Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

My MacBook Pro 15" Base (early 2011) has also partially died on me since last week. The first graphical glitches started approximately after 1 year (Mar 2012) and continued to show up so now and then. I have made the genius at Apple Store aware back then, and they did a full test, however the diagnosis said all was fine. Since last week, I can only visit certain websites, and do certain tasks. Bloody annoying.

Regarding gfxStatus, the moment I click 'Integrated only' it freezes my system. I have done all the above, and I have also used my old HDD to replicate the crash with success

I really hope Apple is genuinely paying attention to these topics and will deliver the so-called 'quality experience' to the 2011 MBP users in the near future.

that just started happening to me today too - select "Integrated" and it freezes up. Is there no way for gfxCardStatus to remember the setting when it boots up? It's dangerous running it on dynamic switching when everything could go down at any moment. Now I can't get it back to "Integrated".

Please welcome just another Macbook Pro 15" early 2011 GPU victim.

Sudden freeze when starting up graphics apps; grey screens on reboot.

Blue screen of death after reboot in Save Mode.

Seems like the machine needs to cool down before it can start up again (after 15 min).

Cleaned out dust today - maybe this helps with heat dissipation.

But already looking forward to the logic board replacement...

I tried today as well this program gfxCardStatus. I had the same problem. The trick I was told to close all programs and then to switch. Worked for me. But it is also my first try.

I have just tried it, but it froze the instant I clicked "Integrated Only' I have closed all my applications in the dock, and all the applications on the top bar (where the clock is). Have you done the same, or did you go further by terminating all apps that isn't a system process through Activity Monitor?

I have been following this thread with curiousity and dread since I originally came across it posting a few weeks ago regarding my friends 2011 MBP dying and requiring a Logic Board replacement at the  Amsterdam Apple Genius bar for €400 + tax.

Today my own fears were realised as my 2011 MBP having been over heating and shutting down randomly over the last year displayed digital glitching across the screen and completly locked up with the Fans blowing hard under a very light load of use.

I forced the power down left the machine to cool and then rebooted 20mins later and switched to the intergrated card via the GFX Card Status and have SMC Fan Control switched on to 3500rpm.

This is well below the quality I have come to love and respect Apple products over the last 20 years and the muted response from Apple on this matter should be embarrasing to the high standards they have built the company on.

Hoping my machine can limp along for my work until a recall is acknowledged,

sooner rather than later...

—

Model Name:          MacBook Pro 15"

Model Identifier       MacBookPro8,2

OS:                       10.6.8

Video Card:            AMD Radeon HD 6750M

Processor Speed:   2.3 GHz Intel Core i7

Ram:                     16GB

ChuckHu, unfortunately not. I closed all the major application that start, I closed some of the applications in the top bar, that was it. I "switched" to integrated only. The screen just blinked once and that was it. Good luck!

Just checking in to say that I too have a late 2011 MacBook Pro that had the same issue, namely freezing every time the gpu went from integrated to discreet.  Genius Bar were fairly cool about it, specifically because I could recreate the fault at will and swapped for a new logic board on the same day (Uk so we have pretty comprehensive consumer law) last month.  It had been working properly but has now started to exhibit the same problems which I know from experience will get worse very quickly from now on.

@fatboyjim2 from my experiences if your logic board died 3 times in 90 days they would replace you with a new mbp. good luck!

Thanks for the info, because 3 weeks ago I got there and the genius I encountered seemed to be unaware of this issue. Hope that now they have enough feedback

It is so disheartening seeing new victims from around the world every single day.. So sad...

Please send feedback to Apple everyone.. We have to keep pushing our cause.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I will not buy Mac products if Apple still ignoring these issues... what a shame to tell people I'm carrying a bad Apple products now....

Andy_Gee wrote:

 

Today I brought my Macbook Pro 15 inch late 2011 to a Apple repair centre in NL

They informed me that the systemboard is defect and had to be replace for € 659.14

 

I bought my macbook in 28/06/2012

 

They do not want to know that al lot of customers have the same problem with the systemboard logicboard.

But they are aware about this problem.

As you give an euro price: € 659.14

I suppose you do live in Europe?

In that case you do have most likely 2 years warranty.

They  have to repair it for free!!!

So far this week i'm not experiencing hanging anymore (only after fresh OSX 10.9.2 install)...

1. Settings > Energy Saver > tick OFF Automatic graphic switching...

Note: Delete gfxCardStatus if you have installed it. (because with gfxCardStatus it will tick ON Automatic graphic switching everytime you reboot/restart)

I've just got back my 2011MBP, the repaired MacBook is now working flawlessly.

Reballing £50

ATI Chip £30

Very happy with this, especailly as Apple UK would not acknowledge the the problem as inherent to the 2011MBP and asked me to pay around £500 for a new logic board to fix their problem. Apple really need to take responsability for this, as many MBPs apear to be failing daily....   it's simply unacceptable.

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