Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

same problem - i have a late model 2011 17 inch macbook pro.  i had the logic board replaced in november 2013.  five months later i have the same problem recurring again.  this is clearly a manufacturing defect, i would like to encourage all customers to join the forum so apple creates a recall for this defective model.

i have the same problem - late 2011 macbook pro 17 inch - logic board faulty in november 2013 replaced at the applestore for 500 euro. five months later it is broken again.

recall apple please?

Just adding my experience - I bought an early-2011 15" quad core i7 Macbook Pro when they first came out in March 2011. I started having all the flickering screen/lines on screen/freezing/not starting up issues almost 2 weeks ago. Took it to the Genius Bar here in Sydney, where they diagnosed a failed GPU and said they want AUD$700 to replace the logic board.

I wouldn't have bought a high-end 15 incher if I'd known it would only last 3 years and 2 months. I've been buying Apple computers for 20 years and they all kept working forever. Could it be like Apple is building shoddy cheap machines now that are only designed to last the length of the Apple care?  You know they do tests during R&D on these chips and the soldering & know how long it will last for. I get the feeling it's not just a bad batch (which is affecting thousands of us), but rather planned obselence on the part of Apple hoping we'll all buy a shiny retina laptops.

Me? I'm actually probably going to go back and use by 2008 MPB which still works fine.

## Linux Mint 17 "Qiana" Cinnamon 64 bit for MacBook Pro 15" (Early 2011) model (MacBookPro8,2)

## http://youtu.be/FCp4wYRrNIk

## 1. Download linuxmint-17-qiana-64bit-mbp-8.2.iso.7z & extract white 7z http://bit.ly/1koTFKY
## 2. Using UNetbootin to create a Bootable USB Flash Drive: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
## 3. Reboot your Mac, hold the "alt" key down to startup from a EFI USB Flash Drive
## 4. Check the README folder

Thanks! Going to give it a try right now.

Hello all,

My MBP 15" early 2011 (2.2 GHz, OS 10.9.3) broke down 3 weeks ago.

First it hard freezed then I forced shutt down with the power button.

Now it always hangs with the grey screen without Apple logo when I try to boot.

I really hope that Apple will start a replacement program after this manufacturing failure.

For 2500€ I would have expected a lot more quality!

3loom

I'm also suffering with this issue (the GPU) on my 17" MacBook Pro - early 2011 (MacBookPro8,3) and incredibly I had initially first experienced this issue from within the first year I had my MacBook Pro, approx when the unit was only 5 months old when it first happened. I initially thought it was a software glitch/issue because it was very seldom and intermittent and after experiencing it for a few months, it then eventually went away.

However several months later the same problem started happening again with the same characteristics as before being intermittent (random) and only occasional. By this time the initial year had just passed and I thought that the problem would eventually disappear as it had done before. Regrettably the problem did not entirely go away; instead it would have phases where it would happen intermittently and then disappear over periods of time and this served to confuse me more making me think it was possibly software, drivers or even conflicting third party software (**** even viruses). System reinstalls were performed many times and even upgrading to newer versions of OS X's in the hope that it would resolve the issue. Even hardware checking programs like Tech Tool Pro had apparently reported the hardware as ok. However the problem still exists and has started to happen with greater frequency.

After coming across this post I now realize and see that all affected owners here are in a hopeless situation. A genuine design and manufacturing flaw is beyond our scope and ability to fix as mere humble Apple consumer's & owners whom invested heavily in what was portrayed, sold and believed to be a 'premium' top of the range flagship mobile Mac computer. It's now quite clear that this problem is a genuine design-manufacture defect and one where the ONLY solution and recourse for Apple being to do the responsible thing for setting in motion the procedure of issuing a 'recall' for all affected owners at the very least or at the very most recalling all MacBookPro8,3units and offer a genuine final solution to the owners for either:-

1. Fully resolving the design-manufacture flaw with a genuine hardware 'repair fix' consisting of any necessary re-designed components that have been tested, shown and proven to fix the issue.

2. Exchanging the faulty units/models possessing the design flaw, by giving the owner the choice of either a different replacement Apple Mac or Apple products amounting to the same value (and allowing affected owners the flexibility to pay the difference if the value of the replacement chosen Mac/product exceeds the value in anyway as there is no identical replacement because models have changed - this would be fair all round.

3. Offer a refund.

Although it may be thought that owners would have got some usage time out of their heavily invested premium priced machine, however in reality affected owners including myself have actually suffered much stress, anxiety, inconvenience, headache and loss of confidence.

Apple do not need to ignore this and do not need to feel for one minute that this would hurt, damage or dent their reputation for prestige products, nor does Apple need to feel that if by admitting there is a design flaw by issuing a recall that it may portray some of their equipment as inferior; in fact it's quite the opposite - if Apple do the right thing by recalling all affected design-flaw units, then they will re-instill and inspire full confidence once more back into all affected owners and also serve to impress and project greater confidence into newer customers knowing and seeing that they would be in good hands if considering and buying an Apple product.

It's one thing buying a purported to be prestigious, top of the range, highest quality (premium priced) Apple flagship product... BUT a completely different thing if that prestigious product wont even last a decent run of time becoming an extremely expensive paper-weight in less than a few years.

Sign this!!!!!

******

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The fact that most replacement boards fail should be proof enough alone that the product is flawed to begin with. If the product cannot be repaired with the same parts, then something must be wrong with those parts.

It's simple logic and that's why it's frustrating that Apple is acting all "hear no fault, see no fault, speak of no fault".

I would rather Apple act now to do the right thing or to be forced to help those affected owners it had produced faulty design-flawed units to. It would reflect better on Apple if they take the immediate initiative to put right what is clearly not right and unfair to all affected owners regarding this model.

<Link Edited By Host>

thanks - i did sign the petition now.

From Barcelona,

I have the same problem -early 2011 macbook pro 15 inch. I'm going to replace logic board for 500 euro at applestore. But asking for complain form, of course. In this complain form I'm going to talk about this long thread: 5756 replies! Next months I will use intensively the macbook with smcfancontrol. I need it to work!

Pep

<Link Edited By Host>

I just found out the petition idea.  I like that.  But how is it delivered to Apple?  Obviously they are not paying any attention to the discussions in this thread.  Is there an address (email or snail mail) that we can send formal complaints to?

Just to be clear, my Macbook Pro 15" with this problem is a "Late 2011" , not early, just to be sure people know this same problem will likely occur with their machines as well!! I found a way to "induce" the problem very repetively...I go to Energy Saver and try to unclick the Automatic graphics switching box. It causes an imediate fault (black screen followed by restart, broken frozen screen with lots of lines, frozen colored lines, etc.).

I'm at a loss on what to do! As many have said, you invest $2500+ in a top of the line machine and it lasts 2 years!! No Way!

Apple Support Forum sent me a mail whose contents is your post and after reading that thoroughly, I really appreciate your view and sincerely wish Apple could do something as you've already suggested.