Macbook pro 16 2019 freezes randomly and restarts

I received the following panic various times since getting my MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) in February, but most recently both yesterday and today:

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f88b8797b): GPU Panic: mux-regs 4 3 3f 1f 0 0 severity 3 WS-ready 0 switch-state 0 IG FBs 1 EG FBs 0:0 power-state 4 3D idle HDA idle system-state 2 power-level 5:0 power-retry 0:0 connect-change 0 : PowerPlay Failed Resume.

After reading various threads about the issue, I called support and initially was told that they'd probably have me send it in for service. I was then put on hold so the tech could consult with a senior advisor. When the tech returned, I was told that Apple is aware of the issue, but is not certain, yet, as to whether the issue is hardware or software related.

If it is hardware related, I was told to expect an email from Apple with instructions on what would need to be done.

It’s hardware. Been through this with them. Had the executive team tell me and it’s been stated numerous times in this thread.

You need to send it in. You need a new logic board.

if it’s software, we all have the problem. If it’s hardware, only some of us. You are in the some of us category. My new replacement from Apple does not have this problem.

Yep... I explained that many have been in touch with them about this and have had things replaced. I was then told that they're discovering that even systems with new hardware, or with hardware that has been replaced, are still having issues. So, at this point, they're not sure where the issue is.

@m0unt41nman you are very confident about your solution to this problem. Don't you worry about having people send in their equipment even though it might not be necessary? Imagine if you were wrong!

I had the same interaction as ryanfromjst. They just do not know what it is. However, I was told that engineers are aware of the issue and are working on releasing a targeted update as soon as possible. I can't send in my device because I'm finishing my last semester of university from home online, but I asked about sending in for repair or replacement and senior advisor said that it is likely that I would ave the same result. He says the reason this is occurring is that Apple's software is not compatible to something about the 16" hardware. Ridiculous they released a machine like that.

So far what we have found that manufacturing dates have played a role in this. Pre-March seems to have a higher chance of the problem. Getting a Logic Board replacement seems to only be effective if you get a > March board. Those who have seen this problem re-occur have gotten pre March boards as replacements. My replacement was a March 3 manufacturing date and have no problems at all with this one.

Anyways. I would tell Apple support to be sure the new logic board is manufactured March or later. That will increase your chance of a fix.

Good luck. This is not a pleasant fix. Also thank you for reading the entire thread. It will give you a strong foundation to get this fixed. Knowledge is power.

Yes

that is the honest answer From APPLE ... they don’t know. Had two new 16” MBP in the past two months. Software adjustments. Nothing helps. It is RANDOM and can’t be recreated.

that said I had a good day yesterday. No freeze/restarts. Big improvement from the day before.

not sure if this helped. But I made an effort to close all programs I was not using. Trying to keep

open programs to a minimum.

Umm... but I’m not wrong. :-). Read the thread :-)

Look at it this way. Why does my machine work but yours does not? If it’s software, shouldn't mine panic too? Why do a majority of the MBPs work fine, but only some don’t? That’s strongly evident of hardware or something in common between those few.

I have been through this. Philux has been through this to an extreme. It was claimed by Apple it is hardware... at the executive level.

if you have the panic, you will see. It’s hardware and you will get it replaced. If you don’t, your panics get worse. It gets to the point where only booting in safe mode gets you in.

im not here to argue with you or fight about it. I came here to share the experience and help others because many are waiting and hoping for a magic software fix.

Hey... if Apple can offer a software fix that somehow fixes these minority of MBPs, great. But I have a feeling you may panic your way to your warranty running out by waiting and then you will pay for that logic board.

Good luck!

I know 24 pages is a lot to read but I've experienced the same as m0unt41nman. Read people please. The more you post the more newcomers post, instead of reading and shortening their time with this issue. Nov 2019 -> Feb 2020 you've got a high chance of hardware issues.

Stuff I'm doing on my March 2020 build date replacement isn't crashing the macbook that was crashing my original Nov 2019 machine and subsequent replacements with a board build date of Nov 2019.

The mbp 2019 16" suffers from two types of crash if faulty, or one type of crash if not faulty. The software based crash is rectified with 10.15.4 onwards, but you must do a completely clean install of 10.15.4, no upgrades over the top of prior 10.15.x. I had a crash out the box with my 10.15.3 replacement (bad magic), but after a clean wipe and install of 10.15.4 with no update, it's been powered on for 3 weeks straight now, and I'd have to say if this were my experience in the first place I would have never found this forum.

If you're using your machine and it only seems to last 1-2 hours then freezing/restarting, you've got a faulty unit and need to get it replaced asap, it can't be simpler than that. A macbook should not be restarting like that. The best way to tell is if you do a clean install of 10.15.4 and it still restarts by opening apps, or doing heavy tasks then it's time to return it for another one.

Like I said, mine hasn't crashed for 3 weeks now, not from the cpu/gpu panic (hardware) or the bad magic crash (catalina bug with external devices plugged in), but the latter also seems to have been fixed with 10.15.4. Simple as that. "Bad magic" was even removed and replaced with a more descriptive crash log in 10.15.4.

It's not a case of apple not knowing what it is or isn't, if 10,000 of their Nov 2019 boards have 9,000 faulty units, they'd rather cycle everyone through that junk and get the 1,000 good ones in people's hands instead of calling it a day and recalling that batch, because $.

Stop wasting your time, get your unit replaced if you can't say to yourself it stays powered on for at least a week, like I can now with my March 2020 mbp 2019.

Another thing is not to be lazy and skip the clean install of 10.15.4, otherwise you'll get the bad magic crash with external devices. You'll have to wipe your machine to know if you have a unit affected by bad hardware (non stop freezing/restarting with nothing plugged in no matter what macOS version). 'Bad magic' you'll experience 10.15.1 -> 10.15.3, and also on 10.15.4 if you didn't clean install 10.15.4. Please read.

I mentioned the date aspect of this, as well, and I believe that is when I was put on hold and the tech consulted w/ a senior level advisor.

I'm not sure how to proceed with this. It really seems to depend on who you get when you call in... Did you use a special number or anything when you called in? Or were you just lucky and got someone "more receptive" to the situation?

I yelled at the top of my lungs, that I'd bought a $6200 machine with $500 applecare. Something I intended to be working off the shelf and to use the $500 applecare to cover accidental damage being a work machine. Instead I went through 4 months of original and faulty replacements, until I demanded a machine with a 2020 build date instead of 2019. I also pointed out my $500 applecare was going towards the right to be able to call up apple and be on the phone to them 3-4 hours daily, and having to drive to repair centre multiple times. I kept yelling until I got what I paid $6700 total for, a working macbook pro 2019 16" and applecare to cover accidental damage, not dispute factory faults and be blamed for it. In comparison macbook air 2020 owners don't experience this and are a completely different market of users, apple really don't want a high end machine with more professional users to be faulty or their reputation will get damaged to the point of an unprofitable return.

Yes. But I am not allowed to say on Apple’s forums as they remove my posts and I got a warning. There is a thread on MacRumors explaining how to do it. The link is in this discussion. I wish I could say here, but that would probably get me banned.

I have read the 24 Pages and I disagree with your conclusion.. so far.. CPU/GPU panics is not always related to only hardware. Thise can be caused by problems in the Kernel. I had both Bad Magic AND CPU/GPU Panic. On a fresh new 10.15.4 with no ekstra software installed. 13 crashes in 24 hours.

After reset NVRAM and SMC, reload OS, and disable Power Nap (and the day after enabling Power Nap again), I have been running straight for 9 days without one single crash, on 10.15.4. All my software has been installed, and the MacBook has been transported and sent to sleep 100 times. No problems.

it was shipped from china 2. April 2020.

So you didn’t read the entire 24 pages. :-). Because if you did, you would note that this discussion has nothing to do with Bad Magic panics as the hardware problem.

Let me clarify for the n-teenth time. “power play failed to resume” and “powerplay failed to initialize” are the hardware panics. Anything else has not been established.

You can disagree all that you want. But we have been through the entire process on this. Have you?

If you spend a little more time reading than writing :-) you would see that I had both Bad magic and CPU/GPU Panic. Bad magic I think was related to my external monitor, but not sure. CPU-GPU Panic was related to the power nap feature.

All my problems are gone now and I have a fully working MacBook Pro 16, without any restarts for 9 days. And with Power Nap enabled again.

If I should not share my experience here where else? I do not say it will work for every person here, but I know it has worked for some.