Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I learned that as a MBP boots, it starts by using the DISCREET GPU.  At the point where the drivers load (during Apple logo with spinning gear), the Intel drivers attempt to load and take over.

If you can start when your machine is totally cooled off and see the desktop, install gfxCarStatus and set it to force ONLY INTEGRATED graphics.

Your Mac should run stable at that point.  HOWEVER, you can't reboot or shut down because it will start up again trying DISCREET.

It may take a few tries to boot to desktop. Don't get discouraged.  Let me know how it goes...

YMMV

Ya I also read that but I'm not even getting past the apple logo. Blue black screen after it. There was something I read about single user mode and just using integrated graphics for browsing. I guess that would be a solution for the time being. If only I can find out where I read than.

Let me first say I was affected by this very issue last June, the main logic board failed on my MBP. I took it to the Apple Store in Cerritos, California the next day. My repair was covered under AppleCare and the repair took approximately five days. The Main Logic Board, Top Case, and the Display were both replaced. The repair estimate was over $1k on the repair bill but since it was covered under AppleCare, the repair was free.

Issue: When unit warms up, graphic distortion or solid blue screen. Happens mostly when high graphics mode is on. Customer has century had MLB replaced.

Steps to Reproduce: Customer has several screenshots on desktop

Proposed Resolution: Replace display and or MLB. Ordering both...

Customer has a backup

Cosmetic Condition: Minor scratches and nicks

Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 - 5 days

Parts and Services

I've been running on the replacement Logic Baord for a year now and knock-on-wood I've not had an issue with it.

Now, as far as I know, Apple does out-of-warranty (OOW) repairs at a flat rate (circa $300-350 USD) unless there is significant damage to the machine. There is a (90) ninety day warranty on OOW repairs, usually they're pretty flexible about issues that come up afterwards. A friend of ours fell just outside the repair window for the Nvidia GPU issue on the 15" MacBook Pros, Apple wouldn't budge on extending it past the (4) four year window--it ***** but under the flat rate repair it wasn't too expensive.

Historically, Apple has always refunded OOW repairs when a repair extension program has been implemented. Until that changes, I don't see any reason why a well-maintained machine with a bad logic board cannot be repaired OOW under the flat rate repair cost. If this turns out to be a recall or "repair extension," then Apple will refund it as they have done in the past.

Hal,

Unfortunately, this incident has left a bad taste in my mouth. I've been using Apple computers since 1980 and Macs since 1985, with the occasional Windows machine being foisted upon me. But personally (and professionally, for the most part) I've been an Apple user. I was brand-loyal because Apple always did seem to do the 'right thing' and they were tops in customer service. That's simply not true now, as these incidents prove.

I'll keep this computer until it dies but I'm no longer going to be purchasing Apple. I'll even go for a reball when I'm out of warranty. But now I've a Windows workstation notebook that can handle up to four SSDs, two GPUs and I installed 32GB of RAM. It blows any MacBook Pro away (I haven't seen any specs comparing my specific model with the Mac Pro but I'm betting that it's at least as fast, given the configurations being the same).

So what do I need Apple for any longer? I'm an Office 365 subscriber, an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber and those are the main suites of apps that I use. I don't know what Office for Mac 2014 is going to look like but if it's anything like 2013, I'll just learn that interface, too.

The things is that in all these years the mac OS has been a wonderful experience. But Microsoft finally 'caught up' and it's as simple for me to run Windows now as OS X. Why pay a premium price for a product that the manufacturer will not support?

Just my thoughts on the matter...

Clinton

Will apple refund world wide? I asked the apple service center "if there is a recall after I do the repairs, will I be refunded" he clearly said no. So I can't afford to take the financial risk at the Moment.

So I found this link on a video followed some of the steps and my laptop at least booted

https://people.cam.cornell.edu/~zc227/extras/early2011mbp_graphics.html

Yes I give you my respect on that... But knowing Apple's prestige, I do believe that they should know the definition of BUSINESS ETIQUETTE. As consumers of their top-notch products, we expect expertise and knowledge from them on how they handle this kind of dilemna. But it seems ps3specialist,clintonfrombirmingham and some of those who suggested reballing as permanent fix is more knowledgeable on this matter. Also, please consider that this thread is more than 1 YEAR!  As I said earlier on my post, I somehow feel that we are getting bullied (in a way). Apple is very HUGE and POWERFUL we all know that. Some may have personally reached out with Apple seniors etc.. but was there any permanent fix from them? Answer is "NO". Although some were lucky to have a replacement of new MBP (lucky ******** indeed haha). It's very dishearting but somehow I find it that Apple's suggestion for logic board replacement solution is deceitful, dishonest and just another money making for them.

RANT is considered "EMPHASISING" that most of us here can't handle the very long wait from Apple. If they really know and care about what business etiquette is, they should know why they are receiving such RANT on this thread. My message to Apple is this, "APPLE some of us here have already disrespected each other in arguing. Are you really ignoring that somehow your silence is causing others to say hateful words with each other?"

Apple you are dealing with students, teachers, couples, parents, professionals around the globe who had been so loyal to you.Think about that.

I have put Mine into the fridge and freezer for a while to cool it down faster, after 6-10 unsuccessful boot ups. So far it has eventually worked every time. Not always immediately after cooling, but eventually. The last time just a couple hours ago. While I try not to shut it down, the electricity situation here is unstable and if there is no electricity for long enough the battery drains in sleep mode and the MBP eventually shuts down.

I'm in west Africa and have no way to have it fixed by a third party for another week or two, when I'm back in europe. Once it boots up, I let it load everything, wait maybe 10 minutes, and then switch via GFX to the  integrated GPU.

Better way to start up your mac is not by cooling it in the fridge. Better to do opposites.

1. Turn it on

2. Wait 3-5 minutes, even you you see nothing on the screen.

(You can try to close the lid and even put some blanket on the laptop to warm it more higher.

3. Touch the surface above F3-F4 keys (it MUST be very hot)

4. Turn the laptop off with a Power Button

5. Pray

6. Restart your laptop. If it was REALLY HOT it will restart on the Integrated Card.

7. If you see nothing on the screen, repeat steps 2-6.

Good luck

rplayer wrote:

 

http://photofocus.com/2013/06/10/about-my-switch-from-mac-to-windows/

 

Its how we all feel.

 

Not really.  I don't know who Scott Bourne is but he's clearly a successful businessman. Actually he seems superhuman and, as such, probably isn't representative of most of the people posting here. I mean, maybe it was a joke but '19 new cars'?  Even as humour it has hubris by the bucketload.  And he has the whiff of the converted zealot - the apostate who goes from one extreme to the other.  Because he can.  I can't take him seriously.

You know what I really took from his piece? It was the little things like: "HP has shown some new lighter, more MacBook Air-like laptops" and "Windows 8... makes each more Apple-like"

You see, all these companies - HP, Samsung, HTC - they're always playing catch up.  Apple are the innovators. And what happens if we all walk away from the innovators?

Apple'e stony silence on our common cause is indefensible and I've held my tongue on numerous occasions as we need to be attacking Apple on this issue and perhaps the myriad knee-jerk "I'll never buy another Apple product" may just jolt them into action.  But I can't join that club. I will shout down anyone who attempts to pin this on normal wear and tear or "environmental conditions", but outside of this anomaly (I know there have been others) I have few issues with Apple products.  I don't have the extensive experience of Mr Bourne but I have been dealing with them for close to thirty years and intimately for the past seventeen, alongside Winboxes, and have not had the many problems he seems to have experienced in recent times.

The facility where I work runs numerous older and newer Apple machines and none have thrown up an issue of this magnitude. I know this doesn't help the cause but I do wish people would have a bit of persepective.

I'm sure we all wish Apple made what is necessary to do.

We know replacing the LB is not a solution, as the GPU will probably be deffective again. I doubt at this point Apple will be able to find a new batch of 6750m GPUs either.

I think the proper solution would be if Apple gave us a substantial coupon at their store. After all, a 3 years old MBP has usually a high resale value. I'd say a coupon of 60% of the price paid would be just. It wouldn't be enough to buy a new MBP, but enough to buy an Air or invest in a new MBP.

This would be the best solution because if Apple paid us with their products they would be in fact paying less than if they gave us money. We would have a new working machine, or half of a new MBP, and Apple would keep us in their ecosystem. Win Win. We know Apple has the cash, and if it is the quality company it pretends to be, this s the right thing to do.

I've speculated that may be a solution to this problem - Apple's image problem as well as a way to assuage owners of the defective machines - but the best they would do, I think, is a 10-20% 'coupon' towards the purchase of a new Apple product. And I don't think that they will even do that - admitting the defect would put them in a world of trouble - particularly in the EU and UK with their strong consumer laws.

Ain't gonna happen, I don't think.

Clinton

DMC440 wrote:

 

You see, all these companies - HP, Samsung, HTC - they're always playing catch up.  Apple are the innovators. And what happens if we all walk away from the innovators?

 

Something I disagree with. Apple has nice of their own products of course.

But some of these "innvovations"  have been catched up by apple later too.

Many of these products had been out a few years before but market wasn't ripe for it and vanished again.

The internet wasn't all around, slower, no mobile or way to expensive for mobile etc

What Apple did on many of those things was waiting til lmarket was ready for it.

Have to admit, they did a better design, marketing etc on it.

Apple did their part with catching or digging up old technologies/ideas again too...

So I actually got my macbook back from the apple store tonight, which I thought was impressive (only dropped it off this morning). After taxes, the new logic board came out to $622.78 (in Halifax, NS, Canada). Outch. Still, the difference is huuge. Even from months ago. The whole thing is running about 20 degrees cooler, just browsing with chrome. And everything just seems to work better. Videos load better, pictures load faster, and OSX boots quicker (and that's with an SSD). So I'm just crossing my fingers that this will actually fix it for a decent amount of time. I guess time will tell. Good luck to everyone else!

OK, now I am further discouraged with Apple behavior...

Where I felt I was making respectful progress until now, I was told by the Executive Office today that they only could "offer" a flat-rate repair at $350. Yes, I felt like I was getting a "shake down". I pay for Apple's bad design? Not cool.

The old Apple would have looked at the time already baked into my case, seen that a valued customer was getting frustrated and angered and they would have offered to figure out a solution path.

So, I am contemplating what to do...

After 32 years an Apple guy, my relationship was severely diminished today. Adding things up, I've bought 11 iPhones, 27 Macs, 6 iPads and a few iPods for my immediate family over the years. I've done computer consulting for 20+ years and evangelized Apple, resulting in hundreds of 3rd party purchases. I'm going to have a hard time recommending them again.

Running in INTEGRATED GPU mode and steaming from my ears...