Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Each time I installed an OS, I wiped the hard drive first.  I have backups of all important files, and no longer use the machine as my primary.  I would love to, as I miss using my mac.

I am using a Linux machine right now.

When I installed Yosemite, it was to a new hard drive.

Still slow.  I installed Snow Leopard from Disc.

Yosemite has allowed the machine to function better, but it still isn't the way it should be.

I have nothing other than the OS on the machine currently, as well as the default applications that come with Yosemite.  No other apps have been installed.

Has everyone with this issue experienced consistent and constant graphics glitches? I am trying to determine if my MBP issues are related to this (maybe in the early stages?) or not.  I've had a numerous instances where it refuses to switch to discrete graphics that cause lock-ups, but only had intermittent ghosting or lines on the screen. For long periods of time (a couple of days) things seem to be okay. Then I'll plug into an external display, get some glitches and the machine will refuse to switch to discrete graphics until a restart. It seems most everyone else's issues are more severe, but they seem somewhat similar.

Like carlfromnd, I have had increasing lag issues, that until I downloaded and ran gfxCardStatus seemed to be system or software related. Now it seems that they start when the MBP tries to flip between graphics cards.

@unraveled It sounds like you have the same problems as a lot of people here. Problems switching graphics cards, ghosting and lines on the screen are classic symptoms. The mac being ok for a few days and then going bad again also seems common, I have not read that much about the system slowing down.

unraveled wrote:

 

Has everyone with this issue experienced consistent and constant graphics glitches? I am trying to determine if my MBP issues are related to this (maybe in the early stages?) or not.  I've had a numerous instances where it refuses to switch to discrete graphics that cause lock-ups, but only had intermittent ghosting or lines on the screen. For long periods of time (a couple of days) things seem to be okay. Then I'll plug into an external display, get some glitches and the machine will refuse to switch to discrete graphics until a restart. It seems most everyone else's issues are more severe, but they seem somewhat similar.

 

Like carlfromnd, I have had increasing lag issues, that until I downloaded and ran gfxCardStatus seemed to be system or software related. Now it seems that they start when the MBP tries to flip between graphics cards.

consistent and constant graphic glitches appears when using discrete, external display uses the discrete so it's only logical it triggers the artifacts and/or freeze when you plug it in.

I can switch to discrete only with gfxCardStatus while others can't but it I choose integrated only, it freezes.

others can only do the opposite so it seems to be pretty random.

been using my computer this way since late february, carefully avoiding triggering the discrete (thankfully I'm mainly coding, not designing) and never experienced any lag or whatsoever, running mavericks.

installed a linux OS on a partition just in case I can't boot on the mac OS but I never shut it down except when forced to.

this failure can be experienced differently by everyone, if you have those symptoms that are described in this thread probably means you're part of the club.

and usually, things get worse with time.

sorry.

It seems that, because of the physical nature of this problem -- no two soldered connections failing in precisely the same way -- there is, within certain parameters, a degree of variation in the effects experienced. in my own case, the computer went very rapidly downhill after initial symptoms appeared (about a week from onset to brain-death). There were, during this time, periods of 'remission' where the machine would function for several hours with every indication of complete recovery, but the symptoms would eventually return and it would take more and more hard restarts to revive it. Others seem to have experienced a more protracted process over weeks or even months.

Whatever the timescale, tne feature which is consistent is that the trajectory is invariably downward.

Count me in.

My experience in short:

- started a render job on our 15 " MBP late 2011 with anti reflection high resolution internal display

- got a grey screen and a non responsive computer

- made a hard reboot

- I have the apple logo and a spinning icon on the internal screen, nothing on external

- then internal goes grey and external gets artifacts (3 vertical lines, red green blue, repeating itself over the whole screen

- fans spinning up, area of thunderbolt getting very hot, unresponsive computer -> need to hard reboot

- unable to boot from recovery partition

- unable to boot from USB drive

- unable to boot windows beyond the first windows 7 boot screen (computer reboots itself)

- Apple Hardware Test runs through without error in both test modes

- I can boot into single user mode with command line on internal display moved files around like this:

1 run- fsck -fy  //file system check for errors, if modified re run command until it says volume is ok

2 run- mount -uw /

3 run- mkdir /DisabledExtenstions

4 move there- cd /System/Library/Extensions/

5 move files- mv AMD6000Controller.kext /DisabledExtensions/

7 move files- mv AMDFramebuffer.kext /DisabledExtensions/

8 move files- mv AMDRadeonX3000.kext /DisabledExtensions/

9 move files- mv AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle /DisabledExtensions/

10 move files- mv AMDSupport.kext /DisabledExtensions/

11 run- cd /

12 run- sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

13 check- ls /DisabledExtensions/

14 run- Reboot

- can boot and login this way with the internal display working

- unable to disable external display with gfxcardstatus, because it shows the external display still being connected (which it isn't)

- can't hibernate (probably due to moved extensions)

- can't dim internal screen anymore (probably due to moved extensions)

- scrolling in the Finder is erratic (probably due to moved extensions)

- most Apple applications do not launch including FCPX, which we needed to render the video

-> Adobe After Effects was able to start and we used the full quad core i7 power this way to render a video for 9 hours straight

On the phone with Apple support in Germany for 2-3 hours and reached the highest telephone level support you can reach (according to him), 2nd level senior advisor, of Germany.

He told me he was unaware of an issue like this. He checked the link of this discussion and then said, this was concerning the MBP early 2011 apparently (see original post) and used that as an argument against my case although the issues and workarounds are exactly the same (with varying problem manifestations of course (different artifacts on screen). Wow.

He didn't confirm or wasn't aware of a repair program being planned.

He didn't confirm or wasn't aware of a lawsuit going on and that it was the first time he heard of this.

In reference to this he said, it could very well be that even if the lawsuit would be successful, it could be that it applies to USA customers only.

He confirmed €500 as a rough quote for the exchange of the logic board and recommended not going to a Genius Bar but to an authorized Apple Service centre instead because of lower working hour costs.

This last thing I wouldn't recommend as first measure since there you can only get a repair and your issue doesn't get processed like it would be if you went into a Genius Bar first.

So the course of action would be: Genius Bar, get a quote, hope for goodwill, explain your feelings make sure they process your issue and feelings, then go to an authorized service centre for a more inexpensive repair.

The worst case scenario for me personally would be this: even if they launch a repair program, customers (like me) with a late 2011 MBP and a dedicated graphics card (1GB AMD HD6770M the early 2011 MBP had the AMD HD6750M) would be excluded although it is the same issue or the repair program would only apply to US customers.

He told me they would contact us if and when a repair program would be launched and he promised me repair costs would be compensated for (if you would have been eligible in the first place), if you repaired in the past and the repair was because of this issue.

In case of a future repair program there would be application forms to see if you are eligible for a repair.

Keep all papers and bills from the  repair! Make sure they note what was the reason for the repair so it can be used as a reference.

Tim Cook didn't respond to my email from two days ago by the way.

Give feedback to apple via:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

I used 'Enhancement Request' as topic.

Make yourself heard. Express your feelings in a civilized way.

Express to the Apple service guys you deal with that you are unhappy and sad about the situation in a non-hostile way.

Be firm but polite.

<Edited By Host>

Hello from Greece!

After a year of replacing the logic board with my apple care, the issue comes again and i don't feel right to buy a new 700+ euros logic board when i know that this issue will come again soon or later. I'm thinking also about "reballing" the gpu card but i don't want to lose any replacing program if apple finally decide to do it.

I wonder if anyone went face to face with Tim Cook and told/asked him about this issue and what they will do about it.

I'm sure they know about this issue but they don't respond for an unknown reason.

I dont know if it even happen yet before or it can be a solution, it's just an idea.

Thanks and hope for a quick solution.

<Edited By Host>

Hey An Node,

Wow I followed your steps and that let me boot too. I'm just wondering what the steps are to reverse it if I would have to.

You're the best!

Peace,

Zach

1 run- fsck -fy  //file system check for errors, if modified re run command until it says volume is ok

2 run- mount -uw /

3 move there- cd /DisabledExtensions/

5 move files- mv AMD6000Controller.kext /System/Library/Extensions/

7 move files- mv AMDFramebuffer.kext /System/Library/Extensions/

8 move files- mv AMDRadeonX3000.kext /System/Library/Extensions/

9 move files- mv AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle /System/Library/Extensions/

10 move files- mv AMDSupport.kext /System/Library/Extensions/

11 run- cd /

12 run- sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

13 check- ls /DisabledExtensions/

14 run- Reboot

 

To reverse moving of extensions. What Macbook do you have zhammel?

Count me in,

Exactly same problem started 10 days ago. MBP Late 2011 15 inch. Can it get more disappointing after taunting everybody how great Apple products and its service is? 

I will go to genius bar and face off with the poor guys there; let's see where it will go from.

I have a 17 inch Late 2011

2.4GHz i7

Intel HD Graphics 3000 512mb

AMD Radeon HD 6770M

Running OSX 10.9

Adobe Flash is an early 2011MacBook Pro Killer and a part of a Larger problem the design of the UltraThin MacBook has dealing with Heat Dissipation and in Our specific configuration, the Radeon 4000 Series Operating temperature!!!!!!

I'm on the Second replacement Logic Board installed by Apple this week and problems they diagnosed which instigated their decision to replace the logic board in the first place persists with both replacements. Called the store and was instructed to swing by first thing in the morning to take a look.

Everyone Should UNINSTALL Flash Player ASAP to avoid further degredation of the Macbook Pro hardware.

So here's my story.

from Canada.

For few months I've been having same issue as everybody else but figured it might be software issue at the time, didn't look into it further.  I didn't want to do a clean install twice within a certain amount of time since its time consuming and I knew the new OS X was coming out soon, so I waited.... new OS X came out, downloaded it, put it on a USB stick, did a clean install and after it loaded I opened safari & it crashed.... clearly I was frustrated, next day I was considering ordering a new $3000 macbook pro but fortunately that Idea went out the window with 9to5mac having posted an article that morning(Oct 17, 7:46am) in regards to this issue, I went ahead clicked on the links inside the article which lead me to a petition(which I signed) and link to this forum.

So next step I called Apple, spoke to tech support, nothing they could do on the phone, I ended up booking 2 appointment at separate Apple stores for October 18th, went to first one, got to the "genius bar", the guy did the test, came back with typical answer(replace logic board) with a big price tag on it... I left the store, called Apple, expressed my frustration, the guy I spoke to was very nice, told me to go to the second appointment at the other apple store to get a second opinion... I get to the store, the "genius" tech guy didn't bother testing computer, asked me what problem was, showed him some videos, told me he was aware of the issue and my computer was probably part of "bad" batch of GPU's, logic board replacement would fix the issue, I CLEARLY asked him after he said that, what happens if it doesn't, in his own words he said "We would replace the computer with latest comparable model" he didn't say we would need to do multiple hardware fixes.... I told him I would think about and get back to them, deep down after research I did I didn't care if I would get new computer if it didn't work, I didn't think it was right for me to have to pay for this repair or even have to go through this, my computer should last me easily another 3 years.

My next step was to email Tim Cook and few other people, didn't think anything would come from it, a week later I got a call on Sunday afternoon by this nice lady referring to my email I sent to Tim Cook, she said she was from customer relation, after talking to her, she agreed to cover the cost for the repair, I told her I wasn't optimistic but I'm not going to complain, repairs are being paid for and hopefully it works.  Few days later(Oct. 31) I dropped my laptop at the Apple Store, they told me latest it would be ready is on Nov 5th, they had the part on hand, Nov 5th comes and goes, Nov 6th I get a call telling me its ready, I go after work, we boot it up at the store and it crashes right there, they tell me it might be the hard drive, which I knew it wasn't, so I let them test it, it passes with flying colors, they tell it needs to go for service again, which isn't what their "genius" tech guy told me on October 18th, I told them not to touch it further more, but left the computer there and called Apple customer relation, after few days and hours on the phone, I had no choice but to accept another repairs, went today to the store to pick it up, seemed to be working, left the store with it, and now about 4-5 hours after I get home, it crashes again, computer automatically reboots and same message that came up before "A graphics problem has been detected" I made sure to take picture of it with time and date so I can show the store manager.  I'm not really optimistic of what will happen next, I had argument with the store manager in regards to what his employee told me, I told him thank God it crashed at the store first time so they can see it for themselves, but what about second time? he said I don't have to prove anything to them, if it happens to let them know, but I made sure to take a picture of that error message so I can back myself up and be credible.

so ya, thats my story, I know there's a lot of people who have this issue probably can't post about it here unless they have an American Apple ID, I live in Canada and I got 2, one for Canada one for USA, used my American one to post here.

sorry for the long rant & book I just wrote, but I figured I share my story and let some frustration out.

Why would you think one needs to have an american Apple ID to post in these forums?

Posting isn't restricted by nationality, but posts referring to the petition or lawsuit on this issue get deleted almost instantaneously.

I Had the same problem.

i Have macbook pro 15'' 2011.