Apple sold me a defective computer and I don't know what else to do

[Lacue86]

Back in late 2011 I bought a brand new Macbook Pro. In 2015 I started having the famous graphics card problem and fortunately the replacement program was already active, so I took it to the nearest repair center and they fixed it. And then did it again 4 more times during the year.

The last logic board lasted 1 month and I rarely even used it. I lost my patience and called Apple support to try and get another solution, because Apple clearly keeps replacing the logic boards with refurbished ones, so the problem will persist. I'm a video editor so I can't avoid using the graphics card heavily.

Anyway, the guy in the Apple support center here in Portugal was really helpful, but said that a final word would have to be given by the Engineering Department. I've waited 2 weeks for an answer and today they called me, saying that I'll have to keep replacing the logic board and won't replace the machine. Later I called Apple US and they said they couldn't override the decision of that department.

I'm stuck with a broken computer and desperate because I can't see where to go from here. I know the 5th logic board won't last long and this loop will keep going until Apple stops replacing them, leaving me with an even more useless computer.

Any ideas on what to do?
Some kind of help would be immensely appreciated.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

There is nothing you can do about it, they have supported it and all the repairs for a years past it's warranty, they literally have no more obligation to do anything if it goes again. If you were in the UK you could get them on UK consumer law for a faulty product less than 5 years old and insist they replace it but in the EU that only applies for the 1st 2 years.

The only solid advice I can give you is to start saving for a new computer or sell the one you have while it's still working and buy a new computer.

 

[emilioestevez]

2011 models are dog ship.

 

[Fishrrman]

As others have mentioned above, it's time to cut your losses and start shopping for a replacement...

 

[EssieInc]

Sell it for good price.

 

[Queen6]

Back in late 2011 I bought a brand new Macbook Pro. In 2015 I started having the famous graphics card problem and fortunately the replacement program was already active, so I took it to the nearest repair center and they fixed it. And then did it again 4 more times during the year.

The last logic board lasted 1 month and I rarely even used it. I lost my patience and called Apple support to try and get another solution, because Apple clearly keeps replacing the logic boards with refurbished ones, so the problem will persist. I'm a video editor so I can't avoid using the graphics card heavily.

Anyway, the guy in the Apple support center here in Portugal was really helpful, but said that a final word would have to be given by the Engineering Department. I've waited 2 weeks for an answer and today they called me, saying that I'll have to keep replacing the logic board and won't replace the machine. Later I called Apple US and they said they couldn't override the decision of that department.

I'm stuck with a broken computer and desperate because I can't see where to go from here. I know the 5th logic board won't last long and this loop will keep going until Apple stops replacing them, leaving me with an even more useless computer.

Any ideas on what to do?
Some kind of help would be immensely appreciated.

As ever I find that Apple`s "stellar" customer service rarely extends outside the US. All you can do is formally complain and vote with your $$$$ personally I won't buy another Apple portable with dGP as their track record is tragic at best, with Apple doing their level best not to support their customers, unless imminent court action is due.

Do you have any local consumer protection? like EU, UK etc. they may be able to advise more. Apple will continue to replace the Logic Board, until the end of the extended warranty program then they will drop you instantly unless you are willing to pay yourself for the same shoddy service. If I was dependant on a notebook with dGPU for my income I would avoid Apple, rather looking at systems that do not run/stress the components as such high temperatures.

I have the same quandary myself as I now have a need for one portable with dGPU, equally I am not looking at Apple (current or the upcoming refresh) for obvious reasons...

Q-6

 

[Dead0k]

try another manager in Apple US. Also find the article, that after 3 fails and replacements you deserve to recieve a new machine comparable to your current in terms of specs: HDD/SSD size, RAM quantity, dGPU

 

[maflynn]

try another manager in Apple US. Also find the article, that after 3 fails and replacements you deserve to recieve a new machine comparable to your current in terms of specs: HDD/SSD size, RAM quantity, dGPU

That's not going to happen with radeongate. They will continually replace the logic board with previously failed (but repaired) logic boards.

OP, unfortunately there's really not much you can do, other then getting it repaired and selling it.

 

[James_C]

That's not going to happen with radeongate. They will continually replace the logic board with previously failed (but repaired) logic boards.

OP, unfortunately there's really not much you can do, other then getting it repaired and selling it.

That would also be my advice, get it repaired, sell it and then get a new model. Apple Notebooks hold their value pretty well.

 

[Dead0k]

That would also be my advice, get it repaired, sell it and then get a new model. Apple Notebooks hold their value pretty well.

value - yes
but interest in old machines - hardly...

 

[Samuelsan2001]

value - yes
but interest in old machines - hardly...

You'd be surprised...

Some people won't buy anything they can't "upgrade" themselves, I personally think it's nonsense but many people want non retina ones for this very reason.

 

[James_C]

value - yes
but interest in old machines - hardly...

I disagree, people will pay quite a bit for Apple Laptops on eBay. Recent example, not bad for a 5 year old machine.Thats around $570 if your are not familiar with £.

 

[TheAnvil]

OP, unfortunately there's really not much you can do, other then getting it repaired and selling it.

Geez you people have no decency, eh?

How pissed would you be if you buy a laptop that's going to die in a month?
Do the right thing OP, don't screw someone else over.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Get the local media to spin a story on it. Apple hate that.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Geez you people have no decency, eh?

How pissed would you be if you buy a laptop that's going to die in a month?
Do the right thing OP, don't screw someone else over.

Hey if you buy without doing your research then thats your look out, capitalism is built on this premise.

 

[maflynn]

Geez you people have no decency, eh?

How pissed would you be if you buy a laptop that's going to die in a month?
Do the right thing OP, don't screw someone else over.

I'm not saying hide any facts, he can sell it with full disclosure.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Email Tim Cook.

 

[cerberusss]

Life is too short to keep putting time into this failure. I've had the same with a 2009 white MacBook, which had a plastic case that started cracking. I sold it, and clearly mentioned the problem. You could do the same and sell this one "as is" for parts.

Then get a new one. Your current one is four years. I agree Apple stuff should last longer, but what can you do?

 

[MrAverigeUser]

there are people saying that this is a also a problem with soldering the GPU.
In Europe there are LOTS of free enterprises (one big one in the netherlands) that are specialized in exchange of failing apple-GPUs (costs all including about under 200 EUR). The best of these specialized little enterprises are soldering much more carefully (because they take more time) than the apple-mass-production does - they often give an additional 6 months or even 1 year warranty.
So -when you get back the repaired MBP from apple, you could try to contact one of these specialized enterprises and ask them if they think resoldering the intact GPU in their more carefully way would (perhaps) make your MBP more reliably. Since they would only do just desoldering and not exchange the GPU, this might even be a little bit less expensive.
we have several 2011/12 MBP and until now none did fail - but if I were you I´d go this way I proposed. I am more confident in those little enterprises than in chinese mass-soldering (Which evidently fails often)…
I think it´s worth to contact them.

 

[cerberusss]

there are people saying that this is a also a problem with soldering the GPU.
one big one in the netherlands

That is very interesting for all users in NL/BE/DE. Could you mention them here?

 

[MrAverigeUser]

That is very interesting for all users in NL/BE/DE. Could you mention them here?

Because until now I have been lucky to nearly never have had GPU-problems with several MBP 2011/12 round me I prefer NOT to mention special enterprises.
But if you do some research with the keywords "MacBook Pro", "2011" and "GPU problem" you will for shure be flooded with results - including feedback of customers.
There are also a lot to find on ebay in D, NL, B, … including customer-feedbacks.

What seems to count is expensive hi-tech-equipment for temperature-precise de/resoldering over the time of the soldering process and time enough to let the process take place. As time is money, only little specialized enterprises will respect this enough. If I did correctly understand, heating up and cooling process is more effective if it is done not too rapidly/abruptly with the ROHS-conform soldering material.

One of the technical reasons is - as it seems - the European guidelines 2011/65/EU, legally established in 2011 for environmental protection reasons (--->ROHS). This causes a big change of the complete production process of soldering. And as every changement of well-established production-process, there are some lections to learn the hard and expensive way. Professiomals (I am NOT) told me, that this new process with much lesser toxic ingredients of the soldering material is - as of today - sadly much lesser reliable than with the "classic" Soldering material in older processing (with more of highly toxic Quicksilver- and Plumb contents). Industry is about to search for solutions. But they are shurely sometimes very happy, that this problem leads to more of obsolete (failing) products. So, they sell more new products - which might stop their motivation to find a solution for more reliability of the soldered connections… especially in a market more and more stagnating or even falling amount of buyers as since some years for PCs.

But again: The soldering process is not at all the ONLY problem of the GPUs, it but it seems that it is nevertheless significant. It seems, that this new type of soldering is over time LESS resistant to higher temperatures - so parts being regularly heated "resolder" spontaneously easier than before (as I was told). As for the GPUs in MBP, it seems that bad design (leading to too high temperatures of the GPUs) lead as well to their death as also to additional problems with soldering within the ROHS-guidelines - maybe they are linked with each other, I don´t know.

BTW: Same problem with other industries like ROHS soldering of HiFi-Equipment and electronic parts of home-equipment as in kitchen and so on… I repaired some years ago a dish-washer machine with just resoldering one (by design constantly a little bit too hot) electronic component on a SMC in just 1 minute… still had some resting OLD soldering material. and it still works.

 

[leman]

If your logic board regularly fails every 4 month, then you have a much bigger issue than an allegedly defective GPU. You are either extremely unlucky or there is some serious problems with your usage pattern/electrical grid etc.

I'd buy a new machine next time this one breaks. 4+ years for a laptop is a decent age. More then 1/3 of laptops fail by then.

 

[robertparker]

I have the MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011)

Apple won't even replace my logic board because it passes the video test and wants me to pay $800 for it

If your logic board regularly fails every 4 month, then you have a much bigger issue than an allegedly defective GPU. You are either extremely unlucky or there is some serious problems with your usage pattern/electrical grid etc.

I'd buy a new machine next time this one breaks. 4+ years for a laptop is a decent age. More then 1/3 of laptops fail by then.

Ah, no. Repeated failure of the replacement board is widely reported.

As ever I find that Apple`s "stellar" customer service rarely extends outside the US. All you can do is formally complain and vote with your $$$$ personally I won't buy another Apple portable with dGP as their track record is tragic at best, with Apple doing their level best not to support their customers, unless imminent court action is due.

Do you have any local consumer protection? like EU, UK etc. they may be able to advise more. Apple will continue to replace the Logic Board, until the end of the extended warranty program then they will drop you instantly unless you are willing to pay yourself for the same shoddy service. If I was dependant on a notebook with dGPU for my income I would avoid Apple, rather looking at systems that do not run/stress the components as such high temperatures.

I have the same quandary myself as I now have a need for one portable with dGPU, equally I am not looking at Apple (current or the upcoming refresh) for obvious reasons...

Q-6

I am in the US and Apple is refusing to replace my logic board for video issue.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Forgot to talk about an already by other Users recommended PREVENTION of GPU-failure in 2011/12 MBP:

Using free software like MacFancontrol or SMC-fanControl or others, you can chose higher fan-rpm in just some seconds if you need it while GPU is hard working heating up.

It also shows you even with one single click the temperatures of CPU and GPU (amongst others) - very interesting for learning about temperatures in demanding situations and to comprehend & control the good effects of prophylactical additional cooling by applying a little bit (or just much) higher fan-rpms for that period (maybe working with Videos) than in apple "automatic" mode.

Last tip:

Controlling the temperatures by these Software products also makes you learn how wrong it is, to use your MBP in GPU-demanding modes when it is positioned on bed, on a cushion or other more heat-keeping than heat-absorbing surface. This can add easily 10-20° C more than under optimal conditions.

There is NO Doubt at all, that apple has a veritable inbuilt design-flaw of the GPUs in MBP - BUT you can perhaps do by yourself something to PREVENT overheating and so Prevent (re-)failing of the GPU and sudden death of your machine:

- Optimizing passive circulation surface under MBP
- Optimizing active circulation (MacFanControl)
- Learn about incidental potential (over-)heating by having a look at the surveillance-table of temperatures by the multiple sensors in the MBP (One click in MacFanControl)
- and eventually by resoldering the GPU (not absolutely shure, but it seems to be right)

and the best news is: Most of this is possible without spending money.

If your logic board regularly fails every 4 month, then you have a much bigger issue than an allegedly defective GPU. You are either extremely unlucky or there is some serious problems with your usage pattern/electrical grid etc.

This is definitely WRONG.

apple has REFUSED (as arrogant as always) to accept their design flaw for YEARS. So - in the meantime many of the customers put their MBP in the garbage bin or payed themselves for resoldering. Finally they started the "Extended replacement program" ONLY because
1) there was a sort of "petition" of tens of thousands angry customers with dead MBPs
2) apple was about to lose a process (concerning their design flaw) at canadian Court and wanted to prevent a PR-desaster.

@ robertparker

As for the 2011 17" MBP: I´d do a lot of pressure on apple (They might at the end try to prevent another lost case at court… ).
take videos/photos with your smartphone for every single failure that occurs. Especially if this occurs BEFORE Exspiration of the "program" mid-february. IF this occurs before, take another appointment at apple and show the pictures/videos. So you can prove that they had the chance for diagnostic and repair BEFORE expiration of their program.
This is prove enough to make them exchange at the end the main board.
But Exspiration of the program does not at all mean that you haven´t any chance after this date.
It is clear that there is a massive design-flawand that they are responsible for dead GPUs.

There are people who talk about apple´s test being too "soft" to be able to reproduce every REAL intermittently occurring failure. You can now think yourself about it: is this just by coincidence or…. ?

 

[Queen6]

I am in the US and Apple is refusing to replace my logic board for video issue.

If your notebook does not meet Apple`s criteria then there is little you can do. Apples about one thing $$$ and wants to minimise it`s losses, hence why they ignore their customers, albeit ever so politley until faced with court action. The dGPU saga with the MBP is just getting old, with so many versions of the MBP afflicted over the years. I find now that I am looking for a new portable with dGPU, equally the current 15" rMBP is not on the list, nor will the 2016 model if Apple continues to push consumer grade silicon to the extreme of it`s thermal limits.

Now with the Windows OEM`s catching up on "thin & light" with more powerful cooler running dGPU`s and Apple`s rather humorous pricing for what can be construed as a flawed design, spending $2.5K on the rMBP seems a little unwise, especially given the history. I also believe that Apple will drop the dGPU on their portables as soon as they possibly can, as it flies in the face of Apple`s design ethos.

Q-6