Problem with MacBook Pro Nvidia Graphics card

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited November 2015
I bought my first ever MacBook Pro in late 2007, and I'll be honest I really liked it until it died on me out of blue. Upon talking to Apple Technical Care Rep, Visiting the Store and again talking to Apple Care Rep they all conluded that unfortunately my MacBook Pro had the defective Nvidia that Apple and Nvidia bothk new and both companies very smartly decided to address the issue only for those users whose machines died early in their life cycle and left others sitting on the ticking time bomb to explode in the matter of time.



Maybe both these companies saw this as a money making opportunity?



I always heard good feedback and had a positive customer service experiece until I ran into this problem. Today when I visited the apple store in Yorkdale Mall in Ontario Canada rep was like "Graphics card dies on you if you want it to be fixed you need to pay $525+, otherwise you are wasting my time kind of look". Very BAD experince. I am just 4 months above the timeline that Apple and nvidia had decided to fix it, if you are lucky enough to have it gone bad in period of 4 years they will fix it for you.



At the time of purchase I even purchased extended Apple Care/Protection Plan that itself costed me around $300+ additional, if I remember correctly that time I spent close to $2800 on this MacBook Pro purchase, which comes around 2-4 Windows Laptop, depending which brand and configuration you buy.



Since my first purchase I have bought various apple products including software and hardware, including all OS that were released since then until now. Recently being my new iPhone 4S.



If Ihave to go the path that Apple reps are asking me to take, it comes pretty close to $800 per year expense with owning this Apple MacBook Pro, which is beyond my understanding.



My point is if part would have gone bad due to any other issue or mis-use I am ok to take the hit, but if Apple knew about bad part I would have expected Apple to correct it for all identified serial numbers.



Instead of taking care of the issue Apple is trying to hide behind Nvidia and blaming them for the problem, I DID NOT buy Nvidia product I bought Apple and I want Apple to take care of this issue.





If anyone of you are going through the same issue please chime in, if you are one of those who is sitting on the ticking bomb take this as a piece of advice and make sure you take regular backup.





I AM RETHINKING ON MY DECISION TO WHETHER TO SHIFT TO APPLE OR STAY WITH MY MORE RELIABLE WINDOWS BASED PC, ATLEAST THEY ARE CHEAPER TO FIX AND WORST CASE JUST BUY NEW ONE THAT WILL COST LESS THAN APPLE REPAIR COST.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 87
    No, you don't have to pay. Take it back, demand a repair.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleProUser View Post


    …MORE RELIABLE WINDOWS… …JUST BUY NEW ONE… …COST LESS THAN APPLE REPAIR…



    This sounds like an exquisitely bad idea.
  • Reply 2 of 87
    I already tried three different attempts and asked apple to honor this repair but they don't seem to care, maybe they have enough users and they are getting popular so they don't care about their customers as much as they used to do in past.



    I really loved my macBook Pro, but this experience is driving me crazy.
  • Reply 3 of 87
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleProUser View Post


    I already tried three different attempts and asked apple to honor this repair but they don't seem to care



    Ah, I was wrong. Late aught seven. It's not covered anymore. It has been more than four years since your purchase date.



    Quote:

    maybe they have enough users and they are getting popular so they don't care about their customers as much as they used to do in past.



    No. And stop being silly. It's just out of warranty. You're receiving the same service as absolutely every other computer company would give.
  • Reply 4 of 87
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleProUser View Post


    If I have to go the path that Apple reps are asking me to take, it comes pretty close to $800 per year expense with owning this Apple MacBook Pro, which is beyond my understanding.



    My point is if part would have gone bad due to any other issue or mis-use I am ok to take the hit, but if Apple knew about bad part I would have expected Apple to correct it for all identified serial numbers.



    Instead of taking care of the issue Apple is trying to hide behind Nvidia and blaming them for the problem, I DID NOT buy Nvidia product I bought Apple and I want Apple to take care of this issue.



    If anyone of you are going through the same issue please chime in, if you are one of those who is sitting on the ticking bomb take this as a piece of advice and make sure you take regular backup.



    Yeah they blame NVidia for this whole thing:



    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2377



    "NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected"



    It affected PCs too though. Apple eventually removed NVidia from their entire lineup - you can't buy a new Mac with an NVidia GPU today.



    I think they'd have to stop the free repairs at some point and 5 years seems reasonable.



    The repair is pointless anyway because they just put the same model of chip back in, which has the same defect.



    The value of your computer model is about $500-600 so you'd be better off selling it for parts for about $300-350 (repair companies buy them for parts) and then using the money to put towards a newer machine. You can get a unibody 15" MBP for $850:



    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBoo...#ht_500wt_1182



    or a 13" with warranty for $929:



    http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC700LL/A



    That'll still cost $500-600 but you'll get a nicer computer. There are cheaper logic board repair options too:



    http://www.ebay.com/itm/MacBook-Pro-...#ht_2705wt_933



    Also, the data in your machine should still be ok, you can just open it and take out the hard drive if you need to move it to another machine.
  • Reply 5 of 87
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    Yeah they blame NVidia for this whole thing:



    However, after an Apple-led investigation? ?you can't buy a new Mac with an NVidia GPU today.



    I wonder how Steve felt about that. Being lied to by nVidia, sure, but how he felt after Apple found this out on their own when he had already told customers that the chips were fine.
  • Reply 6 of 87


    Hi,


    I am exactly going through the same problem. I bought mine in Dec-2007 and it broke in Sept-2011. Unfortunately, I didn't know about this 4-year policy and came to know last month in March 2012. I went to the apple store (Eaton Centre) Toronto, and was told that you are approximately 2 and half months out of that 4-yrs window so it will not be repaired by Apple. I find it very unfare. If there was a faulty product from apple, then it was their responsibility to inform every buyer (at least put this into the media) so that they can either get a replacement or get it repaired in time. One of the senior from apple says, we run the diagnostic and only when the problem is related to the Nvidia then we repair that also if the problem occurred within 4 yrs. Its like you buy a faulty product and then wait for the problem to occur to get the mistake of faulty chip (its apple's mistake) solved...I have been a big fan and laptop can break anytime but this apple/nvidia system feels like cheating...Don't know what else can be done.... 

  • Reply 7 of 87
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Appleuser2007 View Post

    Unfortunately, I didn't know about this 4-year policy and came to know last month in March 2012.


     


    They e-mailed MacBook Pro owners, I believe.


     


    Quote:



    I find it very unfare.



     


    You had four years to read the news.


     


    Quote:


     If there was a faulty product from apple, then it was their responsibility to inform every buyer (at least put this into the media) so that they can either get a replacement or get it repaired in time.



     


    They did. Profusely. Unless you ignore all news, you would have heard about the nVidia chip problem from Apple, nVidia, or a industry-wide tech outlet.


     


    Quote:


    Its like you buy a faulty product and then wait for the problem to occur to get the mistake of faulty chip (its apple's mistake) solved…





    You could have easily returned the computer. Also, it's not Apple's fault at all.


     


    Quote:


    Don't know what else can be done.... 



     


    You could buy a new one.

  • Reply 8 of 87
    redmanredman Posts: 15member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleProUser View Post



    I bought my first ever MacBook Pro in late 2007, and I'll be honest I really liked it until it died on me out of blue. Upon talking to Apple Technical Care Rep, Visiting the Store and again talking to Apple Care Rep they all conluded that unfortunately my MacBook Pro had the defective Nvidia that Apple and Nvidia bothk new and both companies very smartly decided to address the issue only for those users whose machines died early in their life cycle and left others sitting on the ticking time bomb to explode in the matter of time.



    Maybe both these companies saw this as a money making opportunity?



    I always heard good feedback and had a positive customer service experiece until I ran into this problem. Today when I visited the apple store in Yorkdale Mall in Ontario Canada rep was like "Graphics card dies on you if you want it to be fixed you need to pay $525+, otherwise you are wasting my time kind of look". Very BAD experince. I am just 4 months above the timeline that Apple and nvidia had decided to fix it, if you are lucky enough to have it gone bad in period of 4 years they will fix it for you.



    At the time of purchase I even purchased extended Apple Care/Protection Plan that itself costed me around $300+ additional, if I remember correctly that time I spent close to $2800 on this MacBook Pro purchase, which comes around 2-4 Windows Laptop, depending which brand and configuration you buy.



    Since my first purchase I have bought various apple products including software and hardware, including all OS that were released since then until now. Recently being my new iPhone 4S.



    If Ihave to go the path that Apple reps are asking me to take, it comes pretty close to $800 per year expense with owning this Apple MacBook Pro, which is beyond my understanding.



    My point is if part would have gone bad due to any other issue or mis-use I am ok to take the hit, but if Apple knew about bad part I would have expected Apple to correct it for all identified serial numbers.



    Instead of taking care of the issue Apple is trying to hide behind Nvidia and blaming them for the problem, I DID NOT buy Nvidia product I bought Apple and I want Apple to take care of this issue.





    If anyone of you are going through the same issue please chime in, if you are one of those who is sitting on the ticking bomb take this as a piece of advice and make sure you take regular backup.





    I AM RETHINKING ON MY DECISION TO WHETHER TO SHIFT TO APPLE OR STAY WITH MY MORE RELIABLE WINDOWS BASED PC, ATLEAST THEY ARE CHEAPER TO FIX AND WORST CASE JUST BUY NEW ONE THAT WILL COST LESS THAN APPLE REPAIR COST.


     


    You need to read about this experience another person had and what the outcome was; Here is part of the article and a link to the rest:


     


    Seattle Rex vs. Apple: The Verdict Is In


    Posted on Apr 17, 2012 at 7:46 am | 408 comments



    Apple Logo


    A few years ago, Apple sold me a $4,000 computer with a defective graphics chip/logic board. The defective part was the Nvidia 8600M GT GPU, and when it was discovered that the machine was defective, Apple refused to take it back and issue me a refund. Instead, they promised to replace the 8600M GT boards when they failed, up to 4 years from the date of purchase.


    Three years later, the board failed, and predictably, Apple refused to replace it. Instead, they used the fact that the machine wouldn’t boot (due to the failed logic board) to deny the repair. Not only that, but in addition, they tried to charge me a hefty sum of money to have it replaced, knowing full well that Nvidia pays for the full repair cost.


    Three and a half months ago, after having my repair denied, I announced on this very site that I was going to sue Apple. Reading these lawsuit threats often, many people assumed that I was bluffing or blowing off steam, but true to my word, I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I sued Apple.


    I did not take this step lightly, however. In the months following the announcement, I did everything in my power to keep my dispute with Apple out of the court system.


    First, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. In their rebuttal to the BBB, Apple blatantly lied about the diagnostics they had run on my computer, and the BBB promptly closed the case, leaving Apple’s “A+” rating intact.


    Next, I spoke with Apple Executive Services … three separate times. Each time, I was told that “We value each customer and hope that they have a positive experience with Apple, and are sorry that you did not have this experience, but you will get nothing.” … or something to this effect.


    After that, I sent a demand letter to Apple via certified mail. I informed them that if I did not have my issue resolved within 10 days, I would sue.


    Only then, after Apple failed to reply, did I file a Small Claims lawsuit.


    Last week, the trial was held.


    Here's the link to the page: http://www.seattlerex.com/seattle-rex-vs-apple-the-verdict-is-in/


     

  • Reply 9 of 87
    redmanredman Posts: 15member


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleProUser View Post



    I bought my first ever MacBook Pro in late 2007, and I'll be honest I really liked it until it died on me out of blue. Upon talking to Apple Technical Care Rep, Visiting the Store and again talking to Apple Care Rep they all conluded that unfortunately my MacBook Pro had the defective Nvidia that Apple and Nvidia bothk new and both companies very smartly decided to address the issue only for those users whose machines died early in their life cycle and left others sitting on the ticking time bomb to explode in the matter of time.



    Maybe both these companies saw this as a money making opportunity?



    I always heard good feedback and had a positive customer service experiece until I ran into this problem. Today when I visited the apple store in Yorkdale Mall in Ontario Canada rep was like "Graphics card dies on you if you want it to be fixed you need to pay $525+, otherwise you are wasting my time kind of look". Very BAD experince. I am just 4 months above the timeline that Apple and nvidia had decided to fix it, if you are lucky enough to have it gone bad in period of 4 years they will fix it for you.



    At the time of purchase I even purchased extended Apple Care/Protection Plan that itself costed me around $300+ additional, if I remember correctly that time I spent close to $2800 on this MacBook Pro purchase, which comes around 2-4 Windows Laptop, depending which brand and configuration you buy.



    Since my first purchase I have bought various apple products including software and hardware, including all OS that were released since then until now. Recently being my new iPhone 4S.



    If Ihave to go the path that Apple reps are asking me to take, it comes pretty close to $800 per year expense with owning this Apple MacBook Pro, which is beyond my understanding.



    My point is if part would have gone bad due to any other issue or mis-use I am ok to take the hit, but if Apple knew about bad part I would have expected Apple to correct it for all identified serial numbers.



    Instead of taking care of the issue Apple is trying to hide behind Nvidia and blaming them for the problem, I DID NOT buy Nvidia product I bought Apple and I want Apple to take care of this issue.





    If anyone of you are going through the same issue please chime in, if you are one of those who is sitting on the ticking bomb take this as a piece of advice and make sure you take regular backup.





    I AM RETHINKING ON MY DECISION TO WHETHER TO SHIFT TO APPLE OR STAY WITH MY MORE RELIABLE WINDOWS BASED PC, ATLEAST THEY ARE CHEAPER TO FIX AND WORST CASE JUST BUY NEW ONE THAT WILL COST LESS THAN APPLE REPAIR COST.


     


    You may be interested in this article: 


     


    Seattle Rex vs. Apple: The Verdict Is In


    Posted on Apr 17, 2012 at 7:46 am | 408 comments



    Apple Logo


    A few years ago, Apple sold me a $4,000 computer with a defective graphics chip/logic board. The defective part was the Nvidia 8600M GT GPU, and when it was discovered that the machine was defective, Apple refused to take it back and issue me a refund. Instead, they promised to replace the 8600M GT boards when they failed, up to 4 years from the date of purchase.


    Three years later, the board failed, and predictably, Apple refused to replace it. Instead, they used the fact that the machine wouldn’t boot (due to the failed logic board) to deny the repair. Not only that, but in addition, they tried to charge me a hefty sum of money to have it replaced, knowing full well that Nvidia pays for the full repair cost.


    Three and a half months ago, after having my repair denied, I announced on this very site that I was going to sue Apple. Reading these lawsuit threats often, many people assumed that I was bluffing or blowing off steam, but true to my word, I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I sued Apple.


    I did not take this step lightly, however. In the months following the announcement, I did everything in my power to keep my dispute with Apple out of the court system.


    First, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. In their rebuttal to the BBB, Apple blatantly lied about the diagnostics they had run on my computer, and the BBB promptly closed the case, leaving Apple’s “A+” rating intact.


    Next, I spoke with Apple Executive Services … three separate times. Each time, I was told that “We value each customer and hope that they have a positive experience with Apple, and are sorry that you did not have this experience, but you will get nothing.” … or something to this effect.


    After that, I sent a demand letter to Apple via certified mail. I informed them that if I did not have my issue resolved within 10 days, I would sue.


    Only then, after Apple failed to reply, did I file a Small Claims lawsuit.


    Last week, the trial was held.


    Here is the link to the rest of the article:


    http://www.seattlerex.com/seattle-rex-vs-apple-the-verdict-is-in/


     

  • Reply 11 of 87
    redmanredman Posts: 15member


    OK so I am being sensored for trying to post this TRUE story about Apple... DO YOU ALL WORK FOR APPLE?

  • Reply 12 of 87
    redmanredman Posts: 15member


    Ive tried three times to help this person out with this news story and every time it is "being moderated" ..... but when I dont post the link and part of the story it is ok... Huh..


     

  • Reply 13 of 87
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RedMan View Post

    OK so I am being sensored for trying to post this TRUE story about Apple... DO YOU ALL WORK FOR APPLE?


     


    Calm down. You're being caught by the forum filter for being a new user posting excessive images, links, and using large font. No biggie.


     


    http://www.seattlerex.com/seattle-rex-vs-apple-the-verdict-is-in/

  • Reply 14 of 87
    redmanredman Posts: 15member


    So they didnt like the last one either...


     

  • Reply 15 of 87
    wshuff4wshuff4 Posts: 47member


    Well Redman, I read the story, so everything seems to be working.


     


    Is that accurate that the 8600 is the only GPU that can be used in the machine?  If it is defective, there is no other GPU that could be used as a replacement?


     


    Good luck with collecting.  Look forward to the update.


     

  • Reply 16 of 87
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wshuff4 View Post

    Is that accurate that the 8600 is the only GPU that can be used in the machine?  If it is defective, there is no other GPU that could be used as a replacement?


     


    Yes. It wasn't made with any other.

  • Reply 17 of 87
    wshuff4wshuff4 Posts: 47member


    Ouch!  So were all 8600 parts defective, so that they just replaced one defective component with another?  

  • Reply 18 of 87
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wshuff4 View Post

    Ouch!  So were all 8600 parts defective, so that they just replaced one defective component with another?  


     


    I would say yes, but they claim to have fixed it. Take whichever side you want.

  • Reply 19 of 87
    wshuff4wshuff4 Posts: 47member


    Well, I guess I dodged a bullet.  Until a few weeks ago I was scouring the net looking for a used MacBook for my wife.  I saw a few interesting models that probably used this NVIDIA GPU, but I had no idea about this issue.  Glad that I ended up getting her a new MacBook Pro instead.


     


     

  • Reply 20 of 87
    bobalee01bobalee01 Posts: 1member


    I just came across this problem the hard way too this past week. My Mac BookPro was 4 years old Christmas. I had purchased the Apple Care extra warranty too. Two weeks ago mine went dark, no video, neither internal or external. I have to drive 2 hours to the nearest Apple Store. They looked at it and told me I was over the warranty. I thought he was talking about my 3 yr plan. I told he, the Genus Guy, I know, he said, he for the Chip, they extended it to 4 years, you should of gotten a email about it. I told them, nope.


     


    Well he told me they could send it out for repair to their service station in Texas for $310. I could live with that. He said that they also will go through and replace anything else that they find wrong all for the same price. He said the logic board for sure. Well we sent it in, 2 days later I get a email telling me since my my dvd drive was not the factory installed, they requoted me $1200+ to fix.


    The DVD drive is not even my problem. I called the number listed, they didn't care. He told me if I would reinstall the old drive then they could do it. It was replaced by a local Apple authorized service store. I don't have the old drive. I called to talk to the manager of the Apple store I had brought it to to see if he could do anything, but all I could do was to leave a message with the person answering the phone. He told me they would go over it and call me back. All I've gotten back was the mac book pro unfixed.


     


    Does anyone know where I can buy the logic board and replace it myself?


     


    thanks

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