I had heard that "broken" boards are sent to an ATi refurbishment facility - where the old GPU's are re-balled onto the board.....its tested then sent back out for re-fitting.......I have heard conflicting reports on whether they actually replace the GPU with a new chip or not?......
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Apple Initiates Repair Program for 2011-2013 MacBook Pros With Video Issues
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I had heard that "broken" boards are sent to an ATi refurbishment facility - where the old GPU's are re-balled onto the board.....its tested then sent back out for re-fitting.......I have heard conflicting reports on whether they actually replace the GPU with a new chip or not?......
Perhaps, we can take a photo before we send it for repair and compare it with the repaired unit. I got mine repaired but forgot to take a photo.
Apparently by putting in a new/refurb logic board -- it doesn't seem to have a permanent fix, it is just the same board, just a working one, and it'll probably fail again.
I did, under their recommendation. They said if anything pops up under diagnostic tests, they will replace with whatever original spec was. I had an SSD as well, so rather than risk it, I replaced all the original stuff. Oh, and they said if they replace, they would not return my SSD or upgraded ram---in other words, my SSD system drive and upgraded ram would be discarded. As I said, they would replace with new stuff, original spec.
Pardon for the 2+ month late reply but what I also noticed besides the recent OSX update is that 95% (if not 100%) of the kernel panic occurs when I am using Safari. I have never had a crash when playing Heroes of the Storm for example. I like Safari too much to stop using it.
It's a replacement board with the same parts as before. Many users have had repeated problems with needing the replacement boards to be replaced too.
Thanks, but I never use Safari. Only Chrome most of the time. I've had a crash in my instances, even using Lightroom.
I read replies to this comment and proactively removed mine. Guess it's good I did because people at Apple Store in Austin told me I had to remove them before they'd repair it. BTW, they fixed it in a few days and all is good for now.
No but anything that is apple part that visually look damaged the repair facility will replace. So as long as the hard drives are no in the apple supply system I think your good. I did same thing to my mbp
Has anyone had any luck asking Apple to just give them the latest model of the MBP instead of repairing the logic board, since that doesn't actually fix the problem?
That's asking quite a lot from any manufacturer for a laptop that's 3-5 years old. The cost of replacing the logic board a second, third, or fourth time would be cheaper than giving you a brand new laptop.
I did last year. However, because I bought mine as a refurb, it was still under Applecare at the time. I don't know if that will make a difference or not, but the general rule is three major repairs (mine had two logic boards and a top deck when the keyboard died) and they will replace the computer.
[doublepost=1486510831][/doublepost]I only just saw this news and it ended in 2016 in the uk. Both mine and my fella's MBPros have these GPU issues, his has broken totally now. Has anyone had any luck getting repairs after the 31st Dec 2016 deadline? Thank you
Apple has launched a repair program to fix MacBook Pro machines sold between February 2011 and February 2013 that have problems with distorted video, no video, or unexpected system restarts.
As of February 20 in the United States and Canada (February 27 in other countries), users with affected machines will be able to visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to receive repairs for their MacBook Pros at no charge. Customers will be able to bring their MacBook Pro to an Apple Store or service provider or send it in via mail for repairs.
Affected products include 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pro models manufactured in 2011 and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models manufactured between Mid 2012 and Early 2013. Users can see whether their computers are affected by using the "Check Your Coverage" tool on Apple's site.
Apple is contacting customers who already paid to have their machines repaired either through Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to arrange a reimbursement. The company asks customers who paid for a repair for the issue and did not receive an email to contact Apple.
Apple will provide repairs until February 27, 2016, or three years from the MacBook's original date of sale, depending on which coverage period is longer.
Some early and late-2011 MacBook Pro owners with discrete graphics cards have been experiencing GPU failures and crashes for years now, causing screen glitches and image distortion, among other problems.
MacBook owners petitioned Apple to begin a repair program for the machines on change.org and even went as far as filing a class action lawsuit after an extended period of time without a repair program.
The lawsuit asked that Apple acknowledge that an issue exists and repair affected machines, which the company appears to be prepared to do with the launch of today's repair program covering both repairs and reimbursements for repairs already made. It is unclear how the new program will affect the class-action lawsuit brought against Apple by 2011 MacBook Pro owners.
(Thanks, Philip!)
Article Link: Apple Initiates Repair Program for 2011-2013 MacBook Pros With Video Issues
You might have consumer laws which you can use (and should before you exit the EU). I've had pretty good out of warranty support from Apple. I'd be calling them asap. Also how the hell did you only just hear about this?
Sorry - to clarify, I've had it repaired twice before, which was free. They always said it was just in good faith, not a recall type situation. Now hearing that the repair scheme ran out is such a pain. I wondered if they might have repaired it for anyone else still within the 6 years.