Q: Early 2011 Macbook Pro 15' - Logic Board Failure

I hope to get another couple of years out of this one.  It's so darn expensive to replace.  I'll b in at the Apple store tomorrow with it again.  I'll have them fix it and if it continues I will demand it be replaced.  Wonder if that will work.  It's very scary.  I have so much on the Pro that I use daily that I don't want to transfer to my MacAir. They're supposed to be two separate laptops.  Good think I have backups.  For me though, since I reported it before the Applecare expired I should be covered until they fix it or give me a new one.  Thank goodness!  It's just down time.  With my Air I also bought the Applecare as there is nothing fixable about that one.  Disposable computers...hard to believe.

Hang in there!  I just wish Apple would fully recognize the issue instead of continuing to dance around it.  Even if they gave people refurbs of 2012 or 2013 it seems to me it would be a good move in terms of customer satisfaction.  To say there is no issue just because it doesn't show up in a test doesn't mean we're all crazy or not reporting the truth.

True, although I suspect the denial (or silence at the very least) might have to do with legal issues, ultimately linked to financial ones.

It's funny you mention disposable computers. The evolution of my own personal experience with Apple computers possibly (at least coincidentally) reflects this tendency (and not only computers, but it would seem most consumer goods these days). I own:

1) a 1993 Macintosh Colour Classic that still works today;

2) a 2001 G3 Powerbook that lasted 5 years and would probably still work if I had a substitle power cable for it as that was the problem;

3) the first 15" Macbook Pro (2006) that lasted 4 years until a logic board failure; It initally had a number of problems that led to the replacement of several items, but being the 1st generation I had wisely purchased Apple Care for it. Until the logic board failed after the 3 year Apple Care had expired.

4) an early 2011 15'' Macbook Pro that lasted 2.5 years before the logic (or graphic) board failure in February of this year.

Does that mean the next one will last less than 2 years? I guess that makes Apple Care a must now...

It seems like the logic boards have been failing for a long time.  At least since 2006.  Now I'm thinking it might be wise for me to just get the desk top version and use my Air for everything else.  I can't afford to be replacing a very expensive laptop every 2 to 3 years.  My 2010 lasted 35 years.  My other 2011 lasted about 2.5 years.  My current one lasted only one week shy of 3 years.  I upgrade now and then and pass on to my kids so that's why I've had a few.  I'm very curious now as to the 2012 and 2013;s but it's probably too soon to tell.  So if Apple Care is now a must have that even adds more to the cost.   But.....I won't own a PC.

Certainly my own experience is that the logic board has been the weakest link in the laptops. When my first Macbook Pro died due to logic board failure, I borrowed my partner's 17'' Macbook Pro (2007) that a few months later died to -you guessed it- a logic board failure. Again, after my most recent Macbook Pro's logic board death I borrowed my partner's lastest 17'' Macbook Pro (2010). Although it generally works, it has some strange graphic problems now and again (which I've posted images of on another thread), sometimes to the point where I couldn't properly see what I was working on. So now I'm borrowing someone else's old (1st generation) Macbook Air which as I've mentioned above is achingly slow at times, but so far is holding up (with the fan permanently on, however!). The silver lining of this tale is that it has put me in the habit of storing all my important current work documents in the cloud (whether iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive) as I can no longer be sure at any moment that the laptop I am using will not fail.

This may sound a bit mad, but sometimes I've wondered if the anecdotially increasing numbers of logic board failures could somehow be linked to the introduction of metal encasings (titanium, then aluminium) rather than plastic.

I always backup as well but that doesn't mean that the document I'm working on will be saved (in part) when it goes out on me.  I think with my latest event I may have lost about 20 pages of work.  Unless Word caught it in it own backup.  But my first laptop to go bad was a 2010 with a white plastic case.   I do wonder if this is a problem in an PC line.  It actually makes me very, very reluctant to buy another Apple laptop for my at home/travel use.  So today, I travel 5.5 hours to the Apple store because I'm at another location.  But each time something happens it's at least 3 hours of driving and a whole day gone.  At least the early spring weather is beautiful.

drewfisk,

Your survey of the issue is on the mark. This issue involves, but isn't isolated, to the 15" and 17" MBPs on the Mac; the same problem exists on non-Apple machines, but that depends on the brand and model.

You're curious about what causes the issue. Certainly, the logic/graphics board seems to be involved with the problem. What causes the problem in the first place is up for debate. High levels of heat, even for short periods of time, can cause the lead-free solder to loosen, or create "tin whiskers." The only fix is to (1) replace the logic/graphics board or (2) thoroughly clean away the tin whiskers that are causing the problem.

In any case, keeping your temperatures low is the one prophylactic solution that anybody can do. I keep my temps under 160F at all times, especially on a notebook. Amazingly, logic/graphics board issues start disappearing if you do this.

I would agree with the possiblility of heat causing a problem.  In my case that isn't so as I keep it elevated with air circulation all around.  I also monitor the temp and fan speeds.  You've heard of the guys that have oven baked their Mac's to sort of resolder it that way and they've worked for awhile.  Man, that's risky.

Took the thing in again.  What really bothers me is that a "high level' tech I spoke to on the phone told me the graphics chip needed to be replaced.  That it was separate from the logic board.  I knew that wasn't right but let it pass rather than argue with him.   The guy at the Apple Store confirmed that it's attached.  He then said that some just come back DOA.  Really?  So now the implication is that it might be my hard drive since after the Mac freaked out three times it won't start up anymore.  Great.  We shall see.  I'm going to keep dragging it in there until it works past the 90 day fix warranty and they tell me too bad.  Seriously I don't think one had knows what the other is doing.  When I talk to them now I actually feel I know more than they do.

The heat issue sounds like a logical source of problems that could develop down the line. In order to keep the temperature below 71ºC (160ºF), poikkeus1, I assume one must only keep a few applications open at a time (at least heavy ones) and take the start-up of the fan as a signal to shut down programmes or stop CPU-taxing activities...?

Also, I assume having an SSD would aid in keeping temperatures lower as compared to a HDD. I'm seriously considering one for whichever laptop I purchase next...

Not being all that tech savvy...please clarify what an SSD vs an HDD is.  On the fan issue..I've had running fans without much open on my laptop at all.  I always thought that something was wrong but nobody else thought so.  I started noticing that it seemed to be related to Java.

SSD = Solid State Drive. HDD = Hard Disk Drive. The HDDs are the standard internal hard drives in most computers. Because they have moving parts, HDDs generate more heat than SSDs which have no moving parts. Also, power consumption with SSDs is much lower than HDDs (in addition to other advantages save price/size ratios!).

I also had fan issues with my Macbook Pro before the logic board went out. At some point, the fan always turned on at full speed when I shut the lid to put it asleep, but it would immediately turn off once sleep was induced.

What kind of software do people use to monitor heat and fan speeds?

I've been using the app iStat.    There is a free version in the App store.  Thanks for the drive info.  I think if I have to buy another I'll buy a macmini with the SSD or fusion drive for my desk and then just keep packing around my Air as my laptop even though I prefer the size of the Pro.  With the mini I can get a lot for way less money.  Unless of course there's already some problem with that. 

Wow! I wish I'd seen this thread before! My MacBook Pro 17 inch 2011 is in for a big repair again. The logic board failed the first year and had to be replaced and the laptop is having major issues again. I have two weeks left on Apple Care.

I feel ripped off! 3500 dollars for a machine that may not last longer than three years? I had a tiny cheap Sony laptop before this one that lasted six years with zero repairs!

I switched to Apple because I am not rich and felt if I laid out for this machine which I purchased several upgrades on that it would last at least for the same amount of time as the cheap Sony I had before. It's not going to and this is its third repair since I bought it new in 2011.

The headphone jack did not work right out of the box brand new and at that time I thought of asking for a new computer since I'd paid so much and sorry but, nothing should have been unworkable right out of the box.

Logic board failure within one year and now another major repair in which I was told "it could be the logic board again."

Nothing less than a brand new replacement at this point will ever convince me to buy another MacBook Pro again. In fact I'd like to be involved with the class action law suit. This is a blatant rip off. Yes, Apple people are "nice" on the phone. That doesn't change the fact that 3500 dollars for a machine that was broken out of the box and has had to have logic board replaced within one year and is now broken again is not worth it. Especially when all I have been offered is more repair. Apple rides on their reputation of costing more due to being better machines. Well, they are NOT better machines if these experiences are any example. This is a complete rip off of hard working people's money from a company that is rolling in money.

I feel your pain!  Really.  I just got mine back from the second repair.  They put in a new logic board and replaced the optical drive this time.  I went in to my local store that sells Apple products but they are not an official Apple Store.  I sat down with a guy and he acknowledged the logic board problem...first person who has.  He also said that the lifespan of these things is 3 to 5 years and always has been.  Now if you read the fine print on every repair order it clealy says that they can replace with refurbished parts.  There is no way they will replace anything with a new computer.  It will be a refurb or they just keep repairing what seems to be broken.  The last class action lawsuit filed was back in 2010 and it was dismissed as without merit since there was no proof of intentional wrong doing or something like that. 

I would bet you money that it's your logic board again.  Hey they replaced mine and it failed in 7 days. 

It anger me as well and really makes me very leary of my laptop now.  I'm so afraid it will fail that I constantly back it up and transfew files to my Air.  For sure my next pruchase will be a macmini with a SSD or maybe the fusion drive.  When you look back you can find evidence of logic board failures back to 2006.  Way too much money too buy another.  So I'll keep the Air which doesn't seem to have issues .. yet..and go with something that may be more reliable in the Apple family.  

Microsoft must be laughing. 

Oh and since the problem is occuring withing warranty you just keep taking it back until it works for past the 90 day repair warranty.  Demand a fix even if they say nothing seems wrong because there is no way for them to diagnose or see this logic board failure coming. 

My MacBook Pro early 2011 will be going In now for the second time, I'm so sick and tired of this now and don't know what to do. There is another discussion on here about the 2011 models with the same problem with probably over +- 2000 threads of people just as frustrated as we are. We paid a lot of money for these machines and I now feel cheated sitting with a "high performance machine" that is totally useless and only lasting you two or three years. Is there no petition we can sign so we all can stand together and and make Apple acknowledge this problem and to deal with this.

I was reminded today of the Lemon Law.  Third time and they have to replace it.  So I'm going to work on mine alot over the next 90 days.  If it fails I'll invoke the law.