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Options for a late 2011 15” MBP w GPU failure

M

MisterSensitive

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 22, 2012
125
4
wonderfully reliable MBP bit the pooch. I loved this model for its port options (FireWire AND Thunderbolt), its user expandability (16g RAM and TB SSD) and it’s overall vibe.

I’ve tried reseating RAM and Battery, reinitializing SCM and other systems. Nada.

I can’t find any new logic boards. Scared to go used or even refurb. Too broke to buy a new MBP. I have an appointment next week at Apple Store, but I’m becoming afraid I have few options.

Any other things I should pursue? Any hope Apple store can save me?

May have to go Wintel.
 
That sucks, sorry to hear that. I think about what I would do when my little project bites the dust. I am in a position to buy a new one when this happens, but I honestly think I would try to find another 2011 MBP that hasn't been upgraded. Maybe with 4GB memory and a spinner and a battery that needs to be replaced. In other words, a "deal". Then I would move all my stuff over.
 
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OP wrote:
"Any other things I should pursue? Any hope Apple store can save me?"

I don't believe Apple Stores will service these any longer -- it's now an "obsolete" model.

Some 3rd-party repair outfits might swap the logic board, but it won't be cheap and the replaced board will be just as susceptible to failure as the old one.

Your options (as I see them):
- Shop for a new or at least "newer" Mac
- Shop for a PC replacement

That's really about all that makes sense.

My recommendation would be to go for either a new or Apple-refurbished "2015 design" 15" MacBook Pro. Apple still builds and sells these "as new units", but they're not easy to find at store.apple.com (go to the 15" MBPro page and click "buy", then scroll down).
Actually, you might find a better-equipped one at the Apple Refurbished store...
 
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If you can afford to, buy a used 15” 2012 cMBP. They’re very cheap. You’ll be able to throw your SSD straight into that. Same form factor but much quicker CPU and USB 3.
 
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These units are considered "legacy" or "vintage" by Apple.

When I brought my unit (late 2011 i7 15") to the Apple store in the summer of 2017, the tech ran the hardware diagnostics to confirm my suspicion: the gpu has failed. She was sympathetic but could not offer any solutions.

I took the unit and had the gpu replaced by a local tech and it's been working fine since the gpu replacement.
 
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Thanks, all!

So, only the 2012 model can have RAM and SSD swapped out and boots like a champ? All my sw is licensed, so I could reinstall from scratch if I had to.

And the GPU issues were fixed for the 2012 models?

Lastly was the “c” in cMBP a typo, or is that meaningful shorthand?
 
Going through the exact same thing as you unfortunately. Computer was working fine a few hours ago then suddenly it went black and I lost all the work I was working on. Now I can't get it to boot past the grey screen to even attempt to disable the gpu. Hope you have better luck
 
I'll repeat my advice that perhaps your best solution is to get a 2015-design MBP 15" model, either brand-new or Apple-refurbished.

Take the SSD -OUT OF- the dead 2011, and put it into an external 2.5" USB3 enclosure.
Use it as a backup or for extra storage space.
 
Thanks to all for the wonderful input! This is very helpful!

Here's some updates: I was able to go into Apple Hardware Test (via Internet only). First tests yielded a RMEM error message. Ran it with different configurations of RAM (1 stick at a time, upper, then lower slot) with the same result. Put in some different RAM, got a Battery error. Put the old RAM back in and got the Battery error. The battery is an OWC replacement, which has worked fine for a while.

Should I trust these error messages? Or are they shooting in the dark?

The fact that the very opening screen has these horizontal lines makes me suspect the problem has nothing to do with RAM or the battery.

Thoughts?
 
UPDATE: Miracle Cure.

I had enrolled my MBP in DirecTV's Equipment Protection Plan. The level I have covers any device that I watch (or can watch) DirecTV on, excluding phones. I put in a claim, sent it off to them. They sent it back with a logic board replacement and it's working like a champ again. I worry a little about the new (to me) logic board, but if it fails, they'll fix it again.

The best part of this is that if I had gotten a new MBP, it would have been dongle city with all my peripherals, so now I'm back in bidness, I get to keep my 1TB SSD, no dongles and now I can justify a new toy!!!
 
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