Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Same problem for me, I have a MPB 15” Late 2011 Core i7 2.2, with an AMD Radeon HD 6750M, after upgrading to Mavericks the problems start, first some annoying random square colored pixels around the screen, these days using discrete card was only possible with an external screen, otherwise the MBP screen is just black, switching to Intel HD Graphics seems to be the better solution until Apple “help” us with the problem…

"...reballed, which basically means, heat the chip off the board and re-solder it."

Basically, that's not true.  The device is referred to as a "BGA" (ball grid array) package.  There are hundreds of tiny solderable balls on the bottom of the chip.  The logic board has a thin film of solder paste squeegeed onto it.  The logic board, with the components touching the solder, is then exposed to infrared heating elements.  The process is referred to as "IR reflow".

A "reballed" chip has the original balls removed, and replaced with new ones.

Same problem here. MBP late 2011, 2.5GHz i7, AMD Radeon HD 6770M

OSX 10.9.4

The problem started occurring a month or two after upgrading to Mavericks. I've recently reinstalled OS 10.7 on a new hard drive, but the problem is still there. Was there a GPU firmware update that came with Mavericks? If not, then I'm 100% sure it is NOT the OS that's causing the problem.

If, however, there WAS a GPU firmware update with Mavericks: Maybe it's worth downloading the Yosemite beta – in the hope for another GPU firmware update...

Got the laptop working with gfxCardStatus, but can't connect external screen

Apple doesn't seem to listen, although there was an iMac video card replacement program:

iMac (27-inch): AMD Radeon 6970M Video Card Replacement Program

Read the Additional information in the above link: "If you believe you have paid for a repair or replacement due to this issue, contact Apple regarding a refund."

Motherboard is over 500 Euros, so I'm thinking about a bga / reballing with a new GPU fitted. But if the problem lies with the actual GPU itself (and not just the lead-free solder), then that'd be causing problems again in 2-3 years...

How many people here had (successful or unsuccessful) new GPU fitted? How long ago?

Apple hasn't responded to this despite the obvious problem. If they ever start a replacement program: How long could this take to happen? (Class-action suit?)

Mac Book Pro 2011, 10.6.8 mac OS X, i7 2.2Gz 4 Gb ram, ATI radeon gfx. DEAD.

Having contacted many times both end seller, as with Apple, (opening exceptions of Apple Care), even with a senior technician Apple only hope that Apple charge then one day, based on the number of devices defective suffering the same problem. Meanwhile, I recommend https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html write as often as possible, to establish and organize messages in social networks. It is interesting combinations that have been discussed here to try using itegrada graph, instead of the faulty installed by Apple. I'll try soon. (As my mac back from service ...).

Let's keep making noise, folks.

Social networks & independent forums indeed!!!

In my latest post on this forum, I asked about how we can "escalate" the problem. That post got deleted within less than 10 minutes.

In other words: Apple is "listening". They KNOW about the problem. But only respond by deleting posts that they deem "too intense", to put it that way.

> Drifty7 has posted in the MacBook Pro community.

> 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

> Does anyone experience this problem in any OS prior to Mavericks?

> Has anyone tried the Yosemite Beta, and did this solve the problem?

My graphics card went out a few months after installing Mavericks.  But I tried booting off my install CD that came with my 2011 MBP and I still had a grey screen after the machine finished booting off the CD.  So it isn’t the drivers.  Maybe using Mavericks accelerates the demise of the chip though.

and as far as your post being deleted, it's not that your post was "too intense" or that this proves Apple cares about our problem.  You simply suggested legal action and that will get you deleted.

Well it proves Apple doesn't care about the problem.

OK, so I am not suggesting legal action. But has anyone heard of such a thing?

>My graphics card went out a few months after installing Mavericks. 

>But I tried booting off my install CD that came with my 2011 MBP and I still had a grey screen after the machine finished booting off the CD. 

>So it isn’t the drivers.  Maybe using Mavericks accelerates the demise of the chip though.

Could it be that Mavericks upgraded the GPU firmware, and that this firmware upgrade "sticks" even when you boot off the CD?

We have GPU failures now on 4 early 2011 17" MacBook Pro systems. Seems much more widespread than I initially thought.

Drifty7 wrote:

 

Social networks & independent forums indeed!!!

In my latest post on this forum, I asked about how we can "escalate" the problem. That post got deleted within less than 10 minutes.

 

In other words: Apple is "listening". They KNOW about the problem. But only respond by deleting posts that they deem "too intense", to put it that way.

Your post was reported to the moderators for possible violations of the Terms of Use. If they agree then the post is removed, if not then the post stays. If the post is removed you get an email telling you why.

If you stick to the Terms of Use your posts will not be deleted.

Albeit, my explanation is rather succinct as to not to confuse, it is re-soldering of the old chip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflow_soldering

It is a method - there are many methods of soldering components to a PCB.  So in this case you are essentially removing the component and re-soldering it.

> We have GPU failures now on 4 early 2011 17" MacBook Pro systems. Seems much more widespread than I initially thought.

Apple has said that if this problem created an influx of reports, that they would start by doing a "capture" and send it to engineering for a decision about whether to do a recall.  The question is, how widespread is this GPU failure problem?

It seems Apple was selling about 4 million macintoshes a quarter during 2011, and perhaps 40-50% of these were MacBook Pros.  So that's somewhere between maybe 6 and 8 million MacBook Pros made in 2011?  For those of us with the problem, it might be just "too bad for us" because there aren't millions of people complaining that their machines' GPU has failed.  If so, this thread would be half a million pages long, not just 477 pages.

There are probably a great number of people out there who can simply shrug off their computer breaking and going out and buying today's MacBook Pro upgrade.  As long as target disk mode works, they'll be on a new machine in no time and won't bother looking in the rearview mirror to complain about the flawed 2011 notebook.  We will never know how many of these machines have failed, they just go into the recycle bin.

Just wanted to add me to the list.

Macbook Pro late-2011. Bought first days in June 2012 so now it's 25 months.

The Apple stores in Iceland know about the problem and wish they could do something about this but Apple HQ has not put on any arrangements so they can not offer me a lot. Not ****** at them but really ****** at Apple HQ for ignoring the problem.

> Got the laptop working with gfxCardStatus, but can't connect external screen

If there was a way to force the laptop to use the integrated graphics, then maybe this is the workaround for the bad discrete AMD graphics.  Two issues though:

1)  I read gfxCardStatus used to allow the user which graphics to use, but that this is no longer an option in the current version

2)  How does one install anything on a laptop that boots to a grey screen?