Damaged Graphic Card Mac Pro 2011: Repair or Not?

• 

  Randxyz123 on 30/03/2015 - 00:18

  +5

  The guy quoted me somewhere around $750 for a similar graphic card.

  For that machine there is a worldwide recall program going on… This means you can have your graphics card replaced for free!

  Not sure why he would try and charge you - is it damaged?.

  http://www.apple.com/au/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

  • 

    jurong on 30/03/2015 - 12:42

    I'm not too sure either.

    At first he wasn't sure what the problem was but after he asked around he said it's definitely the graphic card. I asked for an over night check and he just told the result would be the same. He didn't offer me any other solution except asking me to get a new graphic card.
    I also didn't get any feedback/case report (which he told me I would get) for my visit to the Genius Bar.

    But thanks for that, I'll definitely give them a call.

• 

  jpv on 30/03/2015 - 06:30

  I agee with @knick007. You should check if it eligible for a free repair. My girlfriend's laptop had the same issue a few months ago (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/158487) and they told us the same thing. It would cost $750 for the repair but I managed to haggle it down to $450. I ended up buying a new MacBook Pro for around $1.1k since Myer was having a sale and my mate got a further discount on it.

  When I found out about the scheme, I took it to Apple and they fixed it right away (2 days wait). The only issue was that we hadn't used the MacBook in over 6 months and the battery expanded when she charged it overnight. That cost us an extra $160 but I guess it's worth it for a new logic board and a new battery. Better than paying $750 back then.

  tl;dr: Check if it's free to repair through the MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issue

  • 

    jurong on 30/03/2015 - 12:43

    May I ask how you haggle it down to $450? Just in case mine is not eligible for the free repair.

    Thanks mate

    • 

      jpv on 31/03/2015 - 11:20

      I emailed Tim Cook ([email protected]). It may sound stupid but someone got back to me within 24 hours. I told them that I was a student and that $700 was hard for a student to fund. Insert sob story.

      Their customer service was amazing. I was on and off the phone for a few days while they were trying to see what they could do. They offered a finance option which I declined. They offered the discount repair price which I declined too, since I found out that Myer was having a sale on MacBook Pros and intended to buy a new one for me and my girlfriend. In the end, I said that I had important files on the MacBook and they offered me a free Thunderbolt cable. I took it but never used it since I turned the MacBook HD into a portable one.

• 

  MATTS on 30/03/2015 - 06:31

  call apple support before going into store
  1300-419-374

  graphics card went on my late 2011 imac and thay replaced with new model …
  its worth calling them

  • 

    jurong on 30/03/2015 - 12:44

    I definitely will. Thanks a lot for the advise!

  • 

    Randxyz123 on 31/03/2015 - 15:04

    +1

    You shouldn't need to call them anymore. When there was no repair program in place which there wasn't for about 2 years… Calling them and explaining you were a student etc and couldn't afford it often helped. However now you just need to book a genius appointment to get it fixed. From what you've said your laptop should be eligible for the program…

    • 

      jurong on 31/03/2015 - 17:45

      You.. Thank YOU, sir!

      I'm going to book an appointment with them and explain about the program as well.

      Cheers mate!

• 

  knoxy1001 on 31/03/2015 - 21:40

  Hey mate,
  had the same laptop as you, its the 15" yeah? (if not disregard this totally!!)
  the 15" pros from 2011 have serious issues with the graphics cards, serious issues. hop on google and have a hunt around, start with "macbook pro 2011 GPU issue" and you'll see a LOT of info on it.

  I'd just sell. seems to be hit and miss with working replacements/how to fix it, some people say new cards have fixed the issue, but most get the same issue 6 months down the track. I stumbled upon it by accident and just sold my 15" before it displayed any issues. Might've been a working one with no issues, but i didn't want to risk it.

  There may be an apple replacement program down the track, so maybe hold onto it?

  hope this helps.

  EDIT:
  yep, they've released the program. get onto it! free repairs :)