Patrick Proniewski

Q: Mac Pro "GPU Debug Info Start" with ATI Radeon HD 5770

Hello,

 

I own a Mac Pro (mid-2010) for about 10 months now. Everything was working great from the start, but recently the Mac display froze twice.

First freeze occured on 2011/09/01, the second freeze occured on 2011/10/21.

Symptoms are well known, I guess: screen freezes, only the mouse cursor can move (even the clock stops). Nothing can be done about that:

- you can connect to the Mac via ssh but even the `sudo reboot` won't reboot the box

- osascript won't work (as a soft "appleish" way to close applications and reboot).

 

The only way to reboot is to push the power button of the Mac Pro.

 

Kernel log seem to put the blame on the GPU:

 

Sep  1 23:39:49 cassandre kernel[0]: ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **

Sep  1 23:39:49 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

Sep  1 23:39:49 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x000068b8

Sep  1 23:39:49 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x0000008f

...

Sep  1 23:40:06 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x00000000

Sep  1 23:40:15: --- last message repeated 16 times ---

Sep  1 23:40:06 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info End **

 

and:

 

Oct 21 22:47:16 cassandre kernel[0]: ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **

Oct 21 22:47:16 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

Oct 21 22:47:16 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x000068b8

Oct 21 22:47:16 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x0000008f

...

Oct 21 22:47:43: --- last message repeated 383 times ---

Oct 21 22:47:33 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x00000000

Oct 21 22:47:43: --- last message repeated 15 times ---

Oct 21 22:47:33 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info End **

Oct 21 22:47:43 cassandre kernel[0]: ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **

Oct 21 22:47:43 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

Oct 21 22:47:43 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x000068b8

Oct 21 22:47:43 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x0000008f

...

Oct 21 22:48:11: --- last message repeated 383 times ---

Oct 21 22:48:00 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x00000000

Oct 21 22:48:11: --- last message repeated 15 times ---

Oct 21 22:48:00 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info End **

Oct 21 22:48:11 cassandre kernel[0]: ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **

Oct 21 22:48:11 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

Oct 21 22:48:11 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x000068b8

...

Oct 21 22:48:24 cassandre kernel[0]: 0xffffffff

Oct 21 22:48:28: --- last message repeated 383 times ---

Oct 21 22:48:28 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x00000000

Oct 21 22:48:28: --- last message repeated 15 times ---

Oct 21 22:48:28 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info End **

Oct 21 23:07:59 cassandre kernel[0]: Kext loading now disabled.

Oct 21 23:07:59 cassandre kernel[0]: Kext unloading now disabled.

Oct 21 23:07:59 cassandre kernel[0]: Kext autounloading now disabled.

Oct 21 23:07:59 cassandre kernel[0]: Kernel requests now disabled.

Oct 21 23:08:09 cassandre kernel[0]: ** Device in slot: SLOT-1 **

Oct 21 23:08:09 cassandre kernel[0]: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

Oct 21 23:08:09 cassandre kernel[0]: 0x000068b8

...

 

This Mac Pro has a pretty good uptime (max 50 days, average ~16.5 days, stats collected from mid feb 2011 to now). I reboot only because of software updates and GPU bugs. I'm running 10.6 with every updates.

 

The warranty covers this Mac Pro until mid-january. Do I need to ask for a replacement of the GPU (ATI Radeon HD 5770)?

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 12 GB RAM / ATI Radeon HD 5770

Posted on Oct 22, 2011 4:25 AM

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Q: Mac Pro "GPU Debug Info Start" with ATI Radeon HD 5770

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  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Sep 10, 2012 8:42 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 10, 2012 8:42 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    I got the error today for many times:

     

    10.09.12 17:27:15,000 kernel: ** Device in slot: SLOT--1 **

    10.09.12 17:27:15,000 kernel: ** GPU Debug Info Start **

    10.09.12 17:27:15,000 kernel: 0x00006741

    10.09.12 17:27:15,000 kernel: 0x0000008f

    .

    .

    .

     

     

    Systems Software is up to date. When it occures, everything looks scrambled like this and the system freezes:

     

    Bildschirmfoto 2012-09-10 um 17.39.25.png

    think it's the gpu, i check the technic guy's tomorrow.

     

    I let you know

  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Sep 11, 2012 1:30 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 11, 2012 1:30 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    I was at the service point today. I showed them the photos and logs. Now i get my Board replaced . . . again. Only if you have apple care.

     

    It is a not so rare failure with the ATI-GPU's.

     

    the solution is a board change for free, in the hope to get a good board (or a new one (or simply a NVIDIA chipset???)) back from the repair pool.

     

    hope this helps.

  • by gen_,

    gen_ gen_ Sep 11, 2012 7:08 AM in response to macuser128
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Audio
    Sep 11, 2012 7:08 AM in response to macuser128

    Glad to hear it. An Nvidia chipset will be impossible unfortunately, Intel have seen to that one with thier lawsuit banning Nvidia chipsets on Intel boards, however you may be able to get a discreet Nvidia repacement if you have a Mac Pro. That doesn seem pretty un-Apple though. people don't usually get free upgrades unless they are famous or journalists lol.

  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Sep 12, 2012 8:30 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 12, 2012 8:30 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    Hello there,

     

    i got my board replaced in 30 minutes. They ordered yesterday, it delivered today.

     

    reason: faulty GPU -  everything runs fine for now.

    they told me if you in guarantee time you should get a new board, not a one from the repair pool.

     

    good luck

  • by Alec V.,

    Alec V. Alec V. Jan 16, 2013 12:59 PM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (23 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 16, 2013 12:59 PM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    I'm getting the exact same behavior on my mid-2011 iMac with Radeon HD 6770 (512MB) in 10.8.2.

  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Jan 17, 2013 12:30 AM in response to Alec V.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 17, 2013 12:30 AM in response to Alec V.

    As reported before, my error was fixed.

    The replaced board with new GPU on it work's without any errors till now, same software, same usage.

     

    in this case it was a defective GPU for sure,

     

    Replace your GFX-Card or the whole Board if the GFX card is onboard and your problems should be solved

     

    Good luck

  • by Patrick Proniewski,

    Patrick Proniewski Patrick Proniewski Jan 17, 2013 12:57 AM in response to macuser128
    Level 1 (95 points)
    Jan 17, 2013 12:57 AM in response to macuser128

    Replacement of my GPU is scheduled today. But as my problem occurs once or twice a year, I'm not sure I'll be able to say for sure that the problem is fixed.

  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Jan 17, 2013 1:03 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 17, 2013 1:03 AM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    I also got two replacements boards before the problem was solved,

    hopefully you catch a good one now

  • by gaberdine mac,

    gaberdine mac gaberdine mac Apr 24, 2013 3:05 PM in response to Patrick Proniewski
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Apr 24, 2013 3:05 PM in response to Patrick Proniewski

    Getting exactly the same error with an ATI Radeon HD 5670

     

    Mid 2010 iMac 27" Snow Leopard 10.6.8

     

    The screen completely freezes apart from the mouse pointer. Music continues playing. Keyboard entry has no effect but I can ssh via terminal on another mac and observe activity. Tried restarting the WindowServer via ssh today and got no joy, just a full kernal panic about 10 minutes later.

     

    Hardware Test checks out, memory checks out, even exchanged memory just to rule it out.

     

    Only real clue is always the GPU debug thing.

     

    This is becoming incresingly frequent. Up to twice a week now.

     

    Temperature is not a clear factor in my case. My Temperature Monitor menu item shows GPU Diode temerature and it freezes with the screen - last time at 26ºC, today at 53ºC.

     

    Right now it's at 52ºC and I've only got Safari running and Virtual Box in the background. No videos, no fancy stuff. Ambient temperature is 23ºC.  GPU heatsink is at 50ºC. Is this excessive?

     

    Are we assuming that a whole load of ATI Radeon HD graphics cards have design/manufacturing flaws or that the drivers are problematic or what?

     

    Any chance we all using any third party kernel extensions in common?

    VirtualBox? rogueamoeba.InstantOn (for wiretap)? LittleSnitch?

     

    I'd lke to think it could be sorted in software / firmware but the behaviour certainly points to a slow hardware failure which is accelerating.

     

    I'm out of warranty but a design/manufacturing/compnent fault should still be covered by EU consumer laws.

  • by abinchas,

    abinchas abinchas Dec 16, 2013 6:14 PM in response to gaberdine mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 16, 2013 6:14 PM in response to gaberdine mac

    Gab - did you ever find an answer to this? Having the same prob.

  • by Patrick Proniewski,

    Patrick Proniewski Patrick Proniewski Dec 16, 2013 9:54 PM in response to abinchas
    Level 1 (95 points)
    Dec 16, 2013 9:54 PM in response to abinchas

    I can't reply for Gaberdine, but I can bring some new info. As I wrote in my last post, I've scheduled a replacement of my ATI Radeon HD 5770 card. Since then (january 2013), the problem disappeared totally. It occured only twice a year.

    I haven't got any freeze since the replacement of my GPU, 11 mouths ago. I'm still running 10.6.8, and the Mac got a pretty good uptime.

  • by gaberdine mac,

    gaberdine mac gaberdine mac Dec 22, 2013 7:45 PM in response to abinchas
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Dec 22, 2013 7:45 PM in response to abinchas

    Yes I found an answer, but you might not like it, 'cos it's not really a solution and it's nothing that hasn't been tried already - it just worked for me.

     

    My solution was reinstalling the OS. That's it! And here's why:

     

    First step was discovering that the problem was hardware acceleration.

    Turning off hardware acceleration in browsers, not running flash and avoiding any app (such as Apperture) which heavily used HA completely stopped the freezes from happening.

     

    Given that temperature was a never a problem, it seems likely that the root of this is not hardware at all but how Hardware Acceleration instructions are implemented in software. Which brings us back to the drivers.

     

    That's clearly not a solution - but it is an explanation.

     

    I also noticed that the day this started happenening, I had run Software Update and, of all things, my Canon printer driver had been updated. Not in itself a culprit, of course, but I figured maybe something else got changed at kext level in a way I don't understand. Or maybe just a coincidence (post hoc, ergo propter hoc and all that), I don't know, but it gave me the idea to go back in time.

     

    Next I tried various kext fixes but mostly couldn't even boot up. I reinstalled the last known working graphic kexts I had but still I had problems...

     

    So, finally I reinstalled Snow Leopard, downloaded and ran the latest combo updater and updated everything else via System Update apart from the Canon printer drivers (pure superstition, I'm sure, but I wasn't going to risk it). I also made sure that my system remained clean of things like the FUSE drivers and pretty much anything else from third parties that loads at boot even if not required.

     

    And, you know what...? I have been free of GPU freezes for 6 months. Not a whisper. No need to worry about Hardware Acceleration or anything else. Just a simple reinstall and a clean system folder.

     

    My guess is that some kext I got rid of by doing a clean install (FUSE NTFS or remnants of Parallels or some free AV from my bank... or...?) was conflicting with the Hardware Acceleration component of the ATI driver ( I forget which .kext that is now). But that's just a guess. All I know is that life is good again.

     

    If you haven't yet reinstalled your OS, I strongly suggest you try. Make sure you have a good backup first (though you only need to reinstall the system).

     

    Also audit your current system extensions folder as these kexts load at launch. Start by simply inspecting the list of loaded extensions in System Profiler - something might leap out at you such as a kext from a software trial you never used. Compare your current system with a cleanly installed one to identify which third party kexts might be at fault. Proceed with cuation of course but if you start with a clean system that works you will know that the problem is not the graphic driver extensions but something else conflicting with them.

     

    Hope this helps.

  • by macuser128,

    macuser128 macuser128 Dec 23, 2013 1:14 AM in response to gaberdine mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2013 1:14 AM in response to gaberdine mac

    Sorry to interrupt, but the problem was gone the after board replacement. Nothing else changed software eg.

     

    The technical guy told me, 'hardware error, this error is common and happens a lot - let's replace the Board'.

     

    Don't let them make you think it's a software problem. I have now the third Board in my Macbook and i am glad, it was ok, finally.

     

    You shouldn't waste your time with this problems, go to apple and let them replace things. Your time is to valuable for wasting hours and hours with a problem others are responsible for.

     

    ps: it's bossible that they replace firmware or downgrade drivers with an update to fix the problems, in this case a reinstall/update can help, your hardware might be still defect then.

     

    good luck.

  • by The hatter,

    The hatter The hatter Dec 23, 2013 6:29 AM in response to macuser128
    Level 9 (60,935 points)
    Dec 23, 2013 6:29 AM in response to macuser128

    you are referring here I assume to a laptop, not Mac Pro and really different animals. Rare than rare to need a new logicboard, does happen. People have gone through 3 Apple 5770s at times to get one that was problem free.

     

    Before going down the new mobo a clean install is a good idea. Update system that has not been installed clean and has old carry over junk from pre-Lion can have a lot of odd problems from old drivers and other tasks that alter the OS.

  • by abinchas,

    abinchas abinchas Jan 16, 2014 6:29 AM in response to gaberdine mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 16, 2014 6:29 AM in response to gaberdine mac

    Thanks for the details. HA stuff is a bit beyond me.

     

    That said, I haven't had the problem in awhile. The only major difference I can think of is that I'm not running a secondary display.

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