Gradient banding when using discrete graphics in Sierra

[delwynnpawn]

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well.

Just a quick question, does anyone by any chance have any idea why my screen looks like this? Like the rendering of the transparency/soft blur effect seems messed up, showing weird gradients of unmixed colouring or something. I don't exactly remember when it started being like this, but I do know it wasn't always like this.

I'm running macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Beta (16E144f) in an early 2011 15" MBP with a matte display and AMD Radeon HD 6750M (1024 MB) graphics card.

I'll appreciate any input!

 

[delwynnpawn]

Bump: weird update, so the banding goes away if I just use the integrated GPU, but of course at the cost of slowed down animations etc. I just think it's weird that's it's the discrete GPU that would have this problem... Usually it's the other way around.

For those of you who have experience with this, do you think the discrete GPU is damaged etc. or is it Sierra that's causing the issue?

Edit: I mean it's still there, but only so slightly it's barely noticeable.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Does it do the same thing on 10.12.3 final release? If not, put it through the Feedback Assistant as beta feedback.

 

[delwynnpawn]

Does it do the same thing on 10.12.3 final release? If not, put it through the Feedback Assistant as beta feedback.

I don't think it did (I can't remember for sure, I'm basing off relative memory of how long I've been seeing the issue and when the 10.12.3 was released) as I used to turn off dynamic swithching and just use AMD all the time. So I'm pretty sure it came with the one of the 10.12.4 betas.

And thanks for the advice! I've filed one already but that was before I noticed the integrated GPU thing, so I should file a follow-up with an updated context.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I don't think it did (I can't remember for sure, I'm basing off relative memory of how long I've been seeing the issue and when the 10.12.3 was released)

I do recommend you either create a partition with 10.12.3 or install it on an external drive. When beta testing, it's important to be able to compare issues against the "Stable" release.

 

[PurrBall]

I've noticed the same banding on this beta on my 2011 MBP. It seems to go away after a while when I use Safari, but I am not sure exactly what triggers the fix.

 

[delwynnpawn]

I do recommend you either create a partition with 10.12.3 or install it on an external drive. When beta testing, it's important to be able to compare issues against the "Stable" release.

Hmm. I have an external HDD, if I get some free time, I should do that! Might just tell me where the problem is.

I've noticed the same banding on this beta on my 2011 MBP. It seems to go away after a while when I use Safari, but I am not sure exactly what triggers the fix.

Might be the GPU switching too. Unless you have different sets of GPU's? If not, since it's happening both in our early 2011 MBP's, it could also be part of why they recalled logic boards for this model. Hopefully not though since they just replaced mine for free about 4 months ago, and I think the recall program ended Dec. 31, 2016.

 

[delwynnpawn]

Update: The issue was gone - I assume fixed - with the latest 10.12.4 Beta update!

 

[PurrBall]

Update: The issue was gone - I assume fixed - with the latest 10.12.4 Beta update!

It is not happening on mine any more either, yay!