M4 MacBook Pro crashing/hangs when connected to MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED

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Level 1

21 points

M4 MacBook Pro crashing/hangs when connected to MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED

So the latest M4 MacBook crashes on the latest MSI gaming monitor. Here's how I narrowed it down:

Playing StarCraft2 multiplayer between a M4 (regular) MBP and a M4 (pro) MBP - one is connected to the MSI display, the other is running unattached to any other peripherals: the one connected to the MSI display crashes - hangs the MacBook and a hard reset is necessary.

both MacBooks were tested with the MSI display, and only the one connected hangs.
both MacBooks were tested in SAFE MODE -- and no improvement
both MacBooks were tested with GAME MODE off -- and no improvement
No difference with the method of input - HDMI and USB-C crashed all the same
Resolution didn't matter in game - the M4 pro was tested at higher res than the regular M4
MSI firmware .009
ONLY crashes in multiplayer games. Playing alone doesn't crash the game (will update this if I can crash it in a single player game).

At first I thought it might be displays in general hanging -- so I decided to play with a different monitor connected: NO CRASH

Additionally, I connected my old 2014 Intel MacMini to the MSI Display: NO CRASH
I don't think I was ever able to get it to crash when I had my M2 MacMini (which I had traded in for the M4 Pro)

As this clearly seems like an issue with the MSI drivers/firmware ... I can only hope for a fix. I put off trying to update the MSI firmware as there are horror stories out there of it failing on regular PCs.

If anyone else has experienced this -- please chime in!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro 14″

Posted on Dec 24, 2024 9:44 PM

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Answer 1

TheAnimaster Author

Level 1

21 points

Dec 25, 2024 7:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

snippet from crash dialog box

forceReset-full-2024-12-25-131712.0002.diag

SC2_2024-12-25-191554_xx.cpu_resource

Merry Christmas to you too! I got snippets from 3 sources here: the crash window (upon reboot) yesterday, and two .diag files in the DiagnosticReports folder. Today I did some more testing and I can run the game connected to the MSI display -- so long as I keep the lid open, have screen mirroring ON, and do not have any other monitor connected. I tested both USB-C and HDMI connections.

A year ago there were similar issues with M1 MacBook pros Macbook Pro crashes when connected to ext… - Apple Community - it seems some people found that having the lid open and screen mirroring OFF worked for them. In my case, screen mirroring was set to ON (mirrored). Probably not related, but it did give me the idea to try it with the lid open (and without anything else connected).

MSI wants me to ship the monitor to one of their repair facilities. I'd rather not do that only for them to ship it back and say there's nothing wrong with it. After all, it seems to only crash this way when playing games on the Mac (with said monitor) -- but otherwise works seemingly flawlessly on the PS5 and with graphic design and video editing work. I can do without the Mac games if it means keeping my monitor -- which I prioritize for work.

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Answer 2

Dec 26, 2024 6:20 AM in response to TheAnimaster

The panic reasons all appear to be the watchdog timer timed out when watching WindowServer. One suggests WindowServer was not properly initialized.

The reason for those Watchdog Timer timeouts can be extremely complex, and hardware issues can not yet be ruled out.

Consider downloading and running this little "discovery" utility, Etrecheck. It changes NOTHING. Etrecheck was developed by senior contributor here, and uses system calls to collect often-needed information.

it contains little tests for speeds of devices, CPU utilization, memory usage, energy usage and a digest of recent problems, in one easy to use package. it does not even need to be Installed. Because less can be learned when your Mac is running great, best time to run is when your problems are actually occurring, if possible.

if you follow the directions faithfully, its report (pre-laundered of all personally-identifiable information) can be "Shared" to the System ClipBoard, then Pasted into an ‘Additional Text’ window in a reply on the forums.

Use Etrecheck Pro for free:

http://Etrecheck.com

then start a reply on the forums, click on additional text, and PASTE

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Answer 3

Dec 26, 2024 5:18 PM in response to TheAnimaster

¿What is the date of your most recent backup, and by what method?

Microsoft Defender has no place on a a Mac running Big Sur or later. if installed, you should take steps to remove it.

what is this?

disk6 - MSI Optix Driver 23 KB

External USB Up to 12 Mb/s USB

you seem to have rather a lot of tablet software for all I see is one tablet. is all that actually needed? it could conceivably interfere with screen refresh, as tablet drivers have been know to use screen refresh dead time to update their own pen position and similar, and could conceivably interfere with FAST screen refreshes.

this crashed a whole lot more than WindowServer wandered off:

2024-12-26 19:13:25 HuionTabletCore Crash (31 times)

First occurrence: 2024-12-20 20:32:50

Executable: /Applications/HuionTablet.app

you also have more crashes in Apps and extensions that were not clued kernel panics, so dod=id not take down the entire computer:

2024-12-24 18:13:04 DisplaysExt Crash

Executable: /System/Library/ExtensionKit/Extensions/DisplaysExt.appex/Contents/MacOS/DisplaysExt

2024-12-23 21:19:51 oahd-helper Crash (4 times)

First occurrence: 2024-12-23 21:17:36

Executable: /usr/libexec/rosetta/oahd-helper

2024-12-21 02:22:29 PenTablet Crash (2 times)

First occurrence: 2024-12-21 02:12:35

Executable: /Applications/XPPen/PenTablet.app

2024-12-20 15:30:24 tipsd Crash

Executable: /usr/libexec/tipsd

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Answer 4

Dec 25, 2024 4:30 PM in response to TheAnimaster

<<. As this clearly seems like an issue with the MSI drivers/firmware ...>>

I strongly disagree.

You have not done nearly enough debugging. All you have is a correlation, and it is a very modest one that that.

you say your Mac gets kernel panics?

Kernel Panic Reports are stored in the Folder at:

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

If you copy and paste that string into:

Finder > Go menu > Go to Folder

it will take you to the Folder where those reports are stored.

Kernel panic reports are named with Date&Time and start or end in ‘panic’

If you find one, please post as much as you can here, by using the “additional text” Icon in the reply footer (looks like a paper with writing). (Once the report devolves into incessant software-names or incessant Base-64 dumps with lots of AAAAAA lines, you are done.)

Please don’t post more about 20 lines of any other types of reports — they are interminable, and any information useful for this purpose is on the first screenful.

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Answer 5

Dec 27, 2024 7:54 AM in response to TheAnimaster

<< when I tested my son's M4 MacBook Pro (which doesn't have any third party software except Starcraft 2) -- still managed to trigger a kernel panic. >>

Wait, you have another similar MacBook Pro M4, and you made it panic on demand as well?

Please post at least the line from that kernel panic report showing the 'panicString'

This is the one your posted above from your computer:

"panicString" : "panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe003f519010): userspace watchdog timeout: no successful checkins from WindowServer

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Answer 6

TheAnimaster Author

Level 1

21 points

Dec 26, 2024 8:05 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

What is the date of your most recent backup, and by what method?

I keep most of my files off the Mac, on external drives. I don't use TimeMachine. Makes it easy to nuke the MacOS if I need to.

Microsoft Defender has no place on a a Mac running Big Sur or later. if installed, you should take steps to remove it.

That is part of Windows 11 installation via Parallels Desktop 20.

what is this?

disk6 - MSI Optix Driver 23 KB

That is some weird partition on the MSI display. It always auto-mounts. There doesn't seem to be a way to unmount it, even with Disk Tools. If I unmount it with any tool (or via the Finder) it just re-mounts after a second. It contains a weblink to MSI's gaming software (the software that runs on their displays) and a READ ME file that just says "Website page for Gaming OSD app download." The volume is read-only.

you seem to have rather a lot of tablet software for all I see is one tablet. is all that actually needed? it could conceivably interfere with screen refresh, as tablet drivers have been know to use screen refresh dead time to update their own pen position and similar, and could conceivably interfere with FAST screen refreshes.

It could, and I considered that -- but that wouldn't explain how, when I tested my son's M4 MacBook Pro (which doesn't have any third party software except Starcraft 2) -- still managed to trigger a kernel panic.

The Huion display tablet itself can play StarCraft 2 without triggering any kernel panics.

With regard to the other crashes -- are we seeing a cascade of crashes from whatever is causing the initial kernel panic?

To reiterate, these kernel panics only happen when the MSI monitor is used, and so far (from what I know) - only when playing StarCraft2 with the lid closed. I might add that there are very specific moments in the game where this kernel panic happens (so I can demonstrate this with 100% certainty)... this could point to some code or event in the game causing the kernel panics -- but why is only the MSI monitor affected?

I'm toying with the idea of finding someone who has an identical MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED so I can test it all out on their monitor. We can at least rule out defective hardware since we'd have tested 2 MacBook Pros and 2 MSI displays at that point, with the same results.

All eyes would then be on Blizzard with StarCraft 2. I'm beginning to think I should retitle this topic to "StarCraft 2 causes kernel panics on M4 MacBook Pro when connected to MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED".

What irks me is that a 2014 Mac mini can play the game on the MSI display without causing any kernel panics.

I much appreciate your patience in working with me on this.

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Answer 7

Dec 27, 2024 7:56 AM in response to TheAnimaster

<< To reiterate, these kernel panics only happen when the MSI monitor is used, and so far (from what I know) - only when playing StarCraft2 with the lid closed. I might add that there are very specific moments in the game where this kernel panic happens (so I can demonstrate this with 100% certainty)... this could point to some code or event in the game causing the kernel panics -- but why is only the MSI monitor affected? >>

That is a GREAT question -- for the Game Developer. ¿Have you contacted them about their program crashing your entire computer? You should!

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Answer 8

TheAnimaster Author

Level 1

21 points

Dec 27, 2024 4:45 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Good evening, I was able to recreate the kernel panic on my son's MacBook Pro in the same fashion as I had done on mine. Here is the text via the Share Report button from EtreCheck:

EtreCheck text

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Answer 9

TheAnimaster Author

Level 1

21 points

Dec 26, 2024 4:44 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks! I never knew anything like EtreCheck existed! All this time I've been looking for legit diagnostic software that wasn't malware (there are so many landmines out there). In any case, here is the text I copied using the Share Report button:

EtreCheck Report

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Answer 10

TheAnimaster Author

Level 1

21 points

Dec 27, 2024 8:28 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I posted it in the Blizzard forums: https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/sc2/t/external-displaymonitor-causes-m4-macbook-to-crashhang/29946 but haven't received any useful input. I'll try to see if I can get in touch with Blizzard directly by opening a ticket.

I am not surprised as the M4 MacBook just came out... and what are the odds anyone with a new MacBook would be playing a game that released 14 years ago.. much less with an MSI monitor that also just released in the last year? Which is why I figured I'd have to figure this out myself (thankfully, with your help) -- and then just share my experience with anyone who might find themselves in the same position.

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