Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

This is a major issue, why isn't apple recalling this laptop?   I'm keeping records just incase a lawyer contacts me to be a part of class action suit.  I've contacted Apple about the issue but they have standard diagnostic procedures about reseting all your settings and wiping the drive clean, but the problem is hardware related so doing all that song and dance isn't going to fix our problem. 

Not sure how many folks here signed the online petitions, but hopefully apple will respond soon. 

I told the Apple representative I will wait for the recall. If i didn't have another computer to work on, I would be going crazy about this issue.  I'm so sorry for those who's bread and butter has crapped out. 

Band together to get this issue resolved, is the only way i see this getting fixed. 

As of this weekend add mine to the list. I've gotten it to reboot and am using it for light internet usage until my my new order from the Refurb Store arrives. Anything graphically intense (google maps) that switches to the AMD GPU will cause a crash or graphical errors.

Thanks rdbrwn! This is the ONLY thing I've found that actually worked!

Do you know if this solves the problem long term, or is it only a temporary solve? Will still need to get hardware replaced?

Thanks!

This just started happening to me today! Same model machine, and of course just out of warranty by a couple months! I couldn't get an appointment at the apple store until Thursday. Fingers crossed! I can't believe with so many people having this problem Apple hasn't done something about it!

It's easier and a lot cheaper to ignore the users.

The most frustrating part is that it isn't our fault, that the laptops were/are(!) top-of-the line and thus expensive, and are still so 'young'.

Well, about 2 months after my 3rd logic board replacement and it's starting to go out now. I've had 4 glitches/crashes in the last few days.

I did call contact my executive relations rep and let them know it's happening again. It doesn't crash 100% of the time, so I'll keep pushing it and when it fails all of the time, go to the g'bar.

I hope they replace the whole darn thing this time - I think that a 4th replacement logic board is getting comical.

Sigh.

What is the point of spending $700 on a new logic board if it's going to fail in a few weeks?

My £2000 Macbook Pro is an expensive paperweight now? 10 days without my work machine - losing money everyday.

Thanks Apple!

Nudoru, repairs are guaranteed 90 days. Take it back now so there won't be any question on whether or not you'll have to pay. The sooner the better! I had mine replaced just last week and am watching it like a hawk.... They told me the logic

board was only certified to handle 8gb of RAM. I had 16 and when they sent it back they had replace it with 8gigs (two four gig slots.)

Have they told anyone else that that is what had been the problem?

I've also got 16 gb of RAM.  I wonder if that is a common thread here?

Add another early 2011 15" MacBook pro to ever increasing number of machines with this problem.

My screen started tearing a few times, now it won't boot, apart from in safe mode.

Have spent hours trying various fixes, but nothing has worked for me.

Spoke to an apple rep and told him i was having the same discrete graphic card issue as countless others. He asked if I was seeing distortion on the screen before it crashes - which kind of implies he knew about the problem! He told me to take it to an Apple service centre to get it diagnosed. 

I don't really see the point in taking it somewhere, where they will charge me to look at my machine, tell me that the graphics card is gone and I need a new logic board which will cost crazy money. It seems like a waste of time and money, in my opinion.

i think its not a problem of RAM

i have only 8 gb RAM - nonetheless 3 logicboard replacements because of repeated gpu faliure

and a macbook PRO (meaning professional!) should not be limited to 8 gb RAM - thats ridiculous

i suppose that ALL the 2011 MBP 15" will die of this hardware fault soon

it's so to speak built-in

I had the exact same problem as you described.  The monitor sometime showed a vertical black line in middle. Then sometime it becomes many black lines.

So, APPLE please do something!

Danny

So, this is an answer to all of you that thanked me about removing kext files.

Keep in mind, that this is temporary solution before you get your computer fixed!

You will still need to replace logic board or do the replacement of GPU with a new chip by a specialized 3rd party technician (not Apple).

Do not try to do some GPU intensive tasks.

Install also some app that allows you to control fans of your computer to cool down the machine like smcFanControll, Macs Fan Control etc.

Monitor your CPU temperatures and try not to go above 70°C

Do not try to play games (as you most probably will not be able to)!!!

With this solution you are able to boot the system, so you can save your important data without using another machine or swapping your HDD to another machine and to do some easy tasks if you are for example in between important job. You will be able to use most programs, but computer will get hotter than normal. As using some Adobe programs (like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign...), you will not be able to use Premier, After Effects, Final Cut etc. (try it yourself)

Most of you will experience unstable OSX programs like Safari, Notes, Photo Booth, FaceTime, Maps, even  Finder.

If you have problems with Finder, that crashes after opening new window press cmd+2 or cmd+3 immediately  after opening. Do not press cmd+4 - you will need to relaunch Finder.

If Safari is laggy try to use Firefox (Chrome uses too much CPU power = overheating).

If you are experiencing very slow computer even you are just browsing web (or in my case, when I lose internet connection), open Activity Monitor (Applications/Utility) force stop rpcsvchost or reboot.

You will not be able to reinstall, install or to repair/ recover OSX.

You will not be able to adjust brightness of display (the system thinks that you have attached external display).

You will not be able to put system in sleep mode as well you need to disable this function in Energy Saver in System Preferences and from my experience is the best that you shut down your computer when you are not using it (overheating).

I have found that under this "trick" Mavericks work better than Yosemite (less issues), not sure about earlier OSX.

Paying apple to replace logic board is a good way if you are out of warranty and want to upgrade to a new Retina Macbook Pro. All you need to do is to stres your GPU before 90 days warranty and to get repair/ replace logic board from Apple for three times using intensive GPU benchmark. Fourth time you can ask apple to change your faulty 2011 MBP with a new Retina MBP.

When replacement #1 went out about 3 months ago, the problem took 3 weeks reach the point where it would consistently fail. I spent that time going back and forth to the genius bar multiple times and could not reproduce the issue once in front of them. They even did a 48 hour graphic burn in in their lab. The issue occurred very sporadically until one day it just went down and stayed there. It appears the same thing is happening again and i don't have the time to make all of those trips so I'm going to wait.

I do have an open case with Apple Executive Relations and I did speak to my rep and he added notes indicated this issue began occurring again during the 90 day window and assured me I'd be covered. I've have a good relationship with them and trust what he said. I know others haven't been so lucky.

Re RAM - It doesn't matter how much ram you have. Apple docs say "up to 8gb" and they'll stick to that in the store. But it runs perfectly well with 16gb of ram. I have 16gb installed, but have had this error occur with 4gb or Apple RAM and 8gb and 16gb of third party RAM.  The issue is related to bad solder not a system configuration issue.