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Early 2011 17" buying advice

S

Scuby99

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 3, 2014
21
0
So, recently got myself a 2nd hand mi 09 MBP with core 2 duo. Although it should be ok for my uses, DAW and browsing, I have seen upgrade potential online.

A early 2011 17" MBP with a bad video card. Read up on these, seems to be hit or miss if the problem comes back.

The seller says it won't start up because of the video card and that this was verified in an Apple store as being the video card. Does that even make sense?

Needs new logic board according to him. I think I can get it for a reasonable price in this market (NL) around 400 euro.

Is this the notorious model? Otherwise an i7 with 8gb is a good start. Ad an ssd and I'm off.

Here are the specs he emailed me:

image_zpsf1cfbb47.png
 
MacInTO said:
Here are the specs from Apple,

2011: http://support.apple.com/kb/sp646

2010: http://support.apple.com/kb/sp581

Only the 2011 models have the graphics card problem, I believe.
Click to expand...

Ok, so looking at this and seeing on the screenshot of the 2010 i5 model that this guy is offering me indeed has the Nvidea 512mb card as a direct trade for my core 2 duo 2009 13" with a bum keyboard (some keys only) that's a pretty good deal right? He get's a smaller Macbook as he wants and I get a bigger one like I want but have to fix the backlight...

I should be ok once I replace the logic board or find someone to deal with the backlight issue (WLED I'm assuming as external monitor work and light thru the logo shows screen as working)

But the 17" 2011 i7 the other guy's got is a no go based on GPU this is what he's got for sale, but it's early 2011 not late. But either way AMD. So that's off the table, shame, I'd like the i7 over the i5 I should think...

thoughts?
 
Definitely don't get the 2011.

As for the swap, I'm not totally sure. If it's just the inverter, then it might be a good deal. But who knows? Good luck!
 
MacInTO said:
Definitely don't get the 2011.

As for the swap, I'm not totally sure. If it's just the inverter, then it might be a good deal. But who knows? Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insightful advice. Good stuff :D

inverter? As in the WLED? I'm pretty able but I think that's above my capabilites or are we looking at some other option of fault?

He says that in low light he can see the desktop on the LCD and with flashlight defintely. It outputs to an external screen and works fine.

He wants to trade 2morrow. Logic board I can replace. Inverter? That the same as the WLED?
 
Scuby99 said:
Thanks for the insightful advice. Good stuff :D

inverter? As in the WLED? I'm pretty able but I think that's above my capabilites or are we looking at some other option of fault?

He says that in low light he can see the desktop on the LCD and with flashlight defintely. It outputs to an external screen and works fine.

He wants to trade 2morrow. Logic board I can replace. Inverter? That the same as the WLED?
Click to expand...
WLED? I'm not sure, but maybe this...

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBoo...9+and+A1261+Display+Inverter+Replacement/2626
 
An new twist

So, let both of those go.

I have two on option now.

#1 2010 advertised as "Quad Core" (they didn't make a propper quad in 2010 did they, isn't it just a dual with hyperthreading?) 2.66ghz i7 with 8gbRam (1066mhz and that's it's max) and 500gb HDD, has the Nvidea card.

option #2:

(I know) early 2011 i7 quad core 2.0ghz, 8gbRam (1333mhz, and it could go to 16gb) 500gb HDD.

Both 15" with the same display. But of course the '11 is gonna have an AMD chip in there somewhere. They are the same price and both in perfect working order and come with clean installs of the OS which I'll do myself anyway LOL.

I know I should play it safe on the video card side, but double the cores! I want this laptop to last me the next few years and be able to keep up with where programming is headed: multi core.

I have read a lot on the AMD stuff, but isn't it bascially heat related and if you keep your system clean your good? Damn, I don't wanna get the 2.66ghz and be bummed in a year, but I don't wanna go 2011 and have an even bigger bummer...

I need guidance! And REAL perspective on the scope of the AMD issue. As with everything, no one ever posts online about how awesome and seemlessly things work, they come online to complain or ask advice when things fail. What is deal with the AMD chip, OBVIOUSLY it has flaws, the solder, but surely they dont all fail, surely it's not gauranteed to fail?

Correct me if I'm wrong, and also please inform me of experience based differences between the i7 dual and quad cores. Obviously the quad is going to be better.

My uses are a lot of browsing with an average of 50 tabs open for work, and music production, video editing.

I can't find an affordable 2012....

Please no trolling and just your '02 with something ot back it up. I gotta get this decided :D

cheers
 
Scuby99 said:
So, let both of those go.

I have two on option now.

#1 2010 advertised as "Quad Core" (they didn't make a propper quad in 2010 did they, isn't it just a dual with hyperthreading?) 2.66ghz i7 with 8gbRam (1066mhz and that's it's max) and 500gb HDD, has the Nvidea card.

option #2:

(I know) early 2011 i7 quad core 2.0ghz, 8gbRam (1333mhz, and it could go to 16gb) 500gb HDD.

Both 15" with the same display. But of course the '11 is gonna have an AMD chip in there somewhere. They are the same price and both in perfect working order and come with clean installs of the OS which I'll do myself anyway LOL.

I know I should play it safe on the video card side, but double the cores! I want this laptop to last me the next few years and be able to keep up with where programming is headed: multi core.

I have read a lot on the AMD stuff, but isn't it bascially heat related and if you keep your system clean your good? Damn, I don't wanna get the 2.66ghz and be bummed in a year, but I don't wanna go 2011 and have an even bigger bummer...

I need guidance! And REAL perspective on the scope of the AMD issue. As with everything, no one ever posts online about how awesome and seemlessly things work, they come online to complain or ask advice when things fail. What is deal with the AMD chip, OBVIOUSLY it has flaws, the solder, but surely they dont all fail, surely it's not gauranteed to fail?

Correct me if I'm wrong, and also please inform me of experience based differences between the i7 dual and quad cores. Obviously the quad is going to be better.

My uses are a lot of browsing with an average of 50 tabs open for work, and music production, video editing.

I can't find an affordable 2012....

Please no trolling and just your '02 with something ot back it up. I gotta get this decided :D

cheers
Click to expand...

All 15"/17" Sandy Bridge (early and late 2011) logic boards with the Radeon GPU are defective. This is because Apple poorly applied the thermal paste on it, which caused the already-weak unleaded solder to break for easily.

So if you find a refurb board for it, it will still break.

It's not worth spending money.

The only real permanent fix is to reball a new GPU in with leaded solder and reapply thermal paste properly on both the GPU and CPU. Not worth doing IMO, because the 650M in the 2012 models are leaps and bounds ahead of the 6750M/6770M cards.
 
I will advice you not to buy all 2011 15\17 macbook pro's. My previous laptop was early 2011 15inch macbook pro and the dgpu died. Apple genius bar was so nice and gave me brand new macbook pro retina mid-2014. The best option is buy the 2011 13inch macbook pro.
 
lionkin said:
I will advice you not to buy all 2011 15\17 macbook pro's. My previous laptop was early 2011 15inch macbook pro and the dgpu died. Apple genius bar was so nice and gave me brand new macbook pro retina mid-2014. The best option is buy the 2011 13inch macbook pro.
Click to expand...

Thank you all for this sounds advice.

I really want a 15" but reliability is a much much more important factor.

I almost went and bought a 2011 15" this morning but cancelled at the last minute as the more research I did the more in doubt of my purchase I became.

It really is a mess, when you see how many companies offer a 2011 specific GPU repair or logic board replacement.

I'm either gooing for a 15" 2.66ghz i7 on Sunday if it feels right or indeed look for a 2011 13 or hold out for a 2012 15"

Are there any 'buyer beware' things I should keep in mind when it comes to the 2012 models?

cheers
 
Scuby99 said:
Thank you all for this sounds advice.

I really want a 15" but reliability is a much much more important factor.

I almost went and bought a 2011 15" this morning but cancelled at the last minute as the more research I did the more in doubt of my purchase I became.

It really is a mess, when you see how many companies offer a 2011 specific GPU repair or logic board replacement.

I'm either gooing for a 15" 2.66ghz i7 on Sunday if it feels right or indeed look for a 2011 13 or hold out for a 2012 15"

Are there any 'buyer beware' things I should keep in mind when it comes to the 2012 models?

cheers
Click to expand...

Hold out for a 2012 15". The 2010 models also had GPU issues with the NVIDIA GT 330M.
 
yjchua95 said:
Hold out for a 2012 15". The 2010 models also had GPU issues with the NVIDIA GT 330M.
Click to expand...

I can't afford a 2012 it seems,

so I have to choose between the '11 and '10

but if BOTH have GPU issues I just let a really good dela on a 2011 go...

So what's the deal with the 2010 models?
 
yjchua95 said:
All 15"/17" Sandy Bridge (early and late 2011) logic boards with the Radeon GPU are defective. This is because Apple poorly applied the thermal paste on it, which caused the already-weak unleaded solder to break for easily.

So if you find a refurb board for it, it will still break.

It's not worth spending money.

The only real permanent fix is to reball a new GPU in with leaded solder and reapply thermal paste properly on both the GPU and CPU. Not worth doing IMO, because the 650M in the 2012 models are leaps and bounds ahead of the 6750M/6770M cards.
Click to expand...

It is NOT the solder. This is a myth. It's rubbish chips. You can put heat on the chips, but not enough to melt any kind of solder, leaded or unleaded and you'll find that it will work again for a while.

----------
Scuby99 said:
I can't afford a 2012 it seems,

so I have to choose between the '11 and '10

but if BOTH have GPU issues I just let a really good dela on a 2011 go...

So what's the deal with the 2010 models?
Click to expand...

If they both have GPU issues, my advice is stick with what you have. You already said it is adequate for your needs.
 
cjmillsnun said:
It is NOT the solder. This is a myth. It's rubbish chips. You can put heat on the chips, but not enough to melt any kind of solder, leaded or unleaded and you'll find that it will work again for a while.
Click to expand...

Regardless, what's your point? Heating an overheating chip will make it work again for a little while?

Seperate question:

Using a i7 dual core 2.66ghz for music production will I notice a difference between it and a quad core i7?

Yes the DAW I use does support multiple cores...
 
cjmillsnun said:
It is NOT the solder. This is a myth. It's rubbish chips. You can put heat on the chips, but not enough to melt any kind of solder, leaded or unleaded and you'll find that it will work again for a while.

----------



If they both have GPU issues, my advice is stick with what you have. You already said it is adequate for your needs.
Click to expand...

No neither of the examples I can purchase have GPU issues. I'm asking if the model range 2010 has GPU issues as well, or as much as the 2011 AMD. Both of the MBP's I have an eye on are in good working condition and the same price.

Also I said it would be Ok for my uses, after more research that Ok will last about 2 months. Seriously that advice is a little annoying. If I was ok with it would I have started the thread?

So AGAIN, 2010 GPU issues as mentioned by yjchua95 an actual consistent problem or what?

And also, those who know, not who speculate please, dual core 2.66 vs quad core 2.0ghz using DAW and doing light video editing, def watching HD movies. Am I going to notice the difference?

cheers
 
Scuby99 said:
I can't afford a 2012 it seems,

so I have to choose between the '11 and '10

but if BOTH have GPU issues I just let a really good dela on a 2011 go...

So what's the deal with the 2010 models?
Click to expand...
There's a reason why the 2011 models are such a good deal, people are just trying to unload them.

I was looking at them too before I knew about Radeongate. Then I realized why they were so cheap. I think if you buy one, the 2011 will be a ticking time bomb.

At the moment, there is one 2013 model in the Apple refurb store, early 2013 15" 2.7/16/512 for $1899 this is the same as the BTO 2012 model. It's by far the best deal. The late 2013 high end model, 2.6/16/1tb is offered at $2620 in the refurb store!
 
MacInTO said:
There's a reason why the 2011 models are such a good deal, people are just trying to unload them.

I was looking at them too before I knew about Radeongate. Then I realized why they were so cheap. I think if you buy one, the 2011 will be a ticking time bomb.

At the moment, there is one 2013 model in the Apple refurb store, early 2013 15" 2.7/16/512 for $1899 this is the same as the BTO 2012 model. It's by far the best deal. The late 2013 high end model, 2.6/16/1tb is offered at $2620 in the refurb store!
Click to expand...

Thanks I apreceate the advice, unfortunatley above budget and in the Netherlands the refurb program isn't up and running :(
 
Scuby99 said:
Thanks I apreceate the advice, unfortunatley above budget and in the Netherlands the refurb program isn't up and running :(
Click to expand...
Ohh, sorry, I didn't realize you were in NL!

I'd skip the 2010 models also, because they will be much slower than the 2011 models. So wait until the 2012 are affordable or go to the US and buy on there!
 
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