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Level 1

18 points

2011 MacBook Pro Graphics Issue $40 Fix!!!

I have a 15" 2011 MacBook Pro, and about a month ago it started having all sorts of graphics problems. The screen was locking up, the system would start to reboot and then lock up or continue to reboot over and over again. Sometimes there would be lines on the screen. I would get errors that popped up saying there was a graphics error. The computer would get super hot on the bottom. It was a mess. Granted it worked most of the time like normal but it would go into spurts of not working right for a day. I'd have to hard reboot numerous (up to 12 times) times to get it to work right. The disk Utilities said the hard drive didn't have a problem, I ran the hardware test that comes on the CD that came with my computer back in 2011 and it said there were no problems, but it just kept happening more and more. I looked online and there was a bevy of information on the logic board graphics issues. I took it to the Apple Store at the Polaris Mall here in Columbus expected to have it shipped off to Apple to get a new logic board for $360 or so. I was fine with that, despite reading that lots of people have this problem with 2010/2011 MacBooks and that it was all Apple's fault and there were class action lawsuits etc.

At the Apple store they ran some test and said, yes it was probably the Logic Board, and that there were bad ones produced in this model, and that maybe Apple will issue a recall or extend the warrantee etc, but nothing had happened yet. The Tech told me that most likely the problem is the Thermal Paste that connects the graphics card to the logic board (I have had apple computers (Apple IIc, Centris, Performa, iMac, iMac and now a MacBook Pro) so I know very little about the insides of these machine since they just work when I open the box). He said that some of boards that were made had bad thermal paste in them that over time (usually after the warrantee has run out) hardens/loses its gooeyness. It causes all sorts of different issues as a result. He said that Apple knows this, but can't do the repair themselves (they'd just put a new logic board in) but there is a local apple service place called Elan in town that would do the paste for me. I called them and they said it was very unlikely that the paste would be the problem, but agreed for a $40 diagnostic fee to take out the old past, and put in new paste.

It worked. They were amazed and intrigued.

My computer came back and works great. Granted I just got it back tonight. Granted the tech said it could have been just opening it up taking everything out and putting it back in. Who knows. But for right now it works, and it only costs me $40. Elan wants me to keep them updated on whether the fix keeps working. I can already tell the computer is a lot cooler on the bottom. They said that in the past they have replaced logic boards and 90 days later the problems have come back.

I'll keep you posted on here if it keeps working or fails again. I know that there are many more of us out there waiting for Apple to fix this issue for free. In the meantime this fix might help, even for a short term for those of you that need to finish a project, or back up data before a more permanent solution is found. Who knows, maybe this is a permanent fix.

I have been a lifelong Apple supporter, and am hopeful this will help.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7), Intel Core i7, 2.2Ghz, Quad 4/2111

Posted on Jan 15, 2015 6:24 PM

Best reply

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Posted on Jan 15, 2015 6:42 PM

Hi,

Well if this solves this problem partly this would be a major revelation!

You should repost your whole explanation here:

2011 MacBook Pro and Discrete Graphics Card

Have you read through this thread? It's now over 11,000 replies. Do these faults described here match yours? So people having this problem could try your solution and post the results?

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21 replies

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Jan 22, 2015 4:36 PM in response to danimalapple

danimalapple,

Hook an external monitor to your computer. I'll bet the problem isn't there.

"But I can boot up fine. If I switch to integrated graphics, the problem persists.

Does this sound like the same issue?"

No, if you had a Graphics chip problem like described here and elsewhere esp. on the "discrete graphics card" thread your computer would freeze up. Since the Mac has a graphics interface any problem there causes the system to freeze.

Ryan Griffin Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 22, 2015 5:56 PM in response to Ryan Griffin

Sorry I've been offline for a few days... since Tuesday to be exact. The fix only lasted a few days. Thursday through Monday. After 4 days of working perfectly, on Monday while I was just surfing the web my screen all of a sudden split in 2 (vertically) and had horizontal striped through it. I couldn't figure out how to get the cursor to get to where the restart reboot apple thingy was (sorry I'm not a very technical person... that's why I have used a mac since my Apple IIc when I was a kid) so I just hit the power button, and rebooted. It never recovered. Instead all I got was a grey screen, or a partial reboot, where it went about an inch in and then went back or rebooted on it's own all over again. Time after time. I was able to boot to the CD that came with my Macbook holding the H key and ran a very long hardware test (the extended one). Nothing was wrong according to the test, but I couldn't get it to start all day.

My wife and I are having a baby girl any day now so I bit the bullet and took it to the apple store to pay the $310 plus tax ($326ish when all was said and done) to have it shipped off to get a new logic board or whatever they deemed necessary. That was Tuesday after school (I teach special ed). They said I'd probably get it back Monday, but they called to say it was ready today. I was grateful for the quick turn around. They replaced everything on my computer except the hard drive, top portion (the screen) and the touchpad. Meaning they replaced the logic board all the inside stuff, keyboard, medal bottom half etc. It works perfectly right now. I'm super bummed that the $40 paste did not last. I really hope that it does for everyone else. I knew it was too good to be true. And I do hope that Apple will refund my money for the fix down the road. As a lifelong Apple supporter (Apple Iic, Centris, Performa, 2 iMacs, 1 Powerbook, 1 Macbook Pro, 4 iPhones, 5 iPods, and and iPad... just to name a few of the $10,000's of dollars I have spent on apple over the last 30+ years), I know in my heart they will eventually do the right thing.

While I'm at it, I hope they bring back the original iMovie, ClarisWorks/AppleWorks, iDVD, DVD Studio Pro and other groundbreaking simple to use software that used to make Apple more than just a really nice (and expensive) hardware company. It's the total experience out of the box that works flawlessly that made us all love Apple in the first place. I miss Steve Jobs, and hope Apple can return to glory soon.

Keep us posted on if the paste fix works for all of you, as I am sure my "new" logic board will fail sometime in the future. My problem may have been more than just the paste, but I didn't have time with a baby ready to arrive any moment to try to figure out what to do next.

Jan 22, 2015 8:36 PM in response to spudnuty

Since my problem happens on both integrated and discrete graphics, and I can boot fine, where would you suggest I start troubleshooting? Maybe an issue with my LCD cable?

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Jan 22, 2015 9:26 PM in response to Ryan Griffin

Yup, bummer it didn't last.

I also miss Steve, I hope the loss of his leadership won't mean that Apple will pervert into another profit driven behemoth. Not that it wasn't very profitable before he left.

I've seen some very disappointing pieces of hardware design by Apple recently. I hope it's just a fluke but I'm not optimistic.

And yes keep all documentation on your repairs when/if Apple corrects this problem.

Good luck with your new baby. We pretty much disappeared during the month or so after our two babies were born.

Jan 23, 2015 1:44 AM in response to danimalapple

if you have the problem with both graphics units, I would think it could be the cable or the connection in the LCDcoming unstuck , its an Apple Service problem, as Spudnuty says try an external monitor

NewsView

Level 1

35 points

Nov 25, 2016 8:41 PM in response to Ryan Griffin

Hi Ryan,

I am not certain if you're still tracking this thread but I would like to know how long your thermal paste re-do worked to solve your 2011 MacBook Pro Graphics issue? I ask because the more drastic repairs are floating around on YouTube and elsewhere involving reflowing the chips by baking and other such things, and it would be nice to learn if the simplest solution ends up being the best solution (since it's a known fact among computer techs that with age and use the factory-applied thermal paste will eventually benefit from a refresh, regardless). The other related question I have is whether Apple does this type of service at all (being that it's more of a maintenance task than a repair and usually isn't necessary until a computer is well out of warranty, regardless).

BTW, for anyone who reads this: Apple is apparently continuing to repair the "video issues" for 2011-2013 MBPs through the end of December 2016:

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

After that, it looks like those who are struggling with this issue will be on their own. So in that vein, a potential lead (of which I make no warranties or representations): Some who have reported success with GPU reballing services, in which the solution is to re-solder the graphics card with lead (on the assumption that the issue stems, in part, to a less heat-tolerant lead-free solder that was used during manufacturing). The more legitimate reballing services, however, report that re-doing the graphics chipset at the same time is also necessary so do be forewarned that reflowing or reballing alone may not be a permanent fix; do your homework if you use one of these services and make sure they are highly rated by other customers who have used them for that same repair.

2011 MacBook Pro Graphics Issue $40 Fix!!!