Live long and prosper, 2011 15" MBP!

[MultiFinder17]

I'm looking for a bit of advice from y'all. I came into a beautiful 15" early 2011 MBP a while back, an have hesitated to use it because, well, they die. However, given that this machine is tricked out with 16GB of RAM, an SSD, and the high-res display, I'd really like to get some use out of it, even just for light tasks around the house! I've run the NVRAM command to disable the dGPU so that it won't use it and will instead rely solely on the Intel HD3000, I've cleaned and repasted it, but is there anything else that I can do to stave off death for this machine? It's a beauty and intensely powerful, so I'd love to put it to good use rather than not touching it for fear of killing it.

I appreciate your tips and tricks

 

[TheShortTimer]

What about a Thunderbolt eGPU setup as a replacement for the dGPU? They're not that expensive and would open up a great deal of possibilities. For example, I'm able to play 4K content in full screen on an i5 MacBook Air connected to an HDTV. Check out my thread if you're curious or interested in exploring this option.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I like that idea. I wonder if you can disable the dgpu using the hd3000 when out and about and at home the egpu could be used through a dock set up. That would be pretty epic (as my son would say).

 

[MultiFinder17]

What about a Thunderbolt eGPU setup as a replacement for the dGPU? They're not that expensive and would open up a great deal of possibilities. For example, I'm able to play 4K content in full screen on an i5 MacBook Air connected to an HDTV. Check out my thread if you're curious or interested in exploring this option.

Certainly a possibility! Though that said, the HD3000 is fine for the uses I’d have for this machine. I’m curious, so long as I’m not using the dGPU, is it safe from dying? The only other MBP that I own with a dGPU is my late 2008 15”, and that one I also run solely on the 9400M without touching the 9600M, a method that has served me well and keeps that machine kicking in daily use in my classroom.

 

[TheShortTimer]

I like that idea. I wonder if you can disable the dgpu using the hd3000 when out and about and at home the egpu could be used through a dock set up. That would be pretty epic (as my son would say).

That's quite an apt description, it certainly brings an epic dynamic to 2011 MBP and MBA.

I’m curious, so long as I’m not using the dGPU, is it safe from dying?

This isn't a machine that I've owned or used - others with personal experience will be able to confirm this for you but I'd strongly suspect that from what I've seen of discussions about this specific issue, you should be ok with the dGPU deactivated.

 

[Amethyst1]

I wonder if you can disable the dgpu using the hd3000 when out and about and at home the egpu could be used through a dock set up.

That should work fine. Thunderbolt functionality is, fortunately, unaffected by disabling the dGPU. www.eGPU.io is the resource for eGPU setups.