Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Its not Mavericks. Its the updates that comes bundled with Mavericks. If a vendor releases a fix for SMC (example) for Snow Leopard, I would think it will be included in Mavericks. So whetheryou upgraded to Mavericks or perform a software update on Snow Leopard like i did, you will start the ticker....

A software fix would be much better than nothing.

The fluorescent backlight on my old 2007 mbp just died.

My iPhone is the only computer still working.

It's coming along OK, considering many have already given up.

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Another mbp 15" with broken gpu, 15" early 2011 screen gpu 1gb matte screen!

2300€ and problem after 2 years....no comment!

Apple can calculate the failure rate by only considering Applecared machines.

They will see most of these.

They won't be aware of many/most failures not so covered.

Perhaps I'm being naive - but the reason I send my crash logs to Apple is to allow them to identify and support exactly this type of issue. I would expect them to have a database full of these so they don't need to count how many people have complained, or claimed under Applecare.

Many out of warranty have reported their issue with this at the genusis bar..so they have a count but even with that their aren't enough affected users we have a Facebook support page and not even 300 people checking in. Face it if you want this fixed you'll have to do it yourself. We don't have the numbers me, I'll never buy another apple product again. I can get the same music production software on a windows machine, the rest of you keep throw premium money at Apple if you're foolish enough to do so.

Well my own logs (which I switch to on when I think it is worth sending up), with comments, as it went down, were sent. It is a choice to have auto log or as you go or not ever!

I am sure that if we here, on the community list, were running Apple, what an idea, ha, :-) we would be doing stuff behind the scenes right now apart from bean counting. Fortunately, for myself, my experience of Apple products (over thirty years) is very good (even in the StarMax days), and still would hold that way if it were not for this incident, which I can not hide, whatever way I look at it as it is expensive and extremely inconvenient. So far they have been helpful to me!

Some of the ideas turning up here are are interesting, yet I can not get mine to boot. May just try my software disk at the weekend. See if I can get anywhere there!

I am unsure how to reload software OS (mountain lion - without the un-

branded range animal) I downloaded from Apple online. Can I download it onto hard copy using another machine?

mbro88,

If you've already purchased Mountain Lion, you can use a friends, etc., Mac to download ML USING YOUR APPLE ID. Then you can use DiskMaker X to create an installer - but you'll need an 8GB+ USB thumb drive.

If your machine won't boot (that was one of the problems with mine when the GPU went whacko) you won't be able to boot from anything, however. Not even Internet Recovery (if your MBP supports it).

Clinton

clintonfrombirmingham wrote:

 

If your machine won't boot (that was one of the problems with mine when the GPU went whacko) you won't be able to boot from anything, however. Not even Internet Recovery (if your MBP supports it).

 

Clinton

If you can boot to Single user mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1492

then removing the gpu drivers might allow you to boot again:

http://www.asyncro.com/2013/12/12/macbook-pro-discreate-graphics-card-issue-fix/

When doing the single user mode you need to wait even if you see your screen going blank.  During the two first days I was turning the MBP off too early thinking that it was hang up.  By accident I leave and found rhat it works if you give it the time.  Then install the gfx..status and check your preferences in the power item for no automatic swiching to gpu.  Beware of software that use it as rhey will try to switch to gpu.  Maybe remove the gpu drivers. Will prevent the switching but some programs may not work well.  BTW, sorry 4 my poor english.

I had the same issues you all are describing. I have posted on several threads about this but am just now finding this one. I eventually called Apple Support. Here are my results:

I called in and spoke with your average tech support and was eventually patched through to a senior advisor. My whole intention here was to start a discussion within Apple about this issue. Once I finally made that clear to the advisor, he proceeded to document the issue and reported it. Included in the report was the thread linked here ( https://discussions.apple.com/message/24623619#24623619 ) as well as the MacWorld article regarding similar cases. ( http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/widespread-2011-macbook-pro-failures-reported -3497935/ )

There was a couple of times I felt like I was being given the run-around. Such as when I was told that because the MacWorld article was from the United Kingdoms the Macbooks were fundamentally different than my own machine. But all in all I made my concerns clear. The call didn't afford me any more options. I wasn't generously offered to be taken care of or sent an overnight service center box. But, I made it clear that this issue needs to be acknowledged.

The senior advisor recommended that I post some instructions for people with the same issues (that's you guys).

Hassle free steps:

1. Call Apple Care (800) APL-CARE (800-275-2273)
2. Immediately ask to speak to a Senior Advisor
3. Explain the issue and that you believe it to be a production flaw affecting a large group of Early 2011 Macbooks with AMD graphics
4. Request the filing of a report stating so and give this thread as referrence. I didn't know this thread existed at the time of my call so I gave the one I linked above.

The gist of my report was: Whenever my Macbook switches to AMD discreet graphics my screen will freeze and not boot up (to anything) afterwards until it (seemingly) randomly switched back to Intel graphics.

My options are still $310 for depot repair or upgrade altogether. I did voice the concern of having depot repair done and the problem not being truly solved. The senior advisor said it would be likely if a recall is issued that I could have my machine repaired again with the real solution and also be reimbursed $310. It's sounding like the option I will take to solve my immediate problem.

Every single person who has this issue needs to call in and voice a concern. Keep posting to this thread. Do what you can to get our problem solved.

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Is the $310 depot for the repair or just a depot?  Most peopke say Apple charge around $500 for the repair.

The way I understood it (Genius's explanation) was that it was a flat $310. Meaning if it was a logic board replacement I would be in great shape because I would save money. However, if it was a bad hard drive I would be taking a loss as I could replace that myself for about $80. I'm not sure if the $310 depot situation is something that is offered all the time in every situation.

The difference in price is based on where they do the repair:

Sending it out = $310

Doing it in the store = $500ish

So you are paying more to keep your computer on-site and save a little travel time.