yosemite graphics problem on macbook

It sounds like you need to take your MacBook Pro in for diagnosis, and they might find your graphics card is malfunctioning, too. Since my MacBook Pro (like yours, early 2011, 15") was serviced (new graphics card and logic board) the issues have not resurfaced.
Thanks to that wonderful gfxCardstatus application I see how flash-driven websites cause the discrete card to take over, which previously caused my display to go crazy and blank out.

It cannot be a coincidence that these issues occurred with Yosemite, but if you're suffering these issues with 10.10.1 then it may be hardware-related.

I'v have the issue on Retina Macbook Pro 15 mid 2014. Problems on Yosemite.

I'm getting very similar results on an early 2011 MacBook Pro 17". Seems to be ok with graphics switching disabled. Resetting PRAM seems to help but I've gone through so many gyrations getting it back up I'm not sure what gets it back. Resetting PRAM turns on graphics switching so the first step after getting it running is to disable graphics switching. Command R doesn't work, the backup startup partition isn't there (hidden for some reason). I built a USB startup drive that I've used to run Diskutil which seems to clear it up, again I don't have a clear set up steps to recover.

There's a long thread about graphics issues on the early 2011 machines (prior to Yosemite) that required logic board replacement. No idea if it's a hardware issue at this point. When it's running properly it passes all diagnostics. My computer worked absolutely perfectly until Yosemite, I'm convinced it's bugs in Yosemite. Either way (hardware or software) Apple needs to stand tall and FIX THE ISSUE!

We paid a premium for these machines and they better last more than a few years!

I really really don't want to go back to a Windows machine but if Apple doesn't get this fixed, or at least offer an economical repair option, I may be forced into it. I'm not going to pay a huge repair bill for a board replacement when it's clearly an Apple defect affecting thousands of customers. They may be virus prone and need constant updates but Windows 7 works pretty good and my old IBM machine keeps on working.

Anyone at Apple listening to us customers?

Have the same problem i read somewhere that it was related to a bug in Nvidia chipset,.. but it was working well after installing Yosemite on a macbook pro 2011....

My MBP 15" early 2011 does not have the NVIDIA chipset. The PCi Chipset Model is AMD Radeon HD 6490M and the built in Intel HD Graphics 3000. For sure the problem is there after installing Yosemite. During the past weeks it used to restart, telling me that a graphics error occurred. I sent the report to Apple. Was not solved in 10.10.1. Hopefully it will be taken care of in 10.10.2

I totally agree with SuperD03. Is Apple listening to Europe as well? Is Apple listening to their loyal customers at all? I have a stack of MBPs that suddenly died over the past years, including ones with dead GPUs, a 17" Powerbook G3 with the faulty display that Apple never had the courage to recognise as a production error, but almost every owner had. Interestingly, the only machine from the past that is still up and running is my rock-solid 1998 Powerbook G3...

Update:

I completely downgraded my OS with Maverick and that seemed to fix the problem for about 1 week. But to my dismay, I would still have a problem after a few hours of use in which the video would flip out. (lock up, screen flip over to the side, and other weird issues). I brought it to the Apple store and they replaced the Logic board. My macbook pro works great now! No issues with the video. But I am not going to upgrade again to Yosemite until maybe a couple of months. The reason, is that some items like my Wacom tablet stopped working, not compatible with Yosemite and I want some OS patches to be released before I move over again.

Guys I'm having the same problem. After a Kernel Panic, which actually was triggered by Intego's Proteciotion software, The computer would go white after booting, staying so forever.

I tried with a safe boot, and it works. But it sticks to using the Discrete Graphic card and never switches to Integrated. Even trying to force it to do so via gfxcardstatus application.

Moreover using it in safe mode is really weird the way it acts with graphic transitions (as when using gestures for Launchpad or Spaces), showing extremely slow graphic redraws.

My setup is MacBookPro early 2011 15" used in clamshell mode with an Apple Thunderbolt Display.

Now, luckily I kept a bootable disk of my previous Mavericks installation and it's working fine. Switches between gfx cards normally, no graphic glitches, no slowdowns, etc.

The only weird thing that happened is that it wouldn't boot initially. While before I was able to boot with it fine without any problem. At another attempt to boot from it, I got ResetPassword (Yosemite version) loaded without me opening it (!!!) and it asked for decrypting the Mavericks disk (file vault 2 protected).

So I had to insert the file vault pwd to have the disk decrypted and then it started to boot.

I'd originally did a clean install of Yosemite, putting everything back in place manually.

At first I was starting to have those graphic glitches, and they were going away when doing a fast user switch. I then repaired permission and ACL on the system, and they stopped. I got it working fine for 3 days, without any problem and I though the issue was gone. But still, I didn't feel the system was snappy enough as it should have been after a clean install, especially when it came to graphic effects triggered by gestures (Launchpad and Spaces). Plus many times fans would go for maximum spin despite nothing was intensively using CPU or GPU.

Last night, while performing a DVD burn for backup and other backups to external drives, the computer was having the fans going on really high, but I guessed it was so because of the high traffic with transferring data (Intego Virusbarried also kicks in with behavioural control and real-time scanning when doing file transfers, plus there is also FileVault encryption). Then bum, the Kernel Panic and the rest of the story already mentioned above.

On my computer the Logic Board was changed one year ago, after having had to be at the Genius Bar many times. It costed me around €500,00 on a 2yrs old PRO machine that was out of guarantee just from one month.

From my experience I think there is a problem with the new drivers in Yosemite for these graphic cards.

Next thing I'm gonna try is a clean install of Mavericks and then let it update to Yosemite to check if it'll work. in this way.

Latest note and vent: I spent a freaking all night long plus one morning on this issue, feeling I was on a sluggish Windows PC instead of on a Mac.

What the heck is going on? I'm having lots of negative experiences with this Apple product, and it's a PRO computer. I had to spend money on ti to replace its logic board just after 2 yrs of use. I'm having lots of issues with just switching to the new OS.

Sorry for the double post.

I've managed to re-install Yosemite from the thumb drive I've originally used to clean install it on my MacBook Pro.

i've just installed it on top of the "broken one", and now it works again.

It just installed the base system, leaving untouched anything else.

The only thing I had to do was update via Mac App Store to 10.10.1 version, since the thumb drive was made out from the 10.10 version. It also updated printer drivers to newer ones that were released at the same time 10.10.1 was released.

Now the system works fine, it switches between graphic cards when it is supposed to do it, overall performance seems much better too, as well as for graphic glitches and no more weird behavior with those graphic effects triggered by gestures.

Touching wood, crossing my fingers, it looks like things are fine now. Tough maybe some of you guys might as well take into account trying to do the same and check if things will improve.

Good luck to all, and let's hope our machines won't be left behind by Apple so early.

I have a late 2013 13 inch Macbook Pro w/Retina display and it worked fine. After the upgrade to Yosemite, when I have my Cintiq attached to it and I power it on or restart, I get a little flicker in the bottom of the screen right after I sign in. I don't get that reaction when doing the same with my Mac Mini with my Cintiq attached to it. I haven't had any issues with freezing up, but I noticed a little window pop up that said that there was an error in graphics, which got me a little concerned. I started another conversation, asking if that meant that my GPU was going bad, but this morning I looked into it, and that's when I found this discussion and other news articles about this. I hope that there's a fix for this before it does cause damage to my GPU

I've had the graphics/failed reboot/vertical bars/ white screen issues on my early 2011 MacBook Pro, looks like the GPU failure others are experinecing. Reloaded Yosemite with no improvment. Talked with Apple support several times, polite but not very helpful. After fighting this for several weeks I setup an appointment with a Genius (hate that name) but it's 120 miles to the nearest Apple store. The local Apple authorized dealer wanted $100 just to look at my computer, not happening. I was to the point of trashing the machine and buying a new one if the repair was going to run over $1000. In the mean time I updated the SMC firmware and did a firmware reset (power down - left shift, option, command +power).

My computer has run perfectly the last 3 days and I can't make it fail no matter what I run or how hot it gets. I'm not convinced it's fixed but no point taking it to an Apple store if it won't fail. Time will tell.

FYI,

Here's the link to Apples site describing SMC problems. Worth a looks, hope it helps.

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support

Apple employees rarely reply here in the user-to-user support community.

Please tell Apple about your issues at apple.com/feedback.

HI Greg. Thanks for the reminder.

I did that too (both SMC and PRAM resets) prior re-installing from thumb drive, and it didn't work.

Only after re-installing the base system it started to work again, booting normally, graphic glitches gone, it switches fine between graphic cards when connected/disconnected from the Thunderbolt Display and when an application needs the discrete GPU to kick in.

At least this is for my situation.

Also have the same issues... Don't know if it yosemite related or that my bmp early 2011 (8.2) is failing??

Having issues booting, system hangs

I've tried to reinstall yosemite from flash drive, but then I get very strange picture (the screen is split)