Overheating graphics card failing, need more cooling?

Mid-2010 15" model?

Mid-2010 15" MacBook Pros - the bad NVIDIA GPU

If you're having frequent kernel panics with your 15" mid-2010, or intermittent screen problems, the problem is, more than likely, the faulty NVIDIA GPU found in a number of those machines.

Here's just a sample of a kernel panic log that points to the faulty NVIDIA card:

Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):          com.apple.GeForce(6.4.0)@0x82ac4000->0x82b7afff             dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(6.4.0)@0x834a0000             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.2.1)@0x82fd3000             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)@0x7a802000             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.2.1)@0x8301b000          com.apple.nvidia.nv50hal(6.4.0)@0x83c05000->0x84019fff             dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(6.4.0)@0x834a0000          com.apple.NVDAResman(6.4.0)@0x834a0000->0x8378dfff             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)@0x7a802000             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.2.1)@0x82fd3000             dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.2.1)@0x8301b000

Here's the "official" Apple take on the issue - but the very real kernel panics need not be preceded by 'Intermittent black screen or loss of video'... in fact, you might not experience any video problems at all. Although video problems can certainly be a portent of things to come…

So what can you do? Print out a copy of your kernel panic and a copy of the Knowledge Base article and take them, along with your machine, to your local Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. They should be more than willing to install a new logic board at no cost. I have no idea why this faulty GPU is making the headline here on the MacBook Pro forum so often now - could it be because Mountain Lion is just bringing the issue to a head more readily? I don't know - I only know that we're seeing more and more of these kernel panics of late.

Good luck,

Clinton

I am thinking that either my graphics card has finally had enough and can no longer handel the heat, or my macbook is no longer cooling properly

If your thermel sensors aren't working properly/fans aren't functionally properly, then you could damage your logicboard at temperatures above ~210 F according to intel. Not sure about the discrete GPU (nvidea's) thermal limit, though.

I get a bunch of colored squares streaking across my screen and the laptop either recovers right away, or has to force a restart.

This sounds like a busted GPU.

Are there any other ways of keeping it cool?

Download smcFanControl for Mac

Download iStat Menu as well to read the actual temperatures. "Hot to the touch" is too subjective, not quite sure how to convert that into C or F 😎...

See if this Apple Repair Extension Program applies:

https://support.apple.com/kb/TS4088

To replace the GPU will require replacing the entire logic board and that will cost $800±. and that is probably not your problem.

The temperatures that you are reporting may not be out of line for the applications that you are using. Thermal shutdown will occur at about 105° c.

Open Activity Monitor and set it to show ALL PROCESSES and %CPU to display values from high to low. What applications are using high CPU percentiles? Post the display for evaluation like this from my MBP:

It may very well be that you really do not have a temperature issue and the MBP is operating as 'normally' for the given conditions.

Ciao.

I have seen graphs from temperature recording applications but I do not remember the names. You might do a search for one.

WOW is taking a fair amount of CPU resources, but there is nothing unusual in that. What were the CPU temperatures when you made the screen shot?

Google Chrome is the worst browser you can have on a MBP. That may be a contributing factor to your temperature situation.Get rid of it. I use Firefox, Safari and Opera.

If you shut down WOW and Google Chrome, what are the CPU temperatures?

Ciao.

See Clinton's original response. The NVIDIA GPU is clearly causing the issue.

Perhaps these two article will answer that question:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_panic

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3742

Ciao.