Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Someone here: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/80491/Can+you+install+any+A1286+logic+board+i n+15%22+Unibody

switched his early 2011 logic board to a mid 2012 and says it works fine.

aldar wrote:

 

Someone here: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/80491/Can+you+install+any+A1286+logic+board+i n+15%22+Unibody

switched his early 2011 logic board to a mid 2012 and says it works fine.

this is very very very interesting!!

the hard part is to find a spare mid-2012 logic board. Apple doesn't seem to sell spare parts.

I do this on my machine. At least i can start it. But the montor ist detected as an external montor and the screen is flickers. Better than nothing.

My model is also early 2011 Mbpro, 15" and with the Radeon HD 6490M Graphics card.

I got the same commonly known issues and the heat-problem at the upper left side:

The first time, I encountered problems was after installing the OS X 10.8.5 Update:

While playing a game the macbook got frozen. I ended up with reinstalling everything from my timemachine-backuop after my visit at the local applestore.

I didn't install the update since then.

Yesterday it got frozen again while playing, resulting in those weird graphical glitches. And a short time later it ended up with greyscreen and bluescreen only, nomatter what I would be booting it from (including internet recovery mode and booting from a timemachine backup). So right now the thing ist dead.

I will visit the applestore tomorrow...

I just visited my local Apple trusted reseller today for repair. He ran the hardware test, which didn't show any flaw with both the GPUs. He then told me that he would need to run the graphics test to prove that there actually is a graphics fault. But there was no graphics test available for my device. Without this graphics test, I wouldn't have any chance for a refund. Even if Apple would start a replacement program.

This all looks to me as if Apple really tries to hide this issue as good as they can. I don't believe in a replacement anymore. I won't pay for a new logic board, if there is no chance for refund. Why would I pay for a new part, if that one apparently will die the same way sooner or later?

Did anyone here try to install Ubuntu or Windows? Does that help? I have an empty second HDD in my MBP.

Was there any comment on having a second hdd installed?

Yeah, this is very very interesting becasue apple can just fix our laptops with the newer logic board!!!

No that didn't seem to bother him.

Hello world, hello Tim Cook,

think i'm now a member of this elite customers who has paid a lot of money for a hardware that never work after 2-3 years.

for the first my machine:

MBP Early 2011, 17", no AppleCare Protection Plan:

Modellname:          MacBook Pro

  Modell-Identifizierung:          MacBookPro8,3

  Prozessortyp:          Intel Core i7

  Prozessorgeschwindigkeit:          2,3 GHz

  Anzahl der Prozessoren:          1

  Gesamtanzahl der Kerne:          4

  L2-Cache (pro Kern):          256 KB

  L3-Cache:          8 MB

  Speicher:          16 GB

  Boot-ROM-Version:          MBP81.0047.B27

  SMC-Version (System):          1.70f6

AMD Radeon HD 6750M:

  Chipsatz-Modell:          AMD Radeon HD 6750M

  Typ:          GPU

  Bus:          PCIe

  PCIe-Lane-Breite:          x8

  VRAM (gesamt):          1024 MB

  Hersteller:          ATI (0x1002)

  Geräte-ID:          0x6741

  Versions-ID:          0x0000

  ROM-Version:          113-C0170L-573

  gMux-Version:          1.9.24

  EFI-Treiberversion:          01.00.573

Intel HD Graphics 3000:

  Chipsatz-Modell:          Intel HD Graphics 3000

  Typ:          GPU

  Bus:          Integriert

  VRAM (gesamt):          512 MB

  Hersteller:          Intel (0x8086)

  Geräte-ID:          0x0126

  Versions-ID:          0x0009

  gMux-Version:          1.9.24

  Monitore:

Farb-LCD:

  Monitortyp:          LCD

  Auflösung:          1920 x 1200

  Pixeltiefe:          32-Bit Farbe (ARGB8888)

  Hauptmonitor:          Ja

  Synchronisierung:          Aus

  Eingeschaltet:          Ja

  Integriert:          Ja

Pimped some month befor with 16GB (8GB org) RAM (Samsung) and a 1TB SSD (Samsung Evo). Everything works fine. I love mavericks and i haven't issues with 10.9.2 (dont use airplay so often and don't try it with 10.9.2).

So ... a few days ago i got the first error - system crash. this crashes comes more and more and i search for the reason. first i think this is a 10.9.2 issue and so i have reinstalled the 10.9 version (over the 10.9.2) and have updated then to 10.9.1 after the MBP works fine for a few hours. till this time i haven't infos about internal and discred grf card, so i try not the right tests. But can say: even if i use apps like photoshop or canon viewer or look videos or start vmWare with a virtual machine the system hangs up / crashes several times. often i need more than one reboot to restart the MBP.

In summary:

Have frozen display (system should be work), NO GLITCHES, sometimes i have a split window befor it freeze, sometimes not, bluescreen an grayscreen with heavy speed fan. If i reboot i have a grey screen with heavy fan or a normal grey screen while starting with the apple logo and some orange stripes over the screen.

then i read this thread and install yesterday the gfxCardStatus. Choice the internal card and test the system (videos, virtual machine and so on). everything works fine. same test with ext. card failed. so from my point of view the external gpu have an issue. ok - at the evening i close the MBP and the book was slppeing over night. at this morning i open the book, see the login mask, fill out, see the desktop and - system (display?) was frozen. no chance without reboot.

I have test gfxCardStatus again after reboot - choice internal card and - system (or display?) was frozen. no mousepoint after changing the modus. whats that?!

So, i cant use gfxCardStatus - and i have no idea now what i can do. Any idea for my one and only 3.200EUR MacBookPro? Actually i only can use Safari or Outlook. To prevent system crashes. But for this work i can use a windows notebook that only cost 500EUR

Thanks,

Tom

I don't really understand how this thread thing here works because I can't read most of the posts, so I'm sorry if my comment was adversely placed. I wanted to contribute to the list of problems with 2011's MBPs.

There are many third-party repair services online, and you should contact them to purchase a spare part.  Generally, the part have been removed from computers that have failed - for one reason or another - and are not "new".

Same problem here in Peru South America my MacBook Pro early 2011 crash yesterday the same way , first glitch then  no more anything .

My MBP has been unusable since last September, after a little more than 2 years. I decided to buy a new Retina MBP because I was not prepared to switch to another vendor.

Now, after so many months of dumb silence from Apple, after 3 Mac Book Pros, 2 iPhones, 1 iPod Touch and 2 iPads, I finally made the decision that I will not buy an Apple product again. And of course, after 3 years, I will stop paying for the Apple Developer Program.

Bye, bye Apple. Welcome again, Linux!

carl wolf wrote:

 

There are many third-party repair services online, and you should contact them to purchase a spare part.  Generally, the part have been removed from computers that have failed - for one reason or another - and are not "new".

I noticed those mid-2012 are not so simple to find, and the few ones I could find (used) are amazingly expensive, sometimes double than what I'd have expected from an apple refurb.

I also have to consider all of those I've found are from outside EU, and once they will reach the Italian custom I have very high chances to be charged of another 30% on the actual price I paid. It will be way too expensive.