gfxcardstatus 2.44i

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Level 1

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gfxcardstatus 2.44i

Hello all. Long story short, my 2011 macbook pro has the dreaded logic board issue. Whenever an app needs the discrete video card, it will reboot. It won't always come back up right away. It will be stuck in a constant reboot. I have to reset the pram, smc, try to go into internet recovery mode, etc. It's a crap-shoot when it will boot up. It usually does but it may take a while.

I took it to Apple. They won't repair it because it's vintage. They referred me to an authorized repair center but $ is tight, so I'm looking for alternatives. It's a great computer and runs fine when it's up.

I downloaded gfxcardstatus 2.4.4i (running High Sierra 10.3.3) and set it to use integrated only. It was my understanding that it should force any app to use the integrated gpu but apps that need the discrete gpu are still using it, like Chrome and Photos. Perhaps my only way around this is to not use those apps and find alternatives. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with the app and if I'm doing something wrong? Or will it not force apps that are designed to use the discrete gpu to use the integrated gpu?

Thanks.

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

126,979 points

Mar 12, 2018 10:43 AM in response to drthundr

Steve Schow writes that he has abandoned further development -- because there are better solutions available [for both the 2010 model and 2011 models]. In particular, the use of ArchLinux bootable CD to gain access to and re-write the EFI on the drive, and permanently disable the discrete graphics chip. This page and scroll down past the list to the blog:

https://github.com/steveschow/gfxCardStatus

there are two similar procedure listed. I used the second from MacRumors as it seemed easier. I have made the Arch Linux bootable CD on another Mac, and tried this approach. I now have a perfectly-functioning MacBook Pro late 2011 15-in model with Discrete Graphics semi-permanently disabled. Runs just fine.

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

148,321 points

Mar 12, 2018 10:46 AM in response to drthundr

FWIW. I don't have the 2011 model, but have the Mid 2010 MacBook Pro. It ran fine for years, but starting to have issues with graphics displaying pink lines over any white background areas on the screen. This model also has the combo integrated/discrete graphics processors and is known to be problematic as well.

I installed and used gfxcardstatus, and although it helps alleviate the symptoms, it (of course) doesn't actually solve the problem. In my case, if I set to start up in either integrated or discrete, it does just that. However, some apps, like you noted, will attempt to use the other processor and I do notice a temporary glitch when this happens.

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Answer 3

drthundr Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 20, 2018 1:51 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for the info. I ended up purchasing a new Macbook Pro. The repair center wanted $700 and they said it would be refurbished parts. I will keep my old one since it still runs great when it runs. I'll make it my little project to go the bootable cd route and disable the discrete graphics card. I'm not too familiar with Linux but I should be able to follow directions. Thanks again!

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Answer 4

Lanny

Level 6

13,183 points

Mar 12, 2018 10:34 AM in response to drthundr

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gfxcardstatus 2.44i

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