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

Oh no!  Total failure in just a week.  Guess Monday I'm buying another computer.

I closed the lid to my MBP last night to put it to sleep.  Within a few minutes it made the sound of starting up and then a few minutes the sound of shutting down.  I then manually shut it down by pressing the power switch.  This morning it won't start up.  I get the bar and it loads about 1/3 of the way and then I get a blank screen and it shuts down.

Now I'm am experiencing the failure of my 3rd logic board/graphics chip but that's come up in the last week and not as severe as it was the previous times.  This appears to me to be a total failure of the graphics chip.  When I power the mac on I get a grey screen with the wavy lines that show a problem.  The bar is not straight but shows a wave.  The next blank screen is grey..then it goes black and shuts off.  I attempted to start it in Safe mode and did get a screen with no wavy lines but nothing there but white.

If anybody thinks this is not logic board/graphics chip failure or has any idea how to start this darn thing up please let me know.  The fact that it tries to start and loads a bit makes me wonder if it isn't Yosemite.

My early 2011 MBP crapped out on me this morning with the same symptoms. I don't know the answer, but I will follow what responses you get and post anything I find out about mine. This is my 1st failure, but that is not saying much for a 3 1/2 year old machine.

If reballing works than how about someone who's had it done tell us where!  I've also heard of reballing fail.  Someone mentioned building a Hackintosh...I can only imagine what that is and most of us don't have the ability to build any electronic/computer thing.  Great idea to sign all the petitions out there and keep the pressure on.  Also contact Whitfield, Bryson, and Mason...get email address from their website...and tell them where you live and ask them to expand the lawsuit.  So far the new lawsuit is only for CA and FL.  This is a pretty large law firm so I would think if they know the extent of the issue nation wide..actually world wide..they would be all over it.

Personally I think Apple has told all their stores to pretend they have never heard of this problem.  I can't believe they haven't been trained in how to respond to the many who come in. Same for the people who answer their tech support phones. 

I'm taking my POS in to a local store that sells Apple but is not an Apple Store.  They say they will take this up for me and try to find out what it would cost to repair it for the 4th time, not that I would do that but I need it documented.  Beats driving 2.5 hours one way to get to a Geek Bar.  This will be the first laptop they've seen with the actual problem.  Can't wait to hear what they have to say....if they can get it to boot to a screen with something other than wavy lines.

Now go contact Whitfield, Bryson, and Mason!!!

I have a really bad experience with Apple, just now.
My computer failed, and I had signed for the Apple Care program, so I handed in my Macbook PRO 15.
This is just now about 4 years old.

When fixing the problem, I thought that all issues was solved, but to my surprise, it starting to fail again.
It shuts down, runs into restart and boots up again.
This happens more and more, now sometimes up to 8-9 times per day. I hand in the unit again - this time, I had no warranty.

The tech comes back - and says that the first time serviced, they did not resolve the problem. They changed harddisk and they thought all was dandy.
But no. It is the logic board that needs to be replaced.
Now Apple refuses to fix the problem, since I am out of warranty date. 1000 USD inc. work.

This is really low standards from the "topnotch" computer company.....

I have to say - I will probably never (after 20 years as a faithful client) buy a mac product again.

For me this is after a number of bad support help from Apple.

I had a gray screen problem with my computer where it would freeze with a gray screen and not continue to the desktop. The Apple store said it’s the hard drive, they changed it and the problem didn’t go away. Then they said everything was ok with my computer and they didn’t have the time to diagnose it at the store and that I had to mail it to a different location for a repair with a flat rate of about 350 dollars. I did that and literally a day later my computer was fixed and the next day I got it via FedEx. The problem was computer’s logic board. The experience was great but I had to pay 350 dollars for something that apparently Apple has had so many problems with. Even a guy at one of Apple’s authorized repair centers told me that he will not fix it and because there has been so many problems with MacBook pro logic boards that I had to send it to apple repair center.  

When my screen went bad a local Apple seller, not an Apple Store, ran some tests and confirmed it was NOT the hard drive. 

Now, what really is interesting to me is that if an Apple authorized repair center guy said there had been "so many problems" why do the "geniuses" pretend they know of now problems?  Again, I think they've all been told what to say and do.

I have MacBook pro late 2013. 1 month exactly after warranty expired i found that the right side usb port stopped respond. i took it to the apple service center, told me that the logic board need to be replaced and it costs 700$, almost half the price of my Mac. it is just disappointing, I moved to Mac because I thought it last longer than other laptops, I guess I was wrong. Thank you Apple.

My MacBook Pro 2011 has had the same problem with the graphics and just sent it to Apple for repair for the second time.  First repair was in 2012 and now this week.  So I guess I am getting about 2 years before it breaks.  Sent in to Apple for the flat rate repair ($350-$400).  Luckily my Discover credit card reimbursed me for the first repair as it was part of the one year extended warranty I get by using Discover.

I called Apple Support and talked to a supervisor.  Of course she said she was not aware of any issues and nothing in her system said there were any ongoing problems.  She said not to believe everything I read online about problems.  Also, she said my computer was like a car and every now and then just needed to be repaired.  Thanks, that makes me feel much better!!  Of course she was not willing to cover any of the costs.

Oh well, what do you do?  Paying another $2,500 for a new one with only marginally better specs is not a good option.

That's adorable compared to my issues. I spent $1,200 on my mid 2012 13" pro that had 2 hard drive failures, hard drive cable replacement, clam shell replacement, hard drive bracket replacement, and THREE logic boards replaced in less than a year of purchase, each board costing $530 each. I do feel bad for you and you could try to find a 3rd-party service center to try to replace it. I really wish the AppleCare+ would cover accidental damage. If you end up getting a new one, get it from BestBuy. They have accidental and factory defect coverage plans for the Macs.

Also, she said my computer was like a car and every now and then just needed to be repaired.

Very funny. I have a 2002 Titanium Powerbook here that I used to death and it still works. No logic board replacements were ever required. It is not normal that logic boards wear out in a few years. Apple is desperately trying to weasel out of responsibility for a defective product, and “Customer Service” is provided to tell you sweet lies.

I’m not sure what bothers me more, the defective Macbooks or the sweet lies.

Have a some faith, and you shall be saved.

Public Relations of Apple took the matter of support team, and BAM.....

Thank you!

I got the board replaced, all i have to pay for is the labour.

I will be buying Apple again.

A

The lies are appalling and show an arrogance I find disturbing.   So it's like a car....using your numbers that would mean that if you had a problem with a $50K car you should eagerly be willing to shell out $8K to fix it.  That is ridiculous. 

Also, MrAndersForjd...what is the labor cost to replace a logic board?  I can't get Apple to tell me the cost to replace my 3rd logic board let alone where they intend to send it.  I may just pay for the 4th logic board to establish a pattern in case the court case goes national.

This is done in Sweden, so I guess labour is much higher here, but 150 USD over here.
It is quite fair, in my book. The board is more than 700 USD.

I am glad I live in Sweden, where we have stronger consumer rights and laws, far better then what is beeing provided in the US.
I would be very frustrated in your situation.

// Anders

Thank you.  If it was $150 here I would call it fair as well.  

Mine was $210 for the parts and $100 for labor, done at Denver Apple Store.