Macbook GPU Failure? Easy Temporary Fix To Get It Working Again!

[iamdarkyoshi]

We just got a bunch of 2011 15in macbook pros in, and they all won't boot, they crash trying to boot and usually do something visually interesting.

 

So what is the easy fix I hear you ask? All you need is a screwdriver to take the bottom cover off, and some tape.

 

 

Close it up again, and let the unit try to boot again and again. It will get rather hot, this is intentional. Some macbooks switch to the iGPU when they overheat, so by causing the unit to overheat, we can get it to boot.

 

Leave it for a while, and the thermal stress caused by this can even cause the GPU to temporarily fix itself.

 

This thing had about 25% battery left, ao I let it run after work in this state, and tomorrow morning, I took the tape off and booted it up again, and what do you know...

 

 

 

THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX. IT SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT.

[RGProductions]

Or you could like, fix the GPU. The mobos for those things are only $25 or so AFAIK

[NTDaws]

Well thats a odd fix but bravo

[TheRandomness]

1 minute ago, RGProductions said:

Or you could like, fix the GPU. The mobos for those things are only $25 or so AFAIK

'One does not simply...'

 

@iamdarkyoshi This is like self-baking

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 minute ago, RGProductions said:

Or you could like, fix the GPU. The mobos for those things are only $25 or so AFAIK

Find me a working motherboard for 25$...

[RGProductions]

1 minute ago, TheRandomness said:

'One does not simply...'

 

@iamdarkyoshi This is like self-baking

Yeah, it does take several hours on those things. 

[m0k]

.

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 minute ago, TheRandomness said:

'One does not simply...'

 

@iamdarkyoshi This is like self-baking

Ahhh, fresh apple pie

[DyverTech]

You can also download that program for forcing it to use discrete graphics instead of dynamic switching. The other forums I was on mentioned that it isn't necessarily the gpu causing issues but the switching system that causes the kernel panics. The one I did it to still crashes on occasion but is much more reliable and hasn't failed to boot. 

 

The software is called GFX Card Status or something like that. A quick google search will turn up lots of results on this. 

 

 

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 minute ago, mok said:

maybe you should move that disclaimer to the TOP line of your post. and not at the bottom

Anyone stupid enough to put tape on their fans and not read the whole post doesn't deserve a disclaimer lol

[DyverTech]

3 minutes ago, RGProductions said:

Or you could like, fix the GPU. The mobos for those things are only $25 or so AFAIK

Where did you find pricing like that? The cheapest I could find was low $100s but I didn't see it worth it to spend a bunch of money on a laptop I wasn't keeping for long. 

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 minute ago, DyverTech said:

You can also download that program for forcing it to use discrete graphics instead of dynamic switching. The other forums I was on mentioned that it isn't necessarily the gpu causing issues but the switching system that causes the kernel panics. The one I did it to still crashes on occasion but is much more reliable and hasn't failed to boot. 

 

The software is called GFX Card Status or something like that. A quick google search will turn up lots of results on this. 

 

 

None of these machines would even boot though. The one with the red lines was artifacting without even being instructed to boot

[DyverTech]

1 minute ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Anyone stupid enough to put tape on their fans and not read the whole post doesn't deserve a disclaimer lol

Did you ever watch the videos about how you can just pay apple to fix it, then go and wrap it in a towel while running unigen and eventually apple will just replace it?

[jools]

I used to bake old gpu's and mobo's in the oven to fix dry joints or get my old paint stripper gun and give the circuit board a good roasting.....its a sometime last resort fix

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 minute ago, DyverTech said:

Did you ever watch the videos about how you can just pay apple to fix it, then go and wrap it in a towel while running unigen and eventually apple will just replace it?

I've heard about this but these machines are way out of warranty

[DyverTech]

Just now, iamdarkyoshi said:

I've heard about this but these machines are way out of warranty

That's why you'd have to pay for the first one. 

 

[manikyath]

43 minutes ago, RGProductions said:

Or you could like, fix the GPU. The mobos for those things are only $25 or so AFAIK

if you ask rossmann, it's not actually the GPU, its a piece of the circuitry for the GPU that has a bad cap in it, which is what fails, and gets "temporary put back into life" due to the heat.

 

this is also what happens with a lot of GPUs that people "reflow" at a temperature too low to reflow. (because, at least in my knowledge, most kitchen ovens can barely reach the required temps to do so.)

[iamdarkyoshi]

2 minutes ago, manikyath said:

if you ask rossmann, it's not actually the GPU, its a piece of the circuitry for the GPU that has a bad cap in it, which is what fails, and gets "temporary put back into life" due to the heat.

 

this is also what happens with a lot of GPUs that people "reflow" at a temperature too low to reflow. (because, at least in my knowledge, most kitchen ovens can barely reach the required temps to do so.)

Where is this cap? I've got surface mount soldering experience

[manikyath]

3 minutes ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Where is this cap? I've got surface mount soldering experience

i'm not too sure about the location, i guess your best bet would be digging trough rossmann's videos, but essentially you need to fish the cap off, get a more reliable replacement, which is unfortunately bigger, so you scrape off some soldermask to make a bigger pad, solder it on, and call it good to go.

 

EDIT: is it one of these things?

 

[RGProductions]

2 hours ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Find me a working motherboard for 25$...

These are still C2d right? Can't tell these things apart.

[iamdarkyoshi]

6 hours ago, RGProductions said:

These are still C2d right? Can't tell these things apart.

Core i7

[RGProductions]

1 hour ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Core i7

Oh lol. Apple never changes their design so it looked like one of the C2D ones to me. Those boards are $25.

[imreloadin]

Reminds me of when people were wrapping their Xbox 360s in towels and leaving them on for hours when they got the good ol' RROD lol

[Princess Luna]

It isnt the first time we have seen heat fix a GPU issues from those who recall Linus baking habits hehehe

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 hour ago, Princess Cadence said:

It isnt the first we have seen heat fix a GPU issues from those who recall Linus baking habits hehehe

Still have the link in my signature