Macbook Phoenix

How a macbook pro early 2008, became a late-night early 2012...

In an earlier article I covered my need and use of a portable desktop (mac mini).

Otherwise I came upon an offer I could not refuse. A broken early 2008 macbook pro 15 inch.

A co-worker and co-apple-enthousiast had this laptop and I was around when he first got issues with it. A well manufactured 1600 euro laptop, that always was a pleasure to work on, always kept precious and in excellent condition! What problem could it possibly have? right!

The Nvidia issue.

It started out with magenta colored screen, screen flickering, distorted or no video.

Some research pointed out it was a known problem, for both nvidia and Apple.

Even more, Apple acknowledged the problem and put a replacement program in order, along with describing the symptoms on their own website.

So my colleague went to the Apple-reseller, not an Apple store you ask? NO, Belgium or the Netherlands still don't have an Apple store.

The reseller took a look at it, and said some time later that it didn't involve this particular mbp.

Instead they offered him a choice to pay 35 euros for the quick look, or replace the logic board for a mere 700 euros. He payed the 35 euro bill, and a bit later on, he bought himself a 13inch macbook air.

After some time, I got interested and made an offer, so I could begin to play with it.

At first I thought it was misdiagnosed by the Apple reseller, so I went to another one, with the same question. Not so long after they got back to me, with the message this was a laptop with another hardware issue related to the logic board, nothin to do with the graphics chip!

Hmmmm, I was at least a bit curious at how they determined that, and why they gave me no other option that a logic board replacement for 1200 euro! I was chocked.

The technician told me they did a GPT test, and that the test came out negative since the macbook pro wasn't booting! So there should be an error and a new logic board is the way to go.

At that point I was dazzled of what I found after research. I already knew that the nvidia issue and was certain of my own diagnose. Then there's all the blogs, forum threads, ... covering that issue, where Apple behaved in a manner, related to my experience, and last but certainly not least!

How to DIY, yeah instructional video's, recipes and follow up.

To me it was already clear I had to do this, still I contacted Apple-care, and expressed my disbelief. They had a chat with the Apple-reseller. And a bit later I had the call to go pick up my broken mbp. It was clear that they didn't even have the authorization to open up my laptop. The so called GPT-test is a graphics processor test, which is nothing more than try to boot off an firewire 800 disk with the D-key hold which triggers the hardware test, and if your machine has the nvidia issue, it will send back a code, which is needed to retrieve a gratis new logic board!

I collected my broken macbook pro, and got me some nice silver flavored cooling paste.

Ready to do this myself, with all the info gathered and studied to make it work for me!

The Best way

Among all those ideas and work logs, there are people who made it their business.

On the other hand, teens with a whole other point of view. they choose the easy way.

I opted for the medium way. Neither amateur, nor pro. So that I still could go either way if it fails horribly. So now, what is this fix?

HEAT

That awkward word is the problem, and at the same time the solution! Lots of people have this problem on their 2008 macbook pro 15inch or 17inch equipped with the nvidia geForce 8600 GT.

Often when tried to come out of sleep, but always after a too hot graphic chip!

The applied cooling paste isn't of the best quality, the machine gets hot, and can not cool down fast enough.

The graphic chip is soldered onto the logic board, with a BGA (ball grid array). Little solder balls that give the necessary connection. When the chip gets too hot, and the macbook is moved it could brake the connection, and so give distorted video. Even refusing to boot could be caused by this! I had a macbook pro which showed the front led blinking and shutting down, even before you could get out a disc.

to be continued ...