MP 7,1 MacOS Catalina 10.15.5 - Improvements or new nightmares?

[MarciaFunebre]

After 10.15.4 completely messed up my 7,1 in many ways I am curious to what users' observations are in regards to 10.5.5.
Are you experiencing changes, improvements or new bugs? What are they?
Share your observations here, it might help putting a picture together where we stand on what works and what doesn't.

 

[chabig]

Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.5 With Battery Health Management Features, Fix for Finder Freezing

Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.5, the fifth update to the macOS Catalina operating system that was released in October 2019. macOS...

www.macrumors.com

 

[OkiRun]

I've had no issues with the 10.5.5 Beta or Public releases.
However, I don't allow the 7.1 to go into sleep mode.

 

[codehead1]

I haven't read about what others have gone through, but my funniest 10.15.4 bug was updating my photo library to find that I had 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 shared albums. (That's the largest possible 64-bit signed integer, btw. It reverted after reopening.) I guess I'm ready to try 10.15.5...

 

[CMMChris]

Graphics driver bugs affecting Navi10/14 (wake from kernel panics, FCPX crashes, graphic glitching) and Vega20 aka Radeon VII and Pro Vega II (FCPX crashes, graphic glitching) still not fixed. Just as a reminder:

• Navi10/14 drivers remained without any significant bug fixing since they have been introduced in October 2019, so more than half a year now. Wake from sleep panic issues have been reported to Apple from day one. Yet they released the MBP16 without fixing the problem - of course it is affected as well. Then they released the W5700X for the Mac Pro - of course it is affected as well. Apple just doesn't care at all.
• Vega20 drivers are ****ed up since 10.15.4 Beta 1. Issues have been reported to Apple ever since then. No reaction nor fix from them.

I will leave to Linux and Windows if they don't manage to finally fix up this crap in 10.15.6.

 

[daveedjackson]

I'm having all kinds of strange lags. Just restarted the system and the keyboard is delayed, sometimes nothing appears on the screen. As I type this is't laggy. Any ideas?

macpro 7,1 16c w5700x

Edit - determined this is a bluetooth issue with the keyboard. When plugged in via cable, it doesn't have the issue. As soon as it's unplugged I get lag on it. SO annoying. The is after tech support, reinstalling OS from recovery.

 

[CMMChris]

What hardware?

 

[uller6]

10.15.5 reset the name of my computer to "MacBook Pro." It also deleted all my e-mail passwords from keychain. But the update does appear to fix the SMB share finder crashing bug, so that's good.

Edit: 10.15.5 reset the location of Safari downloads to the "downloads" folder. I want things to download to my desktop Apple! Seriously, why would you even mess with this?!

 

[Romanesco]

What issues? What are you talking about? With every update my 7,1 just keeps getting better.

 

[Neverboughtone]

So just curious, you are all using genuine mac hardware (ie: built by Apple)? Because I'm a hackintosh user and it's strange to see genuine Mac owners in threads where you would normally find someone from the hackintosh community (first post, so I could be wrong).

So far in 10.15.5 I get a kernel panic during the final update. 10.15.4 has an intermittent processing lag.

I think it's terrible to see actual mac hardware that is compatible with this software to bring people together like this. Apple needs to get their **** together.
[automerge]1590591414[/automerge]
Can you imagine if our iPhones behaved like MacOS? Catalina should have never made it past QA. Good luck
[automerge]1590591512[/automerge]

So just curious, you are all using genuine mac hardware (ie: built by Apple)? Because I'm a hackintosh user and it's strange to see genuine Mac owners in threads where you would normally find someone from the hackintosh community (first post, so I could be wrong).

So far in 10.15.5 I get a kernel panic during the final update. 10.15.4 has an intermittent processing lag.

I think it's terrible to see actual mac hardware that is compatible with this software to bring people together like this. Apple needs to get their **** together.
[automerge]1590591414[/automerge]
Can you imagine if our iPhones behaved like MacOS? Catalina should have never made it past QA. Good luck

Oh and never buying mac hardware -- ever. Catalina is to be thanked for that.

 

[sakagura]

Can you imagine if our iPhones behaved like MacOS? Catalina should have never made it past QA. Good luck



Oh and never buying mac hardware -- ever. Catalina is to be thanked for that.

All macOS are **** after Mavericks and in general all Macs are **** after 2015 for laptops and after 2012 for desktops. Guys on here are so happy when new GPU options are available and then disappointed that the Apple solution is given preferential treatment and the third party option has crippled drivers. In both cases the 2D/3D performance is 20-30% less than Windows and Linux because Metal is ****.

 

[uller6]

So just curious, you are all using genuine mac hardware (ie: built by Apple)? Because I'm a hackintosh user and it's strange to see genuine Mac owners in threads where you would normally find someone from the hackintosh community (first post, so I could be wrong).

I rely on my Mac 24/7 to do my job I can't afford to have it get borked from a stupid OS update.

 

[CMMChris]

In both cases the 2D/3D performance is 20-30% less than Windows and Linux because Metal is ****

Nah metal is great. It's just the GPU drivers that are garbage.

 

[sakagura]

Nah metal is great. It's just the GPU drivers that are garbage.

Something like that. You see the Luxmark is about the same in macOS and Windows using the same GPU and that's OpenCL. But I can't see anywhere that Metal performs as well as Vulkan or DX in the same apps on the same GPU.

So macOS and Windows have close compute performance in some apps but 2D and 3D is miles apart. Metal is in charge of the 2D and 3D.

 

[MarciaFunebre]

So... Apple blocked the Terminal command to ignore updates.
To do that during the time of one of the worst System Versions in Apple's history is bold. Alarming even.

 

[CMMChris]

@sakagura After fixing up Apple's mistakes as far as possible my Radeon VII performs about the same in Geekbench Metal as it does on Windows (92k range). Playing high quality(!) game ports the difference is minor as well. Shadow of the Tomb Raider scores about 2 to 4 fps less than Windows. So much for that.

 

[profdraper]

After 10.15.4 completely messed up my 7,1 in many ways I am curious to what users' observations are in regards to 10.5.5.
Are you experiencing changes, improvements or new bugs? What are they?
Share your observations here, it might help putting a picture together where we stand on what works and what doesn't.

Yes, I agree, 10.15.4 was botched, awful.
Tentatively: yes, 10.15.5 does appear to be back on the right track - even though installation was still weird, like many others in the recent past for the MP7,1. In this case, the mac just shut down. No info (typical Apple). Anyways, after re-setting the SMC as usual (because it won't start otherwise), it came up as normal and proceeded to install the update.

Everything seems to be running unusually well (!) and this includes a fairly broad swathe of software interactions: many VIs, audio & video plugs; NLEs, DAWs, 3rd party productivity software etc.

See also, What has changed in Catalina 10.15.5 and 10.15.5 & 2020-003 Updates.

Still, in my experience of new Apple hardware & compulsory latest OS only support, we'll know when Apple is indeed 'happy' with Catalina when the Pro Apps updates appear on the Apple store - FCPX, Compressor, Motion, additional support resources etc - these have been unusually absent for quite some time. The only pro app that has appeared recently was Logic Pro X 10.5 but I suspect that one is largely unrelated to Catalina, but more about new looping & sequencing features & in any case bought its own new bugs, eg, Native Instruments.

 

[MarciaFunebre]

Yes, I agree, 10.15.4 was botched, awful.
Tentatively: yes, 10.15.5 does appear to be back on the right track - even though installation was still weird, like many others in the recent past for the MP7,1. In this case, the mac just shut down. No info (typical Apple). Anyways, after re-setting the SMC as usual (because it won't start otherwise), it came up as normal and proceeded to install the update.

Everything seems to be running unusually well (!) and this includes a fairly broad swathe of software interactions: many VIs, audio & video plugs; NLEs, DAWs, 3rd party productivity software etc.

See also, What has changed in Catalina 10.15.5 and 10.15.5 & 2020-003 Updates.

Still, in my experience of new Apple hardware & compulsory latest OS only support, we'll know when Apple is indeed 'happy' with Catalina when the Pro Apps updates appear on the Apple store - FCPX, Compressor, Motion, additional support resources etc - these have been unusually absent for quite some time. The only pro app that has appeared recently was Logic Pro X 10.5 but I suspect that one is largely unrelated to Catalina, but more about new looping & sequencing features & in any case bought its own new bugs, eg, Native Instruments.

In the meantime I went back to 10.15.3, booting from a separate SSD. It seems to be more sane, I wonder how 10.5.5 compares. (Being scared of what happens...!)

I also wonder about multiple screen setups. I use two large screen plus a Cintiq. Under 10.15.4 each time the machine started all of this was in utter chaos. Not even SwitchResX could be of much help. The supplemental update made things even worse.

Yes, Logic might be unrelated to Catalina, it introduced it's own version 1.0 flavor due to the many new features that have to go through the "public beta" testing phase. I would expect a bug fix update soon.

 

[profdraper]

Screens, yes, interesting point. Seems to be 'the same' for me on 10.15.5, or at least no new problems.

I'm running mine in a studio setup where I use a HMDI switcher to select back and forth between a Windows dual Xeon workstation /RTX 2080Ti & the MP. I still prefer the performance of the Win machine for video work.

The HDMI switch drives my main display: a Dell UW3415W and selects from three sources: the MP, a Dell 9575 laptop & a Dell T7910 workstation. I went through several different switches to get close to what I wanted from the mac; the Win machines were fine with any setup, but the mac still refuses to sync at 60Hz, only 30Hz (go figure). Ditto here, SwitchResX makes no difference.

Otherwise, am also running two other displays and they can be switched between mac & PC via their own onboard selectors: a BenQ SW2700PT (display port for mac, DVI for pc) for calibrated video work & a Sony TV for cross-reference (HDMI to both mac & pc).

Funny thing about all that: I went though any number of high quality, correctly spec'd HDMI cables - and the mac had so many problems with those whereas both of the Dells were perfectly OK with any cable I threw at them (including 5m & 7m lengths). Eventually I got a mix that worked for the mac and so am sticking with it for now. Still, am baffled why the mac (w/ expensive GPU) will only present 30Hz on the Dell display, whereas both Dells computers work at 60Hz as one would expect - including from a weeny 2GB AMD GPU on the laptop.

 

[AidenShaw]

Still, am baffled why the mac (w/ expensive GPU) will only present 30Hz on the Dell display

Apple wants to sell you a $5K display with a $1K stand.

 

[MarciaFunebre]

Screens, yes, interesting point. Seems to be 'the same' for me on 10.15.5, or at least no new problems.

I'm running mine in a studio setup where I use a HMDI switcher to select back and forth between a Windows dual Xeon workstation /RTX 2080Ti & the MP. I still prefer the performance of the Win machine for video work.

The HDMI switch drives my main display: a Dell UW3415W and selects from three sources: the MP, a Dell 9575 laptop & a Dell T7910 workstation. I went through several different switches to get close to what I wanted from the mac; the Win machines were fine with any setup, but the mac still refuses to sync at 60Hz, only 30Hz (go figure). Ditto here, SwitchResX makes no difference.

Otherwise, am also running two other displays and they can be switched between mac & PC via their own onboard selectors: a BenQ SW2700PT (display port for mac, DVI for pc) for calibrated video work & a Sony TV for cross-reference (HDMI to both mac & pc).

Funny thing about all that: I went though any number of high quality, correctly spec'd HDMI cables - and the mac had so many problems with those whereas both of the Dells were perfectly OK with any cable I threw at them (including 5m & 7m lengths). Eventually I got a mix that worked for the mac and so am sticking with it for now. Still, am baffled why the mac (w/ expensive GPU) will only present 30Hz on the Dell display, whereas both Dells computers work at 60Hz as one would expect - including from a weeny 2GB AMD GPU on the laptop.

Same as 10.15.4 or same as 10.15.3?

Here two main sources for confusion might be the fact that
A) My Cintiq does not do 4K resolutions, but my displays do.
B) I also have a Pre-Amp/Processor hooked up for sound. This one can only be connected via HDMI - everything else does not do surround sound. The processor is seen as another "screen" because for HDMI you cannot "deactivate" the video signal. Thus MacOS thinks there is another screen, when there is not. My other Mac Pro is only for music production and there I have only an audio interface connected. I also switch between computers on both screens, but I can achieve that by having more than one inputs on the screen itself.

Also - and that is in regards to your observation about the cables: Apple's EDID implementation for HDMI is very finicky. And the HDMI format is buggy to begin with. The result is that the HDMI handshake can fail. On my older trashcan I had to get an external little box that matched up EDID information. Before that I could not connect the processor to the Mac Pro at all. With the new Mac Pro this is a bit better. Still not ideal. I also went through different cables, and some do better than others (with no obvious difference in specs).

 

[sakagura]

@sakagura After fixing up Apple's mistakes as far as possible my Radeon VII performs about the same in Geekbench Metal as it does on Windows (92k range). Playing high quality(!) game ports the difference is minor as well. Shadow of the Tomb Raider scores about 2 to 4 fps less than Windows. So much for that.

I don't know what settings you are using especially because you provide no proof. We have many dozens of reference points, reviews, benchmarks including by the Mac site barefeats.

With 'high settings' Radeon VII on macOS does around

85fps @ 1080p
75fps @ 1440p
45fps @ 2160p

Shadow of The Tomb Raider on Pro Macs

real world speed test results for performance minded Macintosh users

barefeats.com

For comparison Windows with 'highest settings' and 'Pure Hair' enabled does around

117fps @ 1080p
82fps @ 1440p
44fps @ 2160p

AMD Radeon VII 16 GB review (updated) (Page 12)

We review the new AMD Radeon VII. A product that has been talked about for quite a while. The basis of this high-end graphics card is VEGA64. However with a die-shrink towards a 7nm fabricated packa...

www.guru3d.com

So the only way macOS can compare to the Windows performance is with reduced quality settings and without effects such as Pure Hair which are not supported on macOS anyway. Direct X also offers better anti-aliasing options that aren't available on macOS game titles.

Metal is slower and the drivers are slower on macOS. There's no reason to argue around this. It's widely known for a long time.

DirectX versus Metal 2 - Rise of Tomb Raider

real world speed test results for performance minded Macintosh users

barefeats.com

The other benefit with Windows is that there are frequent driver updates that improve performance even more. On macOS once you get a new driver....that's it....it's done....we never see any improvement or tweaks after.

 

[CMMChris]

Tired of low Geekbench scores? Use RadeonBoost!

OUTDATED. PLEASE DON'T USE THIS KEXT ON ANYTHING LATER THAN CATALINA. THIS KEXT IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED ANYMORE BECAUSE I SWITCHED TO APPLE SILICON MACS Hello everyone! Together with the help of @DSM2.Hackintosh I built a Kext aiming at removing limitations put in place by Apple for PC...

forums.macrumors.com

Pure Hair not supported on macOS? Strange there is an option for it in-game then...
macOS GPU drivers are updated with every beta build and release. Check version and build numbers.
Stop talking BS.

 

[sakagura]

Tired of low Geekbench scores? Use RadeonBoost!

OUTDATED. PLEASE DON'T USE THIS KEXT ON ANYTHING LATER THAN CATALINA. THIS KEXT IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED ANYMORE BECAUSE I SWITCHED TO APPLE SILICON MACS Hello everyone! Together with the help of @DSM2.Hackintosh I built a Kext aiming at removing limitations put in place by Apple for PC...

forums.macrumors.com

macOS GPU drivers are updated with every beta build and release. Check version and build numbers.
Stop talking BS.

Performance is not updated, tweaks are not seen. Especially compared to Windows. I'm not interested in your reality denialism.

In fact, I'm tired of Mac users completely. They complain often. And then sometimes they enter denialism mode and pretend their complaints never existed.

Enough of this **** for me. It's worse than Scientology or whatever other crazy things exist.

 

[Adult80HD]

I have two 7,1's and I have been running the beta builds of 10.15.5 and it was running very well. Yesterday I had literally just finished configuring my new second 7,1 when 10.15.5 went gold, so it went on both machines. The only problems I've had were both with the XDR firmware updates: On one machine, the firmware updated but all of the presets were missing until I powered off the XDR for a minute (unplugged it) and then they all appeared. On my new MP I couldn't get the XDR firmware to update at all until I did an NVRAM/PRAM reset on the MP.

Otherwise everything seems great so far.