iMac (Late 2013) 27" i7 Haswell constant crashing with 32GB RAM

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iMac (Late 2013) 27" i7 Haswell constant crashing with 32GB RAM

I have Crucial 4x 8GB DDR3L (dual voltage 1.35/1.5 v) RAM sticks and it is very unstable! If I reduce to two sticks i.e. 16GB the system is stable. I have tried them in different orders, but every time I have 32GB in, it crashes at least every couple of hours. Any order of RAM at 16GB is fine.

Have performed Apple Diagnostics + RAM memtest and nothing appears the matter.

Anyone else with ideas or experincing similar issues? I have installed Windows 7 via Bootcamp and running with VirtualBox, but the crashes were happening on the iMac just out of the box with nothing installed with the 32GB in.

Setup:

27-inch, Late 2013

Processor 3.5 GHz Intel Core i7

Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4096 MB

Software OS X 10.8.5 (12F45)

HDD 1TB Fusion Drive

Here's an example error log:

Interval Since Last Panic Report:  65334 sec
Panics Since Last Report:          1
Anonymous UUID:                    9CF2ECB9-F21B-1AD0-6570-6EC17A22DE55

Sun Nov  3 10:16:52 2013
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff8002ab8945): Kernel trap at 0xffffff8002ad3434, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0x00000000000007aa, CR3: 0x00000000056f3000, CR4: 0x00000000001606e0
RAX: 0x0000000039b59589, RBX: 0x0000000000000580, RCX: 0xffffff80030edf18, RDX: 0x0000000039b59589
RSP: 0xffffff8391f9bce0, RBP: 0xffffff8391f9bd00, RSI: 0x000004070f0f8ced, RDI: 0xffffff8003001f20
R8:  0x0000000000000001, R9:  0x00000000000003ff, R10: 0xffffffffffffffff, R11: 0x00000000ffffffff
R12: 0x0000000000000000, R13: 0xffffff837fde0600, R14: 0xffffff80030d1b00, R15: 0x0000000000000002
RFL: 0x0000000000010002, RIP: 0xffffff8002ad3434, CS:  0x0000000000000008, SS:  0x0000000000000010
Fault CR2: 0x00000000000007aa, Error code: 0x0000000000000002, Fault CPU: 0x0

Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff8391f9b980 : 0xffffff8002a1d636 
0xffffff8391f9b9f0 : 0xffffff8002ab8945 
0xffffff8391f9bbc0 : 0xffffff8002acebfd 
0xffffff8391f9bbe0 : 0xffffff8002ad3434 
0xffffff8391f9bd00 : 0xffffff8002acf884 
0xffffff8391f9bd30 : 0xffffff8002abff46 
0xffffff8391f9bd50 : 0xffffff8002a2c269 
0xffffff8391f9bd70 : 0xffffff8002a42123 
0xffffff8391f9bdc0 : 0xffffff8002b3fd7c 
0xffffff8391f9be30 : 0xffffff7f838422d4 
0xffffff8391f9be50 : 0xffffff7f838423a3 
0xffffff8391f9be70 : 0xffffff7f83c134fa 
0xffffff8391f9bea0 : 0xffffff7f83c05b12 
0xffffff8391f9bef0 : 0xffffff8002e50e58 
0xffffff8391f9bf30 : 0xffffff8002e4f95a 
0xffffff8391f9bf80 : 0xffffff8002e4fa89 
0xffffff8391f9bfb0 : 0xffffff8002ab3257 
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(3.0)[F02560D1-ADE6-3AD9-8D05-43CB2B7C8B87]@0xffffff7f83838000->0xffffff7f83862fff
         com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet(3.6.2b4)[6E5242BB-5BD2-3BC6-ADBB-F05D02568DC0]@0xffffff7f83c04000->0xffffff7f83c3bfff
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.4)[A35915E8-C1B0-3C0F-81DF-5515BC9002FC]@0xffffff7f83b98000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.8)[6C1D646D-7E5E-3D7F-A557-2CBA398FF878]@0xffffff7f8308e000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController(1.0.2b1)[4CE25B46-E77B-3CCC-939A-DD10DA6EBE97]@0xffffff7f83bfd000
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(3.0)[F02560D1-ADE6-3AD9-8D05-43CB2B7C8B87]@0xffffff7f83838000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
12F45

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 12.5.0: Sun Sep 29 13:33:47 PDT 2013; root:xnu-2050.48.12~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: EA38B02E-2B88-309F-BA68-1DE29F605DD8
Kernel slide:     0x0000000002800000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8002a00000
System model name: iMac14,2 (Mac-27ADBB7B4CEE8E61)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 4427395803894
last loaded kext at 427144044534: com.apple.filesystems.smbfs    1.8.4 (addr 0xffffff7f85097000, size 229376)
last unloaded kext at 278163156098: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass    3.5.2 (addr 0xffffff7f838e1000, size 69632)
loaded kexts:
org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetAdp    4.3.2
org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetFlt    4.3.2
org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxUSB    4.3.2
org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxDrv    4.3.2
com.apple.filesystems.smbfs    1.8.4
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor    1.9.5d0
com.apple.filesystems.autofs    3.0
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch    75.19
com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC    1.60
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager    4.1.7f4
com.apple.driver.AGPM    100.13.12
com.apple.driver.ApplePlatformEnabler    2.0.7d2
com.apple.driver.X86PlatformShim    1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver    124
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA    2.4.7fc4
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient    3.5.12
com.apple.GeForce    8.1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet    1.0.0d1
com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver    2.4.7fc4
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHD5000Graphics    8.1.6
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight    170.3.5
com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport    4.1.7f4
com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X    7.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI    1.0.11d1
com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU    2.0.3d0
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC    1.6.3
com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl    1.1.11
com.apple.driver.ApplePolicyControl    3.4.5
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelFramebufferAzul    8.1.6
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless    1.0.0d1
com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib    1.0.0d1
com.apple.BootCache    34
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub    635.4.0
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter    404
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage    2.3.5
com.apple.driver.AppleSDXC    1.4.3
com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet    3.6.2b4
com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4360    641.15.1
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort    2.6.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBXHCI    635.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons    1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC    1.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET    1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS    1.9
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC    1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC    1.7
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall    4.0.39
com.apple.security.quarantine    2.1
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothHIDKeyboard    170.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard    170.2.4
com.apple.kext.triggers    1.0
com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver    4.1.7f4
com.apple.driver.AppleMultitouchDriver    237.4
com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily    10.0.6
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib    2.4.7fc4
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily    1.9.2fc7
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib    1.12
com.apple.nvidia.gk100hal    8.1.6
com.apple.NVDAResman    8.1.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSurface    86.0.4
com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily2    74.15
com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert    1.0.4
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport    4.1.7f4
com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily    4.1.7f4
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController    2.4.7fc4
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily    2.4.7fc4
com.apple.driver.X86PlatformPlugin    1.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC    3.1.5d4
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily    5.4.1d13
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController    1.0.11d1
com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl    3.4.5
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport    2.3.7
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily    2.3.7
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltEDMSink    1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub    621.4.6
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily    3.5.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite    621.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPOutAdapter    2.5.0
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPInAdapter    2.5.0
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPAdapterFamily    2.5.0
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltPCIDownAdapter    1.3.2
com.apple.driver.CoreStorage    296.18.2
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient    630.4.4
com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltNHI    1.9.2
com.apple.iokit.IOThunderboltFamily    2.7.7
com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController    1.0.2b1
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family    530.5
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily    3.0
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily    2.5.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily    635.4.0
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM    2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily    1.8.1
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime    2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily    1.1
com.apple.security.sandbox    220.3
com.apple.kext.AppleMatch    1.0.0d1
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet    7
com.apple.driver.DiskImages    345
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily    1.8
com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore    28.21
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform    1.8
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily    2.8
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily    1.4
com.apple.kec.corecrypto    1.0
System Profile:
Model: iMac14,2, BootROM IM142.0118.B00, 4 processors, Intel Core i7, 3.5 GHz, 16 GB, SMC 2.15f2
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, PCIe, 4096 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM1, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x435438473353313630424D2E4D3136464444
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 8 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x859B, 0x435438473353313630424D2E4D3136464444
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x111), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (6.30.225.29.1)
Bluetooth: Version 4.1.7f4 12974, 3 service, 21 devices, 3 incoming serial ports
Network Service: Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
Network Service: Wi-Fi, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: APPLE HDD WD10EZES-40UFAA0, 1 TB
Serial ATA Device: APPLE SSD SD0128F, 121.33 GB
USB Device: HD-GDU3, 0x0411  (Melco, Inc.), 0x0235, 0x15600000 / 10
USB Device: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in), apple_vendor_id, 0x8511, 0x14700000 / 5
USB Device: BRCM20702 Hub, 0x0a5c  (Broadcom Corp.), 0x4500, 0x14800000 / 1
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, apple_vendor_id, 0x828d, 0x14830000 / 2

Many thanks

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Nov 3, 2013 4:03 AM

Reply

Answer 1

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 26, 2014 3:25 AM in response to cdanr

Well, I was close. It went 23 hours 30 minutes with no problems and then I saw the little gear of death in the center of the screen and while it wasn't a kernel panic, per se, it was another spontaneous reboot.

The new RAM is packed and ready to RMA.

I think I will order the Crucial from Amazon US, but if that causes problems I'm sending this machine back to Apple. I've had it.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 26, 2014 10:56 AM in response to shaunumb

The fix is four new 8GB sticks made on the 'Micron' boards from Crucial. Their tech support said that should fix the iMac issue with maxed out RAM. They have been sending RAM printed on a few different board (green part of the RAM stick) manufacturers and it causes issues when mixed.

2 Weeks running perfect now!

iMac 27 inch Late 2013

3.5 GHz Intel Core i7

32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 (now 8 GB while I wait)

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4096 MB

Reply

Answer 3

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 26, 2014 2:24 PM in response to aitreefort

Thanks, but four sticks of any RAM is no fix for me. I bought this machine with 16GB installed for the express purpose of being able to add in 16GB without replacing any.

It is absolutely ridiculous that it should be so difficult to add RAM to these iMacs.

I do think you are correct about manufacturing changes made to the latest Crucial revisions, and have read reports about people who were experiencing the problems before having resolved them by adding 2x8GB. On Crucial's forums, the Crucial reps were initially confirming this to be a software issue on Apple's part affecting any third party RAM when maxing it to 32GB.

Anyway, as mentioned above, if I get the Crucial shipped all the way over from the states and still have problems I am going to open a case with Apple and send the iMac back to them because at that point it is clearly a problem with the Mac and not the expansion memory.

The machine will run absolutely stably with only 16GB in it, either third party or Apple. The problems come with 32GB.

User uploaded file

Reply

Answer 4

ginooken

Level 1

0 points

Jan 26, 2014 11:13 PM in response to aitreefort

@ aitreefort

Any way I can identify if the modules are Micron Boards before I install them ?

kr,

gino

Reply

Answer 5

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 27, 2014 8:25 PM in response to ginooken

ginooken wrote:

@ aitreefort

Any way I can identify if the modules are Micron Boards before I install them ?

kr,

gino

I'm not sure what aitreefort meant by Micron Boards, Gino, because Crucial is Micron. Crucial Technology is just the name Micron markets its consumer products under.

In fact, some of the RAM that Apple now ships stock (mine included) is also technically now Micron since Micron bought Elpida in July, 2012 after Elpida went bankrupt. I have friends who work in an Elpida fab in Higashi-Hiroshima that makes RAM for the iPad so I have been well versed on this takeover.

I think Apple is also known to use Hynix RAM as well, which is a separate Korean company.

This is part of the reason why I am taking this issue to Apple next if the same crashes persist with 32GB.

Reply

Answer 6

Jan 27, 2014 10:39 PM in response to cdanr

The newer modules I received that have fixed the crashing are black. Most RAM modules are green. Crucial sent me black Micron RAM modules.

It's been 2 weeks with no crashes now, before that it was crashing 7-10 times a day.

Reply

Answer 7

Jan 27, 2014 10:41 PM in response to ginooken

The newer modules I received that have fixed the crashing are black. Most RAM modules are green. Crucial sent me black Micron RAM modules.

It's been 2 weeks with no crashes now, before that it was crashing 7-10 times a day.

iMac 27 inch Late 2013

3.5 GHz Intel Core i7

32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 (now 8 GB while I wait)

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4096 MB

Reply

Answer 8

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 27, 2014 10:42 PM in response to aitreefort

Thanks. I guess I hope I'll get black ones then.

The Apple stock Elpida modules are also black, not green. I must admit that all of the various third party modules I've tried to use unsuccessfully to date were green.

I'm still contacting Apple first if these don't do the job.

Reply

Answer 9

ginooken

Level 1

0 points

Jan 27, 2014 10:52 PM in response to cdanr

Well, I received my 32Gb replacement RAM yesterday in the mail, but they are green, not black.

Normally I'll install them tonight.

I shouldn't get my hopes up then... We'll see. I'll keep you posted on the panics....

Reply

Answer 10

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 27, 2014 10:56 PM in response to ginooken

Well I wouldn't put too much into the green vs black pc board thing, Gino. With all due respect to that theory, I think printed circuit is printed circuit. It's the memory chips and circuitry on board that really matter. The color seems rather incidental.

Let's not rule out the very real possibility that this is not a RAM issue at all, but rather an Apple software problem.

Speaking of which, do you happen to use Parallels or some other type of VM software on your Mac? A lot of the kernel crashes I got pointed to it, but not all.

Reply

Answer 11

ginooken

Level 1

0 points

Jan 27, 2014 11:06 PM in response to cdanr

I'll install them anyway. We'll see what happens soon enough.

But before I put them in , I'll note the specifics and add them here, for the record.

Yes I do use Parallels, but on an older iMac, not on the new late 2013 iMac. So can't be the reason.

Reply

Answer 12

cdanr

Level 1

33 points

Jan 27, 2014 11:31 PM in response to ginooken

Thanks. It's always good to note every single detail so others can compare. I've got my fingers crossed for you. Mine should be here by Thursday and I'll do the same.

Reply

Answer 13

shaunumb Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 28, 2014 3:22 AM in response to cdanr

Hi everyone

This was not a software issue for me – had VMs, Creative Suite and web servers running before new memory arrived and would crash an unusable amount of times.

Now with replacement memory from Crucial everything works at 100% – no crashes since. It has been perfect for one and a half months now.

The new and old boards were the same green colour and on the outside looked identical.

Reply

Answer 14

val75

Level 1

5 points

Jan 28, 2014 3:42 AM in response to shaunumb

I don't think there is a direct relationship with colour of the modules and the crashes. My new modules are green as the old one were, yet now I don't have any problems whatsoever. I would also exclude an hardware/software issue with my iMac, because once I installed the original Elpida modules back, all kernel panics disappeared. Anyway, I'm happy to say that my iMac now works fine with 32 GB from Crucial.

Reply

Answer 15

ginooken

Level 1

0 points

Jan 28, 2014 3:48 AM in response to shaunumb

any serial or batch data on the outside to look for ?

The same in my case, when re-installing the original 8Gb from Apple, the problem disappeared completely.

We'll see in the coming days. Keep you posted.

Reply