I have witten a script (script editor, no xcode), I've loaded into System settings - Users & Groups - Login Items, but this way I have to enter the admin password every time. If it would be a launch daemon, it would be totally silent.
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MBP 1,1-10,2 Force 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 with failed AMD GPU to ALWAYS use Intel integrated GPU (EFI variable fix)
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I have witten a script (script editor, no xcode), I've loaded into System settings - Users & Groups - Login Items, but this way I have to enter the admin password every time. If it would be a launch daemon, it would be totally silent.
Oh. Well perhaps a hardware solution is the only way for you to go (Other than buying a new MBP). My research has turned up that a new Graphics GPU is available for $35US, and service companies exist to remove and install the new chip... This process is not cheap, and most of the advice I've seen is such an investment in a five year old MBP is probably not a good idea...
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Yeah, I've got a 2010 iMac that I'm using for now. I'll probably replace this with another iMac in the next several months. I don't necessarily need the portability of a MBP any more.
On eBay there was a Mac repair seller out of NYC that would send you a logic board with a new dGPU in exchange for yours with a broken dGPU for about $180. They had great reviews and I thought about it, but, like you said, that's still putting money into an old MBP with a significant likelihood that the same thing would happen.
Complete Guide to Permanently Disable AMD 6XXXm series dGPU and Prevent Thermal Throttling
Acknowledgements: This guide is entirely based on nsgr's work.
1. This is an optional step. If you have previously attempted to remove AMD kexts, revert your system to the original state by installing the latest Mac OS combo update. At the time of writing of this guide, the latest combo update can be found here. Installing the update will update your kext files to the latest version. After the update is finished, your macbook will restart and freeze as soon as the dGPU is activated. Shutdown or force a restart.
2. Clear the NVRAM by holding Option + Command + P + R on startup until the macbook reboots.
3. Boot into the single user mode by pressing Command + S on startup. Execute the following commands to enable the iGPU during the boot phase:
4. Disable System Integrity Protection to allow editing system files. Boot into the verbose recovery mode by pressing Command + R + S on startup. Execute
5. Go again into the the single user mode by pressing Command + S on startup. Mount root with write permissions via
6. Re-enable System Integrity Protection inside the verbose recovery mode (Command + R + S) by executing
7. Boot into Mac OS normally and start the Terminal. Navigate to your backup folder using
Closing remarks: Step 7 will have to be executed after every system restart to prevent overheating. Steps 4, 5 and 6 will have to be executed after each major system update that breaks graphics switching. Step 3 has to be repeated after a NVRAM reset.
Acknowledgements: This guide is entirely based on nsgr's work.
1. This is an optional step. If you have previously attempted to remove AMD kexts, revert your system to the original state by installing the latest Mac OS combo update. At the time of writing of this guide, the latest combo update can be found here. Installing the update will update your kext files to the latest version. After the update is finished, your macbook will restart and freeze as soon as the dGPU is activated. Shutdown or force a restart.
2. Clear the NVRAM by holding Option + Command + P + R on startup until the macbook reboots.
3. Boot into the single user mode by pressing Command + S on startup. Execute the following commands to enable the iGPU during the boot phase:
4. Disable System Integrity Protection to allow editing system files. Boot into the verbose recovery mode by pressing Command + R + S on startup. Execute
5. Go again into the the single user mode by pressing Command + S on startup. Mount root with write permissions via
(Note the space in front of the last forward slash). Next, create a backup folder by executing
Move the AMDRadeonX3000.kext file to the backup folder you created by executing
Moving this kext file is sufficient to prevent graphics switching.
6. Re-enable System Integrity Protection inside the verbose recovery mode (Command + R + S) by executing
7. Boot into Mac OS normally and start the Terminal. Navigate to your backup folder using
Load the former kext file manually by executing
to prevent the dGPU from idling at maximum TDP. This will not re-enable graphics switching. A restart is not required.
Closing remarks: Step 7 will have to be executed after every system restart to prevent overheating. Steps 4, 5 and 6 will have to be executed after each major system update that breaks graphics switching. Step 3 has to be repeated after a NVRAM reset.
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2011 Late with a blank screen and Display Port doesn't work.
I was able to install Display Link drivers and use USB to HDMI Display Link device to display on external. System Profile shows only HD 3000 and External LCD. Internal LCD is not detected.
Would this solution help me?
I was able to install Display Link drivers and use USB to HDMI Display Link device to display on external. System Profile shows only HD 3000 and External LCD. Internal LCD is not detected.
Would this solution help me?
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If DisplayPort is relative to Thunderbolt:
"This external display bit is expected. You can't use an external display when you're using Integrated Only mode because the integrated GPU is not physically wired up to the Thunderbolt port. On lower-end MacBook Pro models without a discrete GPU, it is." .
https://github.com/codykrieger/gfxCardStatus/issues/138#issuecomment-29092266
Thunderbolt port is wired only for the AMD video card (Macbook Pro 2011).
In a normal situation (without the AMD video problem), when you connect the external display to the Thunderbolt port, then the AMD video card starts to be used as the main video card.
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zz2003
"I just received my USB to VGA converter. It works, although not perfect. A little lagging noticed when manipulating windows (opening, closing, switching, etc). I've played youtube videos in HD, with screen resolution 1920*1080, and the lagging is barely noticeable. Also the taskbar is showing up in the wrong color and resolution. But other than that, no complains. Mine is 2011 MBP with USB2.0, USB3.0 might be better."
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...fi-variable-fix.2037591/page-10#post-24733694
Tried your solution today. Starting with with the 10.12.5 combo update install, then moving AMDRadeonX3000 out of the extensions folder to backup folder, and loading it after login worked great! I tried nsgr's identical method on page 17 of this novel, and it failed for me. But I did not begin with the combo update as he recommended...
Your guide simplified the process...
One comment:. Changing the EFI parameters. You suggested booting into Recovery mode with Option Command R + S. I found it worked better in Single user mode Command +S... Command sudo was not recognized in Recovery mode????
I've noticed something interesting more than once.
When I move the kexts, then in the first normal boot, the temperature takes a certain time to decrease and not decrease as effective (CPU Die Analog and GPU Die Analog - Istat Menu).
I've done this two-step procedure for the temperature to drop to 35 degrees Celsius.
I do not know what happens behind the scenes of this procedure. I only noticed this when checking the temperatures in the Istat Menu.
This happened when I moved the kexts once and at the next normal boot the temperature did not decrease that much. So I left to test other AMD kexts the next day and turned off the Macbook Pro (sudo shutdown -h now).
The next day, when I turned on the Macbook Pro, I forgot to enter the Recovery Mode (move kexts AMD to other version) and I ended up entering the normal boot.
I decided to test again manually loading the AMDRadeon3000.kext and realized that it quickly decreased the temperature.
I have already tested 3 versions of AMD kexts and I follow this 2 step procedure to return the temperature to 35 degrees Celsius.
First step: Enter Recovery Mode, move kexts AMD, restart, boot normal, manual load AMDRadeonX3000.kext, turn off Macbook Pro.
Second step: boot normal, manual load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
1 - Enter Recovery Mode (Command + R).
2 - Use the FGuarani method and move the AMD kexts of your video card to /System/Library/Extensions
3 - Restart the system
4 - Start the boot in normal mode
5 - After login, manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
sudo kextload AMDRadeonX3000.kext
6 - Leave the Macbook Pro in idle mode for 10 minutes.
7 - Turn off your Macbook Pro completely.
sudo shutdown -h now
8 - Wait 5 minutes.
9 - Turn on the Macbook Pro again in normal boot.
10 - After login, manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
11 - Now the temperature of the CPU Die Analog and GPU Die Analog will start to decrease faster.
When I move the kexts, then in the first normal boot, the temperature takes a certain time to decrease and not decrease as effective (CPU Die Analog and GPU Die Analog - Istat Menu).
I've done this two-step procedure for the temperature to drop to 35 degrees Celsius.
I do not know what happens behind the scenes of this procedure. I only noticed this when checking the temperatures in the Istat Menu.
This happened when I moved the kexts once and at the next normal boot the temperature did not decrease that much. So I left to test other AMD kexts the next day and turned off the Macbook Pro (sudo shutdown -h now).
The next day, when I turned on the Macbook Pro, I forgot to enter the Recovery Mode (move kexts AMD to other version) and I ended up entering the normal boot.
I decided to test again manually loading the AMDRadeon3000.kext and realized that it quickly decreased the temperature.
I have already tested 3 versions of AMD kexts and I follow this 2 step procedure to return the temperature to 35 degrees Celsius.
First step: Enter Recovery Mode, move kexts AMD, restart, boot normal, manual load AMDRadeonX3000.kext, turn off Macbook Pro.
Second step: boot normal, manual load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
1 - Enter Recovery Mode (Command + R).
2 - Use the FGuarani method and move the AMD kexts of your video card to /System/Library/Extensions
3 - Restart the system
4 - Start the boot in normal mode
5 - After login, manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
sudo kextload AMDRadeonX3000.kext
6 - Leave the Macbook Pro in idle mode for 10 minutes.
7 - Turn off your Macbook Pro completely.
sudo shutdown -h now
8 - Wait 5 minutes.
9 - Turn on the Macbook Pro again in normal boot.
10 - After login, manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext
11 - Now the temperature of the CPU Die Analog and GPU Die Analog will start to decrease faster.
You are completely right - Replaced the recovery mode with the single user mode and put verbose instead of normal recovery. At this point I think one cannot simplify the process any further.
The sudo command is not available in Recovery Mode or in the Mac OS Sierra installer (pendrive).
it should have read single user mode. corrected now
[doublepost=1500071916][/doublepost]
I have not noticed any difference at all between first and subsequent boots (I only removed the AMDRadeonX3000.kext). GPU temps are around 25°C when browsing and decrease to around 10°C when idling for a few minutes. However, I noticed that the computer becomes slower over time (timeframe = hours), especially when computation-intensive programs are run in the background (Virtual machines, several 4k videos playing at once). The machine becomes unresponsive, which is not fixed by exiting the programs and reducing the load. Feels very similar to a memory leak, however this has never been the case when the dGPU was still functional. Have you observed something similar?
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Fascinating. Your testing and results are so interesting.
GBDO published a guide today, I believe you saw it, summarizing and simplifying your instructions to eliminate the requirement to move all AMD kexts from /System/Library/Extensions, and copying earlier kext versions. That has major implications for MacOS updates expected this fall. All that needs to be done is to move a single kext - AMDRadeonX3000.kext from /System/Library/Extensions to another folder, and load it manually after login.
Starting with macOS update 10.12.5 combo update replacing my kexts, and only having to move one kext from /System/Library/Extensions to another folder, and loading it after login is quite a bit simpler.
I am now working with 1.51.8 versions in the extension folder, and looking at System Report / Extensions, only three loaded automatically:
AMD6000Controller, AMDLegacySupport, AMDLegacyFramebuffer
The other AMD Kexts are listed, but not loaded. Of course, AMDRadeonX3000 isn't there because I moved it, and loaded it manually after login, but it is listed when I kexstat to check for them (Kextstat | grep AMD). So like you indicated in your post in page 17, I am also running only version 1.51 kexts, and my GPU temp with Mail, Opera and Leaf running is 37c!
So when High Sierra shows up in the fall, I am hoping moving a single kext and loading it after login will be all I have to do to carry on!
Yes, I read.
I'm avoiding putting all of the kexts in /System/Library/Extensions (except AMDRadeonX3000.kext - manual load).
There are some kexts that can be loaded when using heavier programs (Photoshop, After Effects) that require OpenGL. As:
AMDMTLBronzeDriver.bundle
AMDRadeonVADriver.bundle
AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle
AMDShared.bundle
I tried to download the High Sierra from the App Store but I could not. My Recovey partition is corrupted and the High Sierra can not go ahead.
I tried to download the High Sierra from the App Store but I could not. My Recovey partition is corrupted and the High Sierra can not go ahead.
I thought I would download the 4 GB from the High Sierra but it is downloaded is a 14 MB application (Install macOS High Sierra Beta.app).
[doublepost=1500082227][/doublepost]
My GPU (GPU Die Analog - Istat Menu) is 5°C ou zero in idle.
Now, Chrome with forum Macrumors site : GPU 5°C, many tabs open: 25°C.
Did you use the kextstat command to know which AMD kexts are being used with the virtual machines and 4K videos?
kextstat | grep AMD
You have to see if the OpenGL kexts are not being loaded onto the AMD card.
AMDMTLBronzeDriver.bundle
AMDRadeonVADriver.bundle
AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle
AMDShared.bundle
The Arch Linux procedure or sudo nvram GUID:variable=value places a straitjacket on the Mac OS system.
These procedures do not turn off the AMD video card, only force the Mac OS system to be locked on the Intel video card.
But the AMD video card is there wanting to be used.
Update:
Did you put NSSupportsAutomaticGraphicsSwitching = true in the Info.plist file (Quick Time, Virtualbox, VMware Fusion, etc)?
<key>NSSupportsAutomaticGraphicsSwitching</key>
<true/>
https://developer.apple.com/library/content/qa/qa1734/_index.html
https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef/issues/1396/mac-add
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ance-gpu/e1a6aff0-e36e-40ae-ab62-aa7e3e0c6b10
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Sometimes the GPU temp values fall below ambient temperature, which I find utterly strange, it has to be a glitch on the temp readout. But thanks to your method my MBP is usable again.
I've done a little bit of research using launch daemon to load the kext during startup. However using launch daemon the result it's same as with regular auto load from the Extensions folder. To avoid freeze it should load after login, which would be possible using launch agents, but this will not work as well, because it does not supports root, only the currently logged in user.
I use a script saved as application:
set myPath to POSIX path of ("path to shell script using")
do shell script quoted form of myPath with administrator privileges
pointing to this shell script
/usr/bin/osascript -e ‘do shell script sudo “kextload /kext/AMDRadeonX3000.kext” with administrator privileges’
This way I only had to enter the password in the popup window.
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Would this be helpful?
http://www.macworld.com/article/260...-creator-adds-os-x-recovery-to-any-drive.html
Dude, thanks so much for this extensive and clear step-by-steps... hearing the news that Apple has declared my late 2011 MBP 'vintage' and having this issues coming up again after I had a new board in 2015.. I was just about to trash it until I came accross this thread (thanks to PeytonPlaysMc).
I manage to make the USB bootdisk but when I came to delete gpu-power-prefs... it indeed stated that 'Operation not permitted' so I performed the unmount/mount procedur from totoe_84 but after trying for 3 times it still won't delete. Have I missed something?
Cheers,
I manage to make the USB bootdisk but when I came to delete gpu-power-prefs... it indeed stated that 'Operation not permitted' so I performed the unmount/mount procedur from totoe_84 but after trying for 3 times it still won't delete. Have I missed something?
Cheers,
Hi everyone.
I'm having the same issue. Late 2011 '17 Macbook Pro. This is the second time card has failed. The first failure 2 years ago was covered by Apple's repair program. Took my MBP to the local apple store yesterday and was told that it couldn't be replace (even if I offered to pay) due to it's age. I'm wary of putting a lot of money into a 6 year old laptop and have tried multiple "fixes" to get the GPU to stop using the AMD chip, but to no avail.
I've tired following this thread, but with all of the edits, additions & deletion to the original instructions, I really don't know where to begin. My question is simply this:
Can someone simply repost the latest (full & complete) instructions to resolve this issue?
Thanks in advance!
I'm having the same issue. Late 2011 '17 Macbook Pro. This is the second time card has failed. The first failure 2 years ago was covered by Apple's repair program. Took my MBP to the local apple store yesterday and was told that it couldn't be replace (even if I offered to pay) due to it's age. I'm wary of putting a lot of money into a 6 year old laptop and have tried multiple "fixes" to get the GPU to stop using the AMD chip, but to no avail.
I've tired following this thread, but with all of the edits, additions & deletion to the original instructions, I really don't know where to begin. My question is simply this:
Can someone simply repost the latest (full & complete) instructions to resolve this issue?
Thanks in advance!
An alternate method of achieving the same result has surfaced. GBDO has written a guide posted here as message 429. It will create the EFI power-prefs modifications without having to delete the old version.
[doublepost=1500125346][/doublepost]
See Post 429.
Ok, I get all the way to step 6 with no problems. However, when I go into terminal and enter:
cd /backup
I get "No such file or directory"...
Any suggestions?
Thanks!