Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

I wish I could be there, too bad I'm from Asia. Support you guys!!!

Asia as well, otherwise I would be there.

Actually, it doesn't even have to be that blatant. Even just a group of 10-20 asking for Genius support for the exact same disfunction. Would be funny to hear them say to one of you in front of all those people and media, "Yea, you can't expect your machine to run for more than three years..."

They might just offer you a replacement on the spot!

rridder wrote:

 

jmc53 wrote:

 

Hey Calvinogood,

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. I won't be paying Apple another dime!

 

Is there a way to actually reach OSX, install gfx card status, and disable the discrete card?

 

I can't get past the white/blue screen and crazy fans spinning on startup...

 

Yes you can, I had the same problem.

 

1. Let your macbook complete its failed bootup complete with whirring fans (when you have white screen).

2. Go through boot login procedure blindly

3. Wait appropriate time for login to complete

4. Remove power adapter cable (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.

 

After that you can download and install gfxcardstatus. I've also removed my kext amd drivers from the usr/system/lib folder in this way it's not going to the discrete at all. I've been using after effects and photoshop on the integrated graphics now, it's runs a lot slower but a least i can work.

 

Hope this will work for you.

How do you complete step 2? I can't see anything? No idea where mouse is.

rridder wrote:

 

jmc53 wrote:

 

Hey Calvinogood,

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. I won't be paying Apple another dime!

 

Is there a way to actually reach OSX, install gfx card status, and disable the discrete card?

 

I can't get past the white/blue screen and crazy fans spinning on startup...

 

Yes you can, I had the same problem.

 

1. Let your macbook complete its failed bootup complete with whirring fans (when you have white screen).

2. Go through boot login procedure blindly

3. Wait appropriate time for login to complete

4. Remove power adapter cable (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.

 

After that you can download and install gfxcardstatus. I've also removed my kext amd drivers from the usr/system/lib folder in this way it's not going to the discrete at all. I've been using after effects and photoshop on the integrated graphics now, it's runs a lot slower but a least i can work.

 

Hope this will work for you.

How do you complete step 2? I can't see anything? No idea where mouse is.

No that's why you have to do it blindly, I had the same thing and was really happy and surprised it worked. Did you normally had a login screen directly or did you had multiple users where you first had to click on?

My username start with "R", so then i type "R" followed by "enter" then my password and "enter" again. Then i waited a bit to be sure the boot sequence was complete and remove the cable and turn it off.

Well, I think my issue(s) are escalating. I tried these steps but just noticed that I no longer have power! No light whatsoever, green or amber.

Thanks for the advice, hopefully it works for others. I'm going to prep mine for reballing this weekend.

Great idea! I am in the US so I won't be there but I hope you can find some people to join you.  This would be a good strategy for each opening of a new location.

This document purports to show planned expansion sites: http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/apple_stores.pdf

Posted this yesterday but it must have gotten erased somehow during the forum maintenance.

Got my machine back a few days ago.  Sent it in for repairs the second time.  The first time was back in April 2014 to fix the screen distortion/artifacts and eventually machine only booting to a grey screen.  They ran the Apple Hardware Tests and saw nothing wrong (noticed I upgraded the memory but no issues with it) even though visually they can see the issue with the machine.  Paid the standard $310 depot repair fee and they replaced the MLB.

Started seeing problems again with the machine.  This time, the machine would run hot, fans would be going at max speed, and machine would intermittently shutdown by itself.  Sent in to have it looked at and this time they did more than just replace the MLB.  See below.

I will give them credit where it's due--the repairs were performed within a day of them receiving my machine (Apple sent me a box to ship the machine to them) and was overnighted back to me once the repair was completed.  As to how long the repair will last, only time will tell at this point.

Mine was shipped to the repair depot on Monday for the second time.  It looks like it just arrived back at the Apple Store this morning.  If its anything like last time. It won't be ready till Saturday for pick up.

For what it is worth - just dropping by to say that I have the exact same problem and could not be more dissappointed in a big company. I was not paying the additional 1000 Euros for a Macbook Pro for its silvery look. I wanted a product that lasts and provides quality.

My logic-board will be replaced by an certified Apple Service now and this will cost me no less then 620 Euros. I hope at least that the repairment will last and I really hope we will all get reemburst for our costs. It is a shame, really. Trying to write to Apple as well.

Thanks for reading!

Worried_Bettina wrote:

 

I was not paying the additional 1000 Euros for a Macbook Pro for its silvery look. I wanted a product that lasts and provides quality.

Neither of us did... but Apple laptops fails as much as any other laptop. Check this reliability report. At this time, the only reason to pay extra for an Apple laptop is for the looks and OSX.

Pier11 wrote:

 

Worried_Bettina wrote:

 

I was not paying the additional 1000 Euros for a Macbook Pro for its silvery look. I wanted a product that lasts and provides quality.

Neither of us did... but Apple laptops fails as much as any other laptop. Check this reliability report. At this time, the only reason to pay extra for an Apple laptop is for the looks and OSX.

All owners of a failing macbook pro should go post their experience there.

Just got my laptop back from ps3specialist.  Highly recommend this guy!

His reballing of the GPU solved my issue!  After having my laptop on the shelf for months and watching this thread, I can finally use it again

Adding my voice. Late-2011 MBP suddenly started having freezes using certain apps, like Xcode, Parallels, and iPhoto. Eventually, booting would freeze on the grey screen after the initial Apple logo when the screen normally flashes, before presenting logon. At the Genius bar, they pronounced a logic board swap which, while out of warranty and no AppleCare, was covered by Customer Relations. Whether it was just a good faith thing, or because I pointed to this thread, I don't know.

That was 30 or so days ago and, suddenly, I am having the same issue. Took it to a Genius where they said it was a hard drive cable. ***? It booted fine with their Target OS, but afterwards, I realized that it did not go to a logon screen so it probably did not do a discrete graphics switch. But I still kept an eye on it at home and when it started to freeze again, I went through the diagnostic process I did before, including moving out kext files, etc. It became obvious that it was, indeed, the same issue as before.

I don't have a 100% regular freeze, so I can't take it back to a Genius yet, so I am limping along with gfxCardStatus. At first I was using 2.3 until I found it did not respect my setting to always use Integrated. I ended up crashing, and spent the next two hours trying to get logged back in. Disabling kext files leaves my machine so unusable it is not really a solution, but it allowed me to boot and get gfxCardStatus 2.2.1 so that, when I eventually booted back in normally, I ought to be able to keep Integrated on all the time.

I did eventually get back into my machine using the (rather scary) technique up-thread, involving letting the machine *really* overheat while hung on the grey screen. I did not let it go until it shut off (chicken) but it was really hot when I rebooted and, seemingly, the system decided to not boot with discrete graphics. "Hopefully" in the next several days I will get a reliable hang that I can take to the Genius Bar and get a second logic board replacement, since I am within the 90 day warranty.

Not a happy state of affairs, and I echo the need to (a) own up to the problem, and (b) offer some kind of subsidized migration to a more reliable machine.