MBP 1,1-10,2 Permanently Disable 2011 15"/17" MacBook Pro Dedicated GPU - gMux IC Bypass

[TripleHM]

Hello. I have a problem. Macbook Pro A1286 board 820-2915-B. Initial problem was horizontal lines. After heating the GPU image was fine. GPU was previously reballed, so i decidet to do the hardwiring mod. I used 0.1mm insulated wire and checked in continuity mode for shorts. Everything was fine, so i powered up the laptop. Image was fine for couple second and then it's starts flicker white with some lines and stayed white. What coud be the problem? I have done everything listed in first post. If its importand this laptop has one ram slot bad, but the other one work just fine.

 

[gokukidjr]

After using my macbook pro 2011 17 as daily for around 2 month after successfully disable the dGPU using gMux.

I have made alot of upgrade and saw some issue on these device.

Upgrade list
HDD to SSD
Ram 8 to 16gb
Bluetooth 2.1+ to 4.0 (Support Low Energy Bluetooth, Handoff and newer airdrop)
Install Express Card to USB 3.0 (Quite faster than the standard USB 2.0 and makes the computer got 5 USB slot)

List of parts replacement
New OEM Battery
New DC-in port
New MagSafe 85w charger
New Thermal Paste

List of Kext modifier use
Activate Night Shift Mode Screen
Maxed out Intel HD Graphic 3000 Vram 512mb to 1024mb
Activate USB 3.0 to work
Activate Handoff and Airdrop for bluetooth 4.0


List of Issue I faced after disabling the dGPU
1. When using Photoshop, Lightroom and any video/graphic editing software your computer will automatically shut itself down the cause was due to CPU Throttling because these second gen i7 automatically Turbo boost itself. What I did to solve this issue was using an application called "Turbo Boost Switcher" and disable turbo boost and the automatically shutdown was gone.
2. High fan rpm (80%++) and Cpu throttling at login after typing the password shutdown. Basically when turning on the machine without plugging charge cable after typing in the password and enter your computer will shut itself right away but you could bypass this by plugging charge cable after logging in and then remove the cable after your cpu and fans cool down. What I found out was there were some "Malware stuff that is hitting the cpu load more than 100%" at login such as "RPCSVCHOST" "INSTALLD" you just need to check your activity monitor to see it. But after installing some Malware killer apps such Avast or Clean My Mac those shutdown after login was gone.

My current tempt is around 59-62C and around 69-74C while doing graphics work fan running at 53% both side around 4200 rpm.

Lastly, seems these 2011 macbook pro could last you for daily task and loads task but don't stress out the CPU too much that could be the best thing for these device. I use these device for Photo editing using Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier Pro & After Effect 2020 version running MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6. After Effect is the only application that I use it with an eGPU whenever I'm running it other than that its all good. I am planning to upgrade to MacOS Mojave very soon within next few month will update again when I got Mojave running.

I am just sharing my experience 🙂

 

[YannD]

Hello there, thanks you so much for all your work dosdude seriously 🙂
I just bought a key and was thrilled to try to flash my logic board, but when I want to download the package that is needed to flash on your website demux.zip.sig , the download page takes me to an error 404. I think the link is down 🙂

Could someone please upload it to mediafire or send it to me on Yann.detrie@hotmail.fr?
Or as for me and others, dosdude could you please put a new github download link?

thanks for your answers dear friends of technology!

 

[WilYawn]

Hello there, thanks you so much for all your work dosdude seriously 🙂
I just bought a key and was thrilled to try to flash my logic board, but when I want to download the package on your website demux.zip.sig , the download page takes me to error 404 on different computers. I think the link is down 🙂 thanks for your answers dear friends of technology!

I think you are clicking on the wrong link.

There is another link next to it.

https://cpcde.page.link/Aj4R

 

[YannD]

I think you are clicking on the wrong link.

There is another link next to it.

https://cpcde.page.link/Aj4R

thanks a lot friend

 

[YannD]

Hi guys, i am Coming back at you after my soldering and flashing.

So i was flashing my 2011 15 inch MacBook Pro, when the dll error appeared.

so i had to quit the demux program because the bar of flashing was not moving after i installed vcredist pack.
after my flashes kept on failing. My licence is still ok, but my computer got flashed anyway:
It works fine except at start where i have to do a pram reset otherwise i get this at start.

after the pram it works fine, except when i close the lid it does the same screen.

Is my situation irremediable ? Did i screw up my flash by quitting the program because of the dll error?
And Also i tried to flash with a different computer attached to lattice, it says my licence is invalid. On my first computer where i first flashed with it says my licence is ok.
Is my licence dead or not? Could i reflash with another licence to fix my problem ?

Thanks for your response

 

[dosdude1]

Hi guys, i am Coming back at you after my soldering and flashing.

So i was flashing my 2011 15 inch MacBook Pro, when the dll error appeared.

so i had to quit the demux program because the bar of flashing was not moving after i installed vcredist pack.
after my flashes kept on failing. My licence is still ok, but my computer got flashed anyway:
It works fine except at start where i have to do a pram reset otherwise i get this at start.

after the pram it works fine, except when i close the lid it does the same screen.

Is my situation irremediable ? Did i screw up my flash by quitting the program because of the dll error?
And Also i tried to flash with a different computer attached to lattice, it says my licence is invalid. On my first computer where i first flashed with it says my licence is ok.
Is my licence dead or not? Could i reflash with another licence to fix my problem ?

Thanks for your response

The licenses are machine locked, to prevent other people from using owned keys. You can reflash again using the same key until it succeeds, using the same machine you used it on initially.

 

[YannD]

The licenses are machine locked, to prevent other people from using owned keys. You can reflash again using the same key until it succeeds, using the same machine you used it on initially.

Thanks for your response, i thought that maybe the problem came from my USB ports from the initial computer.

my problem of glitches seems to have improved,I have no more glitches for the moment, maybe a few reboots could have helped? Have you heard about this behavior?
Edit: glitch appears when I have magsafe connected

thanks a lot

Edit number 2: pulled/ripped off tck jtag, and to finish the destruction I took off the coil and soldered it ... 90 degrees. That made it smoking in the MacBook.
Figured it out because of no video but backlight goes on ( screen remains black )

i soldered it back on but screen remains black.

end of the journey for my part 🙂
It was nice trying all this soldering. I tried to solder about 50 times. See you guys and thanks for the help

Edit 3: thank you for your understanding and to have refunding me dosdude.

 

[gokukidjr]

hey guys I found a solution to use dual monitor on these machine a you my old ipad first generation and third generation install an app called Twomon and it works. I can use dual monitor with my 2011 17" without needing to use the mini display port which wont works.

 

[YannD]

Hi friends, I was wondering, does l2406 absence cause a no video but backlight on, please? I was thinking of changing the component, and I am having trouble to find it on internet.
here is his descriptions not the image.

Thanks

 

[matram]

What have you searched for? This is a 10 microhenry inductor, rated at 0.45 Ampere.

L2406 is just Apples internal designation on the schematic and bill of material.

Without the inductor the signal line will be broken. What the signal is, is not clear to me.

 

[YannD]

What have you searched for? This is a 10 microhenry inductor, rated at 0.45 Ampere.

L2406 is just Apples internal designation on the schematic and bill of material.

Without the inductor the signal line will be broken. What the signal is, is not clear to me.

Thanks for your response.
I removed the coil to flash my demux, and managed to solder it in bad position, so it smoked when I put my MacBook on.

now it Chimes, put the backlight on but I have a black screen. It boots normally and usb works I just have no image.
I am looking at pp1v05_s0 it seems to be down, could this power rail be responsible for the loss of image? Thanks

Also I have another inductor from a donor board but it has 0.58a, could it work (sorry if it seems like an aberration, I do not know how to learn such info) ? Thanks

 

[matram]

If the other inductor has the same or similar inductance rating (uH) then it should work. The current rating (A) is the max current, so a higher value is OK.

I assume that the inductor is used for signal conditioning, therefore you may be able to use a component that differs slightly in spec. If you have no inductor you of course get no signal at all.

 

[YannD]

If the other inductor has the same or similar inductance rating (uH) then it should work. The current rating (A) is the max current, so a higher value is OK.

I assume that the inductor is used for signal conditioning, therefore you may be able to use a component that differs slightly in spec. If you have no inductor you of course get no signal at all.

Hey thanks for the info I changed the coil and it did indeed work, but I still have a no video.
I flashed so many times maybe a wire went off during flash, could the gmux be responsible in this case of my no video + backlight on + normal boot but no video? Thanks

 

[code600]

@dosdude1

Are you planning to have more of the backlight controllers for sale anytime soon?

 

[raezorSharp]

Awesome. Thank you for sharing that info.

BTW, I remember someone asking if a company in the Toronto area can perform these modifications and I found this company website (promacrepair.com) that not only will perform the Dosdude modification but will also take on Macbook logic board repairs.

 

[dosdude1]

@dosdude1

Are you planning to have more of the backlight controllers for sale anytime soon?

Yes, however production of those is currently held up due to the whole coronavirus situation in China.

With regard to my DeMux firmware, though, I am almost finished implementing a somewhat rudimentary (but effective) backlight control solution, so stay tuned for that. Should be done sometime next week.

 

[code600]

Yes, however production of those is currently held up due to the whole coronavirus situation in China.

With regard to my DeMux firmware, though, I am almost finished implementing a somewhat rudimentary (but effective) backlight control solution, so stay tuned for that. Should be done sometime next week.

Sounds great. Will we have to pay again for the firmware with the backlight if we are flashing same macbook?

 

[dosdude1]

Sounds great. Will we have to pay again for the firmware with the backlight if we are flashing same macbook?

No, just contact me and I will let you reflash for free.

 

[rubedizzle]

This is great @dosdude1 . I have purchased multiple keys and would like to get my Toronto clients to bring their systems back to me to get backlight working again. We've been using the backlight app thus far. Three questions:

Does this leverage the backlight keyboard buttons?
Controls hardware backlight?
Any issues with running on Catalina?

Thanks!

 

[Sneida]

@dosdude1 Some weeks ago I bought a licence for your DeMux Patcher and the programmer as well. I don't want to push you but do you know already when the version with integrated back light controller will be available? Just wondering if it makes sense to flash my Macbook right now with the current version to bring it back to live or if it is just a matter of days for the updated firmware to be available.

Really looking forward for this breakthrough version with integrated back light control. Anyway, great Job so far!

Greetings!

 

[gokukidjr]

I got one issue that I found after disabling the dGPU was I am unable to spin the macbook pro 2011 17 fan to 100% speed 6500 rpm. I tried to use the smc fan control to set it to 100% manually but the maximum it could go was only 5500 rpm (85%) only. Anyone had this issue too? Anyway before I had that dGPU issue I was able to make it spin at 6500 rpm (100%) without any issue.

Thanks

 

[dosdude1]

This is great @dosdude1 . I have purchased multiple keys and would like to get my Toronto clients to bring their systems back to me to get backlight working again. We've been using the backlight app thus far. Three questions:

Does this leverage the backlight keyboard buttons?
Controls hardware backlight?
Any issues with running on Catalina?

Thanks!

The current firmware (released yesterday) does not utilize the backlight keys on the keyboard, but rather the battery status indicator button on the side of the machine. Watch the video here for a demonstration.

In order to utilize this feature, a jumper wire will need to be run between SMC_BIL_BUTTON_L and GMUX_VSYNC. I can make diagrams for this if necessary. Otherwise, the firmware will function exactly as it did in the previous release, with the backlight brightness at full.

And yes, Catalina will run just fine with DeMux applied.

 

[rubedizzle]

Thanks @dosdude1. This looks like a good option. What are your thoughts on the keyboard keys ever being able to control this yet again, seem unlikely?

A diagram of the jumper wire spots would be fantastic, I can't make out the second point in the video, and just better to be completely clear. Any recommendations on wire gauge?

Thanks

 

[rubedizzle]

The current firmware (released yesterday) does not utilize the backlight keys on the keyboard, but rather the battery status indicator button on the side of the machine. Watch the video here for a demonstration.

In order to utilize this feature, a jumper wire will need to be run between SMC_BIL_BUTTON_L and GMUX_VSYNC. I can make diagrams for this if necessary. Otherwise, the firmware will function exactly as it did in the previous release, with the backlight brightness at full.

And yes, Catalina will run just fine with DeMux applied.

@dosdude1 - Do you expect there will ever be a way to control backlight from the backlight keys themselves, or unlikely?

Possible to get a diagram of the jumper wire spots? Is there a recommended wire gauge?