Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Please try to understand that I need neither your permission or your approval to do anything.

you found the way how to fix hard damaged hardware by a software fix?! wow, you are absolute genius!

No, I didn't and I didn't say that I did either (you made that part up)

But several other posters have claimed that they did.

Why don't you ask them?

And add me to the list same problem as everyone else and when I call Apple support I either get the runaround or some idiot pretending he's never heard of the problem even though this thread has been viewed 1.5 million times and Mac insider MacRumors tech radar and many other tech magazines have written extensively about the issue - for Apple to be pretending they know nothing about the problem is an open insult to its customers. What I want to know is if Apple knows the GPU or the logic board is flawed and yet is still selling the part to people willing to pay to have the computer repaired isn't that against the law? they're selling merchandise that they know is defective - can they really get away with something like that? Arent they opening themselves up to some serious legal problems by refusing to admit that the part is flawed when they know perfectly well it is?

If you are going to investigate this you better improve those investigation skills of yours, look at later reply to YOU from the user you stated:

Tracy Bossong (to Csound1) 2 days ago (Show more)

I spoke too soon on the removal of creative cloud.  It was indeed dumb luck.  It stayed up longer than it had previously, but eventually locked up and is exhibiting the same behavior again.  Pulled…

And the other user posted just 2 days ago too, so lets see what happens in a week or more cause as we all that suffered this issue know it starts happening every once in a while (to me it started once a week for example) but then it gets more frequently until the computer its actually unusable.

Thanks for the confirmation, I would totally test this as a possible permanent solution instead of paying for a refurbished defective logic board for sure.

Apologies if this doesn't flow well. I am at work and was unable to break away and read top to bottom. Slammed here today. Even so, I think this post should help the cause. 
Summary: My MBP Early 2011 has no third party software and does not operate reliably.

I was running a MacBook Pro 15inch Early 2011. It died one I started rendering and it was hot for extended periods of time. I tried everything to fix and nothing worked. My final restore was using all original hardware (including the logic board which was replaced by Apple around last year or so). I reinstalled 10.6.8 which was bug free and fast originally, over time my mac book would slow. Reinstalling 10.6.8 and NO time machine backup did not speed the computer. Either there is a software error or hardware failure, but certainly not third party. I didn't even reinstall Adobe reader.

System Version: Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)
Kernel Version: Darwin 10.8.0
Secure Virtual Memory: Enabled
64-bit Kerna and Extensions: Yes

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,2
Processor Name: 2.2 Ghz
L2 Cache: 256 KB
L3 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4GB
Boot ROM Version: MBP81.0047.827
SMC Version (system) 1.69f4

Intel HD Graphics 3000

GPU, Built In VRAM 384 MB

AMD Radeon HD 6750M
ROM Version: 113-C0170L-573
gMUX Version 1.9.23
EFI Driver Version 01.00.573

You see its all fresh and new.

After wiping the hard drive and re-installing the OSX, single user mode and safe mode was attempted with varying results.

At one time, for a short period, we were able to bring up the utilies and view hardware / software.

Current status, boots on occasion. Sometimes Wi-FI works (rarely supports WPA).
Ethernet works.
USB rarely works as safe boot disables.

It would be nice if everyone posted their system and all pertinent data. Through big data analysis as the number of failures is so vast, we could find a small portion of what Apple already knows, as Apple has a big data store with all our results and advanced analytics to display and resolve what CSOUND1 is hoping.

We could cumulatively benefit by learning the number of people who replaced their MBP b/c they "slowed" / i.e. pre critical failure stage of the death of a MBP Early 2011.

Note: Many boards have analytics that remove posts with URLS or posts to perform "marketing of scams etc". These analytics will misfire a percentage of the time.  Sometimes these are setup with the additional intention to slow the dissemination of various BOTs. I don't think there is a team of people on payroll at Apple reading our posts in real time and deleting posts.  Think about Wiki, their analytics takes a LONG time to roll through and clean.  I imagine Apple is running more processors than WiKi so results are faster. First and foremost Apple could be trying to stop suspicious URLS.  Second, they might be running the Social Media Marketing (AKA brand defense) tools. I have no problem posting URLs. Think of email spam blockers. Similar situation. Write an trusted email to a colleague and if you include enough triggers the email gets flagged.

jasoprano wrote:

 

If you are going to investigate this you better improve those investigation skills of yours, look at later reply to YOU from the user you stated:

 

Tracy Bossong (to Csound1) 2 days ago (Show more)

I spoke too soon on the removal of creative cloud.  It was indeed dumb luck.  It stayed up longer than it had previously, but eventually locked up and is exhibiting the same behavior again.  Pulled…

And the other user posted just 2 days ago too, so lets see what happens in a week or more cause as we all that suffered this issue know it starts happening every once in a while (to me it started once a week for example) but then it gets more frequently until the computer its actually unusable.

Thanks for adding to the information that in one case the software changes reverted.

Go read some of the older ones, see if they still work. If you are trying to help

Your Mac looks physically standard, is the hard drive original?

And is heat an issue in use , warm is OK, did it run hot prior to failing?

And thanks for the info.

Csound1 wrote:

 

Please try to understand that I need neither your permission or your approval to do anything.

that's not the point.

leave your ego aside for a second, it's not about you or me.

many qualified technicians in this thread already narrowed the source of the problem down and ways to fix it too.

now if you want to list all softwares that can potentially freak out the gpu-cpu, that's great, just be explicit about it and not let float any kind of theory that some software can fix this hardware failure, simple as that.

but since you been perfectly clear about it this time, we're on the same page.

not let float any kind of theory that some software can fix this hardware failure, simple as that.

Once again, I have floated no theories, I am collecting data. If you don't like that, don't contribute.

And I would appreciate if you would practice reading what I write rather than what you think I write.

oh, you are actually collecting data and then you will provide us the solution with some software fix? wow, you are absolutely amazing!

I realise that you have to keep inventing words to put in my mouth because you don't read the posts that you criticise. But that's no excuse.

Now, so we can see that you do tell the truth occasionally please quote where I said that I "will provide us the solution with some software fix?"

Or I will assume that you just can't tell the truth.

Here's an important question that I haven't seen asked yet? WHERE IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON MACBOOK PROs STORED? I assume it was on some component of the logic board. I ask because, after my early 2011 MBP 17" GPU failed, I paid $320 at the Phoenix Apple Store for a new motherboard. I asked, and was assured by the head "genius" there, that I was buying a NEW motherboard, not a refurb. When I picked up the laptop, I asked again if I'd gotten a new motherboard and if the GPU was the same as before because I didn't want another defective GPU, especially since the warranty on the motherboard was only 90 days. The second "genius" reaffirmed I'd received a new motherboard and that "Apple would never give you [me] a new product with a defective chip." Well, I got home and checked under the Apple menu and saw that the serial number was the same as before the repair. A few days later after the I saw the machine was running very hot again, I heard an audible "snap" and the screen suddenly went black and would not reboot. I called Apple and the rep "graciously" offered to give me a new motherboard to replace the one that lasted 4 days.

***If the serial number displayed in software had not changed, then is that proof Apple had only performed a "repair" on the old motherboard instead of switching out the old one? ***

Incidentally, I was surprised to see after the repair that someone had removed my 8 GB of Crucial RAM and had replaced it with 4 GB of Apple RAM. They did not give an explanation and did not return the presumably defective RAM, as is normal procedure with Apple repairs. The 2 4GB DIMMS were almost new and tested fine, as Apple had checked them twice before the repair and so did I using TechTool Pro. The genius at the Phoenix store acknowledged a "mistake" had been made and he immediately had the 4GB RAM with a 8GB DIMM replaced.

You really have to watch these guys!

kosovar1 wrote:

 

Here's an important question that I haven't seen asked yet? WHERE IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON MACBOOK PROs STORED? I assume it was on some component of the logic board.

It is stored in the firmware of the board.

kosovar1 wrote:

***If the serial number displayed in software had not changed, then is that proof Apple had only performed a "repair" on the old motherboard instead of switching out the old one? ***

No, the board will be flashed with your existing serial number, this a standard part of the procedure and has been discussed on this site many times.

kosovar1 wrote:

 

You really have to watch these guys!

Have a nice day.