In the face of an increasing number of early-2011 MacBook Pros suffering from issues related to their built-in discrete AMD GPUs, Apple continues to officially respond to the reports, even as owners are now calling for a replacement program.
AppleInsider reports that a significant number of early-2011 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro owners saw system crashes and graphics failures seemingly related to the laptops’ discrete AMD-built GPUs.
The problem, by all reports, is getting worse, as the group of user affected by the issue grows by the day.
The main discussion thread regarding 2011 MacBook Pro GPU-related issues currently has swollen to 338 pages with an amazing 538,585 views and 5,061 replies. The entries come from the U.S., UK, the Netherlands and Japan.
Symptoms of the problem present themselves during graphics-intensive operations, such as viewing HD video, or editing large photos in pro-level apps. Some users report that the screen goes completely blank, while others experience banding and artifacts plaguing the display.
While Apple has yet to officially respond to affected MacBook Pro owners, some have been successful in taking their computer in for service. Some owners with an extended AppleCare Protection Plan have been able to get their logic board swapped out. However, there is no official standing order to replace the part, so success is spotty.
Facing a lack of response from Apple, a group of affected owners have started a petition on Change.org calling for a resolution to the issue of what they call a “manufacturing defect.” The petition currently has 2,726 of a required 5,000 signatures.
