Apple keeps replacing my Logic Board

"First, We have quite a few of these systems and we have not had that many failures. While we have had our fair share of problems, I don't see this system as so problematic as some have stated.

I have a suspicion a lot of the issues people are having is the dual graphic engines these systems have. Here's a good Apple TN: MacBook Pro: How to determine which graphics processor is in use.

You see, the OS & system firmware decides which Graphics services to use: The internal Intel CPU HD Graphics 3000 services or the dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics processor.

The OS needs to switch between them as you jump from the finder services which uses the built-in CPU graphics engine, to the application that requires the more powerful graphic services using the AMD Radeon. The fact you are powered via AC vs. battery also effects things as well. Here's a good Apple TN that goes over how to bias the system: MacBook Pro and MacBook Pro with Retina display computers: How to set graphics performance.

I would recommend doing the following install a good temperature monitoring app like: Temperature Gauge Pro. Make sure your systems firmware is also upto date: EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Macs as starters. Then I would look carefully at my apps making sure I've got the newest releases.

OK, here's the last thing here on this: download this app: gfxCardStatus. It will also help you identify what graphic services is running.

See what you discover on your usage, and if you do encounter problems see if you can identify if the graphics services is the issue, or something else. Let us know what you discover.

To your questions:

1: If Apple does find something I'm sure they will offer a fix as it likely is firmware or OS based issue. If its a hardware issue then Apple will address it as well. We have no crystal ball here Apple is in the drivers seat on what they will do.

2: No, you can't change your graphics services it is what it is. Review the IFIXIT guides to get an idea how your system is built."

Apple fussed up after a class action law suit. Here's the repair program: https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro...

"All of these 2011 AMD based systems are JUNK. They fail the same way the NVIDIA 8600 did in 2007/2008, just they took longer to fail. My fume extractor gets good and busy inhaling smoke from all the dead HD 6750M I am replacing everyday in my office.

You can fit an 820-2849 In there, BUT it is a downgrade in CPU. It is this downgrade in CPU power that actually saves you. The 820-2849 has a dual core CPU compared to your 820-2914 board's quad core, which produces less heat. Do keep in mind that this dual core CPU board has the SAME COOLING SYSTEM AS YOUR QUAD CORE CPU BOARD because Apple is clueless when it comes to proper thermal design.

The 820-2849 also has a GPU that is NOT a piece of crap like the 820-2914's HD6750M that will not keep failing. Keep in mind that the combination of crap AMD HD 6750M GPU + quad core sandy bridge processor is what is killing that GPU to begin with. Even if the HD 6750M wasn't junk, it is paired with one of the hottest running mobile processors of the past five years which will kill it just by sharing a heatsink with the GPU.

You already have a bad GPU and a bad cooling design. Put a QUAD core sandy bridge processor of the 820-2914 board you have in that system, instead of the DUAL CORE processor of the 820-2849 board in there, and you have a recipe for disaster. What Apple was thinking when they made this is beyond me, but it definitely wasn't that you would have a working machine 3 years from your purchase date.

The right thing to do is to keep killing it within the 90 days by running GPUtest & furmark until they give you a retina for free. It works, and is what they deserve for taking $2000+ of your money and giving you this pile of junk. Be kind and courteous to them while insisting that this canot keep happening because you use the laptop for work. They do not have classic unibodies to give you as replacements, so they will replace it with a retina which is a far better and more reliable machine.

If you want to mess with putting a different board in there, you can put an 820-2849 and it will be fine. It does not share any of the lvds_mux issues or the kernel panicing because of dropping VRAM pgood signals of the 820-2850. But in this case, you are paying for a downgrade.

The right thing to do here is to keep killing it natrually and keep bringing it back to Apple until they give you a retina."

"Thanks for all the discussion points.

Louis - the model I have (Early 2011 MBP 17"") is actually retina display already. One of the many reasons I love(d) it. It would break my heart if I had to exchange it but of course that trumps a working replacement in a newer 15"".

If they replace the logic board again, I am really interested in maximizing it's life as my diagnostic imaging workstation feeding a external cinema displauy. I have upgraded ram to 16GB, and SSD to 500GB and it worked so much faster. I use OsiriX that open large CT datsets - commonly using volume rendering and planar reconstructions. I travel often so I have a travel case for the cinema display and my macbook.

Am I understanding correctly that flash video (Youtube, Vimeo) are more taxing on the logic board compared to my DICOM viewing and rendering software?

If so I will avoid the flash videos entirely. Also, what instructions (video or step-by-step) could I follow to improve the heatsink or attachments. I don't mind some minor ""surgery"" ( I replaced the Ram and the HD as described above.

Should I always have it elevated on a M-stand (or equivalent). What about fancy cooling attachments?

Thanks again Dan, Louis, ABCellars"

Your warranty agreement or local consumers law should allow you to refund or replace a equal or better product if repeated repairs didn't solve your problem.