Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

The aluminium body is fine, it's a great design.  Condensation only possibly a factor with the fast heat build up inside, but in hot humid countries I would advise you should use a fan control program to spin the fans up earlier than the usual 85-90c trigger. The cooling system originally designed for a core 2 duo and nvidia GPU. the pair of chips in the 2011 I think use 30 percent more power and the die sizes on the chip package are much larger, think the CPU more than twice the size. and the cooling system struggles to cope, largely down to the bad paste procedures mostly. Factor in unreliable solder, no wonder.

Since the unibody came out Ive repasted many that run too hot, left speaker side hot mostly. they run much cooler after with a better more efficient TDP after. It's just common sense thermodynamics to me, something I always do. It's pretty simple method - I check the CPU and GPU idle temperatures. That applies to every notebook never mind a MacBook Pro.

What is a normal idle temp ? And max reasonnable temp in game for example ?

After my reball ( I guess with others things, paste and polish ) I still hit 85/90 for the cpu and 70/75 for the gpu.

i go by solely by CPU temperature only as it's the largest chip out of the pair.  If that is bad I have yet to see the GPU being any different in unibody macs so I never check it anymore,

2011 if the 15 inch is >48c I paste 46 for the 17 inch.  I get -6c less minimum.

i have seen Apple pasted boards at more than 60c often with no particles in the heatpipe blocking it, I drop that 20c!  Gaming will always stress the parts anyway up to the design max which is 105c iirc.

They always run cooler after with games, even over clocking in bootcamp for more fps. But I would not overclock a 2011!

your temps are normal if you want it cooler use a fan control app

GPU when fully active in OSX or in bootcamp usually about 52-57c for 15. 2/4c lower range for 17 here in the UK.

with  a fan control app left fan triggered by CPU 0 sensor, right GPU

Hi mate, please add value to your complain by directing it to Apple feedback channel because Apple do not monitor this forum. cheers

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

Does anyone here get this blue stripe screen? Is it related to the GPU issue or a different issue?

Done! I get this exact issue when I boot into my windows partition.

How many replacements have you had?

Hi guys,

Called Apple support center Contact Apple for support and service

and based on the serial number of both my 15" late 2011 MBP, the support staff says there is nothing on their system showing any known defective parts or recall.
So, appreciate if you guys could give Apple a ring so that it escalates to the right channel and department.

I have also drop them a message here https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

but there is no response since then. I reckon giving them a call would be a better approach.

cheers

Welp now there's slight lag when switching between the integrated and dedicated graphics. Might fail soon.

Exact same problem as the original post here too, forcing switch to discrete graphics card and loading video triggers a crash with large black vertical split in screen and moving horizontal lines.

Sadly this is a very common problem and the only solution is to resolder the Discrete graphics card back onto the motherboard with leaded solder or change the whole motherboard. The heat of the chip with unleaded solder over time weakens it's hold on the motherboard and so you get intermittent screen failures until the chip fails completely, switching to the Intergrated solves it when you've booted up however if the chip fails the mac won't boot (if you shut it down) as it needs the dedicated chip for the bootup process, so sadly it's a new motherboard or a potentially expensive chip replacment, but ask for leaded solder. Hope this helps

Hi there yes I do follow the thread when I get a chance.

I share the opinion with d3us that the blurry pictures ps3specialist has posted looks like the flux he has used to aid removal.

He also posted another blurry photo sometime ago that looked like flux or a liquid spill.

I never see large amounts of dust, however I always use flux when removing. Like many of ps3specialist's opinions I disagree that this dust is causing the failures - dust cannot penetrate solid metal but could get in a connection that is already cracked. Agreed excessive dust does not help with heat dissipation but in my opinion not the cause of the failure. We are all allowed our opinions but ps3specialist seems to force his opinions and upset and annoy many members here.

He has also pushed that lead free solder is better (which I disagree) but recently it seems the reason he uses it that is because he is worried about cancer if working with lead.

I would suggest that if he had done more research he should be more worried about the flux he is using and resulting flux fumes rather than the lead which has few dangers unless ingested. Remember a few decades ago or less most of us had all our water supplies in lead pipes and many still do.

Using a counterfeit Chinese flux is far more dangerous.

Anyway lets get back on topic.

In my opinion these failures are due to bad design. In 2007 Nvidia admitted that their chipsets were at fault and released a revised version. There is no way of 3rd party repairers telling if a GPU has broken down internally (Solder bump inside the die like with the Nvidia fault)

We always fit the revised version in the 2007/08 models but the reason we advise people to have a new GPU in the 2011 is if this is the case again. We would never know for sure until AMD release a statement.

Even with a bad die inside the GPU these will work for a while after a reflow or reball as these connections re-join but only for a short amount of time (usually a few months)

We don't fit new GPU's to make more money - I basically don't want to see machines back as warranty repairs are bad for business financially and for potential customers.

We have done many of these 2011 models now and the good news that the repairs seem to be lasting. Not all can be repaired and many repairers would be telling a few fibs if they say they repair 100%. Currently 2% of the machines we get cannot be repaired.

With the 2007-08 models this figure is less than 1%.

We try not to tout for business on forums but its nice to see many on here have recommended our services which I would like to thank you for.

On a separate note we have seen a few Apple 2011 refurb boards. GPU's are being changed and some have had the VRAM changed but the quality of the rework indicates have not been re manufactured but simply had the GPU's changed using the same method like ourselves.

This happened with the 2007/08 boards and have seen it with Dell boards.

I have joined the club.  2011 late mbp 15 inch.  The mother board was replaced in May 2014 for non-boot issue (not GPU issue).   The problem started to happen intermittently for 3 weeks ago recoverable by PRAM reset most of the time but was no longer bootable by any mean a couple days ago. 

Took to Genius bar with comment "GPU failure", and was taken as such pretty much immediately without argument.  Priced at $526.50 which is thankfully covered by Applecare in my case.  Here is the diagnosis from the work authorization:

Problem Description/Diagnosis

Issue: Customer states that the video card in his computer is malfunctioning because it is exhibiting graphic distortion and only booting to a gray screen

Steps to Reproduce:
- Attempted boot, unit exhibits graphical distortion (red and green horizontal lines) immediately and hangs at a blank gray screen
- Reset PRAM, issue persists
- Reset SMC, issue persists
- Ran Mac Resource Inspector, flagged third party RAM, but passed all sections
- Verified issue in KG OS

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Hi bga_repairs, thanks for posting your comment and support.
Think we both agree on what is happening with them.

If maybe you thougt I ment using new CPUs was extra profit, not really what I meant.
Only looking from a customers perspective.
As imo only the bad soldering is causing this, the chips are most likely re-usable again without problems.

Replacing something with something new is mostly allways the best approach.
Absolutely a valid repair you do, replacing them with new ones.

Different people, different opinions, different workflows.
In the end, a happy customer with a working system again for a fair price is what counts.

Kind regards.