2006 MBP Gets Raging Hot, Crashes

Lines look like a cooling issue.

Possible open it up and blow some dust out with compressed air?

sbrhwkp3 said:

Build 10D573.
Mac OS 10.6.3
2 GHz Intel Core Duo
1.5 GB RAM

Running iTunes, Adium, and Safari is about the extent of the work I do on this computer.

Yet it consistently runs ridiculously hot and crashes. I also get weird lines through the screen, as you can see in the attached screen shot.

Can anyone give me any insight on what I can do to prevent this from happening?

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Mine did the same thing. I took it to the Apple Genius Bar, when it was still under warranty. However, the problem was intermittent – and it did not present itself when I was at the Apple Genius Bar. I explained these "symptoms" in detail, but they just told me they had no idea what was wrong, and I should come back when I can show the problems. It got worse and worse, but remained intermittent, so I did not try to come back to the Genius Bar to deal with it. Then it was out of Apple Care warranty, and my computer just completely died.

In retrospect, I think there was something wrong with the video card, and/or logic board. I didn't know at the time, but looking at it in retrospect, after researching this a bit more, it seems like the symptoms (which further developed) were classically what I've read about a defective or failing GPU.

I think they should've recognized this from my description, and tested for it, and dealt with it, when I brought it in, while it was still under warranty. Though it was out of warranty when it finally died, I intend to pursue this further, because I brought it in for this issue when it was still under warranty, and they didn't take care of it.

I don't know whether your case is the same as mine, but your picture and description match the case with mine, toward the beginning, perfectly.

I wish you luck.

sbrhwkp3 said:

Deep down, I suspected this was the issue. But I was hoping that the intelligent members here could help me out with some ways to help extend the life of this beast.

Obviously, I'm out of warranty as well.

I'll try to open it up and get some of the dust out of there. That'd be a good weekend project for me.

But I appreciate the well wishes.

Click to expand...

It is a somewhat failing video card. ATi video cards tend to show artifacts when its heated up way too much. If I were you, I would clean the dust out of the system. Take the top lid off, here's an iFixit link. It's not hard at all, and use compressed air cans and clean out the fans and heatsink. If you're savvy enough, you can remove the fans to get the large dust pieces caught in between the fans and heatsink.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/...-Model-A1150-Upper-Case-Replacement/483/1#top

Run the hardware test on it (included with the system CD's).

Alternatively, you could check the fans only by downloading SMC fan control and monitor the speed of the left and right fans.

Mirabella said:

Mine did the same thing. I took it to the Apple Genius Bar, when it was still under warranty. However, the problem was intermittent – and it did not present itself when I was at the Apple Genius Bar. I explained these "symptoms" in detail, but they just told me they had no idea what was wrong, and I should come back when I can show the problems. It got worse and worse, but remained intermittent, so I did not try to come back to the Genius Bar to deal with it. Then it was out of Apple Care warranty, and my computer just completely died.

In retrospect, I think there was something wrong with the video card, and/or logic board. I didn't know at the time, but looking at it in retrospect, after researching this a bit more, it seems like the symptoms (which further developed) were classically what I've read about a defective or failing GPU.

I think they should've recognized this from my description, and tested for it, and dealt with it, when I brought it in, while it was still under warranty. Though it was out of warranty when it finally died, I intend to pursue this further, because I brought it in for this issue when it was still under warranty, and they didn't take care of it.

Click to expand...

I'm just writing to follow up on what I said, as quoted, above. I spoke with the Applecare support number. I told them why I thought my dead laptop should be repaired or replaced as though still under warranty. They agreed. They are sending me a shipping box to ship it to them, and said they will repair or replace it, as though under warranty.

My 2006 MB had these symptoms (minus the weird screen lines) show up a couple of months after I bought it. I took it to my university bookstore (Apple reseller-there wasn't an Apple store in my city at that time) and they ended up having to replace the logic board. Since then, I haven't had any issues. But before that, the fans would start to go crazy and the computer would just shut down at random.

Mirabella said:

I'm just writing to follow up on what I said, as quoted, above. I spoke with the Applecare support number. I told them why I thought my dead laptop should be repaired or replaced as though still under warranty. They agreed. They are sending me a shipping box to ship it to them, and said they will repair or replace it, as though under warranty.

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That is really cool. After reading your story I thought they should have taken it from you for a few days and see if they could get it to happen to them. Your experience made me think if Apple's genius bar was more like Geek Squad than what I would expect from a company whogets 350 for 3 years of CS/Tech.

Balaamsdonkey said:

Your experience made me think if Apple's genius bar was more like Geek Squad than what I would expect from a company whogets 350 for 3 years of CS/Tech.

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I could be mistaken, but my understanding in regard to Apple Geniuses is as follows:

They're not necessarily master technicians and repairmen/repairwomen. Some may be, but many aren't. They get some training in the fundamentals, but not serious advanced training. Beyond that, the way they respond to you at the Genius Bar is in accordance to a pre-set protocol that has been laid out for them. They follow a decision-tree, and conduct themselves in accordance with what the decision-tree mandates. I imagine that many of them don't have practical experience with opening up computers and looking inside, replacing parts, running serious diagnostic tests, etc. They are just the friendly face of the repair department that greets you; they are not, themselves, the repair department.

I think. That's only a guess, on my part.

ayeying said:

It is a somewhat failing video card. ATi video cards tend to show artifacts when its heated up way too much. If I were you, I would clean the dust out of the system. Take the top lid off, here's an iFixit link. It's not hard at all, and use compressed air cans and clean out the fans and heatsink. If you're savvy enough, you can remove the fans to get the large dust pieces caught in between the fans and heatsink.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/...-Model-A1150-Upper-Case-Replacement/483/1#top

Click to expand...

This will probably help you out a lot! Your laptop is now moving towards the 4 year mark and even without being in a dusty environment there tends to be a lot of dust build up over time. In a 2006 MB of a friend of mine I recently removed what seems like a vilt carpet between the fan and heatsink. This cooled it down a lot (10 - 25 degrees celcius) and stopped all the freezes and glitches.

I did the same for my 2007 MBP, not as much dust but still noticably cooler and above all more silent, a big recommendation for laptops of this age.

Use the correct tools and keep your cool and the iFixit site will guide you through it fairly easily!

Might as well do the thermal paste while you have it apart