2011 GPU "Repair"

[Nick]

brightness stuck at max since you are overriding the pwm injecting constant voltage so frequency is basicaly infinite.
works with all configurations
only the ic. remember to do the yellow jumpers on the ic pads
just plug n play. no software mods. you will lose external display.

 

[ThisIsWes:AASP]

No Title

brightness stuck at max since you are overriding the pwm injecting constant voltage so frequency is basicaly infinite.
works with all configurations
only the ic. remember to do the yellow jumpers on the ic pads
just plug n play. no software mods. you will lose external display.

Tested this out for fun - works well and can be done with just the diagram provided.
Took way too long. Would probably only do again if someone specifically requested.

 

[Nick]

very nice soldering!

 

[Inwerp]

well, what if we could use Keyboard LED PWM to control the Display Brightness? unfortunately, do not have any device to experiment on, but if we could route and adjust this signal to LVDS Led driver, it could be a sollution. Of course, 12 -jumper mod probably takes to much time to make sense. (i guess the process could be optimized by making a trapharet with the holes and wiring diagram, but still)

 

[ThisIsWes:AASP]

well, what if we could use Keyboard LED PWM to control the Display Brightness? unfortunately, do not have any device to experiment on, but if we could route and adjust this signal to LVDS Led driver, it could be a sollution. Of course, 12 -jumper mod probably takes to much time to make sense. (i guess the process could be optimized by making a trapharet with the holes and wiring diagram, but still)

I was thinking the same thing about the backlight and some kind of pre-fab piece that can be soldered on. The keyboard backlight doesn’t come on until the OS is loaded though. There is a "solution" from the same guy that recently did a write up on this mod. Requires hardware and software though. Haven't read through it all, but I assume if it could just be wired off the keyboard they would have done
that.. https://computeco.de/DyingLight.htm...tm_medium=wiki_update&utm_campaign=DyingLight

Maybe dukefawks has a suggestion to piggyback off the keyboard backlight for control?

 

[Inwerp]

I was thinking the same thing about the backlight and some kind of pre-fab piece that can be soldered on. The keyboard backlight doesn’t come on until the OS is loaded though. There is a "solution" from the same guy that recently did a write up on this mod. Requires hardware and software though. Haven't read through it all, but I assume if it could just be wired off the keyboard they would have done
that.. https://computeco.de/DyingLight.htm...tm_medium=wiki_update&utm_campaign=DyingLight

Maybe dukefawks has a suggestion to piggyback off the keyboard backlight for control?

i"m pretty sure there's a backlight parameter in NVRAM so i guess it is possible to make it always-on. But i guess you're right, KB LED PWM looks quite different and seems incompatible with Backlight control.

 

[jommoner]

A related but slightly off-topic question - not worthy of a new thread though;
When the video port is lost by this repair, is that the standard video out, or is it the full Thunderbolt functionality (e.g. I was wondering if an eGPU could still be used with the appropriate hacks?)
Also, the new ATI chips - do they still have the same internal design flaws; did they ever release a 'good' batch? (I know that it is a combo of Apple's 'cooling' design as well as the chip

 

[Inwerp]

A related but slightly off-topic question - not worthy of a new thread though;
When the video port is lost by this repair, is that the standard video out, or is it the full Thunderbolt functionality (e.g. I was wondering if an eGPU could still be used with the appropriate hacks?)
Also, the new ATI chips - do they still have the same internal design flaws; did they ever release a 'good' batch? (I know that it is a combo of Apple's 'cooling' design as well as the chip

thunderbolt 3 functionality on TB1 and egpu drivers is something you should excpect from the linux community... not Apple. TB1 should be fine but i never really seen any reasonable use case besides UHD monitor

 

[jommoner]

Apple now only supports TB3 for eGPUs, having depracated past support; however I know TB1 can be used with a patch - I was wondering how the 'Thunderbolt' port itself was affected by disabling the discrete GPU (from a hardware perspective). I guess as long as the 13" unibody is supported, there may be a possibility. I myself will need to move from Mac to 'PC' once my MBP mid-2012 17" is no longer supported properly :/

 

[ThisIsWes:AASP]

Apple now only supports TB3 for eGPUs, having depracated past support; however I know TB1 can be used with a patch - I was wondering how the 'Thunderbolt' port itself was affected by disabling the discrete GPU (from a hardware perspective). I guess as long as the 13" unibody is supported, there may be a possibility. I myself will need to move from Mac to 'PC' once my MBP mid-2012 17" is no longer supported properly :/

I can confirm that the thunderbolt port functions for data. Tried to get a Luna Display to connect but the dongle wasn’t even recognized.

Wasn’t aware there is a 2012 17”.

 

[ThisIsWes:AASP]

There is an app in the app store called Brightness Slider. This provides a solution to the lack of brightness adjustment.

 

[jommoner]

I think there is only one 17" Mid 2012; it is basically made from a 15" Mid-2012 and a 17" 2011 MBP. It is still an early prototype that I made but it works (the cooling is better too!). Interestingly, the brightness slider works on the motherboard from the 2011 (even with the discrete GPU fully disabled (everything except the hardware disable mod, that is). Anyway I will stop spamming as this is the business forum, but I would be interested in some proper 2011 GPUs if anyone has any spare sometime!