I finally tracked my issues down to overheating. (MacBook Pro 2ghz Core Duo).

My GPU is on the way out me thinks. I've drawn this conclusion as I often get coloured 'gradients' on my screen and artefacts in my QuickTime movies - the usual signs. It's a bit of a bugger. While this often means a new logic board, you CAN be lucky.

(a) Sometimes it's just dust and muck in your fans. (follow the fan removal instructions on iFixit and clean 'em out!)

(b) Sometimes it's a thermal paste issue.

(c) sometimes, your fans are spinning fast enough. (mine were always at 999rpm but 1,500rpm+ seems to be more appropriate.

Yep, my MacBook Pro is the original. It's a dinosaur to some, but it's only 3 years old. I don't do extended warranties, as they're a con. Which! in the UK have campaigned for years against them and I feel that if a $3,000 piece of kit can't last 5 or more years, then they owe you a new one regardless.

Anyway, here are two handy (FREE!) tools to show you what's happening:

(1) iStat Pro Widget:

http://www.islayer.com/apps/istatpro/

You can check your temperatures with this fantastic widget, which looks at other things too. A great, good looking diagnostic tool.

(2) smcFanControl:

http://www.eidac.de/?cat=4

Let's you speed up your fans if you're getting overheating issues.

cheers,

matthk

PS: Just one of the articles about extended warranties.

http://www.cleveland.com/pdq/index.ssf/2...