Q: MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) freeze with Yosemite

@mostruash, you're 100% correct. Worked perfectly for crashing the OS. Just make sure you're doing it in Safari. I tried in Chrome and didn't have an issue but I did notice that in Chrome the Flickr images in the sidebar don't load so maybe that has something to do with it.

@teamcrisis

And my point regarding switching to discrete and back to integrated in quick succession, I kinda know that it's true.

If I run a game (e.g. Dota 2) it switches to the discrete card and sticks to it. No matter how many times you run a game, it won't crash the GPU.

So I think it's a software problem. Apple engineers should put some delay between successive switches.

@mostruash, agreed it's a software issue. I have a Mid 2014 MBP and started experiencing the issue after the 10.10 update. Never had an issue with 10.9.X, but some people report they have.

Is it, when I can fix it by throwing hardware at it?

@delook

Can you not crash your Yosemite by visiting http://douglatornell.ca/blog/category/sublime-text/, wait till it's loaded, refresh, wait till it's loaded, refresh and rinse and repeat? Make sure you do that in Safari and Automatic Graphics Switching is active.

I have to disagree about this being a software issue, or *only* a software issue, anyway.  I believe it is a hardware issue that is being uncovered by a significant change in software.  This is not unprecedented.  You introduce software that uses the hardware in a different way and all of a sudden, hardware issues begin to manifest themselves.  Here's are two reasons why I think this to be the case.

1) If it were software only, Apple would probably be more open about it, like with the wireless issues in Yosemite.  No they're not especially vocal about it, but the instructions to beta testers of 10.10 updates have always been to focus on wireless.  But because this graphics problem has its roots in hardware, and it is NOT easily fixed with software, they are trying to figure out how widespread the issue is and what to do about it.  I think they genuinely believe the issue may be fairly limited and if they keep quiet about it, and just let people affected make their way to the Apple Store, they can take care of it that way.

2) I brought my 2013 MBPr to the Apple Store yesterday.  The "genius" pretended that he had never heard of this issue.  Was a really nice guy, and I felt bad he had to lie to me.  But it was clear he knew what I was talking about with this.  It took virtually no convincing to have him replace my logic board.  He told me he would order one "just in case after more testing they find a hardware problem."  I basically told him regardless of their testing I want a new logic board.  $3,000 is too much to pay for screwing around with this.  He just agreed to replace the board...without actually saying he agreed.  He did the right thing, and again, I felt bad he had to pretend he didn't know about this issue and come up with excuses to justify replacing the mobo even though he knew it had to be done.

Bottom line: if you are experiencing this issue, go to the Apple store and get a new mobo.  They have obviously changed something in later revisions that fixes this issue.  I look forward to once again having complete confidence in my MBP, like I have in the previous three generations I've owned.  I have to say, I can't complain about how Apple is handling this.  You walk into the store and walk out (a couple days later) with a new mobo.  They make it painless.  Go do this if you're affected.   

@dansmacbook

If @delook or you or someone with a new logic board can't reproduce the crash with my method, then it is most probably a hardware issue.

Sorry @mostruash I have to update my info: I could not reproduce it the first time, but the second time it worked and my MBP crashed again — unfortunately after getting a new logic board from apple : (

So I think I have to agree, and it does not seem to me that @dansmacbooks bottom line is a solution (or I got again a malicious logic board from Apple).

Update again …

Most of the time, I can NOT reproduce the crash with your link and Safari

@delook

Yeah I know, I now tried refreshing that page 20+ times and no crash.

I cannot reproduce with that page either. The instances in which I crashed both involved Flash, and the automatic fill of web forms. In the meanwhile I submitted a bug at http://bugreport.apple.com

Sorry for my English, I am french.

Thanks you for the method to reproduce, I tested and i can do it. I tested three times
Since the update to Yosemite, I have the same problem that you. So today, I decide to check logs to find the source of problem.
After some minutes, I arrived here.

I installed gfxCardStatus to check the switching during Safari browsing (wonderful application).

So i can see on what page the GPU switch and I surfing until at http://amazon-operations.fr/nos-métiers

The GPU switched, any freeze the first time... (second time it did...) OK...

For this moment, I don't disable the switching in settings OS X, in my mind, disable a setting on the global system, just for one application, it's not possible....

The bug is in Safari and not elsewhere...

So, I am thinking and say to me that only on Safari, why Safari ask the switching of GPU on this page.
I go in Safari Preferences to find a setting which could change that.

Oh, there is Enable WebGL. I always let enabled. And GL is Graphic Library

If I disable it, maybe... It's DONE

I refresh the same page, and oh, and GPU is not switched. It's same for the test page posted.

So guys, what do you think ? Can you test to disable and post your feedback ?

It does the job for WebGL content, but there are those who still use Adobe Flash . And there might be other cases when a graphic switching occurs that I cannot think of right now.

@mostruash: I actually managed to reproduce with the page that you indicated. It took a lot of loading many random youtube videos first. I'm backing up my computer. Please let me know if you're sharing this thread on social media. I did here https://twitter.com/stefpac/status/541330451328417792

I have. but i use HTML5 on Youtube.