Apple seems to always run into GPU replacement problems with their Macs. After starting a repair program for the MacBook Pro last year, Apple is quietly starting a Mac Pro GPU Repair Extension Program in response to video and graphics related problems. The issue is reportedly due to the AMD FirePro GPUs starting to fail prematurely.
The faulty units targetted by the program were manufactured between February 8, 2015, and April 11, 2015, due to graphics problems that “may cause distorted video, no video, system instability, freezing, restarts, shut downs, or may prevent system start up”. Additional symptoms are distorted or scrambled video on the external display, no video on the external display even though the computer is on, computer freezes or restarts unexpectedly or the computer will not start up.
The repair process will be simply removing the faulty GPUs and replacing it with a new GPU, a process that is expected to take 3 to 5 days. For now, only the FirePro D500 and D700 are reported to fail with the D300 models being fine. Given the short time frame for failed units, it’s likely an installation defect or fault with the 2 Tahiti-based FirePro GPUs. More details may be released shortly.
I can’t help to fell like they deserve it, i mean…. overpricing a “nice” computer, and now some of them fails? Is it karma?
It’s all down to being RohS compliant. These gpu problems started to come up after they stopped using lead in the solder. With the RohS compliant tin solders, they just start to disintegrate after a series of hot/cold cycles and the solder cracks, leading to these problems. It’d frankly be a lot more environmentally friendly if they went back to using lead/tin blends instead of replacing the chip 5 times.