Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

gpuapplefan

I'm curious--can you elaborate as to what exactly took place during your appointment?  Did they run any tests on your machine or simply look at the display and determine that it was a GPU issue?  Did they actually mention that it is a known GPU issue with the 2011 MBP?

When you got the repair, did they quote you for the $310 option or the ~$500 option for the MLB replacement, or did  they simply offer to repair for free?

As you have read on this forum, several of us have tried this already and have gotten very different results.

Hi all ...

As I described earlier I'm one of the unlucky customers to have chosen an Early 2011 MBP 15" with the discrete graphics card issue.

I've been talking to technical assistance in my home country (in Portugal) and with Apple Customer Relations Europe (in Ireland), specifically with Karen S. Feel free to contact her showing your view on this issue but let warn you beforehand that all Apple representatives were absolutely helpless in their approach to resolve this issue in my case. All of them denied my appeal without any further suggestions and without the slightest demonstration of respect towards me. They were just "sorry".

We have proof that this problem is related to the discrete AMD Radeon graphics card, more specifically with the solder used, and this is unacceptable planned obsolescence and ripoff. They sell you a new Logic Board and get 600€ plus another Logic Board without a single broken component. They just need to resolder (by reballing - check procedure in Youtube or ask Google) the connections and it's up and running to be sold again.

If you can't boot the machine in any way, there is one last method for you to try

This is not a fix, it is just a way to boot the laptop and it is probably temporary. You should not keep the machine running like this for long periods of time nor should you depend on it to render demanding graphics or videos. This method boots the machine using Intel's Integrated GPU.

With your computer turned off push the power button once like you would normally do to turn it on and immediately boot into single user mode by pressing simultaneously the CMD+S keys. (gotta be before the startup chime).

If you see a terminal executing commands automatically you can release the keys, If you don't startup and try again. When the commands stop in ":/ root#" type the following 12 commands, one at a time (commands are in bold; beware to respect all spaces, dashes and letter cases; omit where it reads (press return) as it is merely informational):

/sbin/mount -uw / (press return)

/bin/chmod -N / (press return)

/usr/sbin/chown root:admin / (press return)

/bin/chmod 1775 / (press return)

cd ~/ (press return)

mkdir DisabledExtensions (press return)

touch /System/Library/Extensions (press return)

reboot (press return)

After this the computer should restart normally with slight possible differences in color, contrast, brightness and resolution settings.

What these commands do is position the files responsible for interpreting/controlling the discrete GPU chipset inside another folder so the system can't initiate the discrete chip and automatically chooses the integrated one. The first 5 commands deal with permissions to allow you to manipulate the files, The next 5 commands deal with changing all required files from one place (System/Library/Extensions) to another (~/DisabledExtensions [~=var/root/]) and the last 2 commands save the changes and reboots the system.

If you have the opportunity to change logic board for free or if you choose to have the GPU reballed for less than 100€ (please whatever you just don't pay for a new logic board) remember to reverse this method by repositioning all files that you've put in the folder ~/DisabledExtensions back to the folder System/Library/Extensions. To do this repeat the process described earlier with the following exception: Substitute the 3 commands after cd ~/ by mv DisabledExtensions/A* /System/Library/Extensions/

Given the mistreatment I've been witnessing in my case and many similar others I can already promise I will never buy an Apple product again and I advise you to do the same. This is daylight robbery.

Nevertheless, I will not stop fighting until I see Apple assume responsabilty for their fault. Do the same by leaving feedback here https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html and use all means available to call for Apple's responsability.

Hope this helps.

Best,

H.

<Email Edited By Host>

I just handed it over and they ran the usual Genius diagnostic test (that I think they do for any MPB that comes in). The ironic thing is that for the first time in 10 days, it actually was booting that morning, so there were no visual errors (hence having a photo was helpful). He showed me the price but said that he would put it through anyway (which having read everything on here, I was pleasantly surprised about). I think it helped that I was 1) nice/courteous, 2) had all the evidence to hand and 3) knew what I was talking about (am a developer so knew my integrated/discrete graphics chat).

Once everything was signed and definitely going through, I asked him if they had had any other issues with this model. He said 'no, but there is a similar graphics card that we have had problems with'. Apparently, when they first run this diagnostic test, something pops up to alert the Genius that this product is suitable for a recall (if it is one of the listed GPUs I mean).

I do feel that this is an obvious case where a general product recall is needed. I wish the best of luck to everyone else in this boat, and agree that no money should change hands for this to be fixed. For the cost of this MPB, I could have bought a decent PC every year for 4/5 years, so it should work as advertised (and for a decent length of time).

I mentioned before that I initiated an online support chat with Apple.  The advisor I worked with indicated to me that this is a known issue but that I would need to bring in my MBP to the Apple Store so that they can run a specific diagnostic test to see if it is indeed the GPU issue.

When I got to the store, they said they would run a diagnostic--you can see the picture I took below.  As far as I can tell, it is a generic diagnostic--the only thing they told me was that I have 3rd party RAM installed but that there were no issues with it.  They said the test didn't mention anything about the GPU issue (even though the "genius" indicated he could see there was clearly an issue).  I asked them to look at the transcript from my online support chat which says there is a specific diagnostic for this known issue, but the "genius" said he knew of no such thing for the 2011 MBP.

That's the exact same test they ran on mine (and I think is the generic diagnostic test they run on any Macbook you bring in).

Hmm, that's interesting.  Do you recall if the GPU icon on the test showed any errors?

Showed no errors (hence my surprise in them offering to fix it). Again, having evidence I think helped (e.g. photo).

Oh yes, that's right--forgot you mentioned that.

Unfortunately that's not how the visit to the Apple Store has worked for the majority of us even though the issue is visually apparent.

Keep an eye on the issue after you get it back--you've probably already read that it's likely to reappear.

Had same problem 6 months back !! had to pay for the repair.. then i asked my friends to not to buy crappy macbook's as the quality is very cheap and the cost of repar is too high.. gave my friends enough proofs and 2 of them bought a Dell !! I saved them from cheaters like apple !! I think you guys should stop people from buying such expensive laptops with so poor life !

LOL. I had my Macbook Pro reballed for $150 and it has been working perfectly. I have 4 Macbooks and 2 iMac desktops that I have purchased in the past 8 years for my family and ALL of them are going strong without any issue.

Funny thing is that my Apple products tend to be more usable longer. At my work, the Dell and HP laptops have a usage life of only two years, after that our IT department won't touch them because they are outdated and considered just waste. After two years my HP work laptop failed. HP didn't want to even deal with it because they said it was too old so we just bought a new one. It's like the HPs and Dells are disposable, but the Apple ones are worth spending a couple of bucks to fix.

The diagnostics they use doesn't detect a problem a lot.  The MBP has cooled, been transported to the store and moved about inside minutely by movement and the bad solder is seemingly good.  Until it heats up again. So add photo evidence and asking them to look at the logs to the list as well as putting your original parts back in.

If you don't have photos I'd recommend downloading a copy of furmark, a GPU stress test app for OSX beforehand from geeks3d, I don't think it will take very long running that app to demonstrate the problem. Working but worried 2011 owners please don't even dare try it. Even though I have great temperature drops after re-pasting the CPU/GPU it's far too Russian roulette!

There is such a huge difference between employees who use a Mac laptop compared to a dell/hp in companies though.  Users mostly take loving care of their macs like it's their own possession and not the companies property, to cherish and look after and it's rare to see a battered and filthy unibody. Whereas the PC laptops are treated pretty much the opposite!

Can't agree on that.

What I get in for repairs sometimes... especailly on the inside...

Be it mac or pc, doesn't matter.

Both can be very battered/filthy sometimes...

Especially from people that smoke.

ok, maybe the mac does win here. But still....

Apple don't Care consumer.

<Edited by Host>

thanks henser87, I had tried moving some of the ATI/AMD extensions out before with no luck but by moving all these I have finally managed to get back into my system after about a month of frustration.  I note in your comments you say that the display may be dim.. mine is very dim and looks like from Display Preferences the LCD display of the MBP is not detected at all (ie no adjustments avaliable).  Is this the result from moving these extensions or am I missing something else?  Display is very dim and would like to make it a bit more readable

Thanks again