2012 rMBP having odd GPU issues.

[Anonymous Freak]

Bought a used 2012 rMBP (GeForce 650M 1 GB / Intel 4000) earlier this year, and it has been working just fine, then all of a sudden starting crashing the instant I connect an external display; or after a seemingly random amount of time (from seconds to an hour) while running any app that forces the nVidia GPU to turn on. When this happens, the screen stays dark until I preset PRAM, sometimes it takes multiple tries. (Cmd-Opt-P-R.)

I figured it was the now-expired-for-my-model Repair Extension for Video Issues, so I figured I'd give it a go and bring it in to an Apple Store for that issue.

Brought it in, demonstrated it with a GPU test app (FurMark, crashed instantly.) Tech booted from his diagnostic image, passed all the tests. Ran the diagnostic again, passed. Booted to their troubleshooting copy of macOS Sierra, plugged in an external display, worked just fine. Ran the same GPU stress test app, ran for many minutes just fine. He checked my logs (as I had) and it was definitely always GPU-related kernel faults. After running GPU stress tests repeatedly, with an external display plugged in, came to the conclusion that it was software, not hardware. Although the service history did indicate that it HAD been brought in for "video issues" in 2015 (when the repair extension was still in force,) and at THAT time, they determined it was just "poor cooling" and replaced one of the fans. That did seem a little suspicious to me.

I felt like an idiot. So now I have to reload the OS.

Brought it home, made a restore USB, and the installer fails before even getting to the GUI, same behavior as I saw before - screen shuts off, I have to reset the PRAM multiple times to get it to come back. Now I can't even get it to boot properly 90% of the time. Oddly, I can boot my iMac's OS if I put the iMac in Thunderbolt Disk Mode and connect it to the MBP. (When it's willing to boot at all.)

Anyone have any ideas? Is it actually hardware, and I just happened to get (un)lucky when I brought it in?

 

[Moriarty]

How's the battery capacity?

If it's <80%, you have an extremely good chance of getting a refurbished replacement machine if you take it to an Apple Store and ask for a battery replacement. The battery and top case parts are out of stock for your most keyboard layouts, until September.

The store should find that they cannot get the parts, and then offer either a refurbished machine or to wait until September and get a free repair.

I discovered this by chance when looking into getting a new battery on my own laptop. The store was unable to source a 2015 refurb, so they are ordering in a 2017 touch bar model. It seems that Apple in Europe are out of stock of refurb 2015 models with the dGPU + US keyboard.

I'm not sure about all the dongles and the soldered storage, but I guess I can't complain about getting a new machine for the price of a battery!

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Woah, didn't know about that. First I need to get it booting to an internal storage OS again, though.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Well, took it in again (to a different store) and guilted them in to doing the fix for free.

I doubt I'm going to get a new computer out of it, though. (Also, it has an aftermarket battery that was just put in a few months ago, so I *REALLY* don't think they'll be willing to do the battery "repair"/swap.)

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Just got it back. To paste what I put in the "2012 megathread":

I brought mine in on July 12th originally for the Repair Extension for Video Issues, also complaining that the screen had burn-in, and the battery wasn't holding charge. They told me it was just OS problems, and sent me home.

I spent a week trying (and failing) to get an OS reinstalled, so brought it back in on July 24th. I got them to cover the repairs under the Repair Extension (even though mine should have already expired.)

They sent it off. I just got it back. They replaced the display assembly, top case (including battery,) logic board, heatsinks and fans. Basically the only original parts I got back were my AirPort card (which I promptly replaced with an 802.11ac model I had in before the repair,) SSD, and the bottom case.

(I had an 802.11ac AirPort card in it, but before taking it in for repair, I swapped the original 802.11n card in. I've been bitten by that on a previous MacBook Pro; when they did a warranty repair on my first-gen 2006 MBP with later-upgrade 802.11n card, they swapped out the AirPort card for the original 802.11g model without asking permission first.)