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Operating System without automatic graphics switching?

O

odedia

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 24, 2005
1,048
158
Hi.

I'm one of the many users who are affected by the 2011 MacBook Pro discrete graphics fiasco, where the machine would halt if it switched to discrete AMD GPU.

I already ordered another machine but I was wondering if I can resurrect my MacBook Pro for casual tasks. GFxcardstatus works most of the time butneouldnstill hang occasionally.

Then I remembered that when I BOUGHT the machine, it did not have automatic graphics switching. You had to choose which GPU you want in system preferences. That wold be ideal for me, I'll just set it to integrated the whole time.

Does anyone remember which version of OS X had this feature?
 
odedia said:
Hi.

I'm one of the many users who are affected by the 2011 MacBook Pro discrete graphics fiasco, where the machine would halt if it switched to discrete AMD GPU.

I already ordered another machine but I was wondering if I can resurrect my MacBook Pro for casual tasks. GFxcardstatus works most of the time butneouldnstill hang occasionally.

Then I remembered that when I BOUGHT the machine, it did not have automatic graphics switching. You had to choose which GPU you want in system preferences. That wold be ideal for me, I'll just set it to integrated the whole time.

Does anyone remember which version of OS X had this feature?
Click to expand...

In all versions of OS X, disabling automatic graphics switching would enable the dGPU all the time and leave the iGPU inactive.

And if you want to restore it to its former glory, have a third party reball a new GPU in with leaded solder, and reapply the thermal paste on the GPU and CPU.
 
You can disable the dGPU once in Mac OS. In Windows, you actually only use the dGPU. The problem is the boot sequence needs to verify the dGPU before starting os x. I know there are some uefi commands that will help with the issue, I just don't know them off hand.
 
yjchua95 said:
In all versions of OS X, disabling automatic graphics switching would enable the dGPU all the time and leave the iGPU inactive.

And if you want to restore it to its former glory, have a third party reball a new GPU in with leaded solder, and reapply the thermal paste on the GPU and CPU.
Click to expand...

At least you're recommending a new GPU
 
dyt1983 said:
I couldn't watch most of it (his assertation of a "failure timer" in Apple products is ludicrous). Unless there's an "I'm kidding" at the end, from what I did see, I could rebut just about everything that guy says, his logic is flawed (his "heat the chip but don't reflow the solder to prove the chip is bad" doesn't take into account thermal expansion to the solder that happens when the chip is heated... you can't isolate that to prove it). Sometimes the chip is dead; sometimes it needs reballing.
Click to expand...
He's not the best at explaining it - but I'd argue his points are mostly valid.

The failure timer comment was quite clearly made in jest - similar to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_timer

Whilst it's true that you don't have to melt the solder to weaken it and expand it, considering how most lead-free solder has melting points of around 215ºc I find it difficult to believe that, when you've got a GPU rated for 105ºc (or thereabouts, depends on the chip) that the solder would fail before the chip does.

Something else I found:
I'm not an expert on chip fab but from what I can gather in a lot of cases the issue is caused by problems with the connectivity between the die and the chip itself - ie not between the chip and the motherboard:

nc0Gvo1.jpg


Essentially it's quite likely that the reballing is simply heating up these 'bumps' between the die and the chip as a side effect and that's what's actually making the chip behave again.

Of course, what we don't know is what the extent of the damage to the die itself is.
 
Last edited:
odedia said:
Hi.

I'm one of the many users who are affected by the 2011 MacBook Pro discrete graphics fiasco, where the machine would halt if it switched to discrete AMD GPU.

I already ordered another machine but I was wondering if I can resurrect my MacBook Pro for casual tasks. GFxcardstatus works most of the time butneouldnstill hang occasionally.

Then I remembered that when I BOUGHT the machine, it did not have automatic graphics switching. You had to choose which GPU you want in system preferences. That wold be ideal for me, I'll just set it to integrated the whole time.

Does anyone remember which version of OS X had this feature?
Click to expand...

That was probably the OS the machine shipped with. Simply reinstall the original OS. If it came with disks then use the disks.
 
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