MacBook Pro Early 2011 fails again

[dashwin]

Background: Own a MacBook Pro 15" early 2011, had the logic board replaced for free when Apple was offering to replace them for flawed display issues earlier.

It's failed again and won't boot, gives me similar display effects. My guess is logic board display is kaput again.

I'd like to get a new MacBook Pro but given new ones are about to be released I don't want to go in for the plunge until they are released.

That said I need a Mac to work on in the meantime. Planning to get a used mid-2012 MacBook Pro 15" -- why not later versions you may ask? I have a 1tb ssd I was using with the old early 2011 MacBook that works great. I want to continue to use it ideally (I have a time capsule backup for the Mac OS X partition but not the boot camp). And from what I know beyond the mid2012 connectors to the hard drive has changed, besides its costlier too.

Any alternatives I may be missing? I could get a Mac mini but I'm not sure what the last model was that accepted a basic sata hdd. Also I need the same compute power as my old system which was a quad core 2.0 ghz.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[tubeexperience]

Take it back to Apple for another logic board replacement.

 

[maflynn]

It's failed again and won't boot, gives me similar display effects. My guess is logic board display is kaput again.

The issue is the replacement logic board you'll get is a previously failed one, which means the likelihood of failure is not if but when

 

[redshifted]

If you're hoping to replace it with a newer model you need to go with Apple repairs until the new models are released. They'll keep swapping in new logic boards as long as you're willing to let them. The repairs will work for a while and then eventually fail. I had 4 repairs before I asked them for a replacement with a new machine. The magic number of repairs seems to be 3 for the same issue. It also seems that you have to ask for replacement.

Be persistent but polite .

 

[dashwin]

I actually just went to the Apple Store with no real hopes of getting a fix...

Was pleasantly surprised to see that they ran some tests and determined it was indeed the same display issue again. They said they should be able to replace it and I sent it in.

They said the replacement that I got previously was before Apple had a real fix (I actually ended up paying for that and later got it reimbursed later which was great). Now they're saying this fix is for real and I should not have any further issues with the display.

So that's great, the downside is I'm without the system for a week.

....was so close to get an old MBP but now I can wait until the new MBP release to buy a brand new one when it's out this October. Hopefully they have reasonably priced 1 TB SSD options.
[doublepost=1473629642][/doublepost]

If you're hoping to replace it with a newer model you need to go with Apple repairs until the new models are released. They'll keep swapping in new logic boards as long as you're willing to let them. The repairs will work for a while and then eventually fail. I had 4 repairs before I asked them for a replacement with a new machine. The magic number of repairs seems to be 3 for the same issue. It also seems that you have to ask for replacement.

Be persistent but polite .

Wow, 4 repairs! That must have been tough.

It's great they've taken care of us despite being out of warranty. I'm pretty sure if this was HP or Dell they'd look the other way.

 

[redshifted]

I actually just went to the Apple Store with no real hopes of getting a fix...

Was pleasantly surprised to see that they ran some tests and determined it was indeed the same display issue again. They said they should be able to replace it and I sent it in.

They said the replacement that I got previously was before Apple had a real fix (I actually ended up paying for that and later got it reimbursed later which was great). Now they're saying this fix is for real and I should not have any further issues with the display.

So that's great, the downside is I'm without the system for a week.

....was so close to get an old MBP but now I can wait until the new MBP release to buy a brand new one when it's out this October. Hopefully they have reasonably priced 1 TB SSD options.

I don't know if there is a real fix but it's definitely worth a try. The conventional thinking is that you're getting a refurbished logic board. They seem to have a bad habit of failing again - eventually. I had one that lasted a couple of months and one that lasted a couple of days.

I hope yours lasts longer. I still miss my 17".

 

[tubeexperience]

Wow, 4 repairs! That must have been tough.

It's great they've taken care of us despite being out of warranty. I'm pretty sure if this was HP or Dell they'd look the other way.

The only reason Apple is ever offering this repair for free is because of a class action lawsuit.

Has there not been a class action lawsuit on this issue, Apple would have dump you like a hot potato.

You don't need to thank Apple.