Had Apple kept the operating temperature lower the "delta" and subsequent impact of thermal shock would have been significantly reduced. Consumer electronics running at near three figure centigrade is frankly a recipe for disaster. Apple and or it's suppliers knew the risks, yet continued to roll the dice. The non-leaded soldier was more an issue for the 2007/2008 MBP, by 2011 the implications of the same should have been well known to anyone in the design & production of electronics, such failure mechanisms are well known in the electronics industry.
Personally I looked to keep the dGPU (2011 MBP) below 75C as much as possible, also reduce the "delta" It still runs to this day, as does it's 2008 predecessor, equally needing to "baby" the notebooks to prevent dGPU failure is just another chore and consideration. Unfortunately many others did not fair so well including yourself.
FYI I have significant experience of thermal load cycling of electronic platforms, up to and exceeding 175C operating temperature. Admittedly these are hardened systems designed to withstand enormous shock loads and temperature variance. I have no experience of the testing of consumer electronics, however accelerated "wear & tear" can be easily replicated condensing months, if not years of use into a relatively short timespan.
Q-6
