to be changing at Apple. And the luster of the company's products seems to be dulling, at least to me. It's sad that this specific issue, and Apple's disappointing lack of responsiveness, is encouraging me to seriously look elsewhere for the first time in a LONG time. For me, this issue is turning out to be my 'tipping point'.

Found this thread a couple weeks ago after my 2011 MBP went down the tubes, but wanted to officially add myself to the list.

I finally took it in to the Apple store yesterday, and they said what I expected based on this thread - $300-ish to send off. It was pretty clear they knew what was up. She rushed through the diagnostic test almost as a formality (didn't really pay attention to it), and then went into how it might need a logic board replacement and the flat-rate would especially be a good deal for me because i have an upgraded model, 6-month warranty, they fix whatever they find, blah blah. I mean, she was nice as usual, but it was VERY obvious that she'd given the same schpeel many times before. Didn't act surprised when I mentioned what I knew about the issue, she basically just said it wasn't listed as an official issue yet, and so fourth. I decided to hold off, plus i need to take it somewhere to do a physical backup anyway since it won't boot up now.

The situation is definitely annoying. It's interesting... it seems that earlier in this thread, from late last year, the reports when people were taking them into apple stores were a little all over the map, with people paying way different amounts when out of warranty. Lately, the past few weeks, it seems like most of the US reports are all for the $300 flat rate fix. And based on how my genius almost seemed like she was reading from a script, I wonder if either the company or at least the individual stores are having the $300 fix be the official for now response to the issue. Maybe I'm wrong since I only spot-read this thread, but interesting if so

I have had the same problem with my late 2011 MBP 15.  Screen would go grey with cute pink horizontal pinstripes, fans would rev to supersonic speeds.  The only fix was restart, reset SMC, zap PRAM, lather, rinse, repeat.  After a while it would come back to life.

Initial diagnosis by APple was MacOS install.  Then they replaced the logic board ($600 IIRC), fixed the problem for about three weeks.  Replaced the second logic board a few weeks back, holding thumbs that the fix will stay fixed.

Apple have been very good about letting me buy a new MBP & return it 10 days later when mine is fixed, plus only charged me for the first repair, but I'm getting a bit narked about wasted time, moving everything to a new machine & back again.

Yes, the machine is out of warranty, and I'm OK paying for the repair, but it would be nice if Apple went over their replacement boards (both of mine were new, ordered in specially) and fixed the problem once and for all, rather than wasting more of my time to repair the repair.

It's still the nicest Mac I've ever owned (including the short-term ownership of a new retina MBP), and the Apple folk were very good about making the process as smooth and easy as possible.  If this one dies again, I may just have to get one of the newer machines (with Applecare this time ;-)).

I still love Apple hardware and software, and think that their service is orders of magnitude better than anyone else.

My MBP 15' 2011 is in this situation:

... doesn't start!

Authorized Apple told me I would have to replace the logic board. 

Well, faced the same issue today, after two years of using the mac. I didn't face a single issue.

I rearly shutdown my mac, close and take it to work and close again once I'm done. Today suddenlly it gave me this crumpled screen first, a quick reboot has fixed the issue temporarily. then again screen has splited as two and mac went froze.  This issue occored more then four times today. every time i had to reboot it to turn normal. I also observed that , CPU heat went close to 90 C on every cors.

I searched  and found thousands of people having the same issue. I'm running with Mac early 2011 OS X 10.9 (13A603) , as a quick fix i installed gfxcardstatus and configured it to integrated only mode. So far no issue. I'll update if there is any. I think apple must do something since we invested more than 300k on this

Add me to the list.  2011 17 inch macbook pro.  Not happy with having to get a new computer, but my new 13 inch retina macbook pro with 16gb ram, core i7 and 512 ssd is pretty smokin.  Loved my 17 inch until "death did us part".  Hoping for some sort of replacement program, but not holding my breath.

Just uploaded my screen as my profile picture!

[IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/21boc36.jpg[/IMG]

And this is what my MacBook does. Every boot again, 2 seconds before the login screen.

Want to add my MacBook Pro i7 (early 2011) 2.3 Ghz 8GB RAM 512GB SSD => 3000,- Euro.

Had the blue colored screen sometimes and now the MBP is gone. No Start is possible and the replacement of the mainboard costs more than 500,-Euro for this "high end" machine.

Is this apple? In 2008 i had the GPU Problem on the MacBook Pro too. But Apple helped us all and did the replacement free of charge.

I hope this time Apple will see, that this is also a "problem from beginning" and change their opinion.

A problem can be happened, but on the way of solving the problem is the way you can see the quality of the company.

Well written!

I bought my first Mac in the end of 2010 and I totally fell in love with it and told myself that the price is higher but you get quality for it. Now that argument does not hold anymore. There just is no way to motivate the higher price.

In total during a bit over 3 years I have bought one Macbook pro 13", one Macbook pro 15" (the failing one), mac mini, one Macbook air, three ipads and at least 7 iphones. The whole family is using mac. (edit: oh yeah.. two airport extremes and one of those new new airport time capsules, apple tv and cables and charges all sort of stuff)

Today I called the support about my GPU-problem. The guy in the support sounded like he was ashamed to say that they don't see it as their problem, but I could try to get it repaired at any service senter at my own expense, he suggested.

Now that does not work for me. I see this as Apples fault and they should stand for it. If this is what Apple has become after the passing of Jobs, I am breaking up!

A year back I had a Sony flat screen TV that started having problems. I was worried since the TV was over two years old. I called their support and no questions asked. They even sent a guy to collect the old one and leave a new one in the hallway. I live in Sweden, and for this country that is good service. I was impressed. I hear they are making laptops too. I'll problably buy one from them now.