Macbook pro 16 2019 freezes randomly and restarts

It happens on my MBP 13‘‘ (2017) Catalina 10.15.6 as well in safe mode. I tried everything:

• reset SMC, NVRAM/PRAM
• created new user - same problem
• deleted everything and set up everything new on the MBP

This is a major problem and it started in our company in December last year. The problem occurs on MBP 13‘‘ (2017, 2018), MBP 15‘‘ (2018), iMac 27‘‘ 2015 - and it always only happens after the update to Catalina. No problems on at all on MBP‘s without Catalina.

Apple seriously needs to fix this.

I had the same issue for a a couple months with my macbook 16 before finally deciding to take it to apple. The issue seems to be caused by the T2 chip/ overheating (Especially when using GPU intensive applications). Got the T2 chip replaced and started controlling/ boosting the fan speed to maximum and charging on the right side instead of left (there's an earlier thread regarding charging the mac on the left causing overheating).

Been running flawlessly for 2 weeks now, issues disappeared so far,

Initial issues includes

• unable to wake from sleep mode
• crashing while running/ waking up from sleep mode
• unable to boot up
• unable to switch graphics/ crash while trying to
• crashing when switching from power cord to battery
• crashing after prolonged use of graphics intensive apps

Hope this helps

I did a clean install (no restore) after erasing the HDD and the first thing that happened on the boot after installation was a frozen screen with automatic reboot. The picture of the frozen screen is attached.

I rebooted and it seems to be working now. Taking the laptop to the Apple Authorized Service Provider.

iStats menu is pretty useful as well for spotting issues. You can't see it during a freeze, but turning on it's logging will then give you corresponding hardware status reports with your range of macOS crash reports.

I've also found a freeze that doesn't force restart can sometimes be recovered from by closing the lid then opening it again. If I open the macbook and it's frozen, then I reclose and reopen again.

FWIW, my Space Gray MBP 16" doesn't seem to be failing quite as often with 10.15.3, but still does it quite regularly. When plugged in at my desk, I always use an external 4k monitor connected via a DP to TB3 cable through the Caldigit TS3+ dock to the Mac via TB3. It's now kinda random if my Mac goes to sleep as to whether it will wake up normally (maybe 40%) , wake up with the external monitor not recognized (maybe 40%) or crash (maybe 20%) of the time. BTW, I also tried connecting the monitor directly to the Mac instead of through the Caldigit with the same results.

I think we've narrowed the issue down to the graphics drivers for this model of MBP and the dock isn't really a contributor.

Back when I first got this MBP, I spent a lot of time with Apple Tech Support and they researched a ton of things. Ultimately, though, they did nothing and haven't followed up. My new MBP still is not reliable. I still love it, but I would love it just that much more if it didn't crash or forget my external monitor so often. ;-).

Attached is my About this this Mac for anyone who is keeping track of configurations exhibiting this issue.

Great - it's good to see it is indeed reproducible.

Also I should have posted the Geekbench 5 score. It will be 2200 or below. My 2017 MBP 15" had a score of 4400 ... the 16" MBP should have been at least a little higher than the 2017 but it wasn't, it was lower.

I'd got the same issue many times.

It seemed to be caused by changing GPU acceleration high and low.

I happened to find this setting below.

Once unticked, my Macbook Pro 16's behavior looks to be better.

You guys should try this.

I hope it will work.

Same and similar problems with my MBP late 2019 with Catalina 15.5

my specs are:

2.4 GHz Core i9

32GB 2667MHz DDr4

1TB storage

My symptoms are similar but slightly different which is once the freezing starts the screen starts flickering and cause glitches all over my screen then often times it goes completely red like this. Obviously I can only force quit and restart to start over.

This happens mostly when I browse on chrome or safari seems like it's more often when it's loading something heavy like long email threads which was never a problem until a week ago.

I also use some Adobe CC apps like InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop but only one at a time and not dealing with super heavy files. None of these multi tasking was problem until a week ago and it started suddenly. That time I was still using 15.4 and updated to 15.5 to see if fixes and it didn't. Now it happens probably once an hour or two. Really frustrating.

I've been on the phone with Japanese Apple Care many times and did everything they told me including the last option: format the HD and re-install the OS without transferring the data from Time Machine. Then it still happens.

Apple, you gotta do something to this.

I've been involved in this thread since the beginning. I purchased the top spec macbook pro 2019 16" and it was faulty out the box, restarting every 10-20 minutes and also restarting as soon as I opened any apps.

It took 4 months and multiple logicboard repairs (also faulty) before apple issued a full replacement, which has been ok but restarts maybe once per week.

The restarts seem GPU related...and what do you know, apple have gone and silently refreshed the macbook pro 2019 16" with a AMD 5600M with HBM2 memory.

So I called apple about upgrading my GPU, considering I have AppleCare+ which usually allows you to upgrade to the next model for cheap if you exchange it.

Here's the funny part...the $500 I paid for AppleCare+ has been lost by Apple! They forgot to move it from one of my faulty macbook pro 16" 2019's to my replacement, and now according to them I don't have AppleCare+!!!

So apple have essentually stolen $500 from me and don't seem to care much about rectifying the situation! I've attached a screenshot of my device in the apple support app, you can see it says I only have the limited 1yr warranty with it.

How pathetic! 4 months of run-around from apple with multiple replacements, and now this!

Apple!! Can you sort yourselves out please because this is a massive joke! Either apply my applecare to my replacement machine, or refund me $500!!! I'll be sending a drip-fed email campaign to all 100k emails attached to the apple.com domain in the meantime until someone takes notice.

Apple aren't fixing it. You have a faulty macbook. How are apple going to release a software fix for a faulty macbook?

Check out my settings after multiple replacements, no restarts:

Get a replacement, stop waiting for a 'fix'. There is no 'fix', you've convinced yourself of this and are now heading down a path of having a permanent dud for the life of the machine.

I have the same issues as all of you - MacBook Pro 16" that keeps freezing and then my fans go to max before the machine shuts down and reboots. This would happen anywhere from every couple of days to multiple times a day. I do have a repair set up and I need to send my MacBook back to Apple for them to do whatever it is they will do (I assume change the logic board). I haven't sent it back yet.

But here is what is interesting - I've modified my set up and I've somehow avoided any freezes and restarts over the last several weeks.

What I did is elevate my MacBook Pro using a stand that has a built in fan on the bottom. And I have a small fan directed at the top surface of my MacBook Pro. So yes, I have two fans constantly blowing air across my MBP, one from below and one from above. I've attached pictures to show what I'm talking about.

This is just one data point but it seems that by improving the cooling of the MBP, I've been able to avoid the freezing and reboots. At least for a few weeks. This is NOT a solution I want to make permanent, especially after the shelter in place is over. But it tells me that maybe it's just the thermal design of the MBP that is the real issue here and no software/logic board/updates will fix it unless they throttle the CPU/GPU.

My 16" MBP is also crashing randomly, twice today. It is not hot, the fan is not running, I have only Chrome, Safari and Lightroom (which is minimized) running and the cursor just freezes. After a minute or so, the fan spins up like a turbo jet taking off and the screen goes black. When the fan stops, I press the power button and it restarts and gives me the send crash dump to apple support dialog, but the only text in the report is something like "Bad Magic... panic." Just started after 3 weeks of trouble free use.

This is actually my second 16" unit. I received the first one 3 days after they were announced and it crashed every time I tried to load the 10.15.1 supplemental update. I took it to the A store and after 2 tries at reloading the OS, it still crashed, so they gave me a replacement. This one has been great, except that I'm still getting repeat characters on occasion, (maybe it is me but I never get them on my 2013 13")

Not much I can do about it but it is a major disappointment to spend over $3K with Applecare and tax, especially after 3 years of misery with my 15" MBP.

My Macbook pro 16 starts crashing randomly every 5-10 mins and it may crash during loading screen after logging in. I have tried to do a clean re-installation of MacOS the issue still persist.

Now i have to use my PC and stop every work in my Macbook pro due to the random crash. I can't believe that the new Macbook cannot match my game PC in dependability.

Yep calling up Apple today to have this macbook returned. I will try one more, if that is the same, I'm getting a full refund.

My macbook 16" 2019 is now also screen glitching whenever it changes from the intel gpu to amd gpu. It looks like everything on the screen "jumps" to the right about a centimetre, then it goes back to normal. This is usually followed by the freezing I mentioned above.

Thinking about all the freezing related issues I've been having, it seems related to the amd gpu and reminds me why I avoid amd hardware like the plaugue in custom windows builds. Apple execs and nvidia execs really should sort themselves out, as amd does not belong in a $7000 machine. Execs are fighting over a desoldering issue that happened to 2008 macbooks, when there's been heaps of amd desoldering issues in macs since, even moreso. Looking above maybe it could be determined it's actually Apple's manufacturing process and the argument and suffering of their users is uncalled for. Intel & Nvidia is a great combo, AMD & AMD yep, Intel & AMD not so much.

AMD!!!! 🤣

This happens too with my Photobooth when it flashes. This is my second mbp 16” that i’ve refunded and get another brand new one and the same thing keeps happening. I really think there’s something wrong with this series of mbp. Very disappointed. Was looking forward to do some editing using the hyped Macbook pro.