Is my 2006 Macbook Pro dying?

[Babyboi]

Attached is what my screen is going through. Sometimes it's not this bad, but this is how bad it can get. If this was part of the replacement program, they don't offer replacements anymore now that it's 2017. Anyone know how to remedy this?

 

[Mindinversion]

You're not going to like the answer.

Your laptop is 11 years old. . .it fought like a champ, but components fail. MAYBE. . and this is a *HUGE* maybe there's a cable that's starting to get frayed internally, or the thermal paste has dried up and is causing the GPU to overheat..

More likely the GPU is going. Obviously hard to diagnose from the other end of a screen, but either way the cost to repair is going to be more than the machine is worth unless it is a VERY simple solution.

My best advice is: It's time to put the poor thing to rest and get a new machine...

 

[Babyboi]

You're not going to like the answer.

Your laptop is 11 years old. . .it fought like a champ, but components fail. MAYBE. . and this is a *HUGE* maybe there's a cable that's starting to get frayed internally, or the thermal paste has dried up and is causing the GPU to overheat..

More likely the GPU is going. Obviously hard to diagnose from the other end of a screen, but either way the cost to repair is going to be more than the machine is worth unless it is a VERY simple solution.

My best advice is: It's time to put the poor thing to rest and get a new machine...

I have thermal paste. Is the GPU easily accessible if I open up the machine?

 

[casperes1996]

I have thermal paste. Is the GPU easily accessible if I open up the machine?

Let's not jump to conclusions. But to answer your question - No.
Regardless, it won't help at all I think. Try booting the machine whilst holding Shift, and see if it boots up. This will try booting macOS/OS X without the drivers for the GPU (among other things), doing all renders on the CPU. It'll be slow, hot, and have a frame rate so low that it'll look a bit weird, as it scans from top to bottom, but if it works, you'll know for sure the GPU is at fault. If you can boot into safe mode, you should also be able to boot into diagnostics. That way the computer can tell you exactly what the defect is. My bed is that either the GPU solder is dying, or the GPU itself is dying. Not as in, overheating and can still be saved with lower temps, but as in, already gone for.

 

[Mindinversion]

I was trying to be gentle. . but I agree with Casperes.

I was going to post a teardown video for you to follow if all else failed, but I can't even find one of THOSE for a MbP that old....

 

[Samuelsan2001]

It's 11 years old it really isn't worth fixing or spending any time or money on it's done. Any laptop that lasts more than 5 years is a champ.

 

[Calby]

It's 11 years old it really isn't worth fixing or spending any time or money on it's done. Any laptop that lasts more than 5 years is a champ.

That's true, I'm counting on that my MBP's live for 3 years as long as I have the AppleCare after that I use to sell it or give it to someone in my family and then buy a new one.

 

[Fishrrman]

That Macbook had a long and productive life.
Time for something newer.

 

[Babyboi]

LOL thanks guys for your responses. I just hate seeing hardware go to waste like that when it could be used as a dedicated media player or something I could leave by the TV. I try to be resourceful. If this Macbook ends up being a dud, I can repurpose the display panel for another side project.

 

[casperes1996]

LOL thanks guys for your responses. I just hate seeing hardware go to waste like that when it could be used as a dedicated media player or something I could leave by the TV. I try to be resourceful. If this Macbook ends up being a dud, I can repurpose the display panel for another side project.

CPU and RAM should still be good, so if you want, you can use it to run CPU tasks that don't require a GPU. Like BOINC for instance