Will this be the end of my MacBook Pro?

[lympero]

Hello,
I have a late MacBook Pro 2011 for almost 4 years with Ssd runs like a champ. I'm using it for at least 7 hours per day (Xcode + parallels with visual studio) and little photoshop.

I'm using it only with the dedicated video adapter because I'm afraid of the known Radeongate problem BUT I want to connect an external dell monitor which my wife bought for me for Christmas. The problem is that this connection requires using the Radeon cArd.

Anyone else using extensively an external monitor with this MacBook Pro and haven't had a card failure or this will a certain death for my MacBook ?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Well you only have the graphics card extended warranty until feb 2016.

Nothing's certain but I expect it will kill the graphics card eventually but what do you have to lose it's pointless having it at all if you can't use it how you need to.

 

[snaky69]

Hello,
I have a late MacBook Pro 2011 for almost 4 years with Ssd runs like a champ. I'm using it for at least 7 hours per day (Xcode + parallels with visual studio) and little photoshop.

I'm using it only with the dedicated video adapter because I'm afraid of the known Radeongate problem BUT I want to connect an external dell monitor which my wife bought for me for Christmas. The problem is that this connection requires using the Radeon cArd.

Anyone else using extensively an external monitor with this MacBook Pro and haven't had a card failure or this will a certain death for my MacBook ?

Death is due to thermal cycling. Even not using the ATI isn't helping your computer live longer, the solder joints are expanding and contracting with heat regardless. The displayport isn't connected to the intel card, it needs the ATI card to work.

Just use your computer.

 

[glenthompson]

I use an external monitor with the same MBP and mine is still running fine. A number of apps also use the ATI like Aperture. My philosophy is to have a good backup and adequate funds on hand to buy a new rMBP if mine dies after the extended warranty is up.

 

[Spudlicious]

Just use your computer.

That's good advice. If you're going to worry about what might go wrong, be it a cooked graphics card, an ssd having too many write cycles, a weary battery or whatever, then what's the point of having the thing?