Apple Launches Repair Program for Late 2013 Mac Pro Video Issues

[MH01]

From 2013?! I'm waiting on the refresh before I change to a trash can Mac Pro, but that's sad to see this is only just now getting addressed. 🙁

manufactured between February 8, 2015 and April 11, 2015

The model is Called the late 2013 MP

 

[DFierce]

The model is Called the late 2013 MP

Oh, I understand!

 

[pat500000]

From 2013?! I'm waiting on the refresh before I change to a trash can Mac Pro, but that's sad to see this is only just now getting addressed. 🙁

It will arrive.

 

[wikiverse]

Well it's Apple's fault for making a 'pro machine' that was infinitely more upgradable and at the same time cools it's GPU's 1000x better into a damn trash can that's slowly cooking the dGPU's just like iMacs and MBP's!

B... but they innovated his ass. I remember he said, 'can't innovate my ass'... and they did.

Probably explains why the Mac Pro keeps crapping out though. They literally innovated an ass.

 

[robeddie]

Well it's Apple's fault for making a 'pro machine' that was infinitely more upgradable and at the same time cools it's GPU's 1000x better into a damn trash can that's slowly cooking the dGPU's just like iMacs and MBP's!

Agreed. There was a time for Apple when 'elegant design' meant making computers that were maybe a bit bigger, but still beautiful. They used to pride themselves in software that was incredibly powerful, yet still intuative to use. Now 'innovation' for Apple just means just making hardware thinner (and impossible to fix) and software devoid of features it used to have, in the name of supposed 'simplicity'. Just listen to Marco Arment, John Siracusa and Casey Liss from the latest ATP Podcast. They go in exhaustive detail how they feel Apple has gone way overboard with 'appearances' at the expense of usability ... with some of their harshest criticism for the new Apple TV interface, which they argue was made to look good in screen shots, but is absolutely horrible to actually use:

http://atp.fm

 

[alvindarkness]

Agreed. There was a time for Apple when 'elegant design' meant making computers that were maybe a bit bigger, but still beautiful. They used to pride themselves in software that was incredibly powerful, yet still intuative to use. Now 'innovation' for Apple just means just making hardware thinner (and impossible to fix) and software devoid of features it used to have, in the name of supposed 'simplicity'. Just listen to Marco Arment, John Siracusa and Casey Liss from the latest ATP Podcast. They go in exhaustive detail how they feel Apple has gone way overboard with 'appearances' at the expense of usability ... with some of their harshest criticism for the new Apple TV interface, which they argue was made to look good in screen shots, but is absolutely horrible to actually use:

http://atp.fm

Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing, will check out this podcast later today.

 

[cosmichobo]

It's good to know Apple addresses these issues unlike other companies who ignores users entirely. I appreciate their response

What's so good about this, Jimmy?

What I'm reading above is - MacPros that shipped from Feb15 have known faults. Discussion forums since Feb15 have noted this fault. Now, in FEB 2016 - a year later - Apple pulls its finger out and creates a Repair Program???

That is NOT good. That is poor!

Yay for anyone who may have an affected MacPro and NOT suffered symptoms to date, who can get a free repair... Boo for all the poor people out there with this machine, who have had an incredibly expensive paperweight sitting on their desk for 12 months!

 

[jrlcopy]

Yet another Mac with video card issues. *sigh
[doublepost=1454759784][/doublepost]

Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing, will check out this podcast later today.

But their video card problems have been around since the beginning. Every year of MacBook pros has had a recall (except 2015 I think)

 

[Carlanga]

ANY news of MP...is GREAT NEWS....(breathing hard).
[doublepost=1454743167][/doublepost]
I am not sure if made in America has anything to do with machine failure. I mean, take a look at foxconn. They made failure products...so why does "made in America" have to be discriminated?

It's clearly a joke to me. The "made in America" label used to mean great products that will last more than "made in xyz"
Plus don't forget there are other Apple products made also in America like Brazil iPhone. Just not USA 😉
[doublepost=1454760759][/doublepost]

What's so good about this, Jimmy?

What I'm reading above is - MacPros that shipped from Feb15 have known faults. Discussion forums since Feb15 have noted this fault. Now, in FEB 2016 - a year later - Apple pulls its finger out and creates a Repair Program???

That is NOT good. That is poor!

Yay for anyone who may have an affected MacPro and NOT suffered symptoms to date, who can get a free repair... Boo for all the poor people out there with this machine, who have had an incredibly expensive paperweight sitting on their desk for 12 months!

Apple is always late to assume responsibility. They hate giving away free repairs since the products are "premium".

 

[maflynn]

Kind of sad how Apple has really ignored the professional desktop market. Right now for many tasks the consumer level iMac is as fast or faster then the nMP. Its not been updated in many years and like other apple products, its been withering on the vine. If it wasn't exorbitantly high I would have gotten one when it came out. I love the design and the idea of it, but I think apple mis-fired on the pricing and definitely dropped the ball on not updating it.

At least with this move they're focusing some attention on it.

 

[G4DPII]

It'll last for 6 months and no one is supposed to know. Like thay did with the extension on the HD2600's in the 08's. It's purely to cover themselves from being sued for shipping products with known faults.

If it covers the whole time the machines have been on sale shows they have known about them from the start ad done nothing to solve it since.

Pee Poor from Apple as usual when it comes to sorting out issues. This should have bee fixed and resolved within 12 months of the machines first going on sale. Not 3 years later when the AppleCare on the first machines are about to crap out.

 

[cosmichobo]

Is it a bit of a case of American pride being damaged, given the machine was USA built?

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

It's all down to being RohS compliant. These gpu problems started to come up after they stopped using lead in the solder. With the RohS compliant tin solders, they just start to disintegrate after a series of hot/cold cycles and the solder cracks, leading to these problems. It'd frankly be a lot more environmentally friendly if they went back to using lead/tin blends instead of replacing the chip 5 times.

Trust me, it's got nothing to do with the solder balls. If it was, reballing them would actually fix them. Hint: it doesn't.

The issue is due to AMD cheaping out on the actual packaging of the chip.

Relevant:

 

[MacDarcy]

I remember when Apple was all about the powermac. Times have certainly changed. I guess it's indicative of the fast paced mobile world we now live in, but I kinda miss those days. Hopefully Apple will show some love and attention to us more sedentary creative types. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Heck, they haven't updated their cinema displays in what? 5 years? They are still thicker than the iMacs and are non retina for cryin out loud! Lol.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Well it's Apple's fault for making a 'pro machine' that was infinitely more upgradable and at the same time cools it's GPU's 1000x better into a damn trash can that's slowly cooking the dGPU's just like iMacs and MBP's!

Cooling does seem to be an afterthought in many Apple products. Look at the Mac Mini's, and the Time Capsules, and those early MacBook Pros that burned your leg, and, and...

 

[StarlightSun]

Great. Probably means no refresh in the near future, because... hey, the 2013 is getting fixed! 🙁

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I remember when Apple was all about the powermac. Times have certainly changed. I guess it's indicative of the fast paced mobile world we now live in, but I kinda miss those days. Hopefully Apple will show some love and attention to us more sedentary creative types. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Heck, they haven't updated their cinema displays in what? 5 years? They are still thicker than the iMacs and are non retina for cryin out loud! Lol.

Apple seems to have been an early believer in the idea of 'Mobile On The Desktop' (MODT).

The iMacs are basically a notebook on a stand with the screen built-in. That MODT idea is in everything they build. Even the MacPro's show that influence.

You can't 'cook' these chips, bar-b-queuing them, and not have issues over time.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

​

Apple has determined that graphics cards in some late 2013 Mac Pros, manufactured between February 8, 2015 and April 11, 2015, may cause distorted video, no video, system instability, freezing, restarts, shut downs, or may prevent system start up.

<sarc> This is exactly why you don't buy a product the first months of its release. You wait a year for all the bugs and kinks to get ironed out. That way you can be assured there won't be any hardware issues. </sarc>

 

[Zirel]

It's all down to being RohS compliant. These gpu problems started to come up after they stopped using lead in the solder. With the RohS compliant tin solders, they just start to disintegrate after a series of hot/cold cycles and the solder cracks, leading to these problems. It'd frankly be a lot more environmentally friendly if they went back to using lead/tin blends instead of replacing the chip 5 times.

Finally! Someone who understands what's happening!

It's not only on Apple hardware, every laptop and graphics card and games consoles (Google Xbox RROD and PlayStation 3 YLOD) have this problem since RoHS.

I think they don't need to go back using lead, but use copper, more specifically LGA's like the good ole' CPUs.

 

[AndyUnderscoreR]

At last! Let's hope it's a real repair not just the 'swap the cards for other ones that will probably fail too' quagmire we've been stuck in for a while.

 

[fenderbass146]

Finally!

Getting real Frustrated with Apple. How about issuing one for the terrible quality screens on the first and second gen retina macbook pros. I'm on my second display which I had to replace myself because the first one had burn in, mara spots and actual blown out pixels. My second one has quite a few dead pixels and light bleed around the edges. This computers highlight was its display and they wont standing behind it.

 

[anthorumor]

Or they could like, you know, release a new 2016 trashcan.

 

[mdelvecchio]

I am offended! I don't know why I'm entitled to this, but I am offended!

 

[iSee]

It seems quite clear IMO why Apple is trying to get rid of dGPUs as fast as possible. It seems like every other iteration of Mac has dGPU issues. Apple must be sick of them. The route they took with the 4K iMacs makes me thing the next major MBP redesign won't have dGPUs at all.

iGPUs will be able to fully replace dGPUs... when they are just as complicated, large, hot, sensitive, etc. as dGPUs. And then they'll suffer the same issues. Well, it might be worse since, everything being equal, there will be fewer options to dissipate heat.

Integrated isn't magic. It's just that integrated GPUs target the less demanding part of the market so are able to be much less complicated and powerful processors. But if you built one to target a more demanding market -- like the ones higher end iMacs and Mac Pros are aimed at -- you're going to have the same kinds of problems.

 

[jblagden]

Ah, see. these symptoms are identical to the 2011 MacBook Pros GPU failures.

doesn't this prove that these new 'trash can' Mac "Pro"s are just as fallible as a system for intense use as the MBP's etc were? the towers clearly could take the stress.

Yeah! This is why irreplaceable GPUs are a horrible idea. If the Mac Pro used PCIe, you could just go down to Best Buy for a replacement GPU. It also be good if the 15" MacBook Pros used MXM GPUs because it make them replaceable and upgradeable.