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That really helps? I would think that the skillet would just contain the heat instead of letting it waft away in the air. Is it not better to keep the laptop on a stand where air can circulate beneath it?
Metal is a much better conductor of heat than air.
 
Well, I just picked up my MacBookPro from the Apple store after being repaired. My logic board was replaced with a new board (no dirty ports) but still has the 8600 chip... which really pisses me off. I asked to speak with a manager.. the genius came back and said there is nothing more that can be done for me... Soooooo the manager and the Head Genius hid in the back and would not come out! Great customer service!!!:mad:

The genius was full of misinformation...
1. 90 day warranty -- the "genius" has never heard of a 4 year warranty from date of purchase for machines with this specific issue:eek:
2. The "genius" said No, you had the NVIDIA 8600 chipset, we replaced it with a new logic board that has the GeForce 8600. They are both called 8600, so it is a bit confusing... same chip name, but made by different manufacturers...:eek::confused:??? LMAO!!! are you kidding me??? and you are a "genius"??:(
3. Then it changed to "Yeah but you have rev2.. see it says on your repair paper. I responded "yes, but that is not what it says in my computer. Why wouldn't they make the chipset description under graphics displays say rev2 if that is soooo much better? and YES they can make the description read anything their hearts desired. It is programmed with a description.. it is not voodoo which she wanted to argue about that.:mad:

And how about a 4 year warranty on the new GPU from date of installation???
Then maybe I can have confidence in this "repair"... this is ridiculous way to treat people. This should not be MY problem! My first Mac... spent the extra to get the PRO model... won't let me pay to upgrade my logic board to get say a 2.4Ghz or higher to get away from this junky chipset even! ridiculous! Oh yeah... the repair is listed as $1200 for the new logic board instead of the $600 it is in real life...
 
Oh yeah... and FYI, Time machine did not recognize my "machine" after the logic board had been replaced... said you "can not use your backups with a different machine" .... even though the Harddisk is the same and did not change... and most of my programs have to have the user info and serial number re-entered
 
Oh yeah... and FYI, Time machine did not recognize my "machine" after the logic board had been replaced... said you "can not use your backups with a different machine" .... even though the Harddisk is the same and did not change... and most of my programs have to have the user info and serial number re-entered
I am not a fan of monolithic database-style backup schemes like Time Machine for such reasons.

Is there a way to get into Time Machine files to extract files in circumstances like this? I haven't used Time Machine much at all. I do manual backups.
 
Well after 3 years and 4 months of perfect service my SR 2.4 MacBook Pro has the corrupt video problem. :mad:There was never a hit of the problem or anything until yesterday now it won't last more that a minute. I have a appointment at the Apple Store this afternoon.
 
Well after 3 years and 4 months of perfect service my SR 2.4 MacBook Pro has the corrupt video problem. :mad:There was never a hit of the problem or anything until yesterday now it won't last more that a minute. I have a appointment at the Apple Store this afternoon.

Mine was fine for three years up until a week ago. Started getting video stutters, then took a crap out of the blue. Weird how it happens, eh?:rolleyes:
 
Well after 3 years and 4 months of perfect service my SR 2.4 MacBook Pro has the corrupt video problem. :mad:There was never a hit of the problem or anything until yesterday now it won't last more that a minute. I have a appointment at the Apple Store this afternoon.

Just got back from the Apple store. They took it in for a free repair with no problem. I asked if the new board would/could have the same problem and they said the problem is fixed with the new parts.
 
Oh, irony of ironies

I am a proud owner of the 8600GT GPU housed in a perfectly functioning Feb '08 2.5 GHz SR MBPro. I've never had any video problems, but over the summer I found that I couldn't connect my camera to the FW400 port. I tried other peripherals and found the same thing, so I bought a FW400-FW800 adapter and found the FW800 port was dead, too. Then I noticed the USB on the right side of the computer was dead (left side USB OK). Then the DVD drive started acting up. So last week I took it to my local authorized Apple service agent, which in Cannes, France is not the local Apple store but instead is a local IT company called Welcome Informatique (5-stars, by the way, for Welcome Informatique if you are ever in Cannes).

I explained the problem to the tech and he shakes his head and explains that because the case has a tiny dent on the left side Apple will never accept this as a warranty claim. I just wrote this off to normal French negativity and left the computer. A week later I called back and was pleased to hear they replaced the motherboard under AppleCare.

I was curious if there was any mention of the GPU rev on the invoice, but there wasn't. It only listed the old and new motherboard serial numbers which I'll list here if anyone is curious:
old: W8807052UZ3GA
new: W8823056G22SA

Also, there is no give away under system profiler. It reads just as it did before

So, I guess I'll never know if my old GPU had much life left in it (it always read PCIe lane width 16x) or if my "new" motherboard is a well worn P.O.S. or if it is new old stock that was lying around a warehouse (no hair or gundge in any of the ports, by the way).

In any case I doubt I'll get the 6 years of life i've gotten out of my trusty 12" PB G4 on which I write this. :)
 
Just got back from the Apple store. They took it in for a free repair with no problem. I asked if the new board would/could have the same problem and they said the problem is fixed with the new parts.

That's what they like to tell people, but in all reality, the replacements are no different and fail (in my experience) at a faster rate. Sorry. :(
 
Just got back from the Apple store. They took it in for a free repair with no problem. I asked if the new board would/could have the same problem and they said the problem is fixed with the new parts.
"New" as in as yet unused defective chips, or "new" as in "new to the computer the used ("refurbished") part is being installed in"?

I have not seen anywhere any mention of Apple doing what it should have done in the beginning: replace the defective chip with a chip that uses the non-defective solder.

If Apple is replacing the motherboards with new motherboards that have chips with the correct solder -- in every case of replacement ("repair"), then we're talking. That's a start. However, if they're merely installing "new" defective parts, that doesn't cut it.

Nonetheless, a full recall for all those who haven't received such replacement motherboards with non-defective solder (if they exist) is still in order.
 
i've been having the same issue with my late '07 mbp 2.2ghz with nvidia 8600m gt for about a week now. it was sitting on my desk, running just fine, went to sleep and never woke up again. after some investigation i found it was responsive because it was still making all the noises it was supposed to (ie when changing volume or booting up) but all it ever gave me was a black screen. i did some digging on google and found that mine fits the time-frame and described symptoms, so i took to the apple store.

the genius (genius that he was) told me my machine is 3 years and 26 days old, and thus 26 days out of applecare. he ran the test which gave him a negative result(not the GPU), and proposed that its either the display (900$ fix) or the logic board (1400$ fix). either way, i can't afford it, and if i could i'd probably consider getting a new mbp off the shelf since the cost is similar. meanwhile all the guy could offer me was a shrug and a 'i hate to be the bearer of bad news (but youre s**t outta luck)'.

so is this all it comes down to? buying a $2500 machine that lasts 3 years only to melt as soon as the warranty is up? on the one hand i don't want to trust the genius because from the sounds of it these faulty GPUs can be the cause of other problems, but on the other i know there's not much he can do without a positive result from his dinky little tester box. in the meantime i'm going to A) try another apple store to see if they give me another result and B) call apple and whine--and if neither works, well, i guess i'll shelf the thing for future archeologists and commiserate here with you guys.

on another note, i've had a few other problems with my mbp over the years and so have perused the forums on this site alot finding them very helpful. i joined on today because i wanted to share my experience on this particular thread, which i think is the only thread that isnt full of people saying 'my hd melted, my battery exploded, my screen is flickering and my speakers smell funny BUT I STILL LOVE MY MAC!!'. maybe just goes to show that things arent all fluffy clouds and unicorns and rainbows for mac users any more?
 
the genius (genius that he was) told me my machine is 3 years and 26 days old, and thus 26 days out of applecare. he ran the test which gave him a negative result(not the GPU), and proposed that its either the display (900$ fix) or the logic board (1400$ fix). either way, i can't afford it, and if i could i'd probably consider getting a new mbp off the shelf since the cost is similar. meanwhile all the guy could offer me was a shrug and a 'i hate to be the bearer of bad news (but youre s**t outta luck)'.

This seems to happen all the time, the "genius" bar people seem to be totally oblivious to the 8600GT problems.

I would suggest calling Applecare. Tell them that your computer has the same symptoms as the http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2377 and you'd like to setup a mail-in repair. Be firm and make sure to point out that you are still in the 4 year extended warranty window. Your computer has exactly the same symptoms as my old MBP, I'd say they are classic GPU failure symptoms.
 
Yes AppleCare is most helpful and tell them of your in-store experience as they are not impressed with the misinformation their stores are putting out there... same crap they tried to tell me as well.... Applecare took care of me and my computer was 3 years and 42 days.

It says right on the link provided above for the Distorted video: 4 YEAR WARRANTY for this problem

Or print the notice and take that back to the store and ask what part they did not understand. Sad :apple: sad... truly a sad way to behave :apple:
 
This is what happens when a company doesn't do the right thing. It should have been like a typical company that issues a recall that fixes the problem.

It should not be a game, a lottery.

Recalls are only usually done on things that pose a physical safety issue, otherwise it's a fix on failure. You'll see this standard with in the industry, you'll see recalls on batteries because they have a tendency to explode and when your product in customers possession is catching fire or exploding it is bad for business, other than that I have never seen anything recalled in the computer world that didn't catch fire or explode, regardless of the computer manufacturer.

I haven't read the thousands of posts, but anyone remember the iBook G3 ATI issues?
 
Recalls are only usually done on things that pose a physical safety issue, otherwise it's a fix on failure. You'll see this standard with in the industry, you'll see recalls on batteries because they have a tendency to explode and when your product in customers possession is catching fire or exploding it is bad for business, other than that I have never seen anything recalled in the computer world that didn't catch fire or explode, regardless of the computer manufacturer.

I haven't read the thousands of posts, but anyone remember the iBook G3 ATI issues?

I would generally agree with that, but then why is it HP owners are having their laptops replaced altogether? You think they were catching fire?
 
My 2.5 year old 15" MBP was perfect until yesterday morning. Thank God for Applecare! I still don't know if the faulty graphics card is to blame, but it seems like it. I plan on selling my MBP before warranty expires and buy a new 13" one.

I thought this would never happen to me and the problem was less common than many here had claimed. :(
 
Well my 17" MBP's 8600M decided to be one of the defective GPU's of the bunch...... Will the fact that 2 years ago the carrying case strap slipped off my shoulder and hit the floor that resulted in a part of the aluminum on the left side of the laptop is bent out a bit effect me getting the free replacement?

web.jpg
 
I would generally agree with that, but then why is it HP owners are having their laptops replaced altogether? You think they were catching fire?

I can assure you HP note books wouldn't be replaced by HP for the failed nvidia graphics chip except in rare circumstances such as a multitude back to back failed in warranty repairs, how ever there is a class action suit against nvidia which can be found at http://nvidiasettlement.com/ HP's program of free repair covered units with an AMD processor and a particular nvidia GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150. the program gave you 2 years of coverage from date of purchase for your issue to crop up and then if you had a problem after that you were offered a discounted repair.

To my knowledge there has been no programs available for the 8600m or the 7150 by HP though there are plenty of complaints about the 7150 and 8600m on web forums around the world, whether the complaints are a high number of failures for these units or not is another question that i don't have the answer to but the people having the issue are quite vocal. There are no recalls I know about for HP notebooks (or any other manufacturer) how ever there have been some for the batteries, just like every other manufacture.

Seeing the history of complaints I'm wondering if i'm going to have problems with my 2009 13" mbp (MacBookPro5,5) with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M how ever i do notice in the last 6 months the thing has been running cooler than ever (along with the 13" 2006 mb I gave my mom). used to be it ran in the high 60s now it's in the low 50s.
 
I can assure you HP note books wouldn't be replaced by HP for the failed nvidia graphics chip except in rare circumstances such as a multitude back to back failed in warranty repairs

HP is being widely reported as replacing notebooks for the NVIDIA failure due to the lack of parts to repair older laptops.
 
My 17" has almost 8000 hours on the original hard drive so I imagine there is even more time on the GPU (there were periods of the time when the hard drive was set to spin down, so it will have less hours than the logic board) and it still passes the diagnostic regularly. No issues. No repairs. I guess I got a good one.
 
HP is being widely reported as replacing notebooks for the NVIDIA failure due to the lack of parts to repair older laptops.

If they are in warranty (and there is no special program for the 8x00 series) and they are in the service center for a certain period of time with no parts available I could see a replacement happening, but not for out of warranty machines.
 
I can assure you HP note books wouldn't be replaced by HP for the failed nvidia graphics chip except in rare circumstances such as a multitude back to back failed in warranty repairs, how ever there is a class action suit against nvidia which can be found at http://nvidiasettlement.com/ HP's program of free repair covered units with an AMD processor and a particular nvidia GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150. the program gave you 2 years of coverage from date of purchase for your issue to crop up and then if you had a problem after that you were offered a discounted repair.

? From the Class Notice:

(3) a replacement notebook computer similar in kind and value, if you purchased a version of certain models of notebook computer manufactured by HP containing one of the NVIDIA chips and your notebook computer is experiencing certain identified symptoms, and if you return your eligible malfunctioning HP notebook computer once your claim is approved.
 
So, I got my MBP 15'' back today from a logic board replacement. Everything seems to be fine but the fans run 6,000 rpm, constantly. It's very loud and annoying. I'm sure it runs cooler but even when I'm not doing heavy duty work, they're still on full blast.

I have SMC Fan controller but it's not doing anything. Maybe I'm not using it properly but it seems easy to use.

What gives?
 
Well, I just picked up my MacBookPro from the Apple store after being repaired. My logic board was replaced with a new board (no dirty ports) but still has the 8600 chip... which really pisses me off. I asked to speak with a manager.. the genius came back and said there is nothing more that can be done for me... Soooooo the manager and the Head Genius hid in the back and would not come out! Great customer service!!!:mad:


And how about a 4 year warranty on the new GPU from date of installation???
Then maybe I can have confidence in this "repair"... this is ridiculous way to treat people. This should not be MY problem! My first Mac... spent the extra to get the PRO model... won't let me pay to upgrade my logic board to get say a 2.4Ghz or higher to get away from this junky chipset even! ridiculous! Oh yeah... the repair is listed as $1200 for the new logic board instead of the $600 it is in real life...

They replace with the same GPU, naturally. There are no other logicboard with the same specification for MBP with another GPU.

The four year warranty is from origin of purchase of the computer, not the last repair of the GPU-problem. So it´s correct that you have 90 days warranty on the replaces part and "still" four years from the origin of purchase if it fails again with this specific failure.

Which upgrade should you pay for? There aren´t any better logicboard designed for this model that you can upgrade to.

Oh yeah... and FYI, Time machine did not recognize my "machine" after the logic board had been replaced... said you "can not use your backups with a different machine" .... even though the Harddisk is the same and did not change... and most of my programs have to have the user info and serial number re-entered

Well.. it´s how TM works, it connect the backup with the S/N of the logicboard. New logicboard = new S/N and a new backup. You still can get all your data from the backup with migration assistant or manually enter the TM and copy your files out.
But you have to start a new TM-backup for a new backup-session for your "new" computer...
 
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