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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

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
Do you ever have the one on Yosemite where one monitor would completely glitch out? Like random blocks of pixels would be in random spots?

Just this one time, after waking up monitors from sleep. Image on both screens had artifacts.
After little googling, I found out that peaple have all sorts of problems after waking up monitors and computers from sleep on OS X. I hope this is just SW issue. We shall see....
 

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
10.10.4 is out:

"The OS X Yosemite v10.10.4 update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.

This update:

[...]

- Addresses an issue that prevented some external displays from functioning properly"
 
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flyingfoxuk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2015
102
2
Just been to my local Apple store - and yep they're replacing GPU - B so all those weeks of Applecare telling me it was a software issue were wasted. Should have the computer back next week and I will report on whether the repair has resolved my issues.
 

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
I've applied the update. Strange momentary glitch going to the desktop for the first time. Almost looked like a good old fashioned untuned CRT snowstorm. After that, nothing much to report. 10.10.4 did include a firmware update. And I could see the power light flashing on first reboot.
 

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
I've applied the update. Strange momentary glitch going to the desktop for the first time. Almost looked like a good old fashioned untuned CRT snowstorm. After that, nothing much to report. 10.10.4 did include a firmware update. And I could see the power light flashing on first reboot.

Boot ROM from B11 to B15 ;)
 

axantas

macrumors 65816
Jun 29, 2015
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could 1st of july be out happy day? The new Boot ROM - that explains the unusual double reboot i remarked. Thanks for the hint bax.

I am aware, there are probably different reasons for all our problems. Im am very curious about the results from flyingfoxuk's machine. In my case i am still waiting for another freeze after my simple last steps - which did not happen yet for 4 days now. (ok, not REALLY waiting for it to happen....)
 

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
These Macs got Firmware update:

18711409553_d5653774be_o.png
 

Infrared

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2007
1,715
65
I had a look in the installer and it's an update for the OS recovery boot-time option. But maybe they sneaked something else in there on the quiet ;)

Could be preparing for the new OS? New filesystem type coming? Speculate away wildly!
 

flyingfoxuk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2015
102
2
Apple genius plugged my unit into their monitor, keyboard and mouse and replicated the issue - also running from their server for the operating system so clearly a hardware issue in my case - hopefully this should be the end of my problems for now...
 

Scott Johnson

macrumors newbie
Jun 3, 2015
15
4
So there was a patch today, that included NVIDIA and AMD driver updates. Hoping beyond hope this was for us a little. No locks since the update. I will report back if anything changes.
 

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
Apple genius plugged my unit into their monitor, keyboard and mouse and replicated the issue - also running from their server for the operating system so clearly a hardware issue in my case - hopefully this should be the end of my problems for now...

Great news!
 
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axantas

macrumors 65816
Jun 29, 2015
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Sorry... a patch from who? For the nMP? Different from 10.10.4?
There is that entry MP61 (we do own the "6.1") at the bottom of the ist from bax2003, but as infrared writes, we do not really know whether this is a fix of some kind for the current system. It Could be, that Apple really fixed something without making too much noise about it...
 

twomartoe

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2015
74
9
No gpu.restarts so far fingers cross. However, I did get a weird semi crash which required a power on off. Again related to video. Same symtoms as the gpu.restart but no console logs, system slows down and only respond every other 5 secs. As talked about, the gpu.restart crashes might be related to flash. And this smells like a stench from flash. This happened a handful of times after the flash update.
 

axantas

macrumors 65816
Jun 29, 2015
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I am without a single hang or crash for one week now - after just uninstalling Flash and zapping the PRAM. I can't believe it. Flawless update 10.10.4.

... :)
 

flyingfoxuk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2015
102
2
Ok - just spoken to the Apple Store I left my Mac Pro with 1 week ago today.

They have declared it a write off and unrepairable and they are going to replace it with another new unit - direct from the factory.

This is the second nMp I have had fail and be declare unrepairable this year!!

I'm not doing anything unusual with these as machines.

Software used:

Finalcut Pro X
Logic Pro X
Cinema 4D for 3D modelling and rendering

Apart from these it's just regular things like iTunes, Pixelmator, DVD Player…

Does anyone have any ideas of what's happening with these machines.

Upon failing they have both exhibited totally different symptoms - the first unit kept blowing power supplies and despite replacing the psu 7 times and everything else pretty much apart from the case it was still unreliable and declared unrepairable.

The second unit as previously stated has had numerous GPU Panics and Hangs and then begun exhibiting stat-up problems where it would not boot through without considerable messing around with Recovery and Safe mode each time you turn it on!!

I don't have any answers as to what is going wrong here.

After the first failure I had the electrical supply checked out by an electrical engineer who declared it fine (I run another 4 macs in the house - none of which have exhibited these problems…

I also upgraded the plugboards and power connectors used to connect all my studio equipment to the mains between the first and second failure - just to be on the safe side…

Does anyone have any thoughts as to why these machines keep failing.

The first unit died after 8 months - this one barely made it 3 months!!
 

VirtualRain

macrumors 603
Aug 1, 2008
6,304
118
Vancouver, BC
Ok - just spoken to the Apple Store I left my Mac Pro with 1 week ago today.

They have declared it a write off and unrepairable and they are going to replace it with another new unit - direct from the factory.

This is the second nMp I have had fail and be declare unrepairable this year!!

I'm not doing anything unusual with these as machines.

Software used:

Finalcut Pro X
Logic Pro X
Cinema 4D for 3D modelling and rendering

Apart from these it's just regular things like iTunes, Pixelmator, DVD Player…

Does anyone have any ideas of what's happening with these machines.

Upon failing they have both exhibited totally different symptoms - the first unit kept blowing power supplies and despite replacing the psu 7 times and everything else pretty much apart from the case it was still unreliable and declared unrepairable.

The second unit as previously stated has had numerous GPU Panics and Hangs and then begun exhibiting stat-up problems where it would not boot through without considerable messing around with Recovery and Safe mode each time you turn it on!!

I don't have any answers as to what is going wrong here.

After the first failure I had the electrical supply checked out by an electrical engineer who declared it fine (I run another 4 macs in the house - none of which have exhibited these problems…

I also upgraded the plugboards and power connectors used to connect all my studio equipment to the mains between the first and second failure - just to be on the safe side…

Does anyone have any thoughts as to why these machines keep failing.

The first unit died after 8 months - this one barely made it 3 months!!

I'm inclined to say it's just extremely bad luck. These are complex machines and failures in components will occur. I suspect in both your cases, it was simply deemed too difficult to trouble-shoot and isolate the component at fault... Hence total replacement. While having two lemons in a row might indicate wide-spread issues, I don't think we can conclude that at all.
 

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
I have an idea: Apple´s first Dual GPU system, PCIe storage connector is on one of the GPUs....

In my opinion, reasons for nMP failing are in this order:
1. Unrefined GPUs in combination with unrefined drivers
2. Unrefined bottom board with chipset and all flat cable connectors with GPU boards and CPU+RAM board

There is a few cases where GPU replacement did not help and they had to change chipset board.

Sometimes they change components, sometimes whole machine. I don´t know how Apple agents decide what to do.
Perhaps there is test more thorough than ASD that gives more details about hardware problems.

I would REEEAAALYYYY like to take a look at Mac Pro Late 2013 Apple Technician Guide.
 

flyingfoxuk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2015
102
2
I'm inclined to say it's just extremely bad luck. These are complex machines and failures in components will occur. I suspect in both your cases, it was simply deemed too difficult to trouble-shoot and isolate the component at fault... Hence total replacement. While having two lemons in a row might indicate wide-spread issues, I don't think we can conclude that at all.
I hope it is just bad luck - that's what I said after the first unit failed!
 

flyingfoxuk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2015
102
2
I have an idea: Apple´s first Dual GPU system, PCIe storage connector is on one of the GPUs....

In my opinion, reasons for nMP failing are in this order:
1. Unrefined GPUs in combination with unrefined drivers
2. Unrefined bottom board with chipset and all flat cable connectors with GPU boards and CPU+RAM board

There is a few cases where GPU replacement did not help and they had to change chipset board.

Sometimes they change components, sometimes whole machine. I don´t know how Apple agents decide what to do.
Perhaps there is test more thorough than ASD that gives more details about hardware problems.

I would REEEAAALYYYY like to take a look at Mac Pro Late 2013 Apple Technician Guide.

I don't know the technical reasons why these machines are going wrong - on paper they should be my perfect computer. When they work they do everything I need - I just can't help wondering if within the next 6 months I'll be back here again announcing 3 out of 3...
 

VirtualRain

macrumors 603
Aug 1, 2008
6,304
118
Vancouver, BC
I don't know the technical reasons why these machines are going wrong - on paper they should be my perfect computer. When they work they do everything I need - I just can't help wondering if within the next 6 months I'll be back here again announcing 3 out of 3...

No-one's luck is that bad ;)
 

twomartoe

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2015
74
9
anyone still getting gpu crashes? Im getting this weird spinning beach ball semi-unresponsive system without any console log, requiring a hard restart.
 

bax2003

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
947
203
anyone still getting gpu crashes? Im getting this weird spinning beach ball semi-unresponsive system without any console log, requiring a hard restart.

Do you have another Mac or PC in network to connect to Mac Pro via SSH and restart Windows Server ?
This server usually locks up when this happens.

This happened to me once (before GPU-B was replaced) and I succesfully rebooted Mac Pro through SSH.
 
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