Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Same thing for me. My mbp 15 2011 has the same graphic card issue. Really bad to work with sometimes. It's really a shame for such a price.

A >2000$ dollar machine is not suposed to last for 2-3 years.... I bought mine expecting at least 5 years. If it designed to last for 2 to 3 years, then I should as well buy an 800€ brand-new laptop each year, as it would cost me  the same  as investing in a macbook pro. Really dissapointed with this

comment from the genius guy, but I guess that is the new policy from Apple.

Yes. What's great with pre-Retina Apple warranty is that you could open your machine and do things to it, it would only affect the warranty of the pieces you touch...

Which makes me think, they might be trying to screw me by blaming the failure on my modification.

3) Keep using gfxCardStatus and only use the integrated graphics card.  This is definitely the easiest/cheapest option, but to have such a computer and not be able to use the graphics card seems like a real shame.

Early 2011 17 inch MacBook Pro here.  I had the same issues as most everyone else after about 2 years 8 months of usage:

• While using Google Earth the video split in two as others have described here.

• Started get blue screens and freezes pretty consistently thereafter.

• Then got freezes with the grey vertical lines that many have taken pictures of in this thread.

• I used gfxCardStatus and only used the integrated graphics card and got away with it somewhat.

• Eventually even using gfxCardStatus and the integrated graphics card stopped working consistently and still got freezes and the grey vertical lines.  I could no longer get any real work done on my expensive laptop.

• I had extended Applecare and they replaced the logic board and now it works fine.

The thing is, I asked the Apple Store Genius pointblank what is to stop the problem from resurfacing down the road and he just basically shrugged.  So now I feel like I'm using an expensive, overpriced timebomb that can fail at any moment again.

I already lost lots of work and money due to this issue and now I feel like it can happen any time again.  Since even the extended Applecare has run out, I'll be stuck with the bill to fix it again only to have it happen over and over again thereafter.

So, as someone who had my logic board replaced but wasn't assured by Apple that the defect is addressed, I think it's time for an official recall and replacement program.  For the price I paid for this laptop, I don't expect this kind of flakey unreliability.

The longer Apple drags its shameful feet on this obvious, widespread defect issue, the more the brand name will suffer for even long-term Apple users like me.  Apple needs to do the right thing and recall and replace these boards with a more permanent fix than sticking the same defective board in place.

Mattsf - did you get your reballed MBP back? How's it performing?

Count me in as well.  (MacBook Pro / Early 2011 / 15") happened ~3 weeks ago while I was working on my thesis,. I got a scrambled screen and haven't been able to boot into the system since, I can't seem to get past the gray screen after the apple logo (which is now graphically garbled), not even in safe mode. I followed the instructions on resetting the pram and smc, and even reinstalled mavericks on the hard disk and met no success. I am nearly 600 km away from an apple store, so I haven't been able to get it professionally diagnosed, but reading this thread doesn't give me much hope; I would hate to invest another ~$500 to get it fixed and have it fail 3 months later. I have been looking for logic boards on ebay and they seem to be in the $600 range, so it looks like the apple repair is cheaper. Does anybody know the exact amount a logic board replacement would be in a US Apple Store (does it include diagnostics and labor)?

Thanks

Does anyone here knows where to find a reballer in Singapore that is reliable?

Can't believe I just found this thread now. I had my logic board and graphics card replaced roughly 2 years ago when they crapped out and Apple repaired the items for free. The exact same issues presented themselves last week at which time I brought it back into Apple. They would not honor warranty as the original warranty and replacement part warranty were both expired. Regardless if they put in faulty parts when they repaired the machine. So I paid $330 to get my computer fixed. Really hope Apple addresses this problem.

How lucky you are! How's everything going on? Why did they offer free service? Is it a signal of awareness of the problem?

jlf599,

Still waiting for it...PS3Specialist is in CA and I am on the east coast (1 week delivery via FedEx ground). I should have it Friday 16May...will let you know.

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Today I got my MBP 2011 Late 15 inch i7 for 659,14 euro. the Logic systemboard was replaced because the GPU was defect. A well known worldproblem of this MBP. Of the record the repair centre technical guy informed me that this is the only repair what they may do. Reballing or reflowing what they do on pc laptops are not allowed on MBP at the Certificate Apple Repair Centre in NL. The broken systemboard goes back to Apple and their they repair the GPU on the logicboard and will use this again :-(

For how long will my systemboard will work.

Btw Apple removed my post about signing a petition. Google it

Habe auch ein 2011er MacBook Pro. Genau der gleich Mist mit der Graphikkarte. Auf Appel ist auch kein Verlass mehr!!!

Not too much to add. My MacBook Pro 15 early 2011 started with strange visual problem a couple weeks ago. Last Sunday it died completely. In Las Vegas the Apple Store, after diagnostic, kept the Mac for 24 hourse and then they gave it me back talking about possible memory problem. My Mac worked for 48 hours and then died again.

I Visited two days ago the local Apple Store in Italy and they proposed me to change the logic board for 500 Euros (about 685 USD). I refused, since this is my second MacBook died in less than one year. Now it is a brick waiting for my final decision. Probably I'll decide to switch to Wndows world...

Ciao

Paolo

Have just received my MacBook Pro Early 2011 2.2GHz back from bga_repairs (Ebay). Posted to them on Friday, received confirmation they had received it on Saturday and would be working on it Monday. Got confirmation that it had been posted on Tuesday, received Wednesday. Professional and efficient.

Machine seems to be running fine. Obviously only time will tell how reliable the chip replacement and reballing will prove to be. But at least this provides me with a fighting chance that it will last a year or more.

I frankly don't have much confidence that Apple repaired logic boards would last. This combined with the fact that they only have a 90 day warranty covering the repair makes it extremely difficult to think that an Apple provided repair is a sensible option.

At the least Apple should announce a Repair Extension program. Failing that they should extend the warranty of the repair to a year. Failing that they should offer rebates for everyone with dead MacBook Pro towards newer machines.

Unfortuantely the latter wouldn't help me much, as none of the current Apple laptops hold much interest to me. Battery glued in? Insane. Can't upgrade the RAM? Idiocy. Can't replace the hard drive with standard parts? Utterly undefensible.

I still love my Macs, but I'm starting to dislike Apple as a company. Which is a problem, as I've been a huge evangelist for them for 20 years.

Good luck everyone

I experienced this issue about a month ago, sent an email to Tim Cook, got a call from executive relations, and took their offer of the "flat-rate" fix (I'm in the US).

I found this whole experience to be incredibly frustrating, and since I've been vocal about it (and I work with computers a lot), friends & friends of friends have come to me asking what to do.

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