Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

hemss wrote:

 

It looks like and issue with MBP early 2011 and Maverick upgrade.

Users have experienced this problem under 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9.  I don't think it can reasonably be linked to any specific OS version.

Exactly... I've experienced it with 10.6, 10.7 and 10.9!

Hi Friends,

I also I have problems with a MacBook Pro 15 "with AMD Graphics, now I can not use the AMD graphic is blocked MAC and I can not work with him.

I hope Apple takes a solution to the problem.

Somo many affected.

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Hola Amigos,

Yo tambien tengo problemas con un MacBook Pro 15" con Grafica AMD, ahora mismo no puedo usar la grafica AMD por que se bloquea el MAC y no puedo trabajar con el.

Espero que Apple saque una solucion al problema.

Somo muchos afectados.

Im geting tired of them waiting to give a real solution, because the change of logic board dont fix it, and like many of us i use it to work and its giving me trouble to keep my work done, i lose a week just to figure what's the failure, and we all have the same problem, its not normal, maybe someone with a broken gpu another the hdd or the dsplay, even the ram its more likely to fail, but its the same exact fail in all mbp.

If they want my money to fix it atleast should be a real solution, is there a mail to request answers????

I'm also affected by this. Not sure what to do about it yet. I'm an iOS developer so I have to use integrated graphics to make due in the mean time until I get time to ship this brick out...

I think that the right thing to do is to report our feedback at this webpage: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

The performance of Apple’s iMac with a 27″ inch screen led to complaints of an “iLemon,” and now a class action suit from a man who says half his screen went dark.

http://gigaom.com/2013/10/29/apple-hit-with-class-action-over-faulty-imac-screen s/

Can't we do the same thing to get public attention? I would but I'm not american and I'm broke lol

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/10/14/apples-2011-macbook-pro-lineup-sufferi ng-from-sporadic-gpu-failures

It was reported by appleinsider

I find it a good idea and how many more better. Surely it would do much but it's right to complain.

Let go guys!!!

As some have mentioned and based on my own experience I drew up some conclusion.

It seems to be a general design fault of the especially Late 2011 MBP with AMD Graphics. I had the problem 3 times now ( since buying it in late 2011), got the mainboard(logic board) replaced 3 times ( thats the component which is like 90% of your MBP wher everything is solderd on).

I use very graphic heavy applications, mainly Video Editing, every day for longer period of times. So the computer really heats up. I always wondered why the computer got so hot, but I figured at the beginning it maybe is just working "on the edge". The very powerful quadcore 7i generates a lot of heat.

Based on several tests with cooling and having been there now 3 times, I figured that some components ( most likely the AMD graphics chip ) is just getting lose/over-strained by the amount of heat. First I thought the idea was idiotic, but it doesn't seem to be and a sloppy design can very well lead to it. Although maybe each component might take the heat, the soldering, connectors etc. might cave in under that pressure. Can happen if someone doesn't control very tightly the supply chain or the compatibility of certain low-cost components ( which Apple uses more and more to expand the win margin of each computer ).

Apple so fare ignores any suggestion that the overall design might be faulty ( by policy all the Apple employee's or Genius Bar members have to call a failure a "one, isolated" case if its not on the official Apple failure list). So they keep on exchanging logic boards for letting people paying for it. Which is good for them of course. But in the end they just put back a already faulty designed logic board which will eventually fail again.

Most people are just "moving" on and buying a new MBP from a later generation which seems not affected by the heat ( even the NVIDIA seem to be save, so I figured its a AMD issue together with the quadcore 7i).

But why in the world should you keep buying new MBP's if you can't be sure that Apple is really acknowleding the problem of wrongly designed components. Seems like somebody was overeager of getting the MBP 2011 model out or the quality control was fast asleep.

Yup had it fixed...2 times. Still same problem after a while. Main suspect is the developing heat and a faulty logicboard design that just gets built in again and again. The constant exposure to the intense heat created by a full blast running i7 Quad plus the AMD seems to drive the whole syste over the edge over time.

Getting  your board fixed will take care of it for some weeks but most likely will come back...not on a fixed timescale but sooner or later you will be there again, especially if you run a lot of GPU and CPU heavy tasks.

So, what can we do? Just wait?

I already sent a feedback on http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

Well as long as Apple doesn't see the point in reacting, that is exactly what you do.

Or you go and cash out every time the logicboard fails. Or you buy a new Mac, hoping that this was a one time design mistake and they do better with the previous models.

Or you go back to cheaper manufacturers of different systems... its all up to you

Hi,

Add me to the list of ppl with failed Macs.

After disabling the Kext's the system boots up fine but visuals are all screwed up. I get vertical blue lines and the display goes bonkers from time to time.

Need help with restoring the ATI & AMD Kext's which I disabled reading posts on earlier pages.

Thanks in advance..!!

I have given my MacBook Pro early 2011 high end 15" model for its 2nd logic board replacement. We do not have the flat rate repair service in India, so I ended up paying close to $700 for it. This replacement came after 40 days, hence it is within the warranty period of 90 days.

I have a couple of really important questions.

--> When I get my laptop back, should I run it hard? And what exactly do you mean by that?

--> Is it better to run it only on integrated/discrete (I understand people face failures even then) and which is better? Advantages & disadvantages of running it only on integrated and only on discrete respectively?

--> How exactly can I make it run only on discrete? And how can I make it run only on integrated? Yes I read the posts but I am kinda confused.

I would be really grateful if someone clears these questions for me. Thanks in advance!

Also, I called the AASP office (in India there is no Genius Bar, we give it directly to AASP off which there are two) and informed them about this. The guy on the line gave me a customer care number and told me lodge a complaint there. I am not sure how effective this would be but I am going to do it anyway.

Are there ANY 2011 models which do NOT have this problem, or is it a basic engineering fault in all of the units? Has anyone had success after a logic board replacement? Even if it is your say, 3rd logicboard replacement, has it actually lasted for a considerable amount of time?

Thanks a lot.