The dedicated graphics chips built into the 15″ MacBook Pro have a serial error and will fail sooner or later. Now there’s a way to just shut them down.
The problem with the built-in AMD GPUs is that they’re just not very durable. Even if you replace them, the error will come back in the foreseeable future, because there is no graphics chip version where the fault has been eliminated. So the smartest solution, since the MacBook Pro still has an integrated graphic, is to simply use those and disable the separate faulty graphics part.
You have to deal with the defective graphics chip as long as it is still recognized by the system, although the internal one works without any problems. dosdude1 (which also gave us the great Mojave Patcher) now uses a simple and effective circumstance: On the motherboard of the MacBook Pro there is a small chip called gMux, which can switch between both graphics chips. And this chip is simply reprogrammed so that the defective separate graphics card is ignored! Thus, the working internal graphics are always used and the subject is solved for all times.
For reprogramming the chip you have to solder some wires on the board and then feed them with the new code (will be released soon). Problem solved. For experienced hobbyists this should be possible and for all who don’t dare (including the author), there are still enough experienced solderers around the corner. So if you’d like to keep your 2011 MacBook Pro alive, there’s a sensible and inexpensive option now.
