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New 4850 3.06ghz iMac freezing multiple times a day.

GamaFu said:
So, at first, I thought my iMac is perfect, no dead pixel, no freeze (at least the first 12 hours of continuously using it.) However, today, it freezes twice. First time I was listening to music using iTune and browse the web using Firefox. The second time I was watching videos on YouTube using Firefox. They all crash the same way, suddenly everything freezes and the speaker will be repeating the last sound it plays.

New to mac so I am not quite sure, will OS X generate any crash logs which we can see what's causing it? I found DirectoryService.error.log under Logs, but it only shows "Improper shutdown detected." Judging by the time, it's generated "after" the crash happened. The info doesn't help much. I read somewhere that there's an application called Crash Reporter, but search using Spotlight only returns CrashReporterPrefs, not the actually app. :(

I don't get how come Mac users always have the confidence to claim Apple makes computer that just works. Based on the this thread, the iMacs we have are far from stable. Although everything else is fine, random crash without any obvious cause is just annoying as hell.
Click to expand...

Apple usually makes computers that just work, we are unlucky :(

What is strange is it isn't really crashing properly. A full crash usually causes a kernel panic and you get a message on screen to that affect with a full report you can send to Apple after you restart. The Macs with the problems are not even getting this far - just a complete freeze.
 
Mine is still crashing regularly - the second stage of Spore (the first stage on land) with full graphics turned on is a surefire way for me to trigger the freeze. Every time.

I've talked to Apple today, have gone through their tests (Command-Option-P-R etc.) and agreed to test for another 24 hours - but judging from the experiences of others here, the crashing will continue and my iMac will be going back to Apple this week.

Funnily enough, played WoW today for a while with everything on full (including 8x multisampling) and couldn't trigger the freeze, so it seems very inconsistent across machines ...

This sucks: last year I went through two MacBook Airs (faulty trackpad) and I continue to struggle with that Rev A's flaws (core shutdowns, overheating, constant spinning beachball); my otherwise flawless iPhone was just replaced because of the case was cracking in the usual places; my three year-old iMac Core Duo's power supply just died and now this. Hard not to think increased market share is affecting Apple's quality control ...

It's been debated whether or not firmware could fix this - but didn't Apple fix a similar problem in 2007 with an update?
 
Has anyone who is using only Firefox instead of Safari locking up on their HD4850 iMac? If you haven't installed Firefox, please check into this for us, and install FireFox and use it only for the next week and see if you still lock up.
 
WizardHunt said:
Has anyone who is using only Firefox instead of Safari locking up on their HD4850 iMac? If you haven't installed Firefox, please check into this for us, and install FireFox and use it only for the next week and see if you still lock up.
Click to expand...

I only use Firefox, never Safari, but my iMac still freezes, not as frequent as others' though. Therefore, I don't think browser is causing the crash. By the way, I did install Safari 4 Beta though, just never use it.
 
Hoya1 said:
I got mine yesterday and have been on it for quite a number of hours already (it's a 3.06GHz/ATI 4850/with wired mouse and keyboard), streaming videos, loading software and doing photo editing, web surfing w/Safari..... not one crash yet.
Click to expand...

But you have not installed Boot Camp and run windows? Right?
 
WizardHunt said:
When it crashed was you using Safari too? Have you tried switching to firefox just to see if the freezes quits. That would be interesting to find out.
Click to expand...

It crashed even with firefox (on youtube).
Also with browser closed and only itunes open.

But it's not random, I left the iMac downloading all night long with everything else closed and it is not freezed. It happens when you "do something" (dunno what).
 
Just an update from me. Since using Firefox it has been much better than it was. I had one freeze while playing a not so intensive game (Hordes of Orcs) and it was a different kinda freeze.. more of a crash (graphic anomalies and that) (so could be unrelated to other freeze issues)

I have been playing Flatout 2 a lot and its been absolutely fine. Performance is spot on.. everything on maximum settings and not even a hint of a dip in framerate let alone a freeze

Had one bluetooth dropout last night with the wireless mouse and keyboard.. but yeah the crashes have definitely eased up since using firefox.... since reading other people still getting the freezes even without safari i dunno what it is... hate to sound selfish but glad its at least eased up a bit for me :)
 
jmpage2 said:
Everyone just needs to raise hell with them until they admit to the issue and what their plan is to fix it.

It also might not be legal in some states for them to charge the restocking fee for a return if the product is defective with no plan from Apple on a fix.
Click to expand...

I got the same probs, it freezed like 10+ times in 2 days now!!!

I called apple, told me the same as they did to others - nothing helped.

We really have to raise hell: call apple, write into their forum...

- i wont return my iMac although i cpould, beause im happy with everything, except this windows-like behaviour of mac osx!!!:mad::mad::mad:
 
All right everyone, stop thinking about it, replace your Imac.

I experience the same problem (imac 3,06 4850). I made all the tests possible, it just don't work. Stop dreaming about an update, it happens with windows as well and some people don't have this problem, this is not a software issue, this is a hardware one.

Is Apple to blame? For that matter, it is ATI to. I called the french apple store online, they agreed to replace it right away. They say it's too soon to say if it is a widespread problem or an isolated one. They also told me (2 people actually) not to make it repair, but to replace it, as it is a brand new product.

Download smc fan control, and set the minimum fan speed to 3/4 of its speed. This will help to prevent the overheating of the GPU. You can check it with istat pro, a free widget. You will also notice that the colder the room your Imac is in, the less it will crash.

The new one will arrive within 10 days. You can negociate to keep your actual Imac during the waiting. They don't like that cause it's result in a lot of papers to fill, but they can do it.

This is the only advice that I can tell you. Your Imac will never stop freezing.

Good luck with that.
 
ipsum said:
All right everyone, stop thinking about it, replace your Imac.

I experience the same problem (imac 3,06 4850). I made all the tests possible, it just don't work. Stop dreaming about an update, it happens with windows as well and some people don't have this problem, this is not a software issue, this is a hardware one.
Click to expand...

If you have been reading all of the posts to this thread you would know that there was an eerily similar freezing situation with some mid-2007 iMacs about a year and a half back that was indeed fixed completely by a firmware update.

Sure, it took about 6 months from the first complaints and reports of the problem but there is no reason to say that updates are out of the question.

I would HOPE that Apple, having been through this ordeal once already, would attend to the current problem in a more timely and assertive fashion.
 
I've read all the posts and I know about what happened in 2007.

I also know that my GPU rose to 80°C before crashing and I'm not the only one cause I noticed that myself after reading a post here. And I can assure you that the computer is so hot that you can't keep your hand on it. Considering the summer weather approaching and the heat of the computer, these Imac won't last 6 months. I strongly advise not to let your Imac running when no one's at home. And even if a miraculous update would arrive and fix everything, the GPU will eventually die.

Just for you to know, 50°c is the heat for a coffee, so just imagine 70+
 
ipsum said:
....You will also notice that the colder the room your Imac is in, the less it will crash.
...
Click to expand...

I'm playing Need for Speed Carbonb - no freezing (temp 56°)

I watch a flash-video - freeze(...gpu temp 50° i think)

I dont think flash is more graphic-intensive than Game at highest details.

Should i let it replace...?
 
I thought about something else. What if we gathered the serial numbers of the GPU of the freezing and non freezing Imacs to see if we can conclude something out of it?

Jeu de composants : ATI Radeon HD 4850
Fournisseur : ATI (0x1002)
Identifiant du périphérique : 0x944a
Identifiant de révision : 0x0000
Révision de la ROM : 113-B9090C-181
Version du gestionnaire EFI : 01.00.327
 
my imac freeze even with lower temp... now the GPU is 57°.
I think I'll call apple support on monday... what do you suggest? Order a substitution iMac with Ati (if the malfunction % is really 50) it's risky, you'll probably get another malfunctioning hw... and I can't wait 6 months for a fix.


Chipset: ATI Radeon HD 4850
Type: Monitor
Bus: PCIe
Width Lane PCIe: x16
VRAM (total): 512 MB
Fornitore: ATI (0x1002)
ID dispositivo: 0x944a
ID revisione: 0x0000
Revisione ROM: 113-B9090C-181
Versione driver EFI: 01.00.327
 
OBSIA said:
I'm playing Need for Speed Carbonb - no freezing (temp 56°)

I watch a flash-video - freeze(...gpu temp 50° i think)

I dont think flash is more graphic-intensive than Game at highest details.

Should i let it replace...?
Click to expand...

Flash takes a lot of ressources.

Try this: download Istat Pro. Launch a song on Itunes and the 3d animation thing (don't know the name in English). Make the window of itunes the biggest possible, and look at the widget at the same time. You should notice a rising of the GPU temp. That's what happen with mine.
 
Hey guys its the same with me

i also frezzing reandom and i get my mac the 14 this moth and its 2.9 and ATI 4850 and i been madeing a hardware test and it finds 0 problems then i reinstalled the OS and still the same

then i called apple in denmark and then the made a nr on me and told me to go to humac shop and fix it ..and he told me i get it back in 10-12 days

but after reading alot on the net and in here i can see its mostly not a hardware problem but a driver problem

i been been in contact with apple 3 times and told him about this problems ppl are haveing and he sad hold on and came back to me and told me they have reports about this


now i am calling the shop where i get my imac, he sad ooh thats sad and sad ofc when i buy a new computer it been to be working no matter what
and he sad he was wondering why they all rdy shiping the ATI 4850 imacs out, for nomal there was a wait time on them

for 3-7 weeks and now its down to 7nomal days and he sad its kinda odd to relase a Imac ( or computter ) for that matter when they drivers are not up todate, he sad i am sure i am geting the imac home in next week and it have the same problems to 5.7 is comeing out. for he sad, my felling was that when 5.7 are 2days away ppl are geting they Imac with ATI 4850 so the problem with drivers be fixed,

now i have truned in a imac to servies that work fine :( but my 20 years been with PCs and owner of 2 netcafes my last pc was

cards Sli 3 280 GTX 3000 ddram in all


and i had the same problems with the frezzing and it was also a problem with runing 3 Nivida cards and the same time, also a driver problem

and i made a swift too go over to mac both as in laptop and in desktops and
i my frist mac desktop home , and yes its so SWEET and big

and it beining and frezzing just as i left PC word for good where my laptops macbookpros are runing as a dream, but i hate working on 15 inch where the 24 was so nice looking

sad sad :(


sorry my spelling ...
 
nss.aries said:
my imac freeze even with lower temp... now the GPU is 57°.
I think I'll call apple support on monday... what do you suggest? Order a substitution iMac with Ati (if the malfunction % is really 50) it's risky, you'll probably get another malfunctioning hw... and I can't wait 6 months for a fix.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't know about US consumers' laws, but in France, you can replace your order within 15 days free of charge. As the guy from Apple told me, UPS, TNT, Fedex or whatever will call you to know when they can come to get your Imac. You just tell them that you're busy for the next 15 days. At some point, you could have 2 Imacs at home. I think this is worth taking the risk because you won't be without computer. The more Imacs will return to Apple, the more they will care about the problem, cause this costs them a lot. That's why they created the refurb.

And 2 guys of Apple told me that this was likely a hardware issue. Could you give your serial numbers of the GPU?
 
posted here :)

nss.aries said:
my imac freeze even with lower temp... now the GPU is 57°.
I think I'll call apple support on monday... what do you suggest? Order a substitution iMac with Ati (if the malfunction % is really 50) it's risky, you'll probably get another malfunctioning hw... and I can't wait 6 months for a fix.


Chipset: ATI Radeon HD 4850
Type: Monitor
Bus: PCIe
Width Lane PCIe: x16
VRAM (total): 512 MB
Fornitore: ATI (0x1002)
ID dispositivo: 0x944a
ID revisione: 0x0000
Revisione ROM: 113-B9090C-181
Versione driver EFI: 01.00.327
Click to expand...
 
Freeze Fix!

I've been talking to Apple off and on all morning and there is a fix for the freeze. They're e-mailing me Fed Ex labels and I'm exchanging my iMac for a new one. If the new one freezes, I'll exchange it too. Repeat until I get one that doesn't. Thanks, Apple.
 
jaw1034 said:
I've been talking to Apple off and on all morning and there is a fix for the freeze. They're e-mailing me Fed Ex labels and I'm exchanging my iMac for a new one. If the new one freezes, I'll exchange it too. Repeat until I get one that doesn't. Thanks, Apple.
Click to expand...

This is news! Do you have any details about the fix? I am sure many people would like to know! Is it a hardware thing? Firmware/Driver? Manufacturing?
 
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