You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception!

I have the error above on the intel iMac 24" when running Second Life.

Error lines from syslog can be:

avalon-3 kernel[0]: NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x3 = Fifo: Unknown Method Error
avalon-3 kernel[0]: 0000000b

and

avalon-3 kernel[0]: NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! status = 0xffff info32 = 0x6 = Fifo: Parse Error
Feb 23 01:53:22 avalon-3 kernel[0]: 0000000b

If this happens SL is going to freeze up and die

Hardware failure?
OSX bug?
Application bug?

iMac 24" Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.6), NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT

Posted on Feb 22, 2009 5:22 PM

Reply
457 replies

Jan 24, 2012 5:15 AM in response to Jorge Castillo S.

Hi Jorge,


the computer is under warranty until may 2013. Do you have the same problem? Can you post your configuration?

I´m wondering if replacing the logicboard will help. I read about lots of people where the replacement did´t help. I although got a logicboard replacement 2 weeks ago because of a sensor failure.

What OS are you currently running?

Jan 24, 2012 5:27 AM in response to stefanschuler.215

Hi Stefan,


I have a MacBook Pro Mid. 2010, i7 2,66 GHz with 8GB RAM. I have the same problem with NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception! and with other similar messages like DumpGPURestart or something like that. I have installed Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2. I tried to work with Snow Leopard, but after do a clean install of it and update software (with Safari 5.0) the system freezes also. So I reinstalled Lion. I have done nearly four clean installations of it seeking a configuration without problems, but it still happens.


My equipment is out of warranty, so at Apple Store tell me that they couldn't replace the logic board without a payment. I thought that it could be related to TS4088 Article, but it appears that it isn't (the equipment passed the video test).


I hope you can resolve the problem. I'll be waiting for notices.

Jan 24, 2012 5:34 AM in response to Jorge Castillo S.

Hi Jorge,


thank you for your detailed report. Maybe it´s a Software issue. Or both, hardware and software issue?! I´m not sure and it seems that nobody knows that, even Apple itself.

Have you experienced this problems before installing Lion the first time?


I think that the whole 15" 2010 Series is infected by this problem.


My system confiugration is exactly the same.


I´ll repley when the replacement ist done.

Jan 24, 2012 5:50 AM in response to Jorge Castillo S.

Hi Jorge,


maybe any kind of chip has been corrupted due the Lion update. Did you make a firmware update or something else with Lion installed?


Some other people say it is related to the cooling paste at the nvida chip. Mayby this paste gets worse throgh the years. Ok, I have a new Logicboard, but who knows how long this is storaged by apple. I don´t believe that they build in completely new logicboards on replacement.


Do you have the high-res or the normal screen. I have the high res anti-glare, but I don´t think that the problem is located there.

Jan 24, 2012 6:02 AM in response to stefanschuler.215

Hi people!


As I already reported some posts ago:


my problem was present also with snow leopart but ( I mean 3 - 4 times for month and sometimes short freeze), but it evolved badly when I upgraded to lion ( many times for day!).

I tryed almost all workaround with no luck, it's obviuosly an hardware problem (maybe caused or evidenced by lion software), I only solved having changed my logic board under warranty.


I strongly encorage who still have their mac under warranty to go to an apple centre with some snapshot and some kernel panic logs. It's what I did, I also showed this thread to the genius and in 2 days I had my macbook pro back.

It's rock steady from 6 months! 😀


good luck!

Jan 24, 2012 6:12 AM in response to pelino

Hi pelino,


thank you for your reply.


your post give me hope that the issue will be fixed by a logicboard replacement.

Do you have the same configuration like mine?

----------------------------------------------------------------

MacBookPro6,2

Intel Core i7

2,66 GHz

Boot-ROM-Version: MBP61.0057.B0C

SMC-Version (System): 1.58f16

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------


My logicboard replacement is scheduled for tomorrow.

Are you currently running OS X Lion?

Jan 24, 2012 6:19 AM in response to stefanschuler.215

Hi Stefan,


I'm currently running lion with absolutely no problems.

Before the fix I of course tryed to make a new snow leopard installation but somehow problems where still there, with the lion's frequency: maaaaany times for day!.


My mbp is an early 2010,

intel core i5

8gb ram

hi res glossy display,


I'm at work now but if you want I can post boot rom verions and smc version later 🙂


good luck!

NVDA(OpenGL): Channel exception!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.