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How to Check Your Mac does Not Have The Defected Sandy Bridge Cougar Chip In It

F

FOX160

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 2, 2011
118
0
OK this took some searching as I too want a sound mac book pro.

To check that you Mac has NOT got the unwanted default Cougar chip in it
is to do the following.
And guys please put this Rumor to rest, and post your tests A.S.A.P.

Go to System Profiler and note the CPU ID
Then search Google for listings range of IDs from Intel.

Or call Apple Tech Support They may have access to a data base that will
match your system serial number with the range of chips

OK show your findings
 
1.) I don't see anything like a CPU ID.
2.) Apple has already said they don't use the affected chips.
 
FOX160 said:
OK this took some searching as I too want a sound mac book pro.

To check that you Mac has NOT got the unwanted default Cougar chip in it
is to do the following.
And guys please put this Rumor to rest, and post your tests A.S.A.P.

Go to System Profiler and note the CPU ID
Then search Google for listings range of IDs from Intel.

Or call Apple Tech Support They may have access to a data base that will
match your system serial number with the range of chips

OK show your findings
Click to expand...

Apple is already using the fixed chipsets. No cause for alarm.
 
RedmoonTx said:
I thought the sandy bridge bug only affected the 3.0GB SATA ports anyway?
I thought I read that the Mac only use the 2 6.0GB ports, so does it really even matter?
Click to expand...

The DVD drive is wired to an affected SATA 3Gbps port, so it's worth knowing for sure if you might get one with the B2 stepping chipset so that your DVD drive (or whatever else you put in its place) doesn't fail in the future, but I don't know if there's any software way to know. I really do hope someone comes up with a way to check for B2 vs. B3 chipset without disassembling the MBP.

I read one teardown article that showed a chipset markings that proved it was the fixed B3 stepping version, but that's only a sample size of 1. I'm holding up my purchase until I can be sure there's no chance of getting one without that defect.

It's a little hard to believe that Apple got their hands on enough B3 chipsets in time to meet all their production needs in time for the new models' release, so it might be worth waiting for an official statement you feel you can rely on. I'll either wait to hear of a reliable test that doesn't require a teardown, or will wait a couple more months for the early inventory to clear out, or will wait to hear an official statement that explicitly says that absolutely *no* MBP2011's were ever produced with the B2 chipsets.
 
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/performance.html

Up to 2x faster at the core.

New quad-core Intel Core i7 processors are standard on the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro. And the 13-inch models feature the new dual-core Intel Core i5 processor or the fastest dual-core processor available — the Intel Core i7. All the models use Intel’s recently refined chipsets. So what does all that mean for the new MacBook Pro models? Bottom line: They perform up to twice as fast as the previous generation,1 breezing through demanding tasks like editing HD video, compiling audio, or rendering a multilayered image file. And since Mac OS X Snow Leopard is designed to take advantage of every processor core, it captures every last bit of performance from the processor.
Click to expand...
 
But it could......have one of the defective chips.......... I would wait for the next generation, you know, just to be safe......:D
 
TJRiver said:
But it could......have one of the defective chips.......... I would wait for the next generation, you know, just to be safe......:D
Click to expand...

This is absolutely false. There is no way Intel or Apple would put out computers that they knew were defective. There is no need to wait for 2012 because of a fear of getting a mbp with a defective chip.
 
TJRiver said:
But it could......have one of the defective chips.......... I would wait for the next generation, you know, just to be safe......:D
Click to expand...

no, it could not.

Not only has Apple stated it on their website that they are using the revised chipset, but intel forced all manufacturers to sign a contract that if they use the defective chipsets they cannot use the affected SATA ports (meaning only the 6gbit SATA ports can be used - port 0 and 1).

Since apple is using a 3gbit/s port for their Superdrive - Port 2, that means that they are either breaching the terms of the contract, or are using the revised chipset.
 
melterx12 said:
no, it could not.

Not only has Apple stated it on their website that they are using the revised chipset, but intel forced all manufacturers to sign a contract that if they use the defective chipsets they cannot use the affected SATA ports (meaning only the 6gbit SATA ports can be used - port 0 and 1).

Since apple is using a 3gbit/s port for their Superdrive - Port 2, that means that they are either breaching the terms of the contract, or are using the revised chipset.
Click to expand...

Apple's statement only says they are using the new chipsets, but that doesn't mean some of the earliest production could not have used used the older ones in order to meet their announcement deadlines. PR and legal people are very careful to spin words while leaving themselves some wiggle room, and they're so used to such wording that they tend to forget to be more forthright when they could've been, so we really can't be 100% sure either way right now, not until we see an explicit statement that directly says something like "no B2 stepping chips were used in any MBP2011 units."

Re: Intel's terms: We don't know what terms Apple and Intel agreed to. Apple has so much clout and such a close relationship with Intel that I'm sure their agreements are customized, so it's quite possible Intel agreed to an exception early on for the DVD drives.

Since DVD drives are used very little (as opposed to the HD), and since the defect would not show its effects for years of normal use anyway (and might never show up for the DVD for more than a few users), and given that Apple backs it's products very well, it's plausible an exception could've been agreed for some of the first couple of weeks of production, at least as 'contingency' inventory just in case they ran short of the new chipsets. That's doesn't mean I believe there might be a few MBP2011 units that slipped out with the defective B2 chips, but just that it's plausible, and I personally don't want to take any chance.

So I'll continue to wait for an official statement with more forthright wording, or some easy way to detect B2 vs. B3 stepping chips, or I'll simply wait long enough to be sure any MBP I buy has a manufacturing date after, say, today.
 
People spreading FUD as usual...ESPECIALLY NEW MEMBERS If you're going to post on an official website that you're using recently refined chipsets...to go out of your way to point that out, I would take them for their word...because the legal ramifications of lying about that is just way too great.

Several sources like the wall street journal has already pointed out that apple was using the newly refined chipsets that arent affected

Apple said its new MacBook Pro line is up to twice as fast as the previous generation, using the latest dual-core and quad-core Intel Core processors that combine graphics and computing on the same piece of silicon. The company pointed out on its website that all models use Intel's "recently refined chipsets."

Intel last month revealed a design error in its chipsets that could cause connectivity to items like disc drives to fail over time. The company has since fixed the problem and started shipments of the new support chips last week.
Click to expand...

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110224-717245.html
 
Revised Chip !!

Just called Apples Technical support to see if they are using the revised
Cougar Point chip. But the guy knows nothing of the revised chip
only knowing that they have not had a problem with the chip they
are using
Very in tresting as most on here say they are using the revised chip
 
CraiginPA215 said:
Apple's statement only says they are using the new chipsets, but that doesn't mean some of the earliest production could not have used used the older ones in order to meet their announcement deadlines. PR and legal people are very careful to spin words while leaving themselves some wiggle room, and they're so used to such wording that they tend to forget to be more forthright when they could've been, so we really can't be 100% sure either way right now, not until we see an explicit statement that directly says something like "no B2 stepping chips were used in any MBP2011 units."

Re: Intel's terms: We don't know what terms Apple and Intel agreed to. Apple has so much clout and such a close relationship with Intel that I'm sure their agreements are customized, so it's quite possible Intel agreed to an exception early on for the DVD drives.

Since DVD drives are used very little (as opposed to the HD), and since the defect would not show its effects for years of normal use anyway (and might never show up for the DVD for more than a few users), and given that Apple backs it's products very well, it's plausible an exception could've been agreed for some of the first couple of weeks of production, at least as 'contingency' inventory just in case they ran short of the new chipsets. That's doesn't mean I believe there might be a few MBP2011 units that slipped out with the defective B2 chips, but just that it's plausible, and I personally don't want to take any chance.

So I'll continue to wait for an official statement with more forthright wording, or some easy way to detect B2 vs. B3 stepping chips, or I'll simply wait long enough to be sure any MBP I buy has a manufacturing date after, say, today.
Click to expand...

You do have a point. Apple did leave themselves some "wiggle room" as many companies do. Semantics... sigh:(

However, I don't know if Apple would be that audacious. Although it may not go far, customers may have a case for a class action lawsuit.

That's one of only 5 or 6 revisions Apple is advertising on that page. It's something customers would be looking for. I highly doubt Apple would advertise something in that manner and NOT do it.
 
Already discussed here
Oh wait.. That was you who started the thread?? Weird.

Why do you think some random on the other end of the phone at Apple should know this?
 
CraiginPA215 said:
Apple's statement only says they are using the new chipsets, but that doesn't mean some of the earliest production could not have used used the older ones in order to meet their announcement deadlines. PR and legal people are very careful to spin words while leaving themselves some wiggle room, and they're so used to such wording that they tend to forget to be more forthright when they could've been, so we really can't be 100% sure either way right now, not until we see an explicit statement that directly says something like "no B2 stepping chips were used in any MBP2011 units."

Re: Intel's terms: We don't know what terms Apple and Intel agreed to. Apple has so much clout and such a close relationship with Intel that I'm sure their agreements are customized, so it's quite possible Intel agreed to an exception early on for the DVD drives.

Since DVD drives are used very little (as opposed to the HD), and since the defect would not show its effects for years of normal use anyway (and might never show up for the DVD for more than a few users), and given that Apple backs it's products very well, it's plausible an exception could've been agreed for some of the first couple of weeks of production, at least as 'contingency' inventory just in case they ran short of the new chipsets. That's doesn't mean I believe there might be a few MBP2011 units that slipped out with the defective B2 chips, but just that it's plausible, and I personally don't want to take any chance.

So I'll continue to wait for an official statement with more forthright wording, or some easy way to detect B2 vs. B3 stepping chips, or I'll simply wait long enough to be sure any MBP I buy has a manufacturing date after, say, today.
Click to expand...

Oh for pete's sake, as pointed out above Apple themselves explicitly say they use the new revised chipset. That's your official statement. Unless you have proof you words are qualify as libel.
 
Yep, the chips are broken, all of them. They also use glue made out of unicorn tears to hold the computer together.

You'd better just hold off on buying one until 2013.5 when the whole system will be rebuilt with feathers and stray hairs.
 
bcaslis said:
Oh for pete's sake, as pointed out above Apple themselves explicitly say they use the new revised chipset. That's your official statement. Unless you have proof you words are qualify as libel.
Click to expand...

I think you either misread my statements, bcaslis, or I don't know which statement of mine you're referring to.

To clarify my wording for you: From what I've read so far, Apple only said they use the new chips. From a legal standpoint, that language doesn't actually say what most people would assume it implies. It's a statement about the present, so it doesn't assert a claim about production prior to when that statement was made. (It doesn't even say they don't also use something else or won't, although it obviously wouldn't make sense to use anything else now that supplies are becoming available.) If there is a more specific official statement from an Apple, I would love to see the words.
 
CraiginPA215 said:
I think you either misread my statements, bcaslis, or I don't know which statement of mine you're referring to.

To clarify my wording for you: From what I've read so far, Apple only said they use the new chips. From a legal standpoint, that language doesn't actually say what most people would assume it implies. It's a statement about the present, so it doesn't assert a claim about production prior to when that statement was made. (It doesn't even say they don't also use something else or won't, although it obviously wouldn't make sense to use anything else now that supplies are becoming available.) If there is a more specific official statement from an Apple, I would love to see the words.
Click to expand...

This is getting so old:
http://www.macworld.com/article/158134/2011/02/mbp_update.html

"Earlier this year, Intel discovered problems in the chipset of Sandy Bridge processors that were shipping, but Apple vice president of worldwide Mac hardware marketing David Moody told Macworld that the company was using the latest updated versions, which corrected the flaw."

Can we never...ever...talk about this again? Pretty please?
 
ECUpirate44 said:
This is absolutely false. There is no way Intel or Apple would put out computers that they knew were defective. There is no need to wait for 2012 because of a fear of getting a mbp with a defective chip.
Click to expand...

Um, ever play with an iphone 4? I guarantee apple knew about the issue, but was too late in the distribution cycle to bring them all back.

Thus, the damage control.

And yes, my iphone4 has the issue. Do I care? Nope.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Oh no, some of the chips are defecting? Where to?!!
 
CraiginPA215 said:
I think you either misread my statements, bcaslis, or I don't know which statement of mine you're referring to.

To clarify my wording for you: From what I've read so far, Apple only said they use the new chips. From a legal standpoint, that language doesn't actually say what most people would assume it implies. It's a statement about the present, so it doesn't assert a claim about production prior to when that statement was made. (It doesn't even say they don't also use something else or won't, although it obviously wouldn't make sense to use anything else now that supplies are becoming available.) If there is a more specific official statement from an Apple, I would love to see the words.
Click to expand...

This is ridiculous. They statement doesn't apply to laptops made after a certain date. You are assuming guilty until proven innocent. Their statement is official and there isn't going to be something else. If that's not good enough for you then you should go buy a Dell. I'm sure they would never lie about defective parts. ;)
 
xxjudgmentxx said:
.... David Moody told Macworld that the company was using the latest updated versions, which corrected the flaw."

Can we never...ever...talk about this again? Pretty please?
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting that new citation. Unfortunately those words seem to report the status at the time of the interview. If he meant "have only been using" I wish he would have said that.
 
CraiginPA215 said:
Thank you for posting that new citation. Unfortunately those words seem to report the status at the time of the interview. If he meant "have only been using" I wish he would have said that.
Click to expand...

The interview was the day the new MBPs were released...and at any rate, do you seriously believe Apple would A) Use a faulty part to begin with (everyone knows they're prissy pieces of crap with their QA/service) or B) Use the faulty chipset and knowingly put the ODD on one of the affected ports?

I mean, c'mon.
 
bcaslis said:
This is ridiculous. They statement doesn't apply to laptops made after a certain date. You are assuming guilty until proven innocent. Their statement is official and there isn't going to be something else. If that's not good enough for you then you should go buy a Dell. I'm sure they would never lie about defective parts. ;)
Click to expand...
FWIW, I, too, believe Apple wouldn't lie and I do believe what they actually said is true. I'm sorry it upsets you, but when spending $$$$ I just don't think it's prudent to rely on statements meaning anything more than what their words literally say, and I can't be sure what they really mean if they don't say it explicitly.

Would it be possible to return now to the OP's original question? Is it possible to detect the specific chipset version of a MBP without disassembling it?
 
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