Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Hi all,

Just thought I'd share my personal story here in the event it helps anyone...

I have an early 2011 15" MBP and this month experienced many of the same issues people have been describing here - graphic glitches, vertical lines, screen split into two sections. I took a few videos of the problem when I was experiencing it (this was key). After a while the computer refused to boot at all, showing only a grey screen. So I had nothing else left to do but read up a bit on the issue online and trot into the Apple Store (Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON). The 'genius' spent a good half hour trying to diagnose the issue. Their own networked diagnostic tool did not find anything wrong. Surprise, surprise. But seeing as it would not boot and after showing him the videos he conceded that it was indeed a graphic card issue. He then presents me with a quote for  $600 to swap our the logic board. Unlike what some others have mentioned he did not deny that this was a hardware malfunction that is widely experienced. He did tell me that Apple has not issued any protocol for how to deal with the problem for customers. This means that it is up to each individual Apple Store to make a judgement call. Since I was out of warranty his determination was that I needed to cover the cost of the repair. When I asked how is it that some people are able to get repairs covered he told me he could only speak on behalf of the Eaton Centre store and could not speculate on how any other store would react. After arguing with him for a bit I asked to speak with the manager. I waited for perhaps another 20 minutes when finally the same 'genius' came back and said the manager is unavailable, but they decided to cover the cost of the repair. Their reasoning was that because I had purchased Apple Care I have done my 'due diligence' and just because the issue occurred after Apple Care expired, I shouldn't be penalized for it. I got the impression that the Apple Store itself was taking a hit for agreeing to cover the cost. I don't know how they source the part, but I'm pretty sure Apple was not going to reimburse the store for the labour. I know it's the same company at the end of the day, but if an individual store has nothing to gain by covering a repair, they may decide not to do it - especially if they are already very busy with other repair orders they ARE making money from. This is a fine line to tread. My MBP is in repair now and we shall see how long it lasts... I'll try to remember to post again if it fails in the future.

Thanks to everyone who posted here! It really helped me approach the Apple Store with the right perspective.

Thanks a lot Akamyself, I shall try to contact him!

I am having the same problems.  It was occasional at first, but now it seems more widespread.  In my case, the fans are nearly silent..  I took the cover off to see if they were spinning... They are, but slow enough to be quiet.

When it's cool, everything works perfectl, but even as I start to. See video glitches and all sorts of strange patterns, the fans remain quiet, although super hot to the touch.

Mine is a MacBook Pro late 2011, 17" with an i7 quad core... Basically top of the line, $2999 config.

45 pages BABY !!! YEAH !!!!

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Nickiwi wrote:

 

Thanks a lot Akamyself, I shall try to contact him!

no problem.

too bad there is no private message function, though.

if no sign of him, I'll warn him via email.

Thought I would add my account to the list of MBP owners who have suffered through this issue.  About four months ago My 15-INCH, LATE 2011 MBP started exhibiting many of the issues described throughout this thread.  The Apple store said it needed a logic board replacement, which cost $310.  Had my MBP back in four days.  Hardware failures do happen, but paying a premium for an Apple laptop makes this issue harder to accept.

CouponPages wrote:

 

I am having the same problems.  It was occasional at first, but now it seems more widespread.  In my case, the fans are nearly silent..  I took the cover off to see if they were spinning... They are, but slow enough to be quiet.

 

When it's cool, everything works perfectl, but even as I start to. See video glitches and all sorts of strange patterns, the fans remain quiet, although super hot to the touch.

 

Mine is a MacBook Pro late 2011, 17" with an i7 quad core... Basically top of the line, $2999 config.

fans really kick off after a while when the computer is frozen, unresponsive.

usually at startup when system can't load login page and stays on grey screen, or any other screen colors with vertical stripes.

since it's heating so much, it usually turns off itself after a while.

just out of curiosity, what system are you running and what software are you using when the discret starts to freak out the system?

DoctorDealieDo wrote:

 

Thought I would add my account to the list of MBP owners who have suffered through this issue.  About four months ago My 15-INCH, LATE 2011 MBP started exhibiting many of the issues described throughout this thread.  The Apple store said it needed a logic board replacement, which cost $310.  Had my MBP back in four days.  Hardware failures do happen, but paying a premium for an Apple laptop makes this issue harder to accept.

somehow luckily, US customers have a flat rate available, that's not the case in the rest of the world and we have to pay at least $600+ for an in-store 'repair'.

but what makes this issue harder to accept is really the fact that a logic board swap is Apple's only answer and won't fix anything while costing so **** much.

hope yours will hold a while.

most of all, that Apple won't charge you when it fails, again.

i keep getting the same issues.

macbook pro retina late 2012

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You can pm me.

Thanks Akamyself - in fact I just clicked on his name and his email address came up. I've emailed him and also found a firm in Belgium, I have no idea yet if they can actually do this type of work - I shall see tomorrow (here it is 19:45 now).

Thanks D3us. In fact I have sent you an email as I could not find a pm function here - I need to look further!

The fact the logic board "fix" is $600+ alone is bad enough, but the truly loathsome aspect is that almost everyone who's had it done has said the same problem recurred within weeks or months!

Are they even replacing the Logic Board, or doing a re-flow, or what? How can a part that took 2 years to fail, be replaced and fail so much quicker the second, third and fourth time?

I would pony up the money for the fix if I knew it would give me another year or two, but if it were to break a few weeks after I would be more apoplectic than I am already. Thus, I'm stuck as a very disgruntled Apple user, not knowing which way to turn.

Perhaps, I'll just buy one of those new Mac Minis that can't be upgraded, have half the processing power of the 2012 model, and can't load my preferred version of OS X.

Actually, no... I won't.

well that's basically what's been repeated many times in this thread, a logic board swap by Apple is not a fix, whether paying for it or not.

the fact it does not last as long as the one we got when we bought our computer also been said but doesn't hurt to repeat it, there is no new logic board, only refurbished ones are used by Apple to 'fix' the problem.

same bad soldering, probably already showing signs of failure but since those parts usually pass their tests, they just put it back on the market in someone else's computer, then it fails shortly after.

that basically sums it up.

I meant mail, sorry, my fault.

Have't got it yet.