Interesting point as i use Chrome.
I just launched my machine (single 4K display) without opening Chrome and the problem still exhibits.
I wish it was that simple!
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MP 6,1 Mac Pro 6,1 - 12core /D700 flicker issue
- Thread starter daveedjackson
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Interesting point as i use Chrome.
I just launched my machine (single 4K display) without opening Chrome and the problem still exhibits.
I wish it was that simple!
Just a quick note. I think this issue has been fixed in Catalina.
I had a macbook pro (no gpu) that did exactly the same flickering when using Mojave. Upgraded to Catalina, flicker gone. Let me know if this sorts your problem out.
I am experiencing exact the same problems with my Mac Pro 2013, quad-core Xeon, 32GB RAM and D500 graphic cards. The labels on the SSD and memory tell me, that the machine was manufactured in 2016. I am using the NEC EA244UHD monitor (3840x2160).
Yes, it's worse with Google Chrome, but it's still bugs me a lot with Safari, Firefox or Lightroom in example. Also with High Sierra there is no flickering at all. So I also assume this is a software/driver problem. When the monitor is connected with mini-DP and HDMI cables, the problem disappears. But it's annoying me, that I cannot disable the "second monitor" in Mac OS.
In the meantime with all the updates for Mojave and Catalina the problem became worse and better somehow, but has never gone away. Maybe I should install High Sierra for now, but the extended support ends in September 2020.
Yes, it's worse with Google Chrome, but it's still bugs me a lot with Safari, Firefox or Lightroom in example. Also with High Sierra there is no flickering at all. So I also assume this is a software/driver problem. When the monitor is connected with mini-DP and HDMI cables, the problem disappears. But it's annoying me, that I cannot disable the "second monitor" in Mac OS.
In the meantime with all the updates for Mojave and Catalina the problem became worse and better somehow, but has never gone away. Maybe I should install High Sierra for now, but the extended support ends in September 2020.
My issue no longer exists. Apple replaced the unit and I upgraded to the new model.
software made no difference to my issue. I had d700’s can’t speak for the D500’s. OS made no difference. I went through every OS since purchase in 2013. Never got better. Changing display never changed it either.
software made no difference to my issue. I had d700’s can’t speak for the D500’s. OS made no difference. I went through every OS since purchase in 2013. Never got better. Changing display never changed it either.
apple replace a new D700 model to you? There is no flicker after the replacement?
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or do you mean you upgraded to Mac Pro 7,1 2019 version?
sorry for not being clear there. I replaced the whole Mac. The system had already had 2 GPU replacements and the ficker remained for me.
So you have a new whole Mac Pro 6,1 2013 with D700? And No flicker for this machine?
well yes and no. Having not had any real issues, I've had in the last 3 days 4 crashes. usually doing nothing but opening an adobe application. VERY very annoying.
well it looks like some firmware change they did post Mavericks - when I lower refresh rate below 50Hz it goes away... not using OS X 10.9 much these days (let alone on this Mac) so it's not an issue, just another useless improvement of Cook's Apple nobody asked for
From my research it appears the D700 GPUs are the most prone to cooking themselves. Someone in this thread said,"Out of the many 2013 MP models our company has purchased, the D500's have had the least issues. The D700 models purchased have had the thermal throttling issues and GPU replacements 2 times." So it got me thinking that the D500 is almost the same GPU, but clocked lower. So it would be possible to downclock the D700s to match the D500's frequency? Possibly either by editing the VBIOS or making a custom SoftPowerPlayTable? As these machines age maintaining their longevity will be important. I found this thread about how to make a Soft PowerPlay Table for Vega. Maybe the method could be used for the D700s.
Edit:
So the roms for the GPUs are included in the Mac Pro firmware and are not located on the cards themselves. I found this thread on netkas forum that gives some info on them. I looked in the firmware (.scap file included with Catalina) with UEFITool and I was only able to find the EFI driver parts of the roms. There's one for the Tahiti chips and one for the Pitcairin chip. If you can find the full roms it looks like it would be possible to change the frequency and voltage settings with VBE7 as shown in that thread. Of course flashing the modified firmware back to the Mac is risky. I'm sure someone here has the ability to successfully pull that off, but I don't. The other side of the coin is that it appears it would be possible to increase the clocks for the D500s to match the D700s which would give them similar performance, but of course that would make them less reliable.
Edit:
So the roms for the GPUs are included in the Mac Pro firmware and are not located on the cards themselves. I found this thread on netkas forum that gives some info on them. I looked in the firmware (.scap file included with Catalina) with UEFITool and I was only able to find the EFI driver parts of the roms. There's one for the Tahiti chips and one for the Pitcairin chip. If you can find the full roms it looks like it would be possible to change the frequency and voltage settings with VBE7 as shown in that thread. Of course flashing the modified firmware back to the Mac is risky. I'm sure someone here has the ability to successfully pull that off, but I don't. The other side of the coin is that it appears it would be possible to increase the clocks for the D500s to match the D700s which would give them similar performance, but of course that would make them less reliable.
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It appears the flickering or sometimes the odd artifact maybe caused by thermal damage to the GPUs. Since the 2013 Mac Pro had overheating issues, daily use without bumping up the fan speed with Macs Fan Control might have caused the GPUs to bake themselves.
How hot is too hot do you think? What temperature settings would you set in the Macs Fan Control app? Best to base it off of GPU 2 Diode? Right now I set it to increase fan speed at 45 C because it idles about 41/42.
I believe it gets too hot once it starts to approach 70 degrees and going upto 80. Since the Intel Xeon E5 V2 chips have T junction at 74 degrees and the AMD FirePro chips are known to burn out at 70. Better to keep the temperatures low as possible, maybe have the fan curve start at 40 degrees.
I think you mixed up T-case and T-junction.
74°C T-junction isn't that hot for CPU.
once the GPU burn out, it is irreversible and always have the flicker issue?
It's so weird Apple hasn't configured the fan profile to keep them cool. Couldn't they do that with a firmware update? It's bizarre because it costs them money replacing GPUs that have fried. You'd think they would be on top of it.
And that keeps the GPUs cool too? I realized the CPUs can heat up if I have it based on the GPU sensors. Right now I have it based on the PCIe diode. I haven’t done enough testing yet to see if that keeps both cool.
Don't use MFC for multiple heat source. It will completely override the system protection, and only focus on one heat source.
If you have iStat menu, you can use it to build your fan profile that base on different sensors. That will spin up the fan base on your setting, but keep the system protection.
Which means, even you only build a fan profile base on GPU, but if the CPU warm up, the SMC can still spin up the fan according to the native fan profile.
After some analysis I found that my CPU-PECI value is always the highest in my work (fcpx, cpu based rendering software, lightroom etc). So I based Mac Fan Control on it. Say when I have CPU-PECI at around 53°C I have GPU diode 1 and 2 around 45 and so the other temperature value.
CPU-PECI is always the highest value on my system so I based my mfc setting on it. Also the 6.1 has only one central fan to rule them all
