Mac Pro (Late 2013) GPU (Driver) Issues

[iigsie]

This is my experience too. In my office I look after 40 trashcans, 4 are duds which Apple refuses to acknowledge. Luckily 2010 and '12 are still amazing machines which after upgrades work better than D300's trashcans anyway so I was able to reuse old gear.

I am able to demonstrate in production environment that if I clone "the dud" to a known working machine there will be no issues and vice versa.

Similar here. I’ve worked in several universities, colleges and businesses and have kept in touch with my replacements.

Off the record, 3 different techs who work at apple authorised resellers have stated to me in private the same.

I have 2 D300 computers. One is a very early one that’s never had a single issue. It’s currently running Sierra. My other computer that I purchased new from apple started failing after 9 months. Apple essentially replaced everything except the psu and io header with no effect. In December 2017 after significant effort on my part they did replace the interconnect/logic board (the circular one). It’s been powered on constantly more or less with absolutely zero freezes or crashes.


In order to get them to replace the board I had to film it crashing with minimal hardware connected.


I have emailed and written to apple regarding this issue. Rather annoyingly the response I received was to take this up with their support. I did write back stating I’d tried that multiple times but received no further response.

I know a few people who’ve struggled to get apple to fix the issue. In 2 cases, the users claimed they ended up buying refurbished machines from apple, carefully removing the circular board and swapping it for their own which fixed their issues.

Appalling that people have to resort to such extreme measures as this and the external gpu solution. This isn’t why I pay the apple tax.

 

[loby]

Similar here. I’ve worked in several universities, colleges and businesses and have kept in touch with my replacements.

Off the record, 3 different techs who work at apple authorised resellers have stated to me in private the same.

I have 2 D300 computers. One is a very early one that’s never had a single issue. It’s currently running Sierra. My other computer that I purchased new from apple started failing after 9 months. Apple essentially replaced everything except the psu and io header with no effect. In December 2017 after significant effort on my part they did replace the interconnect/logic board (the circular one). It’s been powered on constantly more or less with absolutely zero freezes or crashes.


In order to get them to replace the board I had to film it crashing with minimal hardware connected.


I have emailed and written to apple regarding this issue. Rather annoyingly the response I received was to take this up with their support. I did write back stating I’d tried that multiple times but received no further response.

I know a few people who’ve struggled to get apple to fix the issue. In 2 cases, the users claimed they ended up buying refurbished machines from apple, carefully removing the circular board and swapping it for their own which fixed their issues.

Appalling that people have to resort to such extreme measures as this and the external gpu solution. This isn’t why I pay the apple tax.

I think it is a dead end about the Mac Pro 2013. I think Apple called it a day with it and wants it quietly to go away...

Once the new Mac Pro (modular) comes out, Apple will probably say, "What trash can?"

 

[iigsie]

I think it is a dead end about the Mac Pro 2013. I think Apple called it a day with it and wants it quietly to go away...

Once the new Mac Pro (modular) comes out, Apple will probably say, "What trash can?"

Just glad I eventually got mine fixed after much fuss and cost.

For me the whole experience will make me seriously question ever purchasing a workstation class Mac ever again.


Apple isn’t really a computer company anymore anyway. It’s a massive tax evasion empire mostly benefitting executives and shareholders with a small arm that makes computers

 

[loby]

Just glad I eventually got mine fixed after much fuss and cost.

For me the whole experience will make me seriously question ever purchasing a workstation class Mac ever again.


Apple isn’t really a computer company anymore anyway. It’s a massive tax evasion empire mostly benefitting executives and shareholders with a small arm that makes computers

Yes, you are probably right...

Nothing really ever lasts. Change comes either good or the bad, but that is always determined by the individual's perspective and or preferences (in apple's case maybe age or generation). Stockholders love it, tech enthusiasts not so much.

The mac pro came into existance probably due to Steve Jobs' side project called, "Pixar". Once he died, no more project, Pixar was bought (or absorbed) by Disney, and we see quickly in 2012 & 2013 what the mac pro became...

I personally like the "idea" of the mac pro 2013. Genius in concept and design..but ran into issues. understandable when trying something new.

But...to leave those who invested in the "experiment" out in the cold, abandoned...and took years to even say they "messed up" is not acceptable, even ignoring and denying there was problems, and not even "attempting" to fix it due to the bottom line of loosing profits etc. to those who bought it. So the comsumer had to eat their investment (and it cost was high). High to the point of leaving apple....

What about the "lost" revenue, time, frustrations, hour of project issues, delays, money on faulty hardware (specifically the GPU and over heating CPU)? Did not matter to apple management. We can blame Tim Cook. It comes with the position and he makes the final decision on these things anyway...

The mac pro 2013 runs ok now..but I am sure with firmware updates under-clocked and reduce and limited performance now to compensate for the heating issues had made the "Mac Pro" performance perform less than the current "mini".

"If" the mac pro 2013 came out as a "brother" of the mini from the beginning, the apple world would have been in awl..but instead...it cause many professionals to abandon ship and jump to Microsoft (who would have ever thought...?)

Apple has a chance to redeem itself with the next coming Mac Pro, but...greed, price tag may yet put the nail in the coffin for many...look at the new mini's price..and the macbook pro? I bought the macbook pro. like it..but not for professional work...

We will see what the future holds....

 

[filmak]

Yes, you are probably right...

Nothing really ever lasts. Change comes either good or the bad, but that is always determined by the individual's perspective and or preferences (in apple's case maybe age or generation). Stockholders love it, tech enthusiasts not so much.

The mac pro came into existance probably due to Steve Jobs' side project called, "Pixar". Once he died, no more project, Pixar was bought (or absorbed) by Disney, and we see quickly in 2012 & 2013 what the mac pro became...

I personally like the "idea" of the mac pro 2013. Genius in concept and design..but ran into issues. understandable when trying something new.

But...to leave those who invested in the "experiment" out in the cold, abandoned...and took years to even say they "messed up" is not acceptable, even ignoring and denying there was problems, and not even "attempting" to fix it due to the bottom line of loosing profits etc. to those who bought it. So the comsumer had to eat their investment (and it cost was high). High to the point of leaving apple....

What about the "lost" revenue, time, frustrations, hour of project issues, delays, money on faulty hardware (specifically the GPU and over heating CPU)? Did not matter to apple management. We can blame Tim Cook. It comes with the position and he makes the final decision on these things anyway...

The mac pro 2013 runs ok now..but I am sure with firmware updates under-clocked and reduce and limited performance now to compensate for the heating issues had made the "Mac Pro" performance perform less than the current "mini".

"If" the mac pro 2013 came out as a "brother" of the mini from the beginning, the apple world would have been in awl..but instead...it cause many professionals to abandon ship and jump to Microsoft (who would have ever thought...?)

Apple has a chance to redeem itself with the next coming Mac Pro, but...greed, price tag may yet put the nail in the coffin for many...look at the new mini's price..and the macbook pro? I bought the macbook pro. like it..but not for professional work...

We will see what the future holds....

Exactly, these are also my thoughts and I'm sure of a lot of other Mac users.

 

[iigsie]

Yes, you are probably right...

Nothing really ever lasts. Change comes either good or the bad, but that is always determined by the individual's perspective and or preferences (in apple's case maybe age or generation). Stockholders love it, tech enthusiasts not so much.

The mac pro came into existance probably due to Steve Jobs' side project called, "Pixar". Once he died, no more project, Pixar was bought (or absorbed) by Disney, and we see quickly in 2012 & 2013 what the mac pro became...

I personally like the "idea" of the mac pro 2013. Genius in concept and design..but ran into issues. understandable when trying something new.

But...to leave those who invested in the "experiment" out in the cold, abandoned...and took years to even say they "messed up" is not acceptable, even ignoring and denying there was problems, and not even "attempting" to fix it due to the bottom line of loosing profits etc. to those who bought it. So the comsumer had to eat their investment (and it cost was high). High to the point of leaving apple....

What about the "lost" revenue, time, frustrations, hour of project issues, delays, money on faulty hardware (specifically the GPU and over heating CPU)? Did not matter to apple management. We can blame Tim Cook. It comes with the position and he makes the final decision on these things anyway...

The mac pro 2013 runs ok now..but I am sure with firmware updates under-clocked and reduce and limited performance now to compensate for the heating issues had made the "Mac Pro" performance perform less than the current "mini".

"If" the mac pro 2013 came out as a "brother" of the mini from the beginning, the apple world would have been in awl..but instead...it cause many professionals to abandon ship and jump to Microsoft (who would have ever thought...?)

Apple has a chance to redeem itself with the next coming Mac Pro, but...greed, price tag may yet put the nail in the coffin for many...look at the new mini's price..and the macbook pro? I bought the macbook pro. like it..but not for professional work...

We will see what the future holds....

Agreed, however many people including myself started having the issues within 12 months of ownership. I purchased this computer around september 2015. It started having GPU panics in June 2016. Apple eventually fixed it in December 2017. They could have done it sooner but there was a flat out refusal to replace the interconnect board throughout the ordeal.

A computer that costs as much as a mac pro should last a lot longer than 9 months.

I have another 4 core mac pro that I purchased second hand that has never had the issue. it's a very early one though whereas the one that had the issue was built right in the middle of the time frame of the 6 and 8 core issue that apple recognised

 

[MCal27]

The 2013 Mac Pro has been nothing short of a disaster.. to leave a product.. (and a flawed product at that) untouched on the market for so long.. Apple should (morally) give all 2013 Pro users who can prove ownership for 12 months or more a discount of the new Mac Pro when it arrives.
I just wish I knew of the issues before I bought mine two years ago. Fan control software seems to have fixed mine for now, but resale value with be horrific when/if we try to move on our Trashcans..

 

[th0masp]

The mac pro came into existance probably due to Steve Jobs' side project called, "Pixar". Once he died, no more project, Pixar was bought (or absorbed) by Disney, and we see quickly in 2012 & 2013 what the mac pro became...

I have no insight into Pixar but I would be very surprised if the Mac Pro had been intended with them in mind. I actually work in a related field and all the demos of Pixar's inhouse software I have seen - and there have been a few in the last decade - have been running on Linux (like in most other film houses).
Nothing about the Mac Pro says 3D workstation - wrong choice of GPU - and GPU configuration - entirely and that was clear when it released: there was none and there's still no 3D software that benefits from those mid-range (at time of release) dual GPU's outside rendering - but again: in film that is handled by Linux farms, not at the artist's desk.

Also I guess the Trashcan is actually a Jobs project (or is there any evidence to the contrary?) - it would make sense that it was started years before his death and with Jobs' blessing. The whole cylinder thing seems exactly like the kind of approach I associate with the Jobs era. That does not look like a beancounter's idea of making just another computer.

I'm with you about the placement of the Trashcan in the lineup tho - should have been the Mac Mini Pro - an entry level workstation to complement a big versatile box. Few in a studio actually need the expansion options of a big tower.

 

[loby]

I have no insight into Pixar but I would be very surprised if the Mac Pro had been intended with them in mind. I actually work in a related field and all the demos of Pixar's inhouse software I have seen - and there have been a few in the last decade - have been running on Linux (like in most other film houses).
Nothing about the Mac Pro says 3D workstation - wrong choice of GPU - and GPU configuration - entirely and that was clear when it released: there was none and there's still no 3D software that benefits from those mid-range (at time of release) dual GPU's outside rendering - but again: in film that is handled by Linux farms, not at the artist's desk.

Also I guess the Trashcan is actually a Jobs project (or is there any evidence to the contrary?) - it would make sense that it was started years before his death and with Jobs' blessing. The whole cylinder thing seems exactly like the kind of approach I associate with the Jobs era. That does not look like a beancounter's idea of making just another computer.

I'm with you about the placement of the Trashcan in the lineup tho - should have been the Mac Mini Pro - an entry level workstation to complement a big versatile box. Few in a studio actually need the expansion options of a big tower.

A side note..what chunk size are you using for video editing? I am using RAID 0 SSDs. Thoughts are 128K or 256K? Could you advise? Thanks!

 

[th0masp]

A side note..what chunk size are you using for video editing? I am using RAID 0 SSDs. Thoughts are 128K or 256K? Could you advise? Thanks!

Sorry, I'm using mine for 2D (texturing/painting) - I have not got the slightest clue about video.

 

[axantas]

I am already DAYS without a single crash since updating to 10.14.4 (just switched to Mojave with 14.4)
...could it be after 5 years?

 

[albertfallickwa]

I am planning to grab one of these lovely desktops for house/design usage in my office before it gets changed into something butt ugly this summer when the new Mac Pros are announced.

 

[Martyimac]

I am planning to grab one of these lovely desktops for house/design usage in my office before it gets changed into something butt ugly this summer when the new Mac Pros are announced.

If you do, stay away from the ones with the D300 graphics cards, they were the ones with the major issues.

 

[axantas]

If you do, stay away from the ones with the D300 graphics cards, they were the ones with the major issues.

They are not available anymore at Apple, but...
...see my signature. The D300 appear to run quite well with Mojave now. I just tortured my machine with Final Cut Pro, browsing with videos and other stuff. Astonished. I will go on that way.

 

[MCal27]

Seconded. Have not had a single hang since moving to Mojave, though I do use it in concert with a fan control app... Still runs quiet. Mine is a D300 but upgraded to 6 Core Xeon

 

[axantas]

Seconded. Have not had a single hang since moving to Mojave, though I do use it in concert with a fan control app... Still runs quiet. Mine is a D300 but upgraded to 6 Core Xeon

I have ditched the fan control app. It did not help pre Mojave and now it controls the fan on its own very well. As I wrote, i relly tortured the machine. Heat was never a problem anyway. I had crashes while the machine was literally doing nothing.
Still everything perfect here.

 

[filmak]

I have ditched the fan control app. It did not help pre Mojave and now it controls the fan on its own very well. As I wrote, i relly tortured the machine. Heat was never a problem anyway. I had crashes while the machine was literally doing nothing.
Still everything perfect here.

Do you still have the same displays?

 

[axantas]

Do you still have the same displays?

I am using a Dell p2415q 4K display connected to DP since day one. No change of any hardware. Just updated to Mojave 10.14.4.

I also have a different behavior in boot camp now. Windows never froze, the screen went black and came back - flickering in short intervals of about 5 seconds. Now it also goes black sometimes but the flickering is much less. I often just continue working.

 

[filmak]

I am using a Dell p2415q 4K display connected to DP since day one. No change of any hardware. Just updated to Mojave 10.14.4.

I also have a different behavior in boot camp now. Windows never froze, the screen went black and came back - flickering in short intervals of about 5 seconds. Now it also goes black sometimes but the flickering is much less. I often just continue working.

Thank you very much.

 

[Idolum]

They are not available anymore at Apple, but...
...see my signature. The D300 appear to run quite well with Mojave now. I just tortured my machine with Final Cut Pro, browsing with videos and other stuff. Astonished. I will go on that way.

I own a D300 and agree. I did not have a freeze since installing Mojave (6 month). It's a non-issue now - at least with Mojave. I installed 10.14.4 today and hope the streak will continue. So far so good.

 

[CC88]

I own a nMP 12 core with D700 graphic cards. I have no problem at all with High Sierra but with Mojave starting from 10.14.1 I have some strange glitch on the right side of my monitor when I scroll the menu on the finder bar.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-d700-and-mojave.2155659/page-2#post-27256312

 

[Ronlap]

I am already DAYS without a single crash since updating to 10.14.4 (just switched to Mojave with 14.4)
...could it be after 5 years?

They are not available anymore at Apple, but...
...see my signature. The D300 appear to run quite well with Mojave now. I just tortured my machine with Final Cut Pro, browsing with videos and other stuff. Astonished. I will go on that way.

Ditto. 10.14.4 seems to be the magic wand for my D300 driving an LG Ultrawide 38UC99-W. However, the problem of the Filevault boot screen not driving the monitor still exists and I need to blindly type in my password after waiting for about 5 minutes.

 

[axantas]

Ditto. 10.14.4 seems to be the magic wand for my D300 driving an LG Ultrawide 38UC99-W. However, the problem of the Filevault boot screen not driving the monitor still exists and I need to blindly type in my password after waiting for about 5 minutes.

The black screen WAS a problem of an earlier (and corrected) firmware for the nMP (and some MacBook pros, as I read) during boot short before user login. It always worked via HDMI, but no joy with TB monitors. I am not aware of the filevault "mechanics" however.

 

[Idolum]

It's a non-issue now - at least with Mojave.

I spoke too early. It's a non-issue with Mojave 10.14.2 which ran for six month without a single crash. After a week of using 10.14.4 I experienced the same old automatic reboots when browsing videos with 'Safari/Firefox' - I went back to to 10.14.2 and everything runs fine again.

The only change to my setup is a new LG 32QK500-W monitor connected via HDMI but it seems to work fine with 10.14.2 installed.

 

[axantas]

@ Idolum: There were Firmware updates with 10.4.4 as I read elsewhere. So you might have a better base for 10.4.2 as well. HDMI was also a solution for a crashed/frozen machine. Output via TB froze, the computer was still running and had a working signal via HDMI.

Here everything is still running perfectly. Yesterday I did exactly, what you are describing: Heavy browsing on ads- and video loaded websites plus lenghty, heavy video encoding in the background. Just running flawlessly.