Should I Return M1? Screen-tearing on LG5K & Bluetooth Issues

[imdog]

Hi, I've been having a lot of issues with my M1 Mac mini unfortunately. The most of any Apple Product I've ever used! So I got the Mac mini (16GB/1TB) & the LG Ultrafine 5K for Christmas. I have 2 days left in my return window so I have to make my decision pretty quick.

These are the issues I have:

Screen-tearing occasionaly when I wake my Mac I'll randomly get this ripple going down the screen. It's like the pixels are shifted in a different position there. It doesn't go away until I restart the Mac. It happens 1-3 times per day. It is an approx 3 inch wide, vertical bar that goes all the way down the screen.

Bluetooth issues it drops bluetooth connection to my Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard 2, Anne Pro 2, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, HomePod, etc. Through each update (tried the original preloaded version of BigSur, the update, and now the Big Sur 11.2 beta. I also used both 2.4GHz & 5GHz networks and it still keeps happening even on 5GHz. Even when the bluetooth stays connected my Magic Mouse 2 will sometimes spazz, lag behind and then randomly go super fast, or stop completely. When it still says the Anne Pro 2 keyboard is connected a bunch of keystrokes won't submit sometimes. When it was on the 2.4GHz network it would drop literally every 60 seconds or so. On the 5GHz network it's not as bad but still happens a few times per day.

Randomly changing display resolution about 75% of the time my Mac would randomly change to like 720P resolution on the 5K display, when you click to view display settings it even says that the max resolution is only 720P. I have not had this issue for a few days since upgrading to 11.2 Beta so it may be resolved.

Wake from sleep it's very tedious to wake from sleep. On my 5K iMac it would wake from sleep instantly with a click of the mouse or stroke of the keyboard. I have to keep pressing about 5 times and waiting 10+ seconds for it wake


Does anyone else have any of these issues? How did you resolve them? Especially the ripple in display as that's one I haven't seen anyone else post about. Do you think that's more likely caused by the Mac or the display? I'm thinking the Mac. Help me decide what to do please

Thanks

 

[pldelisle]

Bluetooth issue is common to any Mac mini. We just still can’t pin point the problem or where it’s coming from.

It cannot be cable problem because you are using Thunderbolt. The tearing is very weird.

I’d try reinstalling the OS via Internet Recovery (Hold the power button). Avoid Beta.

If it still doesn’t work, return it and get exchange.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Are you able to try a different monitor to see if the ripple and other screen problems go away? If not, have you tried a different cable from the mini to the monitor?

 

[Hastings101]

I don’t have these problems on myM1 Mini but I don’t use such a high resolution monitor either. I’ve read there are issues with M1 Macs and 5k or ultra wide screens (just browse this forum).

Anyway I would return if I were you. I had those exact Bluetooth problems on my 2018 Intel Mini. They never went away and it was always a constant annoyance of things disconnecting. I suspect some of these Minis have some sort of hardware issue that isn’t quite widespread enough for a recall/repair program. Now maybe the internals are different and it’s just a coincidence, but I think whatever plagued the Intel Minis is still affecting the M1 version.

 

[imdog]

Bluetooth issue is common to any Mac mini. We just still can’t pin point the problem or where it’s coming from.

It cannot be cable problem because you are using Thunderbolt. The tearing is very weird.

I’d try reinstalling the OS via Internet Recovery (Command+Shift+Alt+R if I remember well). Avoid Beta.

If it still doesn’t work, return it and get exchange.

Ah, that sucks. I see a split consensus on whether the Mini's bluetooth issues are caused by a hardware or software problem. Do you guys think it can be fixed by OS updates or are Mini's bound to have this issue for eternity?

I'll try reinstalling the OS, thank you. If the bluetooth problems plague every Mac mini I think I might not exchange it and just wait for the Apple Silicon iMac :/

 

[RedReplicant]

I have the same LG 5k display connected to an M1 Air and I've experienced the offset pixel issue also. From what I've read, this also happens on Intel Macs. It goes away if you disconnect and reconnect the Thunderbolt cable to the monitor.

 

[Hastings101]

Ah, that sucks. I see a split consensus on whether the Mini's bluetooth issues are caused by a hardware or software problem. Do you guys think it can be fixed by OS updates or are Mini's bound to have this issue for eternity?

I'll try reinstalling the OS, thank you. If the bluetooth problems plague every Mac mini I think I might not exchange it and just wait for the Apple Silicon iMac :/

I think that’s a good idea. You could get a “good” Mini but I don’t think it’s worth the gamble.

 

[imdog]

Are you able to try a different monitor to see if the ripple and other screen problems go away? If not, have you tried a different cable from the mini to the monitor?

I don't have another monitor, this is also my only Thunderbolt cable. I could try HDMI (although is it inferior to Thunderbolt?) I think it would be kinda odd if it's the cable though as it works the majority of the time though. If it's a problem that plagues this monitor, it's really the only 5K one that's appropriate for me so I think I might just go back to my old late-2015 5k iMac as I wait for the Apple Silicon iMac

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't have another monitor, this is also my only Thunderbolt cable. I could try HDMI (although is it inferior to Thunderbolt?) I think it would be kinda odd if it's the cable though as it works the majority of the time though. If it's a problem that plagues this monitor, it's really the only 5K one that's appropriate for me so I think I might just go back to my old late-2015 5k iMac as I wait for the Apple Silicon iMac

Given what you have said, a return seems to be the correct avenue to take. Hopefully, the M1 iMac will be more to your liking and use.

 

[robco74]

The screen issue happens with Intel Mac as well. I can usually get away with unplugging and then plugging it back in, though sometimes my Mac hangs and I have to reboot.

 

[Mbman81]

Hi, I've been having a lot of issues with my M1 Mac mini unfortunately. The most of any Apple Product I've ever used! So I got the Mac mini (16GB/1TB) & the LG Ultrafine 5K for Christmas. I have 2 days left in my return window so I have to make my decision pretty quick.

These are the issues I have:

Screen-tearing occasionaly when I wake my Mac I'll randomly get this ripple going down the screen. It's like the pixels are shifted in a different position there. It doesn't go away until I restart the Mac. It happens 1-3 times per day. It is an approx 3 inch wide, vertical bar that goes all the way down the screen.

Bluetooth issues it drops bluetooth connection to my Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard 2, Anne Pro 2, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, HomePod, etc. Through each update (tried the original preloaded version of BigSur, the update, and now the Big Sur 11.2 beta. I also used both 2.4GHz & 5GHz networks and it still keeps happening even on 5GHz. Even when the bluetooth stays connected my Magic Mouse 2 will sometimes spazz, lag behind and then randomly go super fast, or stop completely. When it still says the Anne Pro 2 keyboard is connected a bunch of keystrokes won't submit sometimes. When it was on the 2.4GHz network it would drop literally every 60 seconds or so. On the 5GHz network it's not as bad but still happens a few times per day.

Randomly changing display resolution about 75% of the time my Mac would randomly change to like 720P resolution on the 5K display, when you click to view display settings it even says that the max resolution is only 720P. I have not had this issue for a few days since upgrading to 11.2 Beta so it may be resolved.

Wake from sleep it's very tedious to wake from sleep. On my 5K iMac it would wake from sleep instantly with a click of the mouse or stroke of the keyboard. I have to keep pressing about 5 times and waiting 10+ seconds for it wake


Does anyone else have any of these issues? How did you resolve them? Especially the ripple in display as that's one I haven't seen anyone else post about. Do you think that's more likely caused by the Mac or the display? I'm thinking the Mac. Help me decide what to do please

Thanks

I have a Mac M1 and have all of these issues except for the resolution changing. So seems to be normal.

Screen tearing goes away when I put it back to sleep and wake up again. Only happens like 1 out of 20 times turning on.

Bluetooth logitech mouse wigs out as does my Magic Mouse. However, my Magic Keyboard never has an issue/lag/delay. Using a RF USB adapter to get around bluetooth mouse issue.

Just living with the wake from sleep as I anticipate that it will be resolved with a few patches/bug fixes over the next couple months.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I don't know - honestly I'd probably bail with all those issues

You could always jump back onboard later on if they've actually fixed these things

 

[OSB]

I had a number of similar issues with my M1 mini - monitor de-syncing, very slow wake from sleep, BT issue after sleep/wake (in my case, just with the keyboard) - using an 49" ultrawide over USB-C. The monitor is mounted on a nice arm with good cable management, and all my cables to and from the monitor are bundled up and routed through the arm. Since this arrangement required a 2m cable run, which is the max for 4K over USB-C, I had purchased a well-reviewed full-spec cable on Amazon.

After swapping the USB-C cable for a good quality TB3 cable (which, like, should be overkill?), all the issues have gone away (3 days and counting).

Obviously our situations are only similar, not identical, but it may be worth trying a different cable.

("The plural of anecdote is not data", YMMV, etc.)

As a bit of an aside: high-res external monitors have been a bit of a ******** on Macs for a while. I have no idea why Apple doesn't make a couple of 4K/5K monitors that Just Work and don't cost as much as a half-decent used car. It's not like the Mac community has settled on an option that everyone recommends and has zero issues with, so you'd think there'd be a decent market and opportunity for some nice margins here.

 

[pshufd]

Hi, I've been having a lot of issues with my M1 Mac mini unfortunately. The most of any Apple Product I've ever used! So I got the Mac mini (16GB/1TB) & the LG Ultrafine 5K for Christmas. I have 2 days left in my return window so I have to make my decision pretty quick.

These are the issues I have:

Screen-tearing occasionaly when I wake my Mac I'll randomly get this ripple going down the screen. It's like the pixels are shifted in a different position there. It doesn't go away until I restart the Mac. It happens 1-3 times per day. It is an approx 3 inch wide, vertical bar that goes all the way down the screen.

Bluetooth issues it drops bluetooth connection to my Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard 2, Anne Pro 2, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, HomePod, etc. Through each update (tried the original preloaded version of BigSur, the update, and now the Big Sur 11.2 beta. I also used both 2.4GHz & 5GHz networks and it still keeps happening even on 5GHz. Even when the bluetooth stays connected my Magic Mouse 2 will sometimes spazz, lag behind and then randomly go super fast, or stop completely. When it still says the Anne Pro 2 keyboard is connected a bunch of keystrokes won't submit sometimes. When it was on the 2.4GHz network it would drop literally every 60 seconds or so. On the 5GHz network it's not as bad but still happens a few times per day.

Randomly changing display resolution about 75% of the time my Mac would randomly change to like 720P resolution on the 5K display, when you click to view display settings it even says that the max resolution is only 720P. I have not had this issue for a few days since upgrading to 11.2 Beta so it may be resolved.

Wake from sleep it's very tedious to wake from sleep. On my 5K iMac it would wake from sleep instantly with a click of the mouse or stroke of the keyboard. I have to keep pressing about 5 times and waiting 10+ seconds for it wake


Does anyone else have any of these issues? How did you resolve them? Especially the ripple in display as that's one I haven't seen anyone else post about. Do you think that's more likely caused by the Mac or the display? I'm thinking the Mac. Help me decide what to do please

Thanks

I saw the display issue in an M1 video on YouTube quite some time ago.

There's a Bluetooth thread so I assume that there are known problems.

We have an Air and use it purely as a laptop (no accessories and only wireless) and it works great for that. I have considered a Mini but I really would like better monitor support and at least 32 GB of RAM.

The wake from sleep is likely related to the Bluetooth issues as the keyboard has to connect.

 

[dieselm]

I have a LG 5k with no resolution or tearing issues. Official Apple Thunderbolt cable.

Bluetooth issues significantly better on Big Sur 11.2 Beta. Not completley gone.

 

[minnellac]

It sounds like I have a very similar setup and I found this thread when searching for screen tearing. I'm using the 5K LG Ultrafine with my max'd M1 Mini. I was not successful getting my Logitech MX Master mouse to connect via Bluetooth, but the Unifying Receiver works perfectly (I had to order one). I used a Magic Mouse for a few days while I waited for the Unifying adapter to arrive and had no trouble (this is the original Magic Mouse, btw). I've also used my AirPods Pro over Bluetooth without any issues. Not really using any other BT stuff. I only let it sleep for a few days before I noticed my servers weren't always available. I don't remember having any issues there, but I don't let it sleep anymore. I just noticed screen tearing today for the first time (it's been a week). I disconnected/reconnected thunderbolt from the back of the monitor and everything came back correctly. I'll keep an eye on that. I've never experienced the changing resolution with this setup. It might be worth trying a different cable. I'm using the thunderbolt cable that came with the monitor. Good luck!

 

[BobHinden]

I also have a Mac mini (16GB/1TB) and the LG Ultrafine 5K.

I occasionally have what I call a column of pixels shift up on the monitor, it happens to me every three days or so. I fix it but locking the screen and waking it up again. Haven't needed to reboot. I could be that having the screen go off due to non-use also fixes it. I am using an Apple TB cable because it is shorter, not sure it makes any difference.

I have the Apple Magic Mouse and Keyboard. There have been pretty stable. I have heard that MacOS 11.2 will fix some bluetooth problems.

Waking up from sleep is the same as my 13" MacPro (Intel). Takes a few seconds. My old 2007 iMac is faster.

Everything else has been fine.

 

[Mark_Orlando]

I have an M1 Mini with two LG 5Ks. That is, I have another 5K in the other room. It happens with both LG 5Ks and used multiple cables. There is some problem with the graphics interface. I can photograph the problem but a screenshot doesn't show it. The only fix may be replacement, I would be surprised if the firmware could be fixed without also degrading the performance.

 

[petterihiisila]

Screen-tearing occasionaly when I wake my Mac I'll randomly get this ripple going down the screen. It's like the pixels are shifted in a different position there. It doesn't go away until I restart the Mac. It happens 1-3 times per day. It is an approx 3 inch wide, vertical bar that goes all the way down the screen.

I’m afraid this won’t improve by changing the Mac. I have an LG 5k and this tearing occasionally happened with an MBP16 as well. If I see it upon wakeup, I press ESC to make the screen sleep again, and usually the second time around it’s gone. It happens with the same (ir)regularity on my M1 Air.

The issue may be related with signal timing: the 5k display combines two signals together to form an image. Can’t quote the details, but that’s approximately how I remember reading about it.

 

[Mark_Orlando]

I never had this screen tearing problem on my 2016 MacBook hooked up to the LG 5K. I’ve used it on the same two different LG 5Ks as my M1 Mac mini. The problem occurs with both 5K’s on the M1 but never with the 2016 MacBook. Same cables.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple - please make your own 4k & 5k options and rid us of this LG situation