Mac Pro (Late 2013) Graphic Issues

[bdsmith63]

I have been troubleshooting my Mac Pro (Late 2013) and need some advice. I am having issues with a driver or software related issue I believe. I can start the Mac in SAFE mode and cannot replicate the issue. When starting the Mac Pro, sometimes the system will boot up (and sometimes boot up twice) and go to a screen that flickers different colors or just a black screen with a little light faintly at the bottom of the screen. If the computer goes to sleep or I manually put it in sleep mode, when I try to resume, the screen does the same thing. I've tried everything from disabling startup items that might have been causing the issue, ran disk utilities, to unplugging all USB and Thunderbolt connections, with exception of my Thunderbolt displays, tried different ports, and have even reinstalled macOS Sierra (not a clean install) and the issue still continues. At some point it seems like a hardware issue, but when I boot in SAFE mode it is fine, I have reset the PRAM also. What ideas can anyone offer based on the behavior of this issue? It's like maybe a graphics driver needs to be reinstalled, but I don't know how or where to do this -- and not sure this is the issue.

 

[DeltaMac]

Do you get any error (reference) codes when you boot to your Diagnostics test?

What version of OS X do you have installed now?
You could reinstall the drivers by reinstalling the system software.
Easy to do by booting to your Recovery system (Restart, holding Command + R), Choose Reinstall macOS from the menu screen. Takes about 30 minutes (more or less) to reload the system files, maybe longer depending on the speed of your internet connection. This reload won't disturb your own files and apps that you might have installed.

 

[bdsmith63]

Do you get any error (reference) codes when you boot to your Diagnostics test?

What version of OS X do you have installed now?
You could reinstall the drivers by reinstalling the system software.
Easy to do by booting to your Recovery system (Restart, holding Command + R), Choose Reinstall macOS from the menu screen. Takes about 30 minutes (more or less) to reload the system files, maybe longer depending on the speed of your internet connection. This reload won't disturb your own files and apps that you might have installed.

I am running macOS Sierra 10.12.5. I did perform a reinstall of macOS, and I believe I remembered performing the diagnostics test, but I'll run that again and see if I get any error codes.

 

[poematik13]

Check console.app for any records of MCA errors or resets- that's how you'll know if it's a faulty GPU. There was a bad batch of them if your manufacture date is around April 2015. Apple will fix it for free until 2018- there is a repair program for it.

10.12.5 had a critical driver update for the GPU's that should fix it though

 

[bdsmith63]

Check console.app for any records of MCA errors or resets- that's how you'll know if it's a faulty GPU. There was a bad batch of them if your manufacture date is around April 2015. Apple will fix it for free until 2018- there is a repair program for it.

10.12.5 had a critical driver update for the GPU's that should fix it though

I did run the Apple Diagnostic test just now and there now errors. Right after I booted into the test mode, the screen flashed up all sorts of wild colors on the display, before it ran the test. I restarted and it's just sitting here again with a blank screen with a small amount of light at bottom of the screen. I have also tested the system using HDMI and the problem occurs there too, so I know it's not an issue with my displays or the Thunderbolt ports. My Mac Pro is the late 2013, so I assume the Apple fix for the GPU wouldn't be applicable if it were a problem. I feel it's something in the startup, the screen will show the Apple logo, the white bar starts to across halfway, then the screen just stays blank with a slight light at the bottom, or sometimes it'll reboot again and do the same thing, the next time boot to the login screen and function just fine, unless I put it to sleep then I have issues getting it back on.

 

[loby]

Might want to check this post out....

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-late-2013-gpu-driver-issues.1860297/

Unfortunately, there is over 1,200 replies...

 

[bdsmith63]

I did go to the Console and under system log, I saw this after the issue occurred, does this mean any issues with my GPU, I do have the D300, this is only a part of it...

Tue Jul 4 10:50:35 2017

Event: GPU Reset
Date/Time: Tue Jul 4 10:50:35 2017
Application:
Path:
Tailspin: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/gpuRestart2017-07-04-105035.tailspin
GPUSubmission Trace ID: 0
OS Version: Mac OS X Version 10.12.5 (Build 16F73)
Graphics Hardware: AMD FirePro D300
Signature: e

Report Data:

GPURestartReportStart
------------------------
Hung Channels: GFX
------------------------
[00] AccelChannel: GFX
Pending Command from : UnknownCtx
PendingCommandTimestamp: 0x00000340, TotalDWords: 0x000001e4, GART Offset=0x000000008046f400, stamp_idx=0, estamp=0x00000340
PendingCommandStart:
PendingCommandEnd

 

[bdsmith63]

I did go to the Console and under system log, I saw this after the issue occurred, does this mean any issues with my GPU, I do have the D300, this is only a part of it...

Tue Jul 4 10:50:35 2017

Event: GPU Reset
Date/Time: Tue Jul 4 10:50:35 2017
Application:
Path:
Tailspin: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/gpuRestart2017-07-04-105035.tailspin
GPUSubmission Trace ID: 0
OS Version: Mac OS X Version 10.12.5 (Build 16F73)
Graphics Hardware: AMD FirePro D300
Signature: e

Report Data:

GPURestartReportStart
------------------------
Hung Channels: GFX
------------------------
[00] AccelChannel: GFX
Pending Command from : UnknownCtx
PendingCommandTimestamp: 0x00000340, TotalDWords: 0x000001e4, GART Offset=0x000000008046f400, stamp_idx=0, estamp=0x00000340
PendingCommandStart:
PendingCommandEnd

[doublepost=1499212227][/doublepost]I think from all tests and research completed, the D300 graphics card just has issues as many threads have posted in the forum. It doesn't really sound like there is much you can do but recycle the system and move on to another newer system. It's really frustrating considering the cost of the Mac Pro.

Found this on a website, the D500 and D700 were in the recall time period, but nothing for the D300, yet many reported issues that were just the same as the D500 and D700.

"Apple has no known repair program for the Mac Pros with the D300 FirePros, and evidence from user conversations with Apple suggests that that the root cause remains unknown. No one seems to know why the D300 wasn't also covered in the REP. I recommend that System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Diagnostics & Usage be enabled so that Apple engineers can log and perhaps diagnose the magnitude of the problem." - (From Macobserver June 1, 2016 article)

 

[poematik13]

Your console log is literally what I had and Apple fixed it for me for free.

Contact them. And avoid the massive 1200 reply FUD thread on here.

 

[Yahooligan]

I had the same/similar problem with my D700s. The hardware diagnostics test has limited ability to find problems as evidenced by the pic I snapped.

 

[Xde]

I have been troubleshooting my Mac Pro (Late 2013)...

Only to know, when did you buy your Mac Pro 2013?

Is it in- or outside the time frame of some month in 2015 I think, where Apple admitted technical Mac Pro GPU problems.
There is a legal action against Apple in the US for these type of problems.
Anyway, call Apple for service. Related to many affected people, its probably that you cannot fix the problem yourself.

 

[orph]

always helps if you take a shot video of the problem, in the uk the apple shops tend to be flexible at times and it can speed things up if you have a video to show.
for me it's always helped to start of nice and calm tell them the problem and see if they can help, and if in shop they wont if possible swap shop or phone some times you just get the guy who's had a bad day so just switch to some one else .

some times apple has silent recalls or discretion on fixes.

(in the uk i think it's also covered by the white good act or something? so maybe that helps here)