Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

SenMike wrote:

 

I picked Up My Brand NEW replacement Macbook Pro 15inch Retina today, Apple have been great, My old system was a late 2011 MacBook Pro 2.4ghz 750gb hdd 4gb ram, bought may 2012 & under AppleCare warranty the replacement is welll above what I expected!!

 

They upgreaded Me to the Top Model MacbookPro Retina,

15-inch: 2.3GHz with Retina display

Specifications

• 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
• 16GB 1600MHz memory
• 512GB PCIe-based flash storage ¹
• Intel Iris Pro Graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
  with 2GB GDDR5 memory
• Built-in battery (8 hours)²

then they did cpu upgrade to the 2.6ghz, upgraded the hdd to 1TB PCIe-based Flash Storage  & gave Me a Apple USB Superdrive.

 

Very happy Apple Customer here.

If anyone here still believes Apple will make a recall, this is the proof it won't.

So now we know, if we want to be treated fairly by Apple in the future we have to pay extra money on Apple Care (on top of overpriced hardware) and pray our computer doesn't die before 3 years.

Three Times, the Second logicboard only lasted four days & even When they did that repair they put two in as first attempt was a dead board,  btw they did not offer a replacement, they were going to repair again, But I suggested a replacement would be a better option as I no longer had faith in the machine, about a three minute wait & a New lilke for like replacemnent was Authorised

So I expected a new build with Similar specs to what I had,  but 24hours after replacemrnt was Authorised I got a call from an Apple Rep to tell Me the Specs, i nearly fell over When they said it would be the top model with the upgrades ontop.  in Australia this is a $4198 machine.  & My old one cost I think around half that. We are big on Apple products So I dont know if that helped any. We have

the MacBook pro 15inch

MacBook Pro 13inch 2012

iMac 21.5inch

2 x iPhone 5

3 x iPod touch 5

1 x iPod touch 4

1 x iPod nano

Apple TV.

iPad 1

iPad Mini

replacement took approx 2 weeks. But I was happy to wait seeing the huge upgrade they gave at Zero cost to Me.

SenMike wrote:

 

We are big on Apple products So I dont know if that helped any.

I really don't think so.

In the last 5 years between me and my wife we have bought

- macbook 2009 unibody
- macbook air 2010 (which died in 2013, Apple asks for 1200$ for replacing the LB in Mexico)
- macbook pro 2011 (dead)
- ipod touch 4th generation
- Mac mini 2014

- Apple TV
- 4 x iPods nano of different generations
- iPod classic
- Apple Cinema display
- 2 x iPad 1
- iPad 3
- iPad 4
- lots of accessories (magic mouses, keyboards, adapters for screens, etc)

- iPhone 4

We were big on Apple too, and Apple doesn't Care (pun intented).

Great to hear a GOOG story from Australia. I have the same problem like everyone here on MBP2011. Bought it in Melbourne, AU but now work in China. After a few weeks exchange with AppleCare APAC, they agreed to pay the cost of replacement of Logic Board and labor in China. I am happy with this outcome but how long it can last?  Did you log the case with AppleCare first or you only deal with Geniuse bar people? Who made the call to replace the MBP? which state are you in? I got the feeling Apple will do the right thing soon.

Apple is doing nothing with this huge deal. Ok. Let's move. Why don't you all try NYTimes, Le Monde, La Repubblica, El País to write about this? I have just tried in Spain, with El Pais, biggest newspaper in spanish in the entire world. They are apple-haters, we all know about it in Spain so the journalist I e-mail was pretty happy about this story. Let's try the same in every single country. Apple don't mind about us as their customers, but they do mind about their revenues, and a bad image about them in medias is the last thing they want. I hope this to be publish in elpais.com. I will try to keep you all posted. Let's move!

Yes I lodged a case with AppleCare, not that they were much help, they kept getting Me to reinstall the OSX,  I requested the Replacement MBP, The Manager at The Apple retail store Authorised the exchange, Im in Melbourne.

My 2011 MBP died first in the later part of April, would not turn on at all, but after two days it started working again, then a month later the GPU issues started. My repair lasted four days. & in that repair they fitted two logic boards as first one they fitted was faulty straight away.  So i think I was pretty lucky getting the exchange fairly easily

Yes, you are very lucky. So you just exchange MBP in the same shop? What I do not understand is why a new logic board still crashes only a few days installed. It must be something else also bad. With a bit luck I hope i will get a new MBP too.

This is a follow up on my previous post regarding the symptoms of failure with my 2011 MacBook Pro last month: 15", i7 2.3 Ghz, AMD 6750M

The Mac would not boot and would stick on the grey loading screen, the only way to boot to desktop was with safe mode and stay on the integrated card via gfxCardStatus. This pretty much made the mac unusable for my work needs and even for email or web use never mind graphics and video editing work.

And even worse this was 18 days after my 3yr Apple Care expired .

I took my MBP to a Apple Store for a Genius appointment (Hong Kong) first chance I got, the genius I spoke with was very fair and professional and took my MBP to the store workshop to perform some random tests (OS, ram etc) and returned saying he was unable to boot the mac at all. A logic board replacement was prescribed at the cost of $4500HKD ... I had by this point already mentioned my own research and the slew of reports of the GPU failure with the MBP 2011 model and used my iPad to illustrate my point (see attached image!).

Fortunately for me the repair fee was discretionarily waived by the manager on account of the geniuses *recommendation and in recognition I had previously taken my MBP while still covered by warranty to a Genius bar 6 months earlier and mentioned symptoms where the MBP screen was blacking out and shutting down randomly which they were unable to recreate. The result for me was a replacement (used) logic board and some faith in Apple restored!

*Apparently from other sources online I have read a genius is able to authorise a repair without charge up to 45 days beyond the warranty expiration.

Having had my MBP back 3 weeks with a replacement logic board it seems ok so far, though it still ocasionally runs unusually hot for such low CPU usage of 10% or less. Hope this replacement logic board wont fail once beyond he 3mth warranty as others have reported in the thread.
The idea of selling this machine to upgrade like I have in the past is almost like passing on a ticking bomb to someone else and probably bad karma ☯.

Coincidentally I originally came across this thread whilst investigating for my friend whose MBP 2011 died on him in early April, he ended up paying for a logic board replacement in Amsterdam out of neccesity. And then another friend who works as a designer just had his work MBP 2011 die the same week as mine in London in early May.

All these 2011 MBP have had various degrees of use but their failure in such a close proximity is more than coincidental for Apple hardware in my 20 years of work use and experience. Also the genius candidly admitted seeing more than a unusual amount of this 2011 models coming into the Genius bar recently.

 Apple please acknowledge the fault with this premium 'Pro' computer and start a official recall programme, a 3 year life expectancy for any Apple Computer model is not acceptable.

Also my Macbook Pro 15"  early 2011 started yesterday with these problems. I started with doing some overnight AHT but that was not coming with any problems. But everytime I am watching a movie, or external monitor is connected my macbook will turn grey and i'll have to restart and reset the pram. First i tought it was just overheating, but that didn't make sense. Now i did a gputest and that straightaway failed. Now I can't start my macbook at all, after the apple logo appears the screen will turn blue with vertical lines. To bad i've just came acros this thread now otherwise i would have turned of the automatic graphic switching to atleast work. I've tried booting in safemode but the same problem occurs, is there a way where i can atleast use the macbook?

I also don't have apple care and the price for replacing the logicboard is way to much for what i can afford. I hope apple can do something about this when there are so many people with the problem.

Having same issue as everyone else with my early 2011 MacBook Pro. Have confirmed with Apple Genius at Domain store in Austin, Tx that my GPU  isn't working resulting in various screen anomalies and complete system failure. "Genius" said he had no knowledge of any known issues with 2011 MacBook Pros, so I told him to check here and all over the web and he blew it off. I get it, avoid responsibility by not talking about it. They gave me two options, to fix it there for $500 or send it off for $350, obvious choice is $350 of which also covers any other issue they might find. I'm taking it in today with fingers crossed that this fixes the issue as I've been out of work for the past couple of weeks because if the issue. I'm a photographer, web designer and social media manger and rely on my MacBook Pro for everything. I just borrowed a friend's crapy HP PC to work which is like going back to the dark ages to work. I've had an Apple since '84 so there's no telling how much I have spent buying their computers, iPads and iPhones over the past 30 years. I just wish they'd support me as much as I support them! Where's the love Apple, where?

wickedlight,

If I were you, I wouldn't pay the $350 for an 'old' logic board; I would (and will when my logic board, replaced under AppleCare, fails again) consider, rather, having the GPU reballed. That costs less than $200, includes a one-year warranty and actually 'fixes' the problem whereas many users here have had replacement logic board fail within days, or months with only the Apple 90-day warranty.

Just my opinion, but I would pay under $200 for an almost 'sure fix' than $350 for what may prove to be just a temporary fix.

Just my opinion...

Clinton

For people who could not boot there laptop because of a blank screen (or blue). Maybe it is already mentioned before:

1. Let system complete its failed bootup complete with whirring fans.

2. Go through boot login procedure blind

3. Wait appropriate time for login to complete.

4. Remove power adapter (this steps seems to force computer to default to integrated graphics)

5. Hold down power button for five seconds to force power off.

6. Press power button and reboot normally on integrated graphics.

This atleast helped me out, I was now able to login in install gfxcardstatus to turn of the gpu card.

Hope this will help some of you.

rplayer wrote:

 

Everyone, just get it reballed. Pay using your own money and then never buy an apple product again.

 

Tell every one who will listen how apple treat their customers.

 

Wait for their 45.6 billion in revenue to go down as we all slowly start to switch and laugh.

 

Steve is looking down in disgust at every apple employee. Not one of them is doing anything. Not escuslating in meetings. Every one is being quiet.

 

 

 

Apple hate google and samsung. Lets give them record profits. Bye bye apple. Your rotten now.

 

With the exception of the first sentence (which is not a permanent solution & can exempt from any sudden recall program), sadly I find myself in agreeance with the rest even though I keep foolishly thinking Apple will issue a recall program at some point soon, however I'm proved wrong as time goes-by without any resolve on this rather disgraceful situation we're all experiencing as highly-paying premium customers.

I find the new suggested logo highly appropriate to the situation affecting us.

DIESEL-X wrote:

 

I find the new suggested logo highly appropriate to the situation affecting us.

That logo isn't quite right, as you can clearly see what you're buying with that rotten Apple. For it to be realistic, it needed to be turned 90 degree's so you can't see the rotten side...

I have no had my Late 2011 Macbook pro repaired twice.

First time was early May 2014.  The computer would not boot past the Apple logo.  If you looked hard at the screen you could see horizontal lines.  They sent it off for repair.  Since I ddin't have Apple care it cost me $310 + tax to get it repaired.

Now it happened again. Same horizontal lines and computer would not boot past the Apple logo.  The genius bar person ran a diagnostic and everything came back fine.  Once again they shipped it off to get it repaird.  At least this time it was still covered under the 90 day warranty from the previous repair.