Katharine Hansen
Level 1 (5 points)
Mac OS X

Q: 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

Close
Katharine Hansen

Q: GPU Panics: Which Macs are NOT vulnerable?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Dec 7, 2015 11:21 AM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Dec 7, 2015 11:21 AM in response to Katharine Hansen

    MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 7, 2015 11:30 AM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 9 (61,385 points)
    Desktops
    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.

  • by Katharine Hansen,

    Katharine Hansen Katharine Hansen Dec 7, 2015 11:39 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    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.

  • by Katharine Hansen,

    Katharine Hansen Katharine Hansen Dec 7, 2015 11:41 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    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?

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 7, 2015 11:53 AM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 9 (61,385 points)
    Desktops
    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


    .

  • by Katharine Hansen,

    Katharine Hansen Katharine Hansen Dec 7, 2015 1:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    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: 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

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 7, 2015 1:49 PM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 9 (61,385 points)
    Desktops
    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?

  • by Katharine Hansen,

    Katharine Hansen Katharine Hansen Dec 7, 2015 7:44 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 7, 2015 7:44 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I deleted Tech Smith because I wasn't using it, but I don't know if deleting it gets rid of the kernel extension.

     

    Are there ways to delete other offending kernel extensions or make them behave?

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 7, 2015 8:07 PM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 9 (61,385 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 7, 2015 8:07 PM in response to Katharine Hansen

    If nothing calls for them, extensions usually don't get loaded.

     

    The LaCie extension probably runs that Porshe drive. if you disconnect the drive, its extension should not be loaded.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Dec 7, 2015 8:13 PM in response to Katharine Hansen
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Dec 7, 2015 8:13 PM in response to Katharine Hansen

    Please disconnect all USB devices and remove anything in the SD card slot. See whether the panics stop.