GPU Panics: Which Macs are NOT vulnerable?

Question

GPU Panics: Which Macs are NOT vulnerable?

I had a mid-2010 MacBook Pro that I learned was vulnerable to GPU panics. I didn't learn about this known issue until the Mac was out of warranty. After these panics escalated to occurring roughly hourly, I got a "new" MacBookPro. Though I got it in 2014, it turned out to be a mid-2012 machine (my husband bought it; it may have been refurbished). I am running 10.10.3.

Do some mid-2012 MacBook Pros also have the faulty logic boards that cause these panics? Is this a known issue in these models?

Because I have no wish to watch this machine deteriorate to being unusable like the 2010 model did, I am thinking of replacing it. But is there a MacBook Pro that is NOT susceptible to GPU panics? My 2010 model ended up causing me to lose ALL of my data on an external hard drive during a panic. Eventually its display conked out altogether.

I am a diehard Mac user since 1985. Would love the community to help me identify a MacBook Pro that will not have GPU panics.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Dec 7, 2015 10:34 AM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Dec 7, 2015 11:21 AM in response to Katharine Hansen

MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues

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Answer 2

Dec 7, 2015 11:30 AM in response to Katharine Hansen

You are talking about two different problems in those MacBooks.

The 2010 model has some graphics chips installed that had a Latent Defect -- a problem with the graphics chips that was there from the beginning, but became more obvious with later versions of Mac OS X. Apple developed a diagnostic called the Video Switching Test (VST) that can take up to 15 minutes to determine whether the defect is present or not. If you presented your Mac when the recall was in place, AND it failed the test, the motherboard would be replaced for one with a good graphics chip.

Some Users merely reverted back to 10.6.8, or precluded the use of the discrete graphics chip, or both, and found the problems manageable.

There appears to be a mysterious potential problem in certain later MacBook Pros of that era, but it does not appear to follow such an obvious vector as a batch of Bad graphics chips. Some say it may be caused by poorly controlled overheating in some of those MacBooks when pushed to extremes in Graphics performance for long periods, but that is mere anecdote at this point. There is a recall currently in place IF you are having graphics problems AND your Mac flunks the test when checked out.

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

Since the underlying issue is still mysterious, there is no guarantee that even getting your Mac tested for the detectable problems will mean it will NEVER develop graphics problems.

If you are NOT having graphics problems now, I suggest you use your Macbook to accomplish the work you need to do, for as long as it continues to meet your needs. I suggest you not go looking for trouble. My family owns two of those MacBooks, and there have been no problems with them -- admittedly, we do not do full-tilt Video editing on them either.

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Answer 3

Dec 7, 2015 11:39 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I don't do full-tilt video editing either, but the panics do tend to occur when something graphic is going on, such as working in PowerPoint.

Thanks to both respondents for info on the recall. I'll check it out.

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Answer 4

Dec 7, 2015 11:41 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

The recall apparently applies only to 15" or 17" models. Mine is 13".

What to do?

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Answer 5

Dec 7, 2015 11:53 AM in response to Katharine Hansen

Celebrate.

Your Mac is not subject to the problems listed in the recall, because it does not have any of the discrete graphics chips that caused all the trouble. It uses Integrated graphics for everything.

If you are seeing kernel panics, I suggest you post a kernel panic report here for users to help you with. You may even want to start a new thread.

Mac OS X: How to log a kernel panic - Apple Support

.

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Answer 6

Dec 7, 2015 1:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Here's the report from today's panic. I'm having these approximately weekly:

Anonymous UUID: 2C5C2292-6B64-C1CA-E450-666E426F418B

Mon Dec 7 10:17:20 2015

*** Panic Report ***

panic(cpu 3 caller 0xffffff800e417cc2): Kernel trap at 0xffffff800e336e33, type 14=page fault, registers:

CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0x0000000000000008, CR3: 0x0000000000c6b031, CR4: 0x00000000001626e0

RAX: 0x0000000000000000, RBX: 0x00000000ffffffff, RCX: 0x000000000047e000, RDX: 0xffffff801f734a30

RSP: 0xffffff810e863ea0, RBP: 0xffffff810e863ef0, RSI: 0x00000000ffffdfff, RDI: 0x00000000ffffffff

R8: 0x0000000000000000, R9: 0xffffff801f734a48, R10: 0x0000000000000021, R11: 0x00009d55fa2d380b

R12: 0xffffff801f734a30, R13: 0xffffff801f655220, R14: 0xffffff801f734a50, R15: 0xffffff801f734800

RFL: 0x0000000000010202, RIP: 0xffffff800e336e33, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000010

Fault CR2: 0x0000000000000008, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Fault CPU: 0x3

Backtrace (CPU 3), Frame : Return Address

0xffffff810e863b50 : 0xffffff800e32bda1

0xffffff810e863bd0 : 0xffffff800e417cc2

0xffffff810e863d90 : 0xffffff800e434b73

0xffffff810e863db0 : 0xffffff800e336e33

0xffffff810e863ef0 : 0xffffff800e33633b

0xffffff810e863f50 : 0xffffff800e32834a

0xffffff810e863f80 : 0xffffff800e41843e

0xffffff810e863fa0 : 0xffffff800e434b3f

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: securityd

Mac OS version:

14D136

Kernel version:

Darwin Kernel Version 14.3.0: Mon Mar 23 11:59:05 PDT 2015; root:xnu-2782.20.48~5/RELEASE_X86_64

Kernel UUID: 4B3A11F4-77AA-3D27-A22D-81A1BC5B504D

Kernel slide: 0x000000000e000000

Kernel text base: 0xffffff800e200000

__HIB text base: 0xffffff800e100000

System model name: MacBookPro9,2 (Mac-6F01561E16C75D06)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 172992595149436

last loaded kext at 86100281802667: com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCDC 4.3.3b1 (addr 0xffffff7f8fc5c000, size 20480)

last unloaded kext at 86612371684638: com.apple.driver.AppleUSBCDC 4.3.3b1 (addr 0xffffff7f8fc5c000, size 16384)

loaded kexts:

com.LaCie.ScsiType00 2.2.0

com.techsmith.TACC 1.0.2

com.apple.filesystems.smbfs 3.0.1

com.apple.filesystems.msdosfs 1.10

com.apple.filesystems.afpfs 11.0

com.apple.nke.asp-tcp 8.0.0

com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC 1.70

com.apple.filesystems.autofs 3.0

com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet 1.0.1

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager 4.3.4f4

com.apple.driver.AGPM 110.19.5

com.apple.driver.X86PlatformShim 1.0.0

com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 3.6.1

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver 124

com.apple.driver.AppleHWAccess 1

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelHD4000Graphics 10.0.6

com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 272.18

com.apple.driver.AppleOSXWatchdog 1

com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver 272.18

com.apple.driver.AppleHV 1

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltIP 2.0.2

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight 170.7.4

com.apple.iokit.AppleBCM5701Ethernet 10.1.3

com.apple.driver.AppleSMCPDRC 1.0.0

com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 4.3.4f4

com.apple.driver.AppleSMCLMU 2.0.7d0

com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4360 930.37.3

com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.7.3

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelSlowAdaptiveClocking 4.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl 1.2.11

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelFramebufferCapri 10.0.6

com.apple.driver.SMCMotionSensor 3.0.4d1

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCButtons 240.2

com.apple.driver.AppleIRController 327.5

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard 240.2

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1

com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0d1

com.apple.BootCache 36

com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 3.7.5

com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 404

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 2.7.1

com.apple.driver.AppleSDXC 1.6.5

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 705.4.2

com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 3.1.2

com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 5.5.2

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBXHCI 710.4.11

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 705.4.14

com.apple.driver.AppleSmartBatteryManager 161.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 3.1

com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.8

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 2.1

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 3.1

com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.7

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient 218.0.0

com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 161

com.apple.security.quarantine 3

com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 8

com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 218.0.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 3.7.5

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass 3.7.2

com.apple.security.SecureRemotePassword 1.0

com.apple.kext.triggers 1.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily 11

com.apple.iokit.IOSurface 97.4

com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 272.18

com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.15

com.apple.iokit.IOEthernetAVBController 1.0.3b3

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport 4.3.4f4

com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily 4.3.4f4

com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 272.18

com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 272.18

com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 203.3

com.apple.vecLib.kext 1.2.0

com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 2.2.6

com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family 730.60

com.apple.driver.mDNSOffloadUserClient 1.0.1b8

com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 3.2

com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert 1.1.0

com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 2.4.1

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI 1.0.12d1

com.apple.driver.X86PlatformPlugin 1.0.0

com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 5.9.1d7

com.apple.iokit.IOSlowAdaptiveClockingFamily 1.0.0

com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController 1.0.13d1

com.apple.iokit.IOAcceleratorFamily2 156.14

com.apple.AppleGraphicsDeviceControl 3.10.22

com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 2.4.1

com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 3.1.9

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 705.4.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMultitouch 245.2

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 705.4.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 705.4.0

com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 705.4.9

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 3.7.5

com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.7

com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.7.1

com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.7.1

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPInAdapter 4.0.6

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltDPAdapterFamily 4.0.6

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltPCIDownAdapter 2.0.2

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI 2.6.1

com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 3.7.5

com.apple.driver.AppleThunderboltNHI 3.1.7

com.apple.iokit.IOThunderboltFamily 4.2.2

com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 2.7.5

com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 4.5.6

com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 720.4.4

com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 2.0

com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 2.0

com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 2.0.0

com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1

com.apple.security.sandbox 300.0

com.apple.kext.AppleMatch 1.0.0d1

com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore 2

com.apple.driver.AppleMobileFileIntegrity 1.0.5

com.apple.driver.AppleCredentialManager 1.0

com.apple.driver.DiskImages 396

com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 2.0

com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily 31

com.apple.driver.AppleFDEKeyStore 28.30

com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 3.1

com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.9

com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.4

com.apple.kec.Libm 1

com.apple.kec.corecrypto 1.0

com.apple.kec.pthread 1

Model: MacBookPro9,2, BootROM MBP91.00D3.B09, 2 processors, Intel Core i7, 2.9 GHz, 8 GB, SMC 2.2f44

Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Built-In

Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x80AD, 0x484D54343531533641465238412D50422020

Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1600 MHz, 0x80AD, 0x484D54343531533641465238412D50422020

AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0xF5), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (7.15.166.24.3)

Bluetooth: Version 4.3.4f4 15601, 3 services, 27 devices, 1 incoming serial ports

Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1

Serial ATA Device: APPLE SSD SM256E, 251 GB

Serial ATA Device: HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS41N

USB Device: HD-LCU3

USB Device: Hub

USB Device: USB 2.0 Hub [MTT]

USB Device: Generic USB Hub

USB Device: HL-2270DW series

USB Device: USB Keyboard

USB Device: USB 2.0 Hub [MTT]

USB Device: BUP Slim Mac SL

USB Device: USB Optical Mouse

USB Device: Porsche Mobile for Mac

USB Device: USB2.0 Hub

USB Device: Cruzer

USB Device: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

USB Device: Hub

USB Device: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

USB Device: IR Receiver

USB Device: BRCM20702 Hub

USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Bus: MacBook Pro, Apple Inc., 25.1

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Answer 7

Dec 7, 2015 1:49 PM in response to Katharine Hansen

That problem is not likely to be graphics related, except that you he modified the Mac Kernel by adding a kernel extension form tech smith, as well as one from LaCie. The problem is a page fault (a reference to memory that you do not own or to an address that is nonsense.)

the named items at the "scene of the crime" are: security daemon -- responsible for system security.

Are you running the latest version of all your add-ons, especially tech smith? do you use that for access to the MacBook camera? does it follow the recommendations that Apple publishes for that use?

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