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OSX and Ultra-Wide Monitors. Colored white noise?

G

GraniteTheWolf

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 31, 2013
250
8
Wisconsin
I recently upgraded to a wonderful big 34" ultra-wide and while in OSX It sometimes goes into a fuzzy colored "white noise" when switching resolutions or first turning on the computer. it displays as normal for a moment and then the monitor turns into this white noise, as shown in the attached photo.

The monitor is a LG 34UM64 and I have it connected by a proper Dual Link DVI-D cable.

My setup is a 2012 Mac Pro, 3.33ghz 6-core. 16gb ram, Nvidia GTX 570 Superclocked GPU (Running stock OSX driver) OSX Yosemite 10.10.5 as of this post.

Is this a stock OSX driver fault? Should I switch to the web driver? I am just wondering what I should do.
So far the only way to fix it is if I turn the monitor off and back on again.

For reference, I have zero issues in bootcamp (Windows 7.) I can switch resolutions and do all the same things that set off the "noise" in OSX without seeing the problem pop up thats in OSX at times.
 

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At least a few of us, including me, are using ultrawides. Mine works and I haven't seen any other complaints. I use a DP cable.

Incidentally, I've seen that exact snow image after booting into OS X using a single link DVI cable and a GTX 680. This was fixed by switching to a Dual Link DVI cable. I'm a bit flummoxed because the snow really looked exactly like that, but you say you have a dual link cable and and that it works in Windows.
 
This used to happen to a 27" Dell monitor in my 5 monitor setup. I never figured out what was wrong. The monitor is dead now and I've replaced it with an old 27" Cinema Display, so I don't have the white noise anymore. It goes away by itself after a minute or so. I think the latest Nvidia web drivers did play a part in getting rid of it.
 
It looks like the GTX570 SuperClock has a Display Port. I'd try a DP cable. It may not fix the problem, but they are cheap enough to give it a try and frankly I like them much better than DVI cables anyway.
 
ActionableMango said:
It looks like the GTX570 SuperClock has a Display Port. I'd try a DP cable. It may not fix the problem, but they are cheap enough to give it a try and frankly I like them much better than DVI cables anyway.
Click to expand...
Mine only has 2 DVI ports and a mini-HDMI port. I tried HDMi but its max resolution output is 1080p for some odd reason.

I just got done installing the Nvidia Web driver, we'll see what happens. So far it seems like it only does it once in a great while. It only happens when first turning the computer on or changing the resolution.

Turning the monitor off and then when its turned back on its normal again.
 
pastrychef said:
Sometimes, inferior quality video cables can be the source of anomalies.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure but its possible i have a bad DVI Dual Link cable, its just a $20 generic (overpriced I know... but i wanted something right away) cable I got from a little computer shop called Milwaukee PC.
 
Well, even with the Nvidia web driver I am able to make it give a colored snow by switching the resolution. The usual fix is turning the monitor off and back on again. After turning it back on it stays stable. Hmm.
 
Well, it appears to be an HDCP handshake problem. Quoted from this link: "The white snow that you see is the encrypted HDCP data not being decrypted properly. Basically the Apple hardware detects an HDCP compliant video device, but the handshake is not happening correctly."
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1947029?start=135&tstart=0

Perhaps I should order a higher quality brand name DVI-D Dual link cable instead of using this no-name brand one from a computer shop.
 
I can accept that swapping cables might fix the problem, but I'm not too sure about the underlying theory.

HDCP handshakes are required for encrypted video (content with DRM like an HD iTunes movie). If OS X was encrypting 100% of video, even just the OS itself, we'd be hearing a ton of complaints from people using older monitors without HDCP or cables/adapters that don't support it.

In any case, I still think you're making the right move. A different cable fixed the problem in my case.
 
ActionableMango said:
I can accept that swapping cables might fix the problem, but I'm not too sure about the underlying theory.

HDCP handshakes are required for encrypted video (content with DRM like an HD iTunes movie). If OS X was encrypting 100% of video, even just the OS itself, we'd be hearing a ton of complaints from people using older monitors without HDCP or cables/adapters that don't support it.

In any case, I still think you're making the right move. A different cable fixed the problem in my case.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking, what model cable do you have that's working well for you? I would like to get the same one if its a DVI-D cable.
 
I remember using the Apple HDMI cable with my Dell, then switched to a DVI-D cable. I can't remember if this solved it or not, but I'd assume the Apple cable isn't of poor quality. My Cinema Display is hooked up to a GT120 over DisplayPort, so maybe that takes HDCP out of the equation.
 
ActionableMango said:
Cables To Go 26911

Amazon has them.
Click to expand...

Searching it, it appears that's the exact cable I currently have that I got from the little computer store. I recognize the same logo on my cable.

A couple days ago I purchased this ULTRA brand cable: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321757811988?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

ULTRA appears to be a fairly large computer brand selling many different parts. if this doesn't fix it I'lll just live with it until I upgrade my graphics card to a GTX 980, then I'll use a Displayport cable.
 
GraniteTheWolf said:
Searching it, it appears that's the exact cable I currently have that I got from the little computer store. I recognize the same logo on my cable.

A couple days ago I purchased this ULTRA brand cable: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321757811988?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

ULTRA appears to be a fairly large computer brand selling many different parts. if this doesn't fix it I'lll just live with it until I upgrade my graphics card to a GTX 980, then I'll use a Displayport cable.
Click to expand...

I hope things work out for you.

That's what I use now, a GTX 980 with a DP cable.
 
Just want to report back now that I am running a GTX 970 with a DisplayPort cable driving my ultra-wide. All seems perfect now.

Seems no more colored white noise (Failed monitor handshake.) This must be exclusively a DVI problem when driving an ultra-wide. I can change resolutions in the settings of OSX and it doesn't come back with a colored fuzz.
 
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