Graphics card gone again- which to replace with?

Both graphical processing units (GPU) are on the motherboard. One is part of the Intel Chipset and is not hardware accelerated. The more powerful GPU is usually an AMD or NVidia GPU. When you had them replaced previously, the mainboard was likely replaced to do so. These units have a poor design where the GPU and CPU share a thermal pipe. If the CPU is running hot at the same time as the GPU, the GPU does not cool adequately and it’s Ball Grid Array (BGA) solder can melt. This sounds like what you have experienced. The only real solution to replace the GPU is to replace the mainboard or send it to a repair technician that can re-flow the BGA chip (not guaranteed to work, and may recur later).

If you attempt this yourself, you will want the correct tool. Don’t stick it in an oven, get a BGA reflow. station

For those who have GPU issues with the Macbook Pro 2011 15” or 17” there’s a way to disconnect the NVIDIA GPU and only run with the Intel integrated GPU. You can solder a small board on the logic board rom chip, this product is the Tiresias GPU Killer. That will permanently desactivate the NVIDIA GPU. I tried it on the 15” model motherboard 820-2915 and on the 17” model 820-2914 with success. Video out will also be desactivated after the job is done but the computer will work just like the MBP 2011 13” who doesn’t have the NVIDIA GPU.

http://www.cmizapper.com/products/tiresi...