Mac Studio - Thunderbolt port issue investigation. I ask for quick test and report

[lvxmr]

Are you using this port with USB device, or external DisplayPort/USB-C display?

I decided to take my Mac Studio (Max) out of the return box, to do a more in-depth investigation. The moment I use this port, and rebooting, puts Mac Studio in boot-loop until I remove the device from the port. I checked with a USB keyboard and external display - same effect. All other ports are fine.

I would be grateful if you could test whether you have a similar problem or not. I wonder if it's a Monterey issue or a hardware problem.

 

[basher]

Are you using this port with USB device, or external DisplayPort/USB-C display?

View attachment 1986465

I decided to take my Mac Studio (Max) out of the return box, to do a more in-depth investigation. The moment I use this port, and rebooting, puts Mac Studio in boot-loop until I remove the device from the port. I checked with a USB keyboard and external display - same effect. All other ports are fine.

I would be grateful if you could test whether you have a similar problem or not. I wonder if it's a Monterey issue or a hardware problem.

I'm using the port for an external disk drive and I do not have the boot issue you described. ATM all my USB ports are in use. Even the USB-A ports. I have had zero issues.

 

[petvas]

I am using this port to connect my Studio Display and everything works fine here. No reboots, no boot loops, nothing.

 

[4sallypat]

Must be a defect - my Studio base Max has the Apple TB3-TB2 adapter for my 27" TB display, next port over is my Studio Display.

No reboot loop ever - even after OS updates.

 

[OSB]

My monitor is plugged into that port. No issue.

 

[Falcon_64]

My monitor is plugged into that port. No issue.

I've got an external NVMe drive plugged in at the moment in a Trebleet TB enclosure and not experiencing the issue you describe.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

My Studio Ultra is not "perfect" with things attached to it. Specifically:

• I cannot keep a 2-drive HDD RAID box that is perfectly stable attached to my Intel Macs (running < Big Sur versions of macOS) connected. I'm getting "unexpected ejection" notifications within a few hours. It works fine until the ejection and I've already tried EVERYTHING I can possibly try to resolve anything I could blame OUTSIDE of the Studio. I'm very suspicious of Monterey bugs related to the ports. Single HDD drive options seem to be fine but HDD RAID-0 just won't "hang on" for more than a few hours. There's LOTS of gripes about this online, with many thinking it is Big-Sur/Monterey related.
• Ethernet connection seems to have quick disconnects (a few seconds) on a regular basis (at least a few times each day). I was actually thinking I had a problem with what has been super-stable broadband but everything else that leans on it seems fine. For two days, I've had Airport Utility window open to the side to watch this happen over and over. It doesn't seem like it occurs with any regularity and there are spans of time where it seems fine and then it does this several times in quick succession (like quickly rebooting the connection). I've already tried rebooting modem, router and switch... and the ethernet cable is the same one I was using on the Studio predecessor iMac for years without it doing this.

To the first issue, I did become concerned that maybe my Studio has some faulty jacks. But then a LOT of testing with other devices have my suspicions shifted to macOS Monterey. Searches online seem to point a USB bug finger since Big Sur. Apple people can be quick to try to redirect towards the external RAID but again, it is perfectly stable FOR YEARS connected to Intel Macs running earlier versions of macOS. I acknowledge that it COULD the RAID but given how it is fine when connected to any other Mac, it seems pretty doubtful. Yes, I considered the coincidence that maybe it is going bad RIGHT now... but if I take it and the same cable back to the Intel Macs, it resumes a perfectly stable connection.

The ethernet one is perplexing. If I pull that same cable and put it into an Intel iMac running 10.13.6, the broadband fluctuations do not occur. Same with a MBpro running Catalina. It seems to be a unique problem associated with THIS Studio or this version of macOS (I have no other Macs "upgraded" to Monterey yet).

Having methodically tested everything I can on my own, I suspect there IS something in macOS code related to the Studio ports. It's hard to believe given that USB and Ethernet have been standards for what- at least 20 years now??? But I think there are some port-related bugs that need to be squashed.

 

[F-Train]

@HobeSoundDarryl ,

As I said in the other thread where you've also just raised the issue of RAID 0, some people are not having the problem you are, at least with SSDs. See my post in that thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...use-with-the-mac-studio.2337454/post-31009231

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Yes, I understand it is NOT a universal issue affecting everyone. If it was, the whine would be much louder than it is. However a simple search will lead to LOTS of people having similar issues since Big Sur including lots of posts on Apples own support forums. I've been there and read them myself, trying to find a solution to this problem from all who have already tried all kinds of things.

I'm not attacking Apple here at all- just simply hunting for a tangible solution for HDDs in a RAID config to try to get a dependable big RAID working with this Studio Ultra. If there is some bug in Monterey, I can't fix that. So I'm hunting for something that can get me a working HDD RAID until Apple gets to whatever it is in the code (if it's anything in the code).

 

[Joestanxx]

My monitor is plugged into that port. No issue.

so is mine

 

[bensk]

I don't get this on my Studio Ultra, but I am having problems with external drives connected to both the USB-C and USB-A ports – after waking from sleep, the Mac Studio will not keep these drives awake regardless of any Energy Saver prefs or anything else I've tried. Both with bus-powered and self-powered drives, all ports.

 

[Joestanxx]

Are you using this port with USB device, or external DisplayPort/USB-C display?

View attachment 1986465

I decided to take my Mac Studio (Max) out of the return box, to do a more in-depth investigation. The moment I use this port, and rebooting, puts Mac Studio in boot-loop until I remove the device from the port. I checked with a USB keyboard and external display - same effect. All other ports are fine.

I would be grateful if you could test whether you have a similar problem or not. I wonder if it's a Monterey issue or a hardware problem.

I am using this port for my display with a usb c to display port cable, no problems.

 

[bobcomer]

Are you using this port with USB device, or external DisplayPort/USB-C display?

View attachment 1986465

I decided to take my Mac Studio (Max) out of the return box, to do a more in-depth investigation. The moment I use this port, and rebooting, puts Mac Studio in boot-loop until I remove the device from the port. I checked with a USB keyboard and external display - same effect. All other ports are fine.

I would be grateful if you could test whether you have a similar problem or not. I wonder if it's a Monterey issue or a hardware problem.

I have a USB SSD plugged into that port, no problems.

 

[cocoua]

I have problems with USB-C ports in my Mac Studio

-Cintiq sometimes disconnect (screen works but pen doesnt)
-And iPhone sometimes doesn't receive any power or it receives only 500mha without the extra power it should be supplied (sometimes does +1000mha)
-The main screen goes blank for some seconds a few times a day

I have to disconnect the cables from ports and connect them again BUT in different ports! that quite crazy but it is the solution I found

to mee it looks like related to how the ports delivers power, at some point they get stuck with that device controller, and if you disconnect and connect, the port keeps the prefs from before, but if you switch ports, they reset again.

none of this problems I had with my retina macbook pro

 

[johnnymcc]

I'm having issues with drives connected to two outer-most Thunderbolt ports on the back of my base Mac Studio. When those two drives are connected to the Apple Studio Display, they are both faster in terms of speed and how long it takes them to mount to the desktop. On the back of the Mac Studio, I am now only using the two Thunderbolt ports closest to the ethernet port. The outer-most port is the worst, especially with something like my CFexpress card reader. I'll get a spinning beach ball and no response from the card, causing the entire machine to lock up.

 

[cocoua]

many other post are related to blank screen for few seconds in M1, they aren't represented here but here are links:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-constantly-goes-black-with-m1-mini.2276883/page-2

External Monitor Goes Black randomly thro… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

Big Sur - randomly goes screen to black. - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

Intermittent monitor blank outs on LG UltraFine 4K with Mac mini M1

I have a brand new LG UltraFine 4K monitor connected with the Thunderbolt cable that came with the display and experience intermittent monitor black/blank outs (brief of a second) at least a couple of times a day. Most of the times it seems to happen when installing a program but I also got it...

forums.macrumors.com

and so long list

not sure if related, but it could I guess all problems are related to the same, maybe power shortcuts