Q: 2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

akamyself wrote:

 

thanks for the advise, dear level 8, but that is not a goal of mine.

That is clear thanks.

Avid Mac fan since 1986 here! My early-2011 MBP 17" bricked a couple months ago in Phoenix, AZ due to the widely documented GPU/overheating/failed tin solder issue. Fired off two polite, but imploring letters to Tim Cook and Associates. I documented my problem here earlier about all the games played by the geniuses at the Apple Store in Phoenix, like the head genius feigning total ignorance of the overheating problem plaguing early 20111 MBPs and thereafter charging me $323 for a logic board switch-out. The repair center they shipped my laptop to also removed my nearly new 2x48 GB of Crucial RAM, replacing it with just 2x 2 GB of Apple-supplied RAM and not following customary store procedure by returning the removed RAM to me. My SIMMS were promptly returned, after the geniuses admitted a "mistake" had been made. They also assured me (untruthfully) that I'd been given a brand-spanking new motherboard with a faultless GPU, to alleviate my concern that the paltry 90-day warranty would not be a problem for me later on.  Anyway, the "new" (actually, refurbished) motherboard started giving me the same kind of precursor video glitches within hours, but the machine lasted until I got back to my home in Germany 6 weeks later. This time, I took my most-recently bricked MBP to Gravis (an authorized Apple dealer), armed with a pre-authorization by Chris, my Apple customer service rep, for a second replacement motherboard at no additional charge to me. So one week later, I'm home again using my laptop and I'm noticing certain aberrations, like the fans blowing continuously (i.e., never stopping). This seems a sure harbinger of problems to come. Incidentally, Chris at Apple had intimated (without any firm commitments) that he'd make sure the second motherboard would be "covered" for at least a year, despite the official 90-day Apple warranty on replacement parts if it should fail; also, that should a second replaced motherboard fail, I could most likely expect to be given a replacement laptop. We shall see, but from what I'm observing now, I don't expect this latest motherboard to last any longer than the previous one. Even if it does, I'm not sure if I can put up with noisy cooling fans running full-blast all the time. I've already put my name in the hat in a certain class-action lawsuit since I was a resident of FL when I bought my laptop in Berlin, plus I signed a certain petition that I understand gets our posts deleted off this forum by Apple if we mention those specifically.

Prevention tips?  Hi all, I have had my logic board replaced twice now by apple (thanks to european consumer law) - the 2nd time the problem happened after only a couple of months of use. I want to do my best to avoid this happening again, I need my laptop 24/7. I'm wondering if it may help to have gfx card status keep my laptop switched to integrated only except for when I really need the extra graphics power? I'm guessing the fault would only develop when the discrete chip is in use? Or would it make no difference ? Any other tips for prevention are welcomed, thanks!

DJMATMAN, I think gfxcard status app helps, but it's not the complete or perfect solution by far since it cannot prevent some apps from switching your laptop mac back to the discrete chip. Probably better at delaying failure due to overly hot-running GPUs and CPUs in close proximity to each other (compounded by the use of lead-free solder) would be to install one of several apps that activate the cooling fans at lower temperature thresholds. Another important preventative measure would be to remove Flash, which is very processor intensive. As I understand it, these three things are the best measures can help to extend the life of our defect-riddled early-2011 MBPs. My MBP17" has already seen two replacement motherboards and the current one already seems to be on it's way out.

Csound1 wrote:

 

D3us wrote:

 

OK, I'll bite. Where does it say that it is suited to gaming? Post a link please.

 

<Edited By Host>

Link was allread in it:

http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/performance-retina/

Look at bottom of the page.

I already replied to it, please read more than just a few lines.

Early 2011 Macbook Pro.  Issues with graphics.  When using programs like iphoto, powerpoint, etc. have had times when the screen goes black with vertical stripes of different colors.  Fan gets very loud.  Computer even shuts off and remains off at times.  Other times, computer won't boot when opened up and goes to a white apple screen with faint horizontal lines and then a white unresponsive screen.

In Sept. 2014, had logic board, battery, magsafe board and clutch barrel replaces by AppleCare Service at reasonable price.  However, am still having similar issues with the computer since then. 

I am frustrated at the amount of time and money this troubleshooting is requiring.  We use this computer for school, so it also affects my children's schoolwork to not always be able to use it or depend upon it. 

Wow! Look at this amount of people having this issue I am having with my Late 2011 Macbook Pro 17"... Hopefully Apple is willing to replace my logic board!

I guess Apple really does not care. I have serious doubts about Apple ever since I read newer devices have RAM SOLDERED ONTO THE MOTHERBOARD. Do you hear me? RAM SOLDERED ONTO THE MOTHERBOARD. The only way to revitalize a mac (or other brand of computer) was always to upgrade RAM after 2-3 years, because the software and the operating system will eat more RAM when they get more advanced over time after updating and a growing shortage of RAM is the main source of a slow computer after a few years. Same goes for the hard drive. Standard hard drive is now 500GB, a bigger one (1TB) has to be soldered by Apple on purchase costing a whopping 500 euro's extra!!!

What this really means is that Apple is now building in 'PLANNED OBSOLESENCE' in their products. I have been using Apple products for a pretty long time now (12 years), and I always have been a fanboy, but I am seriously doubting to spend my money again.

Am now experiencing this issue -- late 2011 MBP, 15". Had weird crash-art style hard freeze, could boot up OSX in safe mode. Since I'd reformatted recently I figured I'd messed up when bootcamping and gave it a fresh install of everything. Was good to go for two or three days of light use, then got the screen shift, and then got another crash-art freeze. Took it to the Apple Store, talked to a tech who said he had been seeing these (I'm not sure what that means in the big scheme of things, but it didn't mean 'Recognized hardware issue in the book'), and sent it in for service.

Am now out $310. Am not especially happy about it but this thread has me a little worried that it's not going to be actually fixed / that this machine will have dependability issues moving forward. I guess it's cheaper than a new machine, but I really hope this issue gets resolved sooner rather than later.

See also http://www.wired.com/2012/06/opinion-apple-retina-displa/

One of the masses. Same GPU/LB issues. It started with pixelated graphics, progressed to a grey screen at start up with a groovy little purple apple that ended with the striated blue screen of death. Bought the 15" early 2011 MBP as my first Apple product and loved it until 2 months ago... now I've got a $2000 paperweight unless I want to go through all the hassle and repair cost lamented in the posts here, blogs and bulletin boards all over the internet.

Previous laptop was a cheap HP which, incidentally, lasted 2 years longer than my mac.  So much for the fabulous, dependable product and customer service I heard so much about.  My next 'disposable' laptop with be another cheapo, certainly not another mac unless by some miracle Apple makes this right.

Thank you Kosovar for your reply! I did not think to use fan cooling software, I have used 'Macs fan control' software before with my imac for an unrelated issue, it seems to work well, I will get it now for my laptop. Good luck with your MBP17". The genius guys at the apple store here in London have been very, very good about helping me with repairs etc. and I am grateful for their customer service on this level - however when i ask them about the prevalence of this issue I have noticed they avoid commenting, as if they are well aware of it's scale but are maybe told not to say anything! I really hope Apple comes through with a more permanent solution.

I have a situation similar to what I have read throughout this post. The symptoms start the same, unexpected deformations of the screen, for example I opened up Photoshop I got the "Blue screen of death", funny . Now the damage is so severe that I can't even start the computer in safe mode. In attempt to repair the computer, I researched key command start up procedures using the single sign mode, unmounted the disk etc. To my excitement I see all my files in tact, but again after the reboot, the lines of demise returned and no bootup. My computer has the bootcamp installed, I'm not sure if that was the issue, however I was able to open up Windows 7 in safe mode, although the screen items were deformed. Thank goodness for my bootcamp installation, because I was able to turn in some work even with the ugly screen.

Thinking that it was something that I did, because I am a application developer, I went to best buy and purchased a Solid State hard drive in hopes to repair the computer. To my dismay, right before I was able to even install the software, the screen had lines across it like a note paper, funny . Like most you my computer is a late model 2011 15'. I am pretty frustrated to have to chuck out another $3000 bucks just to get a new computer. When my old PC which is a 2008 model HP is running so smooth, still. Insult to injury is the fact that new mac laptops don't even have the Ethernet port that I tend to use for some auxiliary phone equipment, vonage specifically. From the amount of people who has been affected by this mac virus, I think Apple's highly successful year will be fighting some kind of class action law suite, because it's too convenient to create a self destructing device aka a Lemon. I have a lot of work to be done, and this inconvenience is killing my business. Unfortunately, I have to purchase another mac because I can't just switch the OS with some of the software I am developing. I have purchase considerable about of mac software that I use for my company, but now because of the empirical nature of the Apple empire they can get away with selling a self destructing product. Apple if you see this post at least do an investigation or some kind of recall. It's messed up because my apple care ran out as soon as the problems occurred. But seeing some of the post, having the apple care would not have any solution. Regardless to how the procedures are set with the Apple brand, there should still be some kind of consideration. How do I know I wont be going through the same issue with the new computer in the next 3 years?

I'm pretty convinced this is some kind of hacker virus that affects the core system files because the computer some times come up after multiple shutdowns and start ups, so ridiculous

I had to vent

Csound1 wrote:

 

I already replied to it, please read more than just a few lines.

Maybe something you should have done first?

Read more then just a few lines, follow the link and read enough lines again?