GPU is toast, now what?

[bozo13]

Hello there.

I bought my first ever Apple product late 2011, a brand new Macbook Pro that has now mutated into a brick. Black screen on boot, I tried all the things I've read on the support pages, to no avail.
I did not pay for AppleCare, assuming I was already spending 2000 euros for some premium hardware that could last me a decade, right? Well it only took 6 months after the end of my warranty for the thing to die, great timing.

Changing the graphics card means changing the whole logic board, 750 euros that I would rather spend on a new PC, and not some overpriced defective hardware.

But as I was considering smashing my dead laptop on the corner of my desk, I had one little idea : the GPU may be gone, but there is still the HD graphics 3000 thingy from the Intel CPU. Would there be a way to tell the computer to switch to it, with no vision at all, like some secret ninja keyboard shortcut, or some kind of BIOS menu with simple navigation?

Thank you.

 

[johnnnw]

gfxcardstatus let's you switch between them, may still not work though

 

[rabidz7]

Hello there.

I bought my first ever Apple product late 2011, a brand new Macbook Pro that has now mutated into a brick. Black screen on boot, I tried all the things I've read on the support pages, to no avail.
I did not pay for AppleCare, assuming I was already spending 2000 euros for some premium hardware that could last me a decade, right? Well it only took 6 months after the end of my warranty for the thing to die, great timing.

Changing the graphics card means changing the whole logic board, 750 euros that I would rather spend on a new PC, and not some overpriced defective hardware.

But as I was considering smashing my dead laptop on the corner of my desk, I had one little idea : the GPU may be gone, but there is still the HD graphics 3000 thingy from the Intel CPU. Would there be a way to tell the computer to switch to it, with no vision at all, like some secret ninja keyboard shortcut, or some kind of BIOS menu with simple navigation?

Thank you.

Have you tried connecting the laptop to an external monitor? It could just be the display.

 

[bozo13]

gfxcardstatus let's you switch between them, may still not work though

Yes, but that would imply I'd have to log into the OS, download the program from internet, install it, and play with the configurations, all of that watching my stupid face reflected on the black screen of my MBP.
I was thinking of something maybe closer to the metal, that I could get to with few blind keystrokes.

Have you tried connecting the laptop to an external monitor? It could just be the display.

That was my second guess as well, but no, still no image on my main monitor either.

 

[foxf8]

yea first thing to do in diagnosing laptop video problems is connect it to a external display. if u get video there than its either the screen or backlight that went out. if u dont get video threw the external display than yea its gone. if u do get video also check your brightness. push the brightness button all the way up especially if kids been on your notebook like to prank people by turning the brightness all the way down which then it does look like the screen is black.

 

[thundersteele]

Why not bring it to an Apple store, have them run a diagnosis, and see what they say. Sometimes they offer discounts or flat rate repairs, so you could get it fixed for e.g. something closer to 300 euros, instead of 700.

 

[bobcan]

As far as Repair Options, I have seen this mentioned and kept the link accordingly.. might be worth checking into, I am in Canada, and can only guess where they service, but the World is 'getting smaller' in many ways these days.. and what I see listed is MUCH more reasonable than Apple Pricing too!!

http://www.dttservice.com/macbookpro.html

 

[swingerofbirch]

I'm not sure what the equivalent is in Europe, but in the US I would tell you to call Apple's customer relations. If you said exactly what you just wrote about how you paid a lot, didn't buy the warranty because you thought it was a high end machine, and six months out of warranty had this happen and now would rather spend the money repairing it on a new PC, I am pretty sure that customer relations would try to do something for you. Maybe not comp the entire repair but work out a lower rate. You never know--they are somewhat flexible, and it's very much dependent on the situation.

Since you're in Europe, I don't know what the equivalent Apple department would be. In the US, you would call the corporate number and ask for customer relations. So maybe try something like that?

Sorry about your computer.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

well OP take it to a apple store, you have nothing to loose and if its far to expensive to repair take it from there.

where are you based, in the UK we have the sale or goods act that might get you somewhere.

failing that if it was me I be having a trip over the dog with it in my hands and claiming off my house insurance

 

[Swampus]

...If you said exactly what you just wrote about how you paid a lot, didn't buy the warranty because you thought it was a high end machine, and six months out of warranty had this happen and now would rather spend the money repairing it on a new PC, I am pretty sure that customer relations would try to do something for you. Maybe not comp the entire repair but work out a lower rate. You never know--they are somewhat flexible, and it's very much dependent on the situation...

+1

I've had many complaints about Apple over the years, but customer service isn't one of them. They generally err on the side of satisfying the customer and not screwing them on a technicality. Apple is consistently ranked number one in customer service.