MacBook Pro 2011 17 GPU Issues!

[Dorothy Gale]

Please note, should you protect your files with FileVault, you will still have to provide the FileVault password for them being able to run the diagnostics.

 

[JTToft]

I'll just add my experience now after having had my machine in for this issue for the second time.
Turn-around was less than 48 hours at my preferred AASP.

I handed it in with the following modifications (also see signature):

• User-upgraded and outside Apple spec memory
• User-upgraded and outside Apple spec (though Apple original) AirPort/Bluetooth board
• User-installed Samsung 850 Pro SSD
• No SuperDrive
• User-installed OWC Data Doubler with Samsung 830 SSD installed

No one batted an eyelid and I got it back exactly as I turned it in (except with a replaced logic board, of course).
Again, this was at an Apple Authorised Service Provider, not Apple itself. So practices may differ.

 

[mythdemon]

Hi guys, long time reader and user but first time commenter.

I've been having issues with the laptop and have had so many severe symptoms which point towards the faulty logic boards on these models. These issues started a hear ago and have previously replaced the logic board for similar issues. For over a year my Mac has been freezing, random restarts, hard shutdowns, grey screens, blue screens, can't boot into safe mode, green and pink horizontal lines and many other symptoms along with those. It goes through a restart loop and I've restarted over 5000 times thinking it might go through. On a few odd occasions it has and it doesn't last very long. I took it into Apple last year and the technician hardly looked at the laptop and said its fine even though I had around half of the symptoms back then. I've seen many users with the same issues and sometimes the diagnosis report says everything is fine when clearly it's not.

My main concern is my data hasn't been backed up because of these issues and the Mac not recognising my external hard drives as well because of this. My questions is, if I get the logic board replaced then it shouldn't affect my data should it, since all OS and data settings are on the hard drive? What's the chances of the new logic board not working with the hard drive or corrupting the hard drive once it gets connected onto the new logic board? My other concern was the employees maybe copying my files through target disk mode without my permission. What are he chances of these things happening?

Cheers for your responses!

After 4.5 years of use, the GPU issue finally showed up in my 17" MBP. The screen started flickering, showed green vertical lines randomly, and the Mac rebooted randomly.

Took it to the Apple Store. They said they would replace the logic board for free, and call me when the MBP was ready. When I got the call, the technician (Genius?) asked me if I wanted to change my hard drive as well, since it was about to go bad soon. She also said it would be free. And so, thanks to the wonderful utility that is Time Machine, I was able to say yes to the offer. Oh, and I got an upgrade to the 750GB drive, since that was the only one they had.

That was nine months ago, and things are working great so far *knock on wood*.