Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

It sounds like it's only a matter of time before you're replacing your logic board like everyone else. The symptoms you describe are very much the same as many we experienced.

***UPDATE***

just got back from the apple store regarding this 2011 graphics card issue w/my macbook pro.. it was covered under my AppleCare coverage, they didn't say one thing about my upgraded RAM, replaced HD or added 2nd internal HD.. they told me it was gona be a 2-3 day job, but i told them my sob story and showed them my GPS (the nearest Apple store is 1hr45min from me..) and they said if i waited around for a few hours they could get it back to me.. so of course, i said yes, and kicked it in the food court for a few hours..

got it back about 3-4 hours later, with a brand new logic board!

they had me sign off on the authorization to fix it and it was supposed to be ~$560!! luckily i got the extended AppleCare! phew! good luck to the rest of you guys!!

LESSON:

ALWAYS GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY W/APPLE PRODUCTS!

You can add me on the list of growing users with failing GPU. It's frustrating to buy a "top of the line" computer and have it fail in 3 years...

Right - I'm aware of this problem.

Now would it be better to reball the GPU (I find a reballer with 6 months warranty here in Austria, need this laptop for at least 8 more months) or change the logicboard completely (not sure what the price here) twice or three times until, if I play ball with the reseller, may offer me a completely new laptop? I know it may sounds a bit optimistic.

It depends if you want it fixed properly in the short term for additional cost, or are willing to wait and gamble on Apple addressing the problem properly through a repair/replacement program. If you go the reball route (with a new GPU chip) chances are this will solve the problem once and for all, but will probably mean that Apple won't touch it after this point, so unlikely you'll be eligible for any repair /replacement through them if they do decide to address it. On the other hand you could be waiting for ever for Apple to announce a replacement programme and in the meantime have to go through multiple logic board replacements/failures before they even consider offering you a replacement machine. This is assuming each logic board failure occurs within the 90 day warranty period, not to mention the inconvenience. Herein lies the conundrum of our predicament.

I honestly doubt if Apple will ever do a replacement program - it has been almost 19 months since the first case and Apple does not respond to anything regarding this problem...

We have to keep trying.

That said, I'm having issues unlike what others have reported. I see a small part of an app, usually safari, become garbled. This never happens full screen and my MBP has never crashed. This problem usually happens on the IGP and switching to the DGP makes the problem go away.

I've babied this thing. I had an IBM T40 years ago where the GPU also went bad (also AMD). I suspect it was the flexing due to being put into a backpack.

Drivers are not firmware, they install quite differently. You downloaded drivers.

So Netgear is wrong? I quote them here:

"A driver is software and/or firmware that controls hardware. Often it connects an operating system with specific hardware devices. For example, there are drivers for every card and disk in your computer. Each driver is written for a specific operating system — for example Windows XP or Macintosh OS X. Therefore, to use a card in your computer, you must use a driver that matches the device and also your operating system. Drivers can be enhanced, for example, when new operating systems come out. Eventually hardware becomes so old it is no longer economical or practical to produce new drivers for it."

FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TRY A WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM, SEE MY POST AT PAGE 617

because i read now several times that people are happy that they got their logicboards replaced - i am sorry that i have to disillusion you, but

DONT'T CELEBRATE TOO SOON!

LOGICBOARD REPLACEMENT MAY NOT BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION

because there is the same unsuitable GPU on it

I had already 3 REPLACEMENTS so far!

and i am not the only one who has gone through this

my 2. logicboard (1. replacement) lasted some month, my 3. only 4 weeks! My 4. logicboard now - i don't know, but i am not very confident any more…

Lately i had several other problems, like USB or integrated keyboard doesn't work suddenly

it all could be resolved by pram reset… probably it has nothing to do with the GPU issue but too many logicboard replacements are maybe also causing problems…? Does anybody here have similar problems after replacements?

Bom dia,

Também sou Portugues e resido na madeira, e segundo a minha pesquisa tens duas opçoes a 1º que é a que vou fazer:

- pagar 586,22 na loja tou aqui tou ai, lda; por uma motherboard nova onde me dão garantia de 2 anos, garantia essa da Apple pois esta loja é representante da apple em portugal;

a outra opção pelo que esteve a ver é:

-Senhor dos computadores onde substituem-te a graphica fazendo uma nova solda pelo preço de 125 euros onde esta empresa dá uma garantia de 6 meses;

Hei pjplp.

Thanks a lot for that information. (Obrigado mesmo)

I just called this shop in Portugal, where they install a NEW graphic chip, and give you a guarantee for 6 months. It is not reballing, it really is a new chip from ATI built this year, so there is less chance that it gets destroyed.

Im still thinking on If I should go with Apple paying 600 euros or with this process paying around 135 euros.

here´s a video from them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi5aHLgKbVs

what do you guys think?

lip5016 wrote:

***UPDATE***

 

 

LESSON:

 

ALWAYS GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY W/APPLE PRODUCTS!

A laptop shouldn't fail like that within 3 years.

And what about the majority that did get apple care but had it fail after more then 3 years?

So many died after their apllecare only just ran out...

In Europe we have a 2 year legal warranty. Taking apple care only prolongues it with another year in fact.

Yes, a measly ONE year only, no matter how Apple sells it.

If they stand behind their products It should be the legal warranty PLUS 3 YEARS extra.

It's a hardware, most likely prodcution/soldering problem, epxlained enough by me and some others before.

They should take responsability for it.

Ther was a German consumer on telly, it was about another problem with his macbook, but at the end, the famale presenter said, and I quote:

"I can not understand how apple with such a service can be so successfull"

Abouth the gpu failing problem.

I am also starting to think they used a pcb "finish", like enig or something.

Noticed after cleaning some boards have dull and/or colored pads, some black.

A known problem with enig is black pads which gives problems.

This mighy add to problem, maybe even more on refurbished pcbs or repairs.

i had the same trouble too... my macbook pro late 2011 after only three years of use has decided to death... I gave it to an apple centre and now i have to spend 620€ to fix it! it's a shame! i hope that Apple will take care for us and will start a refund program.

I had my fingers crossed, not thinking the upgrade would FIX the problem (software cannot fix a hardware issue, no brainer), but hoping it would alleviate some of the pain... to no avail.

After day 3 of smooth operations after upgrading to Yosemite I'm back in the reboot loop. I know some folks will say, "told you so", well deserved, but I wonder what gave me a break in the cycle. Pure luck? Anyone know how decipher some of these log files?

same here. my mac book pro 2011 fatally crashed last week. brought it to the genius bar. genius told me it's the graphics card that failed. only found this thread now. I will have to pay about 600 swiss francs for the repair. it will take a week till i get it back. somehow there are many who experience this problem.