Early 2008 MBP Randomly shut down.

[timotay89]

It's the first time this has happened, but I want to prevent it before it becomes a regular thing.

I was importing photos from my iphone 4s to my computer with iphoto and my laptop just shut down. It wasn't plugged in but the battery was near full (around 90%). I plugged the laptop in and then tried to start it up. It started for a second (I could hear the fans start up or whatever) and then stopped. I tried again and it was fine and I'm on it now.

The battery is a month or so old (from OWC) and I recently upgraded the ram from 2GB to 6GB (again via OWC).

The laptop is no longer under warranty but when it was, I once had the logic board replaced. The computer would so kind of the same thing, but just start for a second and then go dead. I brought it in to Apple and they replaced it as it was still covered. That was sometime in February or March of this year (before AppleCare was over).

If someone could help me, that'd be great. I don't want to have to fork oer few hundred (that I don't have) for a logic board.

Thanks

 

[thundersteele]

This model often breaks due to a faulty graphics chip. If this turns out to be the reason for the problem, apple repairs it for free, even if it is out of warranty.

Otherwise, not much you can do.

 

[timotay89]

This model often breaks due to a faulty graphics chip. If this turns out to be the reason for the problem, apple repairs it for free, even if it is out of warranty.

Otherwise, not much you can do.

Is there any way to tell if it is the graphics chip that's acting up?

 

[thundersteele]

well, there should be a kernel panic report or something from the crash. Then you should also run the self check (or whatever that is called now).

In my case, the MBP died, and only after I had it repaired (apple store) they told me that it was due to the graphics chip and the repair was free.