MacBook Pro Unibody 2010-2011 Graphics Defect

The Defect

When the 2010-2011 15- and 17-inch models were introduced, the dedicated graphics chips that were supplied by AMD were defective. For consumers of those models it meant at anytime the system could malfunction and render the computer useless in some cases. Apple addressed this issue and for a period of time offered affected customers a replacement logic board. The replacement boards had the same defective chip and users would eventually face the same dilemma without Apple's support. Apple ceased offering this replacement service in December of 2016.

The Symptoms

This graphics issue can manifest itself in a number of ways. The most common symptoms include horizontal lines on the screen, booting to a gray screen, and failure to boot at all. If you have one of these models and you're experiencing intermittent graphics issues, back up your data immediately. If you continue to use the computer, we recommend you back up your data frequently. Once the device can no longer boot, the only way to retrieve your data is through external means and removal of the internal drive.

Repair

Beetstech does not offer any repairs on the models affected by this issue. The defect is present in all boards, including boards replaced under Apple's replacement program, and may result in failure at any time. Any repair, even one that does not involve the logic board, is essentially a temporary fix.

Our Solution

Apple's last model of the Unibody 15-inch debuted in 2012, and by this time AMD was supplying graphics chips free of the previous year's defects. What we've done is created an upgrade package using select parts from the 2012 model. The 2012 upgrade has a number of enhancements that go beyond a defect free logic board. The USB ports are 3.0 as opposed to the slower 2.0 ports on the 2010-11. Bluetooth was also increased in 2012 from 2.1 to 4.0. The whole system gets a bump in speed thanks to faster 1600MHz memory. Furthermore, you get a newer generation CPU and GPU. The upgrade is covered by our  lifetime warranty. The only limitation is that this type of upgrade is only possible on the 2011 15-inch models. The 2010 15-inch models require so many parts to be swapped that the upgrade is cost-prohibitive, and the 2011 17-inch models have no 2012 equivalent.

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