Two months ago, I had a serious problem with my Macbook Pro (purchased July 2007). When I booted it up, nothing appeared, just the dreaded blank screen of death. I could hear the hard drive whirring away but nothing else happened. I took it to the Apple Store and they told me that the logic board needed to be replaced. So they sent it to a repair place in Texas. I got it back within a week. But it cost me a little over $300.
Today I read on the 37 Signals blog about the same Macbook Pro blank screen of death. The author of the post says that every Mac he has ever owned has failed. None of my Macs has ever failed; this Macbook Pro is the first one so perhaps I’m lucky.
I also found out that many people have this problem. See the Apple Discussion boards on the Mac Book Pro blank screen problem.
UPDATE: Apple will repair this problem free of charge. See my latest post.
UPDATE (6 October 2009): I have to highlight this comment from Lavina:
WOW, I just got off the phone with apple and they told me the nvidia video card is covered whether you have a warranty or not because it is a known issue and they will continue to support the replacing of the card, since it is nvidia who is paying in the end. 1-800-275-2273 is the number to call apple.
http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html is the web page.
When you call you cannot expect the customer service rep to understand. you must be transferred to a tech specialist who is aware of these problems and will start a case # for u. whether you have paid already or not. So sweet!
UPDATE 30 Sept 2010 (via TUAW): MacBook Pro owners who bought a laptop with an Nvidia graphics processor in 2007 and 2008 may be eligible for free repairs as part of a settlement agreement for a class-action lawsuit . . . .The affected Mac models include 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros bought between May 2007 and September 2008. Not every laptop sold during that period is eligible for the settlement—the MacBook Pro models have to contain an Nvidia chip and feature an eligible serial number. (You can check on the former using the About This Mac panel, and confirm the latter on this lawsuit settlement page.) The laptop also needs to be experiencing the scrambled video or blank screen issues. Read more about Mac Book screen problems.
3 January 2009 at 01:00
Thank you so much for posting this. I turned on my MacBook Pro yesterday morning (less than a year and a half old, previously working fine) and was shocked to discover that the screen was black, but the keypad obviously responsive. I've tried various ways of getting it to work with no result, and on the advice of many I had been convinced I was going to have to shell out for another one – I'm a student, and would have to get badly in debt to do so – but your post has provided me with a glimmer of hope. $300 is a large sum of money of course, but it is nothing compared to the thousands I was expecting to probably have to fork out. I'll keep a bit of pessimism, but once again thank you for a rational and detailed post on a vital issue.
13 January 2009 at 11:14
yhad the same problem last night….i turned on my mbp & there was no display….this had happened once before but it came back after a few restarts so i thought it might have been a one time glitch…but when i got online i found that literally hundreds of people seem to have this same problem…i turned it into the service centre today (fortunately i just extended my applecare last month)….im thinking its the same dreaded logic board issue…hope things work out well for us…
21 January 2009 at 23:14
You shouldn't have to have paid anything.
Apple have accepted this as a known issue with defective NVIDIA 8600M GPUs
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
You can even claim back your $300
21 January 2009 at 23:59
I called Apple Support and they confirmed that I am entitled to a refund. I need to go to the Apple store where I initially tried to get the laptop repaired because they were responsible for sending it out to the repair center.
2 May 2009 at 12:46
Same thing happened for me. About a year and a half old, I opened my computer up, and the screen never turned on. It was still on warranty, but its nice to know I would have been covered anyway. They also found out in the process that the PRAM was defective, not allowing the computer to reset properly, so I got that replaced too.
14 May 2009 at 03:45
same thing happened to mine last week, took it in after the screen went black and was told they have to replace the logic board…luckily my 6 yr old one still works
17 May 2009 at 06:14
For those affected – Have a look at my post here. I seem to have fixed the black screen of death on my MacBook Pro. Thing is, you will need another machine to operate it via screen share…
Hope this is of use to someone!
http://blog.ginkgostudios.com/2009/05/just-a-note-of-caution-this-worked-for-me-i-hope-it-works-for-you-but-obviously-i-cant-guarantee-that-i-just-thought-i-wou.html
22 May 2009 at 18:31
Echo… happened two months before the 3-year warranty period on my 17″ MacBook Pro was up). Apple fixed it (quickly and professionally. Sent it in to the site here in Houston and it was back in two days. First time anything like this happened… been using Macs since ’93.
26 May 2009 at 07:17
I had the same problem and was stressed for about a week. Very pissed off with Apple. Then I searched the Apple forum and the screen failure was known to happen to some of the macbook pro’s of this generation (07-08). Apple acknowledged the problem as a failure of the Nvidia chip and will replace the logic board of any macbook with the this problem free of charge even if the Macbook pro is out of warranty (like mine was). So I took my Macbook pro to an AASP here in Melbourne Australia and within a week they repaired it and I didn’t have to pay a cent
They even refunded my $75 booking fee. So not happy that it malfunctioned in the first place because of a manufacturing defect, but I’m glad Apple acknowledged it and provided the repair free. Hopefully the new logic board (Rev 2) will last…
26 May 2009 at 17:54
17” MacBook Pro (2.5 years old) no APP. Logic board failed. Factory defect graphics card, Symptoms: while working, stripes on screen, goes blank and would not turn on, hard drive made noise. Apple Fort Lauderdale sent it out and fixed for free.
1 July 2009 at 11:40
A week ago I turned on my 17in mac book pro which was purchased in Nov. 2007. The screen was black.
I was so happy that I spent the extra money on the extended warranty. I took my mac to the apple store on Thur. evening Monday morning fed ex was at my door with my mac. We have a total of 7 macs, this is the first one we have had any problems with. I am still a mac fan.
My husband and I had a lot more problems with any dell we owned.
7 July 2009 at 05:39
I had this problem and paid $500 for a new logic board. I then tried to get apple to cover it after reading about the defective graphics cards in this generation of machines but they said it wasn’t related= raw deal!
7 July 2009 at 08:22
Adam,
$500 is very painful especially during this recession. I am surprised they did not offer to reimburse you. If there is another Apple store in your vicinity, why not try there? This is a well-known problem that is the fault of the manufacturer, not yours, and they have known about it all along.
11 July 2009 at 10:01
Immediately on restart after updating my OS from 10.5 to 10.7, the screen would not come on. Just stayed black, even though the machine was on, keys worked.
Apple genius claims without any testing or diagnosing under the hood that it is a bad logic board.
I tried deleting the sleepimage as recommended on the forums. That brought back the screen. Then how is it a hardware problem? Only for some reason the black screen of death returned.
When I asked the Apple genius to explain this, he said that the update must have brought out the problem.
This contradicts Apple’s statement:
“About Mac OS X 10.5.7 Combo Update
The 10.5.7 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5 to 10.5.6, and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.”
My Macbook Pro is no longer stable as an immediate result of installing the update!
I asked the genius how could i be making screen shots of working software if the logic board had failed? He could only guess it was the GPU, at which point I realized he was willing to tell me a price to fix the machine when he did not actually know what was wrong. It seems the logic board replacement is a “catch all” fix at my expense, or else one should suspect the logic boards are defective, at the rate they are replaced. Yet there is a precedence noted in the apple forums of dozens of people getting their logic board fixed free, and a lot of problems eerily similar to mine regarding the Nvidia 8600 chipset which is the same as mine!
Still, the Apple genius claims that my specific Nvidia chip is not covered in the warranty extension! How can the chip manufacturer predict that my chip isn’t defective if it did not know there was problem with the specific range they are covering when they sold them???
This is a clear case of a defective product, and there is a precedence set for free replacement, and yet Apple is so set on profiting from my misfortune that they cannot see how they are shooting themselves in the foot. I will never buy Apple again because they do not stand behind the quality of their product, and I will make sure everyone I know will not make the same mistake. $300 saved prevents tens of thousands in future purchases. Good luck with your genius tactics Apple.
11 July 2009 at 10:21
Apple is having a lot of problems with NVIDIA and may dump them. Other vendors are experiencing similar woes:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/07/apple-may-be-dumping-nvidia-graphics-for-next-gen-macs.ars
21 July 2009 at 19:54
Where did you get your logic board replaced at in Texas? I live in Texas and I had my fan die on me as well. Total cost that the genius predicted: $1200.
AND I have APP!!!
22 July 2009 at 05:36
I took my Mac Book Pro to the Apple store in SF and they sent it to Texas so I did not send it myself. I don’t know where in Texas.
28 July 2009 at 14:06
Same issue and guess what? Apple is no longer footing the bill. I guess I just missed it, because I have an August 2007 MBP and suddenly the blank screen of death and it’s gonna cost me. I asked about the refund after reading online. It’s not applicable according to the phone rep I talked to. So I’m out of warranty and my shitty hardware that is apparently known defective to Apple is no longer covered. So everyone who got theirs fixed for free, Apple isn’t being nice, they are covering their asses. They aren’t fixing everyone’s defective hardware free, just the initial waves that would cause a stir about it otherwise. I guess now they feel it’s far enough into the future to not worry about the few straggling failures that are few and far between.
13 August 2009 at 09:15
Samuel, Apple is still footing the bill for this. I just took mine in last week along with the Apple article about it being a bad video card, and they gave me no problems. They said the problem is covered for up to 3 years from original date of purchase. Nvidia is footing the bill, according to the guy I talked to at the store.
Search for the article, print it out and go in armed. There’s no reason they shouldn’t repair it free of charge. I’m sorry I don’t have the link to the article but it is on their own website.
Good luck.
17 August 2009 at 15:45
I just had the same problem with my macbook pro. I sent it to TX and got it back 4 days later (this morning) and they replaced the logic board, battery, and thermal module, all for nothing. GET APPLECARE!!!!!! i almost didnt get it at first but then i spent the extra and being a student it was a lot extra but with all the problems ive had its paid for itself time and time again esp this time.
26 September 2009 at 23:24
well, this is the second time my mb has a logic board failure.
its not even 5 months old yet… wtf
5 October 2009 at 07:50
Is it because it costs more money in the end to have an iPhone?
________________
unlock iphone 3g
6 October 2009 at 17:18
WOW, I just got off the phone with apple and they told me the nvidia video card is covered whether you have a warranty or not because it is a known issue and they will continue to support the replacing of the card, since it is nvidia who is paying in the end. 1-800-275-2273 is the number to apple. http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html is the web page.
when you call you cannot expect the customer service rep to understand. you must be transferred to a tech specialist who is aware of these problems and will start a case # for u. whether you have paid already or not. So sweet!
6 October 2009 at 17:27
Lavina,
Thanks for your post. I cut and paste it into the main article so that people won’t have to scroll all the way down through the comments.
Esme
8 October 2009 at 06:29
I had all these symptoms on my late 2007 model mbp (black screen of death, but hard drive still running). I was excited to hear that even though I was out of warranty, it might be covered by Apple because of the nvidia problem.
But – when I took it to my local apple repair shop, they said that it was a logic board failure, but not caused by the nvidia card…they then told me it would cost $1400 to repair!!!!
Not impressed, I phoned apple and complained…a lot! They eventually agreed to repair it for a flat rate out of warranty fee of $329. Here’s the kicker though – because I’m Canadian, I had to find an American address to send from and ship back to.
This was a huge hassle as I had to go through a friend of a friend. After over a month, I had my mbp back…but the repair slip said all they did was clean it up and replace the hard drive. Within 2 hours of having it back, the screen was coming up black again. I promptly called apple – this time they said I could take it to my local apple repair shop and that all labour and parts would be covered.
In the meantime, I have been without my laptop for almost 2 months. As a student, I rely heavily on my laptop – so I’ve had to buy a new one (a lovely dell). Once I finally get the mbp back, I’ll be selling it to pay for the dell. And I will never ever ever buy apple again!!!!!!!
15 October 2009 at 04:11
Well I’m very unhappy. My MBP 17″ 2007 also died this week, out of warranty and asked for $2300 to repair it. I pointed out the Graphics Chip and they said unrelated.
But reading the posts someone described getting a series of stripes on the screen. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago then came good after a power down and restart.
Did anyone else see stripes on their display before their MBP died?
20 October 2009 at 10:34
@ Mike. Video issue with stripping and plaid artifacts cropped up 7 days ago, while overseas. Repair spot in the Philippines quoted 3 weeks (yea, right!). Back home in VA, the Apple store said normally they would cover my issue (dude didn’t even run a test, just opened the laptop, powered on, and saw the stripes), but because I had a noticably large dent on the right side of my laptop, between the firewire and displayport ports, they wouldn’t cover it. $1200 to replace the bottom half of the case, then “free” warranty coverge on defective logic board/video chip set. I don’t have the black screen, just the stripes. However, I can’t boot into Mac OS X. Windows OS works, but the screen is crazy.
27 October 2009 at 10:37
update: still having the same black screen problems after the second repair!! I promptly phoned apple and within a few hours got the news that apple will be sending me a brand new macbook pro!! too bad it has taken so long (3 months) to get to this point – I will still have to sell the new macbook pro since I already purchased a new dell!!
5 November 2009 at 08:37
I was looking around for some clue to what might have happened to my new MBP, now I know…
Bad thing, with mine happened as soon as out of the box, but I bought mine in the US and flew back to Brazil (where I live). Due to that I could not replace for a new one, instead I took to a local repair center and was told they will fix it. This is my first Mac, and after reading a few of the posts here I have to confess that I am a bit concerned about keeping this machine with me after it is fixed…too bad!!
9 November 2009 at 04:53
same problem, black screen of death and the agent here tells me its the graphics card. My question is, how can one be helped if they are staying in east africa because we have no stores or agents yet we use apple products too. Somebody please help
+256772438795
9 November 2009 at 07:38
Augustine,
I don’t live in Africa so I don’t know exactly who supports Apple products where you live. But try contacting the Apple Support team in South Africa and ask them:
http://www.apple.com/za/contact/
23 November 2009 at 20:15
I think this just happened to my Macbook. I was just surfing the net, and it conpletely froze, so I shut it down. When I pressed the power button, the power light turns on, and I can hear the hard drive but nothing else responds. I tried putting in the install disk, but the drive won’t even accept it. So I was wondering if this is the problem, would I be able to get it fixed for free as well?
PS: It’s a regular MacBook from 2006, I think. I bought it used.
24 November 2009 at 09:10
Eric,
You should take it to an Apple store or to a Mac repair shop. Otherwise, check out the other article: http://www.pjentrepreneur.com/2009/01/21/update-mac-book-pro-blank-screen-problem/
24 November 2009 at 14:43
I recently had the black screen of death. Because I had apple care, they fixed it for free and were very prompt. They also said that it was the logic board that was defected. Everything works perfect now!
p.s. MBP 17″ purchased in Aug. 2007
15 December 2009 at 18:24
My video card just went out – took it to the apple store, had to be sent out, they replaced the logic board, sent it back to my house in 3 days. No bill, no charge! Great!
30 December 2009 at 15:22
Okay, I got my second opinion after they were able to run the Apple required test. Sadly, mine is due to the logic board failure not the graphic card. I don’t have Apple Care because its just too expensive, however I read that you can get it on ebay for a reasonable price. I don’t know how reliable the information is though will have to look into it. At this time I am working with a third party with whom I did get a warranty through to get my laptop fixed. I also started looking up information on Apple logic board failures and found that its not just the Macbook pro but others starting with the imacs. I am also looking to see what class action lawsuits have been filed pertaining to just the logic board and not the graphic card problem. I am not looking to sue Apple but there are a lot us out there with logic board failures and Apple seems to be little to correct the problem. I’m hoping the next time I write it will be from my laptop.
30 December 2009 at 18:02
Mori,
That is very unfortunate. Apple’s computers are not cheap and many people who buy them are students who do not have a big budget to pay for Apple Care or replacements of things that break down (which should not). I encourage you to look into this further and post your findings on this blog. I am very upset that so many things go wrong with Apple’s logic board – not just Mac Book Pros – but also iMacs. The company should be ashamed.
4 January 2010 at 14:51
Esme Vos,
There is a lot of pages of this stuff and I have to use the library so my computer time is limited. I started thinking would it be possible to collect data on how many macboook pro users have had their logic board failed. I know Apple won’t give me that information so I thought I could start a blog like yours asking macbook pro users to tell me their experience. That way I would have a good idea of how bad this situation is but I don’t know how to get started. Could you help me?
18 January 2010 at 08:33
“UPDATE: Apple will repair this problem free of charge.”
NOT TRUE, you have pass their little NVIDIA Test first, then and only then will Apple fix it for free.
19 January 2010 at 17:02
Hello All!
I had the same problem. Started a bit more than a month ago. I went to 2 different official Apple service here, in Hungary. They said: NO! This is not the Nvidia problem. This Logic Board. No boot, just only the power led, both reaction for power on/off. The test was not ran, so they said, i have to buy a whole new Logic Board. 4weeks fight, no result, no hope. But I did not gave up. I was looking everywhere. I found a very professional and hard core but 3rd party service. They did an independent test. They said: “off course this is the known Nvidia problem” aaaand…. They fixed for the next day. I’m using again that MacBook pro right know. Obviously the Apple knew exactly what is the problem, but they not gonna fix it. Apple, Apple… You should though that, finally somebody find a way to fix it what you can`t or just don`t want. Shame on you! How many people got this problem from you, everywhere in the world, and you still not take the responsibility in 100%, just partly. And How many people had to buy a new Logic Board, or a whole new Computer. This is insane…
20 January 2010 at 14:38
Holy Mackerel, THANKS!!!
Thanks for posting this info. My computer came down with BSD (Black Screen Death) and I thought that for sure I would have to replace the computer considering it was 2 yrs old, and no Applecare coverage.
We called Apple Customer Support, they walked us through a few tests, then scheduled an appointment at our local Apple store. Took it in, they fixed it – no charge. Awesome. That doesn’t happen very often in life. Thanks for the info!!!
10 February 2010 at 03:08
I got the the black screen of death in December 09. First it failed during watching a video, but a restart solved the problem. Happened twice more, and then restarts no longer worked. Read all about the Nvidia problem. Took it into the Mac dealer. Nvidia test passed, so they said it was a logic board problem and NOT covered for repair. My 4k AUD macbook pro will now cost $2300 AUD to get fixed! That was a brilliant 2.5 year investment (bought it July 2007).
For that price I could by a top of the line PC every year and still be on out less money. VERY dissapointed with apple. Will definately complain, maybe then they will start to cover all their faulty crappily made logic boards and not just the faulty crappy Nvidia chips.
The apple repair rep was very appolgetic, even tried extra to get the chip to fail. Made me think this is happening quite a bit. When I pressed the issue, he stopped short of saying the logic boards are crap, but did say I should definately call apple and push the issue.
The dirty, evil, theiving robbing b***rds!
12 February 2010 at 11:03
Well, baking bread smells better and is easier to be successful with. Although you might be running lucky if you try baking Mac Logic Boards. Sometimes…. lets say less than FiftyFity…more just one third of you efforts have a slight chance of being successful. If you want to raise your odds leave it to professional folks who know what they doing. Most of the time they have extremely expensive infra red soldering machines to fix that well known technical fault.
If you wanna get rid of your broken / damaged “apple-stuff” such as iphones, ipods, macbooks, ibooks, ipads…. etc let me know. Reinhold.Kemper@gmx.net or gimmie a call on +49.177.13.111.31, Berlin Germany
25 March 2010 at 18:13
Just got done paying $310.00 plus tax for logic board replacement. Found you post and will call tomorrow to start refund process.
Thank you
Bob
26 March 2010 at 14:10
I just got my MBP back after having the black screen but still starting up. I purchased mine at the computer store at my college and paid the extra what like $250 and I am glad! I know it sucks to pay that much more, but when you are already paying $1,500 or more its worth protecting the computer. My computer was fixed free of charge because of apple care! Also I am 24 and my family has used Macs my entire life and this is the first problem we have ever had and we have owned 5 Macs between all of my family so I will forever pay more for a Mac because they are reliable, well built, great for artists and video projects and they dont get viruses as easily. However if you are just your average Joe who wants to type up word documents and surf the web then pay less and get a less reliable computer… you dont need the power and stability of a Mac!
1 April 2010 at 08:17
Same here! Bought the MBP 17″ from NY Mac store July ’07 and it just died (March ’10). No AppleCare, I’m in Rome and macintown.it are fixing it free of charge (although I think I have to pay the €49 to cover their costs). A big pain but good of Apple to be honest and fixing these problems.
The downside to Macs is that the hardware isn’t as reliable as it should be (or used to be), but the upside is that the software is the best there is. Six and a half of one, half a bakers dozen of the other.
6 April 2010 at 23:51
My MacBook Pro (4 years old in July) has just ‘died’. Told it is teh logic board and will cost £500 to repair. Last March it needed a new screen which cost £400+, so it isn’t worth repairing now.
I have to say considering how much the laptop cost to just get 3 3/4 years work out of it is hardly good value for money.
11 April 2010 at 16:45
Hi all,
Same thing happened here and they say it’s not the Nvidia issue since my Mbp does not boot and not make the startup chime. So it didn’t pass the test. It’s just that I used to have some distorted video issues and even took it to a AASP which did not give me any rational explanation.
I got so stuck now having 2 months to graduate and feel already very demotivated with my unfunctioning – but fancy Mac..
Will insist on the issue more and everybody should.
1 May 2010 at 21:29
my mbp had same issue, only genious found small nick on corner of case, so even with extended 3 yr warranty said I needed new case and logicboard most likely $1240.00. I never dropped it. less than one year old. One day it got these strange lines and then went black.
12 May 2010 at 20:15
After having the same issue (blank screen, no reaction of any kind from the computer) and being denied the free service because the issue was with the logic board, I sent the computer in to see if the graphics card was still working, and it was in fact working, according to Apple.
So I took my computer into the genius bar and asked why my logic board may have failed, and the genius gave me the answer that usually it’s some lint that gets into the logic board, a problem due to (he admitted,) a design flaw with the computers.
I called the support line and asked to speak with a customer relations person, but was told that they will have to call me back after 2-3 days, but I plan on further pressing them about the issue, and hopefully doing further into the issue and offering an extended warranty on the logic board as well, like they did with the graphics card.
17 June 2010 at 17:21
I’d like to thanks all for posting your stories!
I paid my 17″ MBP 3,000$+ late 2007. 2 years and a half later it went to sleep but never woke up. Same symptoms as describes above: hard drive is whirring but nothing happens, no boot, no sound.
Apple Genius behind her immaculate counter said it’s the logic board. But how can I know for sure? I was unable to speak to the person who actually ran the hardware tests. Even more insulting is I got told that:
1) Almost 3 years is old for a laptop.
2) I should have got the extended warranty.
iPad frenzy made it impossible to have a decent conversation in the store. I will now seek an independent repair shop and shed some light on what I consider to be shameful rip-off.
22 June 2010 at 13:28
Same problem here. Turned on my 17″ MBP, everything was fine. Returned to find it with the black screen of death. Tried to turn it on, and could hear something turn on inside, the light on front goes on, but no boot-up. Read about the problem on the web, and tried all the combinations of buttons. Nothing worked. Took it to the local Apple store, and they said the logic board failed. Said that only the 15″ MBP’s were being fixed for free. For flat rate repair charge of $210 and $100 labor, Apple will replace the logic board and anything else they find wrong. I think this is a known problem that Apple should fix for free. Apple has a great reputation for their service, it’s a shame they are not living up to it!
28 June 2010 at 04:56
Same ol’ same ol’. I got 15″ MBP, but no love here.
Ok one day, dead the next. When power on, hear inside kick over, light on front goes on, but no boot-up.
Sent to apple repair centre, quoting websites like this, apple tech article, etc, etc…..but they said it wasn’t covered as the laptop wouldn’t boot up to run their diagnostic test. They said power to logic board must be the cause, not Graphics Processor, so not covered.
Complained direct to apple, but they stood by their repair centre’s assessment.
When sooooooo many people worldwide report the same issue, it’s very disappointing outcome.
3 July 2010 at 05:37
After several visits to the Apple store and many phone calls, I ended up just paying for my repair since I couldn’t go any longer without my laptop. I am studying abroad right now and had to pay around $500 for the repair, I will definitely be writing Apple a letter when I return.
The most upsetting part was the lack of professionalism on Apple’s part, the so called geniuses were unable to give me any clear answers as to what could’ve caused the problem, even after I got the repair done, and even though I was told that I would get phone calls back from the customer relations and the repair person when I wasn’t able to reach them, I never did though it’s been almost a month since I got my laptop back.
To top it all off, now I am getting the keyboard/trackpad problem (input goes unresponsive intermittently).
Needless to say I will never be buying another Mac again.
Apple really needs to be confronted about the numerous quality control problems. It seems that much of the issues are hardware related. Even though I was told that there was nothing wrong with my graphics card, that doesn’t explain why my logic board would totally fail after only a year and a half.
16 July 2010 at 06:24
i m having the same problem with you guys had. i got a 17inch macbook pro bought in Nov 2007. 2 days ago i got my first black screen while using Autocad via window 7 (Bootcamp) and after 15 mins of re booting the computer it worked fine again for anight. Yesterday, same thing, Autocading via window 7 and got my second black screen and from then on, it never waked up again…
The first 3 or 4 times i reboot the machine, i still can get the start up sounds and knowing that the keyboard are still responding, however now the computer is serious no working at all. All i can hear it the DVD still running.
Today i took it into the shop (Brisbane, Australi Next Bytes) and was told that there is nothing wrong with the Nvidia vedio card, the problem is the logic board. They quoted me $2200 AUD for a replacement…oh my god…i seriously cant afford that…still thinking what should i do with it…
is there any one in Brisbane having the same situation with me?
10 August 2010 at 15:42
I CANT NOT EXPECT THE APPLE AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDER “TECH GENIUS” UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. I MUST TRANSFERRED TO A SPECIALIST TO IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WILL START A CASE # 172127160
HE DECIDES, DOES NOT GIVE ME ANY RATIONAL EXPLANATION. HE DID NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, ONLY SAID IT IS “JUST A LOGIC BOARD FAILURE” AND NOT RELATED TO NVIDIA PROBLEM. IT SIMPLY CATEGORIZED INTO A BLANKET SOLUTION OF REPLACING THE ENTIRE OOW (OUT OF WARRANTY) LOGIC BOARD FOR $ 1,019.26. AND REJECT FREE REPAIR.
I TRIED TO INFORM THE GENIUS ” APPLE EXTEND MAC BOOK PRO NVIDIA GEFORCE SERVICE POLICY TO THREE YEARS. IF THE NVIDIA GRAPHICS PROCESSORS IN YOUR MACBOOK PRO HAS FAILED, OR FAILS WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THE ORIGINAL DATE OF PURCHASE, A REPAIR WILL BE DONE FREE OF CHARGE, EVEN IF YOUR MAC BOOK PRO IS OUT OF WARRANTY.
MALFUNCTION OR OVERHEAT EMANATED DUE TO PACKAGING DEFECT. BASICALLY IF THE BUMPS OR THE SOLDER CONNECTIONS ARE BAD THEY COULD DEGRADE CAUSING SYSTEM FAIL. SOME PINS ON THE CHIP-SET ARE NOT MAKING CONTACT AND THIS VARIES WITH THE HEAT CONDITIONS. AND HAD EVEN BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE MESS UP OF THE LOGIC BOARD BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL INTEGRATED ONTO THE SAME CIRCUIT BOARD THEN …. ALL THE POSSIBLE FAILURES TYPES LEAD TO THE SAME RESULT OR LOOK THE SAME FOR THE “GENIUS”.
BECAUSE THE LOGIC BOARD WAS SO DAMAGED. NO EVIDENCE OF TESTING. IF THE CHIP DOES NOT POWER UP, THE COMPUTER WILL NOT BOOT AND THE VIDEO NOT WORK. HE COULD NOT EVEN TEST THE FAILURES OR GET THE ERROR CODE PROBLEM THAT WILL MAKE IT ELEGIBLE FOR WARRANTY COVERAGE.
11 August 2010 at 22:57
Had the screen of death issue in my MBP and booked an appointment with Apple in London. It took a week to get in so I did some research and brought with me the trend failure report from Apple and 47 pages of people with a similar issue and having the logic board replaced and looked up the information on the insides of my machine, particularly the logic board/graphics chip location. I was initially denied by the “genius” , while he was very nice he first stated the graphics chip blew but the logic board wasn’t covered then was eventually insistent that the board blew before the graphics chip and thus was not covered under warranty. I let him play his hand and then brought out all the information while asking to speak to the manager. I explained that if the graphics chip blew they’d have to replace the logic board anyway as it’s soldered to the lb so how can they justify that? He looked surprised that I knew that. I purposely made sure I was the last appointment of the day as well. 10 minutes later and he came back and said that Apple WOULD indeed cover the repair. My advice? Go prepared with information on paper, knowledge of your MBP, act confident/be courteous and be the last appointment. They just want to get the heck out of there by that point and are much less likely to put up much of a fuss for long. Just be confidently persistent. It worked for me!
14 August 2010 at 21:14
I just had the same problem with the black screen, and I took my macbook pro to the Apple store in San francisco and they replaced the logic board (with a one day turn around) at no charge. This computer was purchased in 2007, was a hand me down, and was no longer under warranty or apple care. I couldn’t be happier.
20 August 2010 at 17:26
Just took in My MacBook Pro for the 2nd time with the same issue in less than 6 months. The first time, I took it into Best Buy who sent it out and got it repaired under warranty since I had bought an extended warranty 2 years ago. That was in April.
This is August. Same issue. Second time…
Very disappointed…
2 September 2010 at 14:13
my mac book pro has become a big frustration… i bought a macbook pro in 2008 and from the very begining it has a lot of problems. after all this suddenly in 5 months ago, it started showing me some strange symptoms with completly black out on screen. i did a hardware test on it with DVDs but it showed me theproblem with videos display which is naturaly graphics card and after 4 days of that, it stopped respondin.i took it to apple care centre and they told me the replacement cost of the motherboard about 1000 USD. Which is a lot for a student and for itself macbook for which i had already paid like 2500 USD to purchase and after all this i am having this results,so right now i am big problem with out any computer using school’s computer for exams which has time limit of using it. i tried to Write to mr. Jobs even. but couldn’t find any satisfactory response. i mean is this the apple giving to its customers???
For me…, Apple products which are so expensive to buy if you buy it its so expensive to keep it too. which is alot for a student…. is there any chance of to be heard!!!!!!???????????
3 September 2010 at 11:07
Just took mine in with same problem. Unresponsive keyboard so it is logic board and not graphics card, quoted $1500 to $2000 to replace. As much as it would cost to buy computer.
Infuriated…..
11 October 2010 at 16:47
I had the same problem last week w/ my Macbook Pro I bought in 2007. Same problems as others…black screen, etc. I did my research and figured out it was most likely the logic board. I took my laptop to the Mac Store and had to pay $50 to have it shipped/tested and just got a call today that my computer is back and ready to be picked up. Yep, it was the logic board and it’s going to cost $385 to pick it up. It’s nothing but irritating! I just had some other work done back in May but thank god it was still covered by Apple Care! You pay $2,000 for an awesome laptop and 3 years later it’s falling apart!
I’ll be sending a claim for the lawsuit in December to try and get my money back!
11 October 2010 at 23:43
I just had this happen to my 13″ black Macbook (not Pro) that I purchased in 2007. Do y’all think it’s a logic board problem too? Are regular Macbooks (not just Macbook Pros) covered under this case (the Nvidia chip thing?) ???
By the way, I’m not covered under AppleCare anymore and I know they charge a grip load for repairs if not covered. Therefore, for those who live in S.F. area…I’ve had my LCD screen replaced at this place: http://www.unionsquarecomputerrepair.com/?cat=398 in Union Square. Great reviews & turnaround. And actually, was referred by a “Genius”. He knew my financial situation as a grad student
Pretty cool of him actually.
15 October 2010 at 12:18
hay my friend just 2 day i start my computer mac pro is start now but my screen is black. i con;t c any thing wt happend.
17 October 2010 at 00:26
In December of 2007, I purchased my 15″ MBP 2.4GHZ. A couple weeks ago, it went into sleep mode and never woke up, the screen remained black. This was at least the second time it had occurred, but now it wouldn’t wake at all. The rest of the machine was operating normally, as I could hear the typical sounds of the HD and the keyboard was lit up. I tried every remedy possible and when that didn’t work, I brought it into the Apple Store on 14th/9th Ave in NYC. The ‘genius’ hooked up a Lacie Rugged drive, and was able to determine the video card was dead. He estimated 5-7 days, and said REPAIRS WERE FREE!
7 days later, I picked it up and was informed that the Logic Board went bad. The lovely girl working at the genius bar showed me the cost of the repair/replacement if it hadn’t been covered…. $1382. I didn’t even need AppleCare to get my free repair! Overall, I was happy with the outcome since I didn’t have to pay another dime on the machine I already shelled out $2000+ for 3 years ago.
However,
If you paid out of pocket for this repair, immediately contact Apple, you should not be liable for any amount as long as you own an affected model with the bad logic board or video card. Apple knew about this problem years ago, and they should have contacted every individual that purchased one of these computers.
23 October 2010 at 14:30
I purchased my MPB in Oct 2007 and just had my video fail. Black screen but it seems to boot up with the sound and hard drive running. I took it to the genius bar and the guy told me that it was a logic board and not the Nvida graphics card. Some how he can determine that the graphics card, that is not showing anything, is not the problem, but it turns out the “logic board” is the problem. This seems il-logical. He wanted 310 dollars to fix it. Right now I don’t have that kind of cash. I thought when I bought this computer I was getting a quality product and not some expensive piece of junk. Apparently I was wrong and Apple knows about this and is being very inconsistent about how they handle it. I am deeply disappointed having lost all my data at this point, an expensive paperweight. I will never buy anything from Apple again and will tell people that they have terrible quality control and don’t buy them.
16 December 2010 at 17:31
Apple sucks. I have the same problem. Tested and verified by Apple as having the covered issue. But because there are stains inside the laptop from a spill that occurred 20 months ago they refuse to replace the NVIDIA parts. The tech guys and I know that has nothing to do with it but they are not going to fix it. They sold be a me a machine with a defect and the cost to repair is about what it’s worth now. On top of that I have to pay $75 to cover the store visit. This 17″ macbook pro is going in the trash.
29 December 2010 at 05:43
I have a 15″ MBP from 2007. Black screen, initial optical drive whir, sleep light, full battery, nothing… I’m assuming from all I’ve read here that it is the logic board but am wondering if this could have blown due to a defective video card? Just trying to research this as much as possible before I approach the “Geniuses”. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Tx.
31 December 2010 at 09:25
Like most people here I’m furious and pretty down about this logicboard sham. I bought my 17″ MBP just before the 2008 school year and it’s just not feasible to pay $900 for repairs on a product that I shelled out extra cash for to ensure crap like this wouldn’t happen. I’m in Jamaica and the fact that this is happening all over the world is even more disheartening. I’ll be consulting my lawyer but the odds of a successful suit are not good.
I really want to believe in Apple products but after this it can go to hell. Keeping just enough consumers happy to lure more in and improve their profits is the worst kind of corporate bs.
15 January 2011 at 05:06
MacBook Pro 2,2 bought early 2008, without AppleCare. Swapped logic board (with rev.2) at no cost, no questions, no problems. Unbelievable as this happens in Italy.
26 January 2011 at 21:09
I have two 17″ MBP bought Mid-2007. Both failed within 3 months of each other at the end of 2010 with blank displays. The one unit boots with chime, and can be accessed via remote desktop, leading me to believe it’s the Nvidia issue mentioned in this article. The other doesn’t boot at all, but the HD and Optical Drive both spin up. i.e Logicboard failure.
Neither machines are being repaired under the extended warranty which is very disappointing. Repairs are going to cost in the region of R20,000 ($3076)
8 February 2011 at 16:59
I just wish that when you pay your money for something and it doesn’t work as it’s supposed to, that you could just go to a hole in the wall somewhere and return whatever it is you purchased and get your money back. My MacBook Pro isn’t even a week out of the box and it’s having blank screen and shutdown issues (not quite sure what they are yet!). All pretty disappointing. I’d just warn any would-be purchaser (who has a regular bank balance), “Don’t get a Mac!”. I couldn’t bother returning the thing. If a manufacturer is so untogether that they sell you something that is defective, then their warranties and all their other talk amount to nothing. If I can’t get it working myself then it’s headed for the bin basically, and even if I can get it up and going, I’ll never trust it again. You want a reliable computer which you can put your stuff on without losing it? You want a reliable computer that does a few things? Well when you find one let me know. My experience suggests that Macs are even worse than the other guys. The last one of their pickings I had gave me 18 months before falling in a heap, which I thought was bad, but which I now gather was probably really good! They are all just pirates and thieves as far as I’m concerned. Buyer beware! Don’t get taken in by MacHype! Unless you’re a millionaire, then just settle for something cheap that doesn’t do much. That’s your destiny. $2,000 plus is just too much to pay for a flashy oversized cigarette case. I don’t even smoke!
14 February 2011 at 11:03
UPDATE: Feb 14, 2011
Went to an apple store with my MBP (after making an appointment with a dreaded black screen issue) and the genius desk took care of my computer without a question….I did not mention that I thought it was the logic board….but let him tell me…and he did so after only 5 minutes or so.
Part is in stock and should be done tomorrow or wed!…
My computer did not exactly fall within the date range…but they took care of me anyway. Im very happy!…Also very happy for this particular post. It is by far the most informative and I was able to go into the Apple store armed with more ammo than I ended up needing!.
thanks all
JP
17 February 2011 at 16:24
I bought my Macbook Pro in Nov 2007 and last week my screen started actiong funny, flickering and then freezing when I was watching videos. A few days later when I tried to restart my computer when it froze, I kept getting the grey restart image. I just took it to the Apple store close to me today and a fter a few minutes of testing determined that its my NVIDIA graphics card thats messing up my logic board causing a kernel panick. They just told me to drop it off and all the costs will be covered by Apple. Sweet deal as I no longer have a warranty. Can’t wait to pick it up. Am stuck using a windows clanker for now.
21 February 2011 at 03:02
Hi,
I had this problem with my early 2008 macbook pro and after panicking for a while decided to take it to an Apple store and pay whatever they ask for. The issue was similar to what others have described here, after waking up from sleep, black screen, no keyboard response, no chime sound when restarting and so on. They plugged in a harddrive (some sort of tester) and even though it didn’t pass the test, the technician was pretty sure it was the video card problem. My laptop was booked in for free of charge repair and I got it back next day! Apparently they had changed the whole logic card because is all one thing with the video card. It works great now so kudos for Apple! I am happy now that I didn’t try to go to a third party repairs shop.
I hope this helps. (BTW,the apple store I used was London, Covent Garden)
28 March 2011 at 18:43
Hey there, i tought i was alome in this but looking at all of you i will still be fighting back with Apple. I bought my Mbp in Sep 2008 exactly two and a half years later… same same, black screen, front button light up but the screen was black, they say that it was the logic board as well, but no reason why thia one fail. Call to Apple today and they told me to take it to another Service center and if they tell me again that it was the logic board then i should call back and it will be reconsidered. But as much as get informed the Nvidia video card is IN the logic board and how will they know it wasnt the video card itself that make it blew up. I look foward for a free replacement as they sell things pretty Expensive but made with cheap stuff. So why trusting them in buying another $2000 mbp?
4 April 2011 at 08:32
I, too am adding another post here to support this as a concern for 15″ MBP. I purchased mine in June 2010, had it for 9 months, started experiencing the black screen issue. Internet research (like this article) suggests logic board issue. Went to an apple store with my MBP and the genius desk took my MBP. Unable to repair in-store , so it sent out and we’ll have to see how well it works when it comes back.
First experience with the Apple Store and the Genius Bar. Not entirely thrilled, but not terribly disappointed either. They are fixing the issue without charge, as it still falls within one year of the warranty.
12 April 2011 at 02:28
Just got my computer back from a logic board replacement. My receipt says “graphics processor issue on MLB.” I paid for the repair willingly, and was happy it was only $300. Now, 5 days later, the computer is showing the same symptoms: will not wake from sleep with only a solid LED light on the front. A hard restart worked this time, but this is how it started last time before failing completely. Only now do I find out that I do not have to pay for the first repair. Clearly, I am going to get a refund. But the bigger problem is the repair has the same faulty graphics card. Am I to think that Apple is repairing a faulty piece with a faulty piece? Thats pretty bad business.
20 April 2011 at 12:44
Got my MPB in March of ’08. The screen just started flickering last week. I live in an area where the closest Apple store is 3 hours away. Can I expect decent service by calling them? Or should I just make the trek all the way to the Apple store to have them tell me what I have read here?
13 May 2011 at 03:19
Hi I have a MBP I am living in Brazil and my HD stopped working about a week ago. I took it to the apple reps here and replaced it,till then it cost me but fine it was worth it.. a week later I try to turn on the computer and nothing just a the white light in the front turned on but the rest did not. Took it back yesterday to Apple. And they tell me the motherboard died and have to replace it!!! I am in total shock! I was reading the posts and looked up my MBP and it does have that nvidia grapichs card, I just dont know if that has anything to do with my problem! Or if I really have to replace the motherboard. I guess I will hold on to the computer until I get a chance to travel and take it to an apple store in the US.
19 May 2011 at 04:25
Hi. I actually have the same problem as Arianna and I don’t know either whether this problem is related to the Nvidia processor or to the logic board.
24 May 2011 at 14:34
SO I experienced the same problem a little over 3 months ago.
However the apple store in cape town voided my warranty even after I sent them the link to the article on apple support showing that my macbook pro was the same model (late 07) same graphics card, everything! They sent me an invoice for R12000 more than the second hand value of the machine!
All because in the 2 years it had been out of warranty I had had a larger hardrive and more RAM put in by an authorised apple retailer, but not an authorised apple service center! enraged I chased up every channel of distrobution only to end up being hung up on after a 3 hour skype call with apple care UK. Basically saying down the line that if they could void it they would and getting out of fixing my computer by a small loophole. Now this is not the service I expected from Apple and I’m not sure if its just because the brand is not as big in South Africa but that by the time I got to the UK guys there only reference was what the apple service center here had entered in their system, that my computer had been tampered with by non-apple service center. However the computer was out of warranty anyway but yet supposedly covered by their extended support on that graphics card.
Now I have no machine, jsut my own fustration!
any advice?
18 August 2011 at 13:47
I have a 2009 Macbook and last month I ran into the black screen issue. After reading numerous posts, I found that the board is most likely dead, so I took it out to see if anything is broken.
Having no warranty as it is, I guess I have to either fork out the money for a new board or a new macbook pro, unless someone can tell me that it is possible to return the Macbook to get it repaired at no cost, or lower cost.
Has anyone tried to get this done?
29 August 2011 at 19:54
I have had nothing but trouble with my MBP.. I was told that it was memory and I went out and bought memory and installed it. The next day the computer just hangs at the startup window. Then I was told it is the hard drive. Now I am being told it is the logic board.. I was told that if I have them send it to the depot all I would have to pay is 310 and they would fix anything wrong with the computer..
30 August 2011 at 15:32
I bought my MBP 8/25/07, my screen went black last week. And as luck (synchronicity) would have it I took it in to the Apple Store a day or two later. That day just happened to be 8/25/2011. They covered the logic board because of the Nvidia 8600 chip free of charge. I asked them to replace the keyboard area too because my page down key got skewed somehow and is not usable. That was to cost me around $170 but when I went to pick up the computer, they told me that they were also able to get a replacement keyboard free of charge. Happy day!!!! Thanks so much for this blog! I would never had known to ask for the logic board for free. I’m not sure that they would have elected to tell me about it either. Looking at the invoice (if they had charged me the amount listed), it was just under $1000.
19 September 2011 at 08:46
I am having logic board issues as well. Black screen, power light that stays on. Sadly Apple will not help me at all. Despite the Nvidia and bad logic board issues with this particular model of computer. I feel that Apple now that we are post Steve Jobs is changing its ways. becoming more like the others. My Apple customer service experience was cold, empty and unhelpful. To such an extent I do not think I will buy Apple any more. Really, I am very unhappy with my purchase. $2,000 for a computer that has catastrophic hardware failure in less than 4 years. I guess these things happen but I sort of assumed Apple to be a little bit better. I guess I was wrong. A repair will cost me about $700+. I might as well but a new cpu. At this time it is very unlikely it will be an Apple computer. Not now or ever again. Apple customer service failed me big time. But it looks like I failed myself by choosing Apple.
23 September 2011 at 10:32
Just had the logic board problem with my 5 month old MBP 15″ I waited a week to get an appointment with a genius at my local Apple store.
Have just handed it over today and I received a phonecall 10 minutes later to confirm a logic board problem and that a part would be at the store within 3 days.
Four things to say 1. Beautiful Machine 2. Thank the stars this fault happened inside the 12 month warranty because I dont have applecare and would not like to be sitting here with a $2,500 box. 3. As someone has said earlier; poor quality control is really highlighted here. 4. Thanks Apple.
28 September 2011 at 17:40
In February 2010, I purchased two MacBook Pros. One for my grandson and one for me. One was a 15″ and the other a 17″. By June 2010 (four months after I purchased the MBPs) I had bought the 17″ MBP back to the Apple store because it wouldn’t turn on. (I found out later that if I don’t use the MBP every day or if the weather is humid – I live on Cape Cod -, the MBP doesn’t turn on. On the days it has been sitting for a while, it takes about 20 minutes to get it on. The days it is humid, it doesn’t go on at all. Now, this same thing happens with the 15″. WOW – two computers purchased at the same time with the same problem – what are the odds!!!!) The Apple Store finally got it to turn on telling me that they had no idea why it was not starting up. (I guess the laugh is on me. If they were truthful, I would have returned both products or made them fix the problem then.)
I had central air installed in my home in June of 2010. I believe this saved a lot of headaches for me when I logged on. But, the days I didn’t have the air on during the spring, summer and fall, the problem of the computer starting up became a problem. It would not go on; when it did it shut down; i push it back on, it shuts down, and on and on for 15 to 20 minutes or not at all. The 15″ was doing the same until 15 months after the purchase – it just wouldn’t go on. So, to the Apple store in Braintree, MA it goes. $455 to replace the logic board, $99 to save the memory, $99 for the “device” to save the memory. Talk about a RIP OFF. OH, I forgot – the extra charges for any parts. They didn’t know what that would cost at the time.
After spending over $3,300 for these two MBP for usage of 15 months, I found out the costly way that Apple is making inferior products. I hopefully thought that the laptops would last at least 5 years without problems. WRONG!!! After reading about the logic boards and watching the videos on U tube on how to start-up a MacBook Pro it feels good that “misery” has a lot of company.
I am a computer teacher who is going to highly recommend to all my students that they should not invest in ANY Apple product because Apple does not stand behind its products, and in the end they will be out a lot of money. Boy, I could have purchased at least six good quality PCs for the amount of money I spent on the MBPs. How foolish of me.
When of think of my nephew getting a $425 laptop four years ago for Christmas and nothing has gone wrong with it, it totally makes me sick.
I am going to the Apple store tomorrow with the two computers. (We didn’t take Braintree’s Apple Store offer to get it fixed. A little two expensive for me. After all, for the amount of money they are charging to fix it, I could go out and buy a Dell, HP or any other laptop for less money and get Windows free.
So thank you for letting me vent. Oh by the way, does anyone know of a class action lawsuit that is now going on or will be going on against Apple and whatever is causing the “start up” problem. Thanks!
3 October 2011 at 16:01
Hi every one I’ve been fixing laptops for the past 11yrs. I’ve met with this problem various times but I managed to fix all, so long as its a graphic problem don’t damp your machine it will work. Only that distance may separate us. Operating privately we are in remote area were agents are hardly found (Africa). I am now doing laptop repairs in South Africa, I could actually be an Aple technician if they want me to prove this. You may need to contact me for a secrete behind this if the warranty offered has passed you.
3 October 2011 at 21:53
Get me on +27732435281, ebadarl@hotmail.com for your Aple MBP problems in South Africa
7 November 2011 at 14:16
Everyone, thanks for all your info. Purchased my MBP in 07 and have had several issues. First the battery not charging, unresponsive keyboard, and now the graphics card affecting the l.b. I would have sworn off Mac’s but Apple has been nice enough to repair all the problems free of charge even though I have been out of warranty. My only question is when the l.b. is replaced will the graphics card be the same. Stay tuned…
24 November 2011 at 20:32
I bought my macbook pro 15 inch in July of 2008. for a while ive had battery problems, but that was because i charged it wrong all the time (it was plugged in all the time when i was using it) however, i had the same problem. black screen but you can still hear the computer running. I brought it into mac today and they wont pay for the repair. its my motherboard. i bought the 3 year apple care but that’s gone. its going to cost $559 Canadian to get it fixed. Should i get it fixed and buy a battery or buy a new one? i really don’t have the money for a new one and it would be a down grade. But if i get it fixed, will something else go soon that will cost just as much? please help, this computer is my baby and if i can save her, i’d love to! but is it worth it????
30 November 2011 at 22:07
Purchased a MBP 15″ in Sep. of 2007 and had no problems whatsoever until computer randomly would not wake up from sleep a few days ago. Mine would boot up sometimes (no video) and wouldn’t boot up other times. I read a little about the nvidia problem and took it to the local apple store where they tested for nvidia, said my machine was not affected by the nvidia card and gave me option of the $310 apple depot flat rate repair. I ended up sending it in for the repair, got it back in 48 hours and they ended up replacing only the logic board. I seem to have a slightly different opinion from most people on this forum in that I feel a 4+ year old machine that has had no problems and only needs a $310 repair is not unreasonable. I may be naive but I have no reason to not trust the apple genius when runs a test for the nvidia problem and looks up my serial number to see if it was affected (which he determined it was not). I read somewhere else on the internet that the affected MBPs were manufactured from the middle of 2007 to sometime in 2008 so mine may have been manufactured just a bit before the nvidia problems.
19 December 2011 at 23:54
Same problem with my 17″ MBP. Just happened 2 weeks ago. Took to Apple store and the price to fix it was too much, so I bought a new 15″ MBP. Now I want to see if I can fix the 17″ MBP so anyone got any idea how to get it repaired cheaply in Australia, or where I can buy a new logic board??? so I can fit it myself???
20 December 2011 at 01:40
Just to encourage others who have suffered this frustrating problem…”Don’t give up”. The repair program is still effective. I just got my MBP repaired after 3.5 years of owning it. Re-assured my faith in Apple’s customer service. Just know that some tech guys will be quick to diagnose the problem as something else. In my case, they couldn’t run the diagnostic test because the computer wouldn’t boot up and told me it was the hard drive, but I was persistent. One day later and one store manager later, they were able to get it to boot and test it and find the issue.
Don’t give up guys!
8 January 2012 at 15:21
Thank you for the post. I got my 3.5 year old mac book pro fixed for free. Warranty expired some time ago, so I was worried. Found this post when estimating possible cost of repair.
When I went to Apple store I was informed that logic board had to be replaced. Before I could mention anything about nvidia, I was informed it was free due to “packaging problem” and there would be no cost associated with the repair.
Hope other people have as much luck.
10 January 2012 at 12:50
Oh, I’m sad. This just happened today to my late 2008 MBP. Same symptoms as described. Not sure if logic board or Nvidia. Only problem is the nearest authorized service provider or Apple store is about 3000 kilometers away :S I gave my laptop to a local service provider so if possible to get the information from my hard drive out as I was a have a very important conference coming up. After extensive research I have come to understand that there are no evidence seals on the case, and even if there were my Apple Care expired 5 months ago so I’m hoping it won’t matter. My only option at this point is to take the laptop to the USA in May as I will be coming over probably and hope I either get offered a free replacement of the board or at least the 300 dollars option as I am a student coming from a country with an average montly earning of 400 dollars for full time job … so anything more than that I say goodbye to my faithful friend and try to save enough money to get a new one as I think Apple is worth it. Wish me luck
Btw, according to their post, if it’s an Nvidia issue apple will cover laptops within 4 years of their date of purchase … so I have till september 2012 
31 January 2012 at 04:19
I bought my 17″ MBP September 2007. Three days ago I was on garage band for about 2hours. I noticed things were getting pretty hot under the bonnet (smc 70 degrees with the fans whizzing around 6000rpm… what the!!). Not sure why so I put the MBP to sleep… it hasn’t woken up properly since. The pilot light is no longer flashing but glowing constantly with the screen displaying a dark void. Panick? The mains pilot light is glowing happily, battery indicates it is charged and pushing the power button can render the MBP to shut down. However, turning it back on is not a problem only that the glowing light appears and the blackened screen seems blacker then ever. Are these classic symptoms either of Nvida or Logic board failure? Is there anything else that could be at fault. Wish me luck with Apple Australia.