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Have you had any GPU hardware problems with your 2011 Macbook Pro?


  • Total voters
    89

Woodcrest64

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 14, 2006
1,332
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My wife's 2011 Macbook Pro is still running flawlessly with no signs of GPU problems. I'm just wondering roughly how many are in the same boat or have had GPU problems
 
2-1/2 years, zero issues. Now that I said that, it's probably going to fail immediately after my AppleCare ends, LOL.
 
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Mine worked fine for almost 3 years, then it started to fail. Now the replacement has failed and I'm going to Apple today to get that replaced. At least it's all covers under the warranties.

Update:
Returned from the Apple Store, since the 2nd logic board faild so fast and since I bought a couple of macs from that store, they gave me a new high end "15 rMBP replacement.
 
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Mine started failing towards the end of last year. Anytime it tries switching to AMD GPU from Intel HD it will send Kernal Panics and crash.

I'm sending mine in to get repaired for $300 then likely putting it up on Craigslist to be rid of it.
 
Ive had my macbook pro 2.4g i7 AMD 6770m since new and had no issues at all with GFX card. I did renew the thermal paste to cool laboratory pro liquid metal only a few weeks ago when i cleaned out fans and dusted the thing inside.

So far all is good and runs even cooler that before, but I've never seen even a glitch from the GFX card, so far its had a new battery and been upgraded to SSD 500g samsung pro, and has had 16g or ram for over a year. flys along on mavericks so no need to upgrade yet a while.


I am not sure if the GFX problem applied to the whole production run or just a batch of GPU chips. as the problem is widely reported with these macbook pro machines. apple should at least offer the people who have failed machines with in 4 years a replacement logic board or macbook pro that has no issues. but you would think the new replacement logic boards would have no issues anyway as they might have cured the problem, unless your buying old stock boards made at same time or refurbished boards even.


who knows apples logic in this situation, but one things for sure and expensive machine should not fail in 3 years!
 
Had it replaced 2 times..and it failed on the third then i decided to buy the newest version 15" rMBP..which is pretty good as it showed image retention right after a couple of days! Really great quality control apple. Definitely my last mac!
 
Yes, I'm on my 3rd logic board. Fortunately first was under warranty. Second last 6 months snd Apple replaced it free.
 
I'm on my third board...

My $3000 early 2011 Matte 17" MBP i7 2.3 GHz went 3 1/2 years without breaking a sweat. It's was a fantastic laptop. Then, all graphic hell broke loose.

I paid :apple: the flat-rate $300 logic board repair and then within two weeks that logic board went bad. I'm on my third logic board now - but I'm currently experiencing random odd graphics glitches and incredible slowdowns after three weeks. This is particularly when I'm using photoshop to edit digital photos.

It still hasn't up and died yet so I haven't taken it back. It's those damn intermittent kind of failures. At times it's virtually useless for editing photos. I'm a photographer so I'm kinda unhappy right now :(.

Good luck to everyone with GPU troubles.
 
I got lucky and mine was fine. Now I'm using a 2014 and hope it's OK until Jan 2016 it's replacement date as I've planned it out.
 
Late Oct. 17" MBP 2.5ghz (board is dated march 2012) , no issues at all.
 
Early-2011 15" MBP with matte screen, 2.3GHz (upgraded from stock 2.2) i7, 16GB RAM and 512GB Samsung 840 Pro. Succumbed to Radeongate in exactly 3 years after purchase.

Logic board replacement was over USD 700 in Malaysia (was based there at that time), so I went out and bought two late-2013 rMBPs to replace it (13" and 15", both maxed out).

After my assignment was done, I sent in my 2011 for a lead solder reball plus thermal repasting, and it's been running fine and cool ever since.

I still use it more than my 15" rMBP outdoors because of the excellent matte screen.
 
Can someone tell me what happens to your machine when you have GPU problems? I have a 2011 MBP 13".

Your Mac is not affected.

This graphics failure does not affect the 13" models as they only have integrated graphics. It is a problem with the dedicated graphics present in the 2011 15" models.
 
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Can someone tell me what happens to your machine when you have GPU problems? I have a 2011 MBP 13".

2011 13" MBPs do not have discrete GPUs, the issue being discussed is about discrete GPUs failing on the 2011 15" MBPs
 
Another GPU fail

I have a late 2011 Macbook Pro 15" that just failed last week. Here's the deal:

1) The graphics cards would be fine if they were better attached to the logic board. It's Apple's method of construction, rather than the graphics card itself, that causes the overheating and eventual failure.
2)Even if your machine doesn't fail or experience glitches right now, it could still be affected in the long run. Mine lasted three years before catastrophe.
3)Apple's replacement boards are refurbished to the exact factory specs of the original boards that are failing. They might have even failed once before, then had another gpu and more thermal paste applied, only to be sold to another unsuspecting customer under the auspices that the replacement board will be better than the first. That's why most 2nd and 3rd boards are doomed to fail. Apple has no long term solution to the problem, only to keep replacing boards (many times at the customers expense - which means this is an ongoing problem, not something that happened to a small batch of Macbooks four years ago. They are still peddling these failure-prone logic boards today.
4)Apple is clearly trying to wait this one out by staying mum on the subject. Their official line is that there is no problem. Period. End of story.
5)The only available solution, at least if you're out of Applecare, is to have a third party repair shop reball the gpu and affix it properly to the logic board. If you're still on Applecare, just keep replacing and failing gpu's until they give you a retina. If you get a replacement board right before your warrantly lapses, you're likely to end up with a sad mac.

That's my takeaway after a week of investigating since my own computer failed. I spoke with an Apple rep for twenty minutes on the phone, listening to the corporate runaround. I had already made the decision to take my computer elsewhere for repairs, I just wanted them to add my name to the growing pile of complaints. They were nice and gracious, but unyielding in their denial.

If you have a 2011 Macbook Pro that hasn't failed yet, it might still be a good idea to have the fans cleaned out, and maybe even spring for a reball if you really want to be on the safe side. If you catch it early before it really burns up the logic board, you should be able to save all the components and have a long-lasting computer. I got my Macbook back from repairs yesterday, and it runs cooler, quieter, and faster than it did when it was brand new.
 
We have two early 2011 MBPs with Radeon 6750M cards in our household. My MBP is fine so far, but the other now can only run on the iGPU or the whole screen turns pink.

I'm wondering whether the failure is inevitable, or affects (albeit a large proportion of) certain machines?

Both MBPs are used roughly the same amount for similar tasks, but mine has generally been used on a stand which increases ventilation, whereas the one which failed invariably was used on top of its neoprene sleeve which can't've been good for heat dissipation. No idea if that has anything to do with it though.
 
I got my MacBook Pro in August 2011, started getting small mess ups on the screen in June 2014, finally completely broke down December 2014.

Got the logic board replaced for free after stating my case and such.
 
Late 2011 13" Macbook Pro — replaced 2 logic boards so far

Bought the Macbook Pro June 1, 2012. In May of 2013 the logic board was replaced. In December of 2014 the logic board was replaced. Now, less than a month later the screen looks like this when I turn it on sometimes and sometimes it is all green. The incoming sound on Facetime does not work, only crackling noises.

They told me my memory was faulty, so I purchased:
part description price qty total
CT3309334 CT2K4G3S1339M.000 8GB UPGRADE FOR A APPLE MACBOOK PRO (13-INCH, LATE 2011) SYSTEM $81.99 1 $81.99

When I took the bottom cover off to install the memory, there were dust bunnies. I feel that if they replaced the logic board the 22nd of December 2014 there should not be any dust.
I have contacted Apple and Simply Mac, where I took the computer in to get fixed. I have Applecare coverage until June 1, 2015. I will take it in this week to see what they have to say now. It has been very frustrating, as I love Macs and have only had Macs for the last 20 plus years.
Has anyone else had a screen which looks like this screen?
 

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March 2011 board, computer purchased October 2011, no issues to date.

Over the last 6 months it has had quite a lot of heat stress as I digitised my entire DVD collection.
 
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