Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) GPU (Driver) Issues

What do you think is the source of the graphics issues on Mac Pro (Late 2013) ?

  • Hardware

    Votes: 69 53.1%

  • Software

    Votes: 28 21.5%

  • Hardware & Software

    Votes: 32 24.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • Total voters
    130
Infrared

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
I haven't had any issues since switching to Firefox. I can't really believe that a browser has anything to do with this. it seems so far fetched. But I will continue the experiment nevertheless.

Before the recent few freezes, prior to switching to Firefox, I hadn't had much trouble at all, really. The machine this one replaced would freeze intermittently, but the new machine went for months without incident.
 
koyoot

koyoot

macrumors 603
Jun 5, 2012
5,939
1,853
Infrared said:
I haven't had any issues since switching to Firefox. I can't really believe that a browser has anything to do with this. it seems so far fetched. But I will continue the experiment nevertheless.

Before the recent few freezes, prior to switching to Firefox, I hadn't had much trouble at all, really. The machine this one replaced would freeze intermittently, but the new machine went for months without incident.
Click to expand...
Very interesting. Every hang and restart of computer were related to GPU driver stopping responding, while using... Safari. In my loaned 15 inch MacBook Pro 2012 without Retina Display.
 
koyoot

koyoot

macrumors 603
Jun 5, 2012
5,939
1,853
Infrared

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
Security update today with some mention of kernel memory corruption. You never know ;)
 
Infrared

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
Well, this is new to me. I booted up about twenty mins ago and started using Firefox. After a while the beachball appeared and the UI was a bit unresponsive. The usual thing: pointer movable but difficulty interacting with the UI elements. So I was more or less resigned to a full lockup situation. But then the beachball disappeared and everything was back to normal. At that point I wasn't quite sure if it was a FF issue or something else. So I logged into the admin account to check the console reports and found this:

Code: 
Sun Sep  4 19:01:42 2016

Event:  GPU Reset
Date/Time:  Sun Sep  4 19:01:42 2016
Application:  firefox
Path:
OS Version:  Mac OS X Version 10.11.6 (Build 15G1004)
Graphics Hardware:  AMD FirePro D300
Signature:  e

Report Data:

GPURestartReportStart
------------------------
Hung Channels: GFX
------------------------
[00] AccelChannel: GFX
Pending Command from  : GLCtx
PendingCommandTimestamp: 0x00014295, TotalDWords: 0x00000300, GART Offset=0x0000000402121cc0, stamp_idx=0, estamp=0x00014295
PendingCommandStart:
PendingCommandEnd

:
:

The time seems to correspond to when the beachball appeared. So it looks like the GPU was restarted and some GFX hang (?) recovered from. Obviously, not ideal, but I can live with that happening from time to time, if that's what it comes to.

I think this sort of GPU restart may have been attempted before, because bax had a similar message which he posted upthread. But in this case it appears to have actually worked, as in returned the system to a fully usable state without lag.

Do you think it would be worth maybe contacting AMD about this?
 
Last edited:
koyoot

koyoot

macrumors 603
Jun 5, 2012
5,939
1,853
Interesting. On MBP mid 2012 it happens very often, while using Safari. However it always recovers from it. I have not experienced beachball on FireFox.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Infrared
koyoot

koyoot

macrumors 603
Jun 5, 2012
5,939
1,853
Another thing I have observed. When I launch Blizzard game Hearthstone in Sierra Beta, while using Safari in the background, there are graphics glitches happening in the game, and the game can lag hard. It is using HD4000 on MBP mid 2012, and standard system drivers.

However, when I use FireFox or Opera in the background, and Safari is shut down completely, the graphics glitches disappear, and there is no lag whatsoever...

Any thoughts, explanations for this?
 
Dameatball

Dameatball

macrumors regular
Feb 7, 2014
148
69
San Francisco
poematik13 said:
Thats because a) you've never owned one and b) you're influenced by the "new mac pro is a failure" narrative that manifests itself on this board by a specific 5-6 troll members that constantly bash the machine.
Click to expand...
Lol no, I'm surprised because Im a long time Mac user (currently own 5 Mac's) and have actually paid attention to the direction they've taken since introducing MacBook Air in 2008 while simultaneously releasing the MacBook Pro. I posted an article in wired on this thread that outlines the history. Read it, educate yourself before getting defensive/hostile. It's not a conspiracy theory, Apple has in fact implemented a planned obsolescence model (unless you have enough money apparently to waste on a MP, then they allow you to replace some parts). The MP is the exception to the rule- that's why I'm surprised.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5755a6b4e4b0ed593f14fdea
 
  • Like
Reactions: Truffy
M

mauro16

macrumors newbie
Oct 10, 2015
27
3
update: i am now using an lg monitor 34" resolution 3440x1440, it's connected over thunderbolt with apple TB to TB cable. I set the monitor frequency to 50 hertz (default is 60 hz) and then it worked without any freezing for almost 17 days. Then i installed adobe flash and i suddenly had a freezing. In a previous test (flash not installed) i let the frequency at 60 hz and i had a freezing in 2-3 days, as usual.
I'm not using sierra, I have 10.11.6.
 
Last edited:
C

canhaz

macrumors 6502
Jan 17, 2012
310
145
I don't suppose anyone happens to have discovered a reproducible way to glitch their nMP's?
 
Last edited:
loby

loby

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,882
1,514
canhaz said:
I don't suppose anyone happens to have discovered a reproducible way to glitch their nMP's?
Click to expand...

No, but if we could we can show Apple what is needed to fix the issues.

Now I am getting again the screen flicker to black really fast. Annoying, but is quick and does not totally disrupt my workflow. It gives me the impression that the graphics cards are either switching back in forth for whatever reason, or it decided to use the other card (dual) for something.

Again, this has only happened when using FCPX, the reason why this Mac Pro 2013 was created....
 
Z

Zarniwoop

macrumors 65816
Aug 12, 2009
1,038
760
West coast, Finland
loby said:
No, but if we could we can show Apple what is needed to fix the issues.

Now I am getting again the screen flicker to black really fast. Annoying, but is quick and does not totally disrupt my workflow. It gives me the impression that the graphics cards are either switching back in forth for whatever reason, or it decided to use the other card (dual) for something.

Again, this has only happened when using FCPX, the reason why this Mac Pro 2013 was created....
Click to expand...
Are you using two monitors?
 
loby

loby

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,882
1,514
Zarniwoop said:
Are you using two monitors?
Click to expand...

Yes, but it was happening even if I was not using the extra monitor. I put the energy settings to not turn off the monitor and keep system on and it seem to minimize it some, but still occurs

If you read through this thread and hope Apple does, the problem is trying to isolate the issues and reproduce it to the point to see consistencies in order to reproduce to analysis for a fix. So far I think Apple cannot identify it and is why we still have no fixes.

Random issues are hard to identify and fix.
 
Z

Zarniwoop

macrumors 65816
Aug 12, 2009
1,038
760
West coast, Finland
Have you rebooted the Mac with just one monitor turned on? I've experienced similar problems with my clients if they have even once used two monitors (without rebooting), it will keep blinking until you reboot it with one monitor only, and don't turn the second on. After you've turned on the second monitor, it will start to blink again and wont fix itself anymore even if you turn the second monitor off again. Not before a reboot with single monitor only...
 
loby

loby

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,882
1,514
Zarniwoop said:
Have you rebooted the Mac with just one monitor turned on? I've experienced similar problems with my clients if they have even once used two monitors (without rebooting), it will keep blinking until you reboot it with one monitor only, and don't turn the second on. After you've turned on the second monitor, it will start to blink again and wont fix itself anymore even if you turn the second monitor off again. Not before a reboot with single monitor only...
Click to expand...

I will try it thanks. Also, when first booting does you Mac Pro 2013 when the apple logo appears and then the bar below starts to move to the right, in the middle studder and the screen flickers and then the bar continues and goes back to normal boot? It did this twice with El Cap. But with Sierra only once...?
 
Last edited:
N

nitrocan

macrumors member
Jul 30, 2015
61
9
Just to reiterate what I had said before in this thread (before I sold my Mac Pro lol)

This is a monitor related issue. The Mac Pro 2013 simply cannot interface properly with certain monitors. After I had replaced my 4K Acer monitor with a 1440p Asus monitor, I stopped having problems.
 
P

Pardo83

macrumors member
Oct 6, 2015
44
5
nitrocan said:
Just to reiterate what I had said before in this thread (before I sold my Mac Pro lol)

This is a monitor related issue. The Mac Pro 2013 simply cannot interface properly with certain monitors. After I had replaced my 4K Acer monitor with a 1440p Asus monitor, I stopped having problems.
Click to expand...

I would add: "Mac Pro 2013 since Yosemite ... "
As I already reported, after I installed Mavericks at the Apple Store all issues disappeared. I've been using the MacPro for months now, stressing it a lot every day and not a single freeze anymore.

I'm using Audio/Video programs and lots of Safari YouTube videos. I didn't change monitor. I only installed Mavericks.

Apple should just look at which things they changed from Mavericks to Yosemite (that are still on on El Capitan and most likely on Sierra).
 
loby

loby

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,882
1,514
nitrocan said:
Just to reiterate what I had said before in this thread (before I sold my Mac Pro lol)

This is a monitor related issue. The Mac Pro 2013 simply cannot interface properly with certain monitors. After I had replaced my 4K Acer monitor with a 1440p Asus monitor, I stopped having problems.
Click to expand...

I am using an Apple Thunderbolt Monitor and have the issues. I think it is a general graphic cards issue overall. I guess it might be the attempt to use both graphic cards during some processing, but I am not sure. It does seem to improve for me when I updated to Sierra version 10.12 (16A323) and hope the next version will clear the issues.

Would prefer to just use Mavericks if that does not have the issues, but I do not think the latest FCPX version is compatible with Mavericks, so I have no choice but to update...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom