macOS High Sierra 10.13 slow graphics after battery sleep

2017 MacBook Pro 3.1Ghz

Having upgraded to macOS High Sierra 10.13, the graphics have slowed down significantly after sleep.


Steps to reproduce:

1. Close lid (default power settings)

2. Unplug from mains power

3. Wait 1 hour

4. Open lid and login

5. Try a graphics intensive app or game and notice a slow down?


Is this a known issue?


- Have a tried a clean install of 10.13.

- Have tried reverting to 10.12 (problem does not exist on 10.12.6)


The only option is to reboot.

MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, macOS High Sierra (10.13)

Posted on Oct 18, 2017 9:46 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 26, 2017 9:47 PM

After another week of testing, I have found that when I change my macbooks sleep mode to "sleep" instead of the default "safe sleep", this problem does not occur anymore...


Use this command to check your current sleep mode...

pmset -g | grep hibernatemode


Default is 3. I set mine to 0.


sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0 - to set the desired sleep mode.


0 - Old style sleep mode, with RAM powered on while sleeping, safe sleep disabled, and super-fast wake.

1 - Hibernation mode, with RAM contents written to disk, system totally shut down while “sleeping,” and slower wake up, due to reading the contents of RAM off the hard drive.

3 - The default mode on machines introduced since about fall 2005. RAM is powered on while sleeping, but RAM contents are also written to disk before sleeping. In the event of total power loss, the system enters hibernation mode automatically.

5 - This is the same as mode 1, but it’s for those using secure virtual memory (in System Preferences -> Security).

7 - This is the same as mode 3, but it’s for those using secure virtual memory.

211 replies

Dec 4, 2017 6:43 PM in response to andytran93

Thanks for the info andy.


Of course that is very disappointing.


I wish we knew if Apple are onto this, are they denying it, looking at it, will it ever be fixed? Being in limbo makes a bad situation even worse.


And I certainly hope "fixed" does not mean it's just running fast - there is a huge variation in the frame rate from second to second. Many game engines work out an average in order to keep everything running smoothly - but that only works "within reason". If the variations are so great, as they are with High Sierra, even the smoothest games will become "clunky". Jerking movements and explicable "hanging" does not make for a good game experience.


Frankly this platform is now unusable for game play or game development.


Sad.

Dec 4, 2017 9:51 PM in response to spearer

Folks, I apologize for a bit of off topic here, but don't you face with another graphics issues like strange glitches on the login screen on the Guest avatar or while playing some games some textures could start "twisting" around?


I'm just feeling that this recent macOS update also very noticeable on Radeons at all.


So my MacBook's symptoms are the same as topic starter plus glitches.


MacBook Pro 2017 15", Radeon 555.

Dec 6, 2017 2:46 PM in response to alexkay99

That's good to hear that there is at least one person at Apple knowing about the problem ;-) please let us know if you get any more information out of them (in case you have a follow-up call scheduled).


I also tried switching the automatic graphics switch option off when the MacBook is in low performance mode, but it didn't bring it back to high performance for me either.

Dec 6, 2017 3:58 PM in response to kungufli

Hmm... That’s just strange. Makes me tink there's more to this problem than we think. Maybe everyone doesn't experience it? Is it related to some third party software? The 10.13.2 update did include updated graphics drives for Intel, Nvidia and AMD, so at least something has happen there.


Or so we have to wait all the way to 10.13.3 for this problem to get solved? :-/

Dec 7, 2017 4:20 AM in response to Kikangh

"you just need to use a 4k external monitor"

- again, do you see a CEO/management boss that is always on-the-go and in meetings, using 4k external displays?


The majority*of people buying a mackbook don't use external displays and don't game.


developers,sysadmins,designers - I can bet is less than 1% (i'm one of them, but did not payed for my mac.)

(*from that 7% market-share that Apple has compared to 89% for windows)



Again, I am sorry to see that macOS has great potential but is being crippled, is not more open and the 'target users' are sooo small.

Dec 7, 2017 4:36 AM in response to spearer

Keeping Mac running 3D application and closing the lid leads to fast battery drain in Sleep Mode and makes laptop noticeable warm. I think that this solution is not very good for our hardware.


PS: Any progress to AMD dGPU owners with .2 update? I had no chances to test it because of my timezone (Update wasn't available when I left home, MacBook Pro in current performance condition is cost nothing but 2 kg of aluminium with my work).

Dec 7, 2017 5:27 AM in response to osx_customer

Sierra received security updates together with El Capitan yesterday (6th of December).

It will still receive security updates for a quite a while.

Sierra was NEVER affected by the embarrasing "root" exploit that HS was.

And honestly, there is NO POINT in having a computer that is super secure that doesn't work properly. I'd rather take the minor risks with actually being able to do my work without major frustrations several times a day. That's why I purchased a Apple computer in the first place! I have never been this frustrated with Windows 10 or 8/8.1 for example.

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macOS High Sierra 10.13 slow graphics after battery sleep

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