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Graphics corruption after sleep.

Just got back to my MacBook after it had been asleep for a few minutes. Upon awakening it, I discovered that all shadows of all applications are just displaying as corrupted junk, and all Dock icons are also junked ! Mousing over the Dock with magnification on seems to fix the icons, but there's nothing I can do to fix application shadows.

This is the second time this has happened already - last time I put it down to running Virtue, but I don't think that's the case.

Also, simultaneous with the graphics corruption, system performance has got very laggy. Scrolling is a nightmare, and even typing is laggy.

What's the cause ? Bad graphics card - or maybe bad memory (I know the graphics uses main system memory) ?

I have 2GB of RAM coming in the post, so I"ll see if the problem goes away when it arrives...

Powermac G5 Dual 1.8, Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Posted on May 18, 2006 3:21 AM

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22 replies

May 18, 2006 3:45 AM in response to Andrew Rennard

OK since posting my first message, system performance had just taken a complete nosedive ! look at the time difference in these messages - in that time all I've tried to do is log out, and it's still not even quit the first app (I'm posting this from a PC).

This is the worst performance crash I've ever seen, short of a complete lock-up.

Anybody else experiencing anything like this ? Do I have bad memory or something ?

If this doesn't fix itself when I put new memory in, this machine is going straight back to the store for a full refund.

What with this, and the security update 2006-003 completely blitzing my PowerMac, I'm not very impressed with Apple's QC at the moment, to say the least !

Base 512MB config MacBook.

May 18, 2006 8:24 AM in response to Andrew Rennard

A mini update.

I've been able to use the machine for a couple of hours no problem now. Ive got X Resource Graph running, and I can see that I still have a little bit of memory free. It seems more than just a coincidence that I haven't had any problems whilst I haven't filled up the available physical memory,

It seems to me that with these integrated graphics Macs that the switchover to using virtual memory* is much more of a performance barrier than before. This is when I start to get graphics corruption, and hard lockups. It's probably a software bug, so hopefully it's going to be fixed soon.

The upshot is that I recommend getting as much physical memory as you possibly can; especially if you are running apps in Rosetta (which also seems to cause problems, probably because it gobbles up more memory).


* - I know it's a bit more complicated than this really...

May 19, 2006 4:05 AM in response to Andrew Rennard

Another update: I swapped the RAM for 2x1GB chips, and so far the problem hasn't returned (touch wood).

I suspect that it's an issue to do with when the system is very low on unallocated RAM: having more physical memory seems to be offsetting the problem. Either that, or it's do do with badly-seated RAM (which I can believe, considering the considerable amount of force you have to use to get it in !!

May 20, 2006 2:40 AM in response to austinbond

I didn't find that sleeping and waking cured the problem - in fact, that was more likely to cause it. Logging in and out again definitely worked. Strangely though, when I got the graphics corruption I also tended to get a sudden, catastrophic drop in responsiveness.

So far, so good with the 2 GB memory - the problem hasn't recurred, even when I launched every application I had on the machine simultaneously !

If you're getting the problem, one thing I suggest is to follow the memory installation procedures, and check that your memory is properly seated in the slots. It requires a considerable force to get the chips in (I suppose this might vary depending on brand, if the tolerances on the PCB thickness are very tight). Either that, or some of the stock RAM is faulty ?

May 20, 2006 5:52 AM in response to Andrew Rennard

I called Applecare and they were very helpful...I talked to two people and one suggested that I reset the PMU by shutting my Macbook down and removing the battery. The next asked me to start up with the first install disk while holding D to run a diagnostic; everything came out fine. He suggested that it might be a ram problem...and that is what I deduced when I launched everything in the dock and watched the glitch appear.

For all those who claim their macbooks don't have this problem...try to launch every program in your dock....Google Earth seems to help 😉 and get back with us.

Is it possible that maybe Apple didn't ship enough ram with this configuration with this graphics card.

I've ordered 2 gigs of ram so it might just fix itself....but this could possibly be very bad for Apple....if it turns out that they aren't loading enough ram.

May 20, 2006 6:40 AM in response to austinbond

I get the same problem, and I can reproduce it if I sleep the computer with allot of apps running (the performance gets very slow). I usually force a reset, I forget the key combo, but it forces all the apps closed and resets it, then everything is fine. Sleeping it and opening the lid again never fixed it for me.

It's only happened twice... but, as it stands, this thing is allot less stable than my Windows XP box :P. Haha, that's a shock for me. Hopefully the 2gb of RAM I'm going to put in it soon will fix the problem. (I'm running 512mb ATM)

May 20, 2006 9:01 AM in response to TriOptimumOnline

All I can deduce is that it has to do with the dependant graphics card. As the Mac Mini has suffered these problems and it is the only mac that has this card than it must have something to do with it. Also, perhaps with the ram hogging OS X, the cpu didn't have enough ram to share with graphics card so we get this mess....perhaps Apple needs to start the line at 768 mb or 1 gb or ram to fix this problem...or else switch to a graphics card with its own memory.

May 20, 2006 9:23 AM in response to austinbond

User uploaded file perhaps Apple needs to start the line at 768 mb or 1 gb or ram to fix this problem...or else switch to a graphics card with its own memory.

The problem Apple has with doing any of these is that it raises the cost of the MacBook. Also, there is a technical reason for doing this. At some point in the not so distant future (within 6-8 months) the vast majority of application will be Univeral binaries. Meaning, Rosetta will not be an issue, nor will it's RAM requirements. In an Intel binary only world the RAM requirements will be the same as PowerPC RAM requirements.

Apple, for this short period does not want to be setting a precedent for the furture by upping the minimum RAM to 1GB. This then would force their hand into doing it across the board with all model from here on out.

May 20, 2006 10:56 AM in response to infinite vortex

I think Apple can speak for itself...if they are charging 1500+ for product that I buy and don't guarantee that it will work out of the box...I think there is a problem.

Now I am not saying this product is entirely worthless or that Apple is not willing to help...but if the only solution to this problem is more ram for the time being...they should do this. There are people who rely on these machines for work and don't want to take time out of their day to restart over and over again when this occurs. I should be able to launch more than 3 apps at a time without this mess....

In the future they can always move the memory back down...but in this time of transition...I'm sure a little more ram at wholesale price isn't going to hurt that much...especially if it makes their customers happy. I once read that Apple charges 4 times what it takes to make their products....which is fine when the product works...

May 20, 2006 11:29 AM in response to austinbond

User uploaded file if they are charging 1500+ for product that I buy and don't guarantee that it will work out of the box...I think there is a problem

You're absolutely right. Although it comes down to what you're going to do with your computer makes all of the difference. I have an iBook G3 with 256MB RAM running Mac OS X 10.4 and it works perfectly well for what I use it for. I need no more RAM than this. Now, If I wanted to do more that then means I need rto buy more RAM then that's my responsibility, not Apple's.

I don't blame Renault for my Clio running out of gas. I bought it new with two drops in it, enough to get me to the nearest service station. if I wanted to go further and it stopped would it be their fault?

Graphics corruption after sleep.

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