Macbook Pro Retina Late 2013 Video Issue

Not that I know of. TechTool Pro tests video among many other functions but I don't know if it would be the right tool in this case. Unfortunately, I think it's going to have to be taken to an Apple-authorized service center for diagnosis.

There were certain 2011-2013 MacBooks with video issues. Apple was going to honor a courtesy repair through the end of this month, last I checked. So get it in ASAP to see if yours qualifies.

Here's the link. I would call Apple if they're available today and act quickly because if your MacBook is covered it won't be covered (comped) for the issue much longer per my understanding of the following:

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

Because the graphics cards are soldered to the board, video issues aren't really fixable short of getting Apple (or an Apple-authorized) repair center involved in some way. Even though Apple's repair program officially includes only the early 2013 Retina models, it can't hurt to call Apple and try your luck anyhow. Apple's approach is to replace the entire board rather than to replace or re-solder just the video card. If the service is not covered and you don't want to be out the even bigger sum of money for a new logic board, there is a service by the seller "bga_repairs" on Ebay where lead solder is used to re-do the connection of the video card to the board (which is supposedly the problem — the lead-free solder Apple used is better for the environment, worse for the longevity of the connection to the board). I can't say for certain if the connection of your graphics card to the board is at issue but if you try your luck with Apple and they won't cover it, you can research the service offered by bga_repairs. They seem to have a lot of positive feedback.

It's my understanding that Apple Hardware Test is not as thorough as the diagnostic the Apple Store runs so you may want to schedule a Genius Bar appointment. AHT/AHD is good for memory, hard drive and checking that there is power to all the various parts of the logic board. It can report if a fan failed, etc. But my understanding is that video testing is not as comprehensive. It could be your LCD especially if you can run it to an external monitor without an issue. But from the OP it sounds as if there are some problems showing up while externally connected, too, which would point to a graphics card issue. With respect to MacBooks equipped with both discrete and integrated graphics it could be fine one minute (on integrated) and problematic the next (when using the discrete graphics card). This is fairly typical, unfortunately, of what others were experiencing because the failure concerned the discrete (not integrated) graphics. This may help explain why it seems to work at one point but at the point where an app demands access to the discrete graphics card, the glitches surface because, allegedly, the connection to the board is in the early stages of failure. Try downloading and installing https://gfx.io/ to monitor which graphics is in use when the problem occurs. Also, from what I have read, do not disable the automatic switching of the integrated vs. discrete graphics because, per the developer FAQ, apparently when you uncheck that in the System Preferences Pane it actually forces the system onto the discrete card more so than the built-in graphics. (This advice, of course, is applicable to MacBooks that have both discrete and built-in graphics cards.)

You can check out whether this applies (pertains to LG/Retina display issues):

https://9to5mac.com/2013/03/20/macbook-pro-with-retina-display-problems-in-every -dimension/