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2011 MacBook Pros Crashing Under Load?
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I'm sure Apple's just regretting that switch from Nvidia about now. Not that I'm particularly pleased as punch with Nvidia.
Sigh... I've had two incidental freezes one while gaming and once while using Handbrake that I didn't think much about; but I can definitely reproduce it using the steps linked to on the Apple discussion forums...
I can also get it to crash if I try and using something fairly simple like Photo Booth while encoding with HandBrake...
I can also get it to crash if I try and using something fairly simple like Photo Booth while encoding with HandBrake...
We don't even know if the problem is related to the AMD GPU but even if it is let's not forget the wonderful 8600M fiasco.
This could very well just be a software issue.
I can't reproduce the problem using the yes > /dev/null test in the wiki link on my new 15" base model MBP. Don't have time to try the others now, but I might later.
So it's certainly not all affected, and I'm glad I don't seem to be among them. But I definitely hope Apple releases some kind of fix soon for those who are experiencing this!
I am having the iTunes bug, though, so I hope that gets fixed, soon, too.
So it's certainly not all affected, and I'm glad I don't seem to be among them. But I definitely hope Apple releases some kind of fix soon for those who are experiencing this!
I am having the iTunes bug, though, so I hope that gets fixed, soon, too.
If it is so easily reproduceable
and affects all laptops, is it really possible that Apple could have overlooked this during the testing? Sounds unlikely. They probably knew and yet decided to go ahead anyways. Probably they felt too embarrassed about the delay with the release of Sandy Bridge-base laptops compared to PC counterparts.
and affects all laptops, is it really possible that Apple could have overlooked this during the testing? Sounds unlikely. They probably knew and yet decided to go ahead anyways. Probably they felt too embarrassed about the delay with the release of Sandy Bridge-base laptops compared to PC counterparts.
So I tried the last option to test this!
I took a 1.88GB 1080p video that I shot on my Canon 7D last summer at Yellowstone of some baby buffalo running around. I ran it through Handbreak with an output to iPhone 4 resolution. At first it started really fast around 28fps and the temperature was really high, around 194F. Then I think the TurboBoost throttled down as the decode speed started to drop to around 20FPS and the temperature was in the 170s F. So I decided to open up iPhoto, since that is supposed to cause problems. I flipped quickly through 100s of 18mp photos and it didn't break a sweat. Then I started playing that same 1080p video while also streaming a 1080p video from YouTube on top of it full screen and also windowed. My Handbreak encode slowed down to 6FPS while I was doing these other things, but my temperature dropped to around 160F.
Nothing ever froze up at all. Should I try again pushing it harder than a 1080p encode of raw Canon 7D footage, while streaming a 1080p video over WIFI, while playing a raw Canon 7D video, while flipping through hundreds of 18mp RAW photos in iPhoto? Or am I lucky and do not have this issue? Heck, I even left a few CS5 apps running in the dock while I was doing this, and you know how unstable Adobe software can be.
I really feel for those having this issue, but I'm sad to report (sad for you guys) that at least in my case, I don't, which means that there are some machines out there that don't have this problem. Right?
Edit: Oh and I also forgot to mention two things:
1.) I also did the /dev/null & command in terminal. Even did it several more times than they said crashes it. Same thing, it started up around 195, but then backed off to 172, but it seemed to follow the fans speeds a lot closer that time.
2.) I ran all of these tests with my lid closed on an external 1920x1200 monitor. Running with the lid closed constricts airflow through the keyboard, which should make the system even harder to cool itself. Yet it's still going like a champ.
BTW, I am using smcFanControl to monitor everything.
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Just did a thermal compound reapplication on mine. I can reproduce the issue.
Open photobooth
Fire up 8 yes > /dev/null
Freeze.
Rodimus Prime said:
Just did a thermal compound reapplication on mine. I can reproduce the issue.
Open photobooth
Fire up 8 yes > /dev/null
Freeze.
I have that graphics freezing problem whenever i switch from fullscreen WoW to windowed. Both EVE, SC2, and WoW sometimes freeze as i exit. It's most definitely an issue with the graphics switching. Just got to wait for the update i guess.
EDIT: 2011 MBP 15, 6750 8GB
EDIT: 2011 MBP 15, 6750 8GB
The test that seems to always work is option 1. Option 3 is something some people suggested, but as noted it doesn't always cause the issue. Myself, I just successfully ran a couple handbrake encodes without any problem. But building boost with photobooth running always causes the problem for me (and, it seems, everyone else).
Well I don't really feel like downloading and installing xCode right now as I need to get back to my school work. xCode never caused me any problems on my old machine, but I don't want to install it on my new machine because of my 128GB SSD (and I don't mess with it as much as I used to). Unless I can easily install it on an external, but yeah, I don't really feel like messing with that right now.
I feel like if I can throw the kitchen sink at it with what I do on an everyday basis (and even then some), then I'm not going to worry about it.
I theorize that TurboBoost or something like that is having some problems throttling when it should.
Sucks for you guys who have the new macbook pros.
Guess what, apple ain't gonna fix squat.
I have the i7 2010 model and it kept freezing and it was a known issue.
You know what apple did? Turn the other direction and acted like nothing happened. Even brought it in the apple store to get logic board replaced and still freezes.
PRetty stupid to be having problems for a $2000 machine don't you think?
Guess what, apple ain't gonna fix squat.
I have the i7 2010 model and it kept freezing and it was a known issue.
You know what apple did? Turn the other direction and acted like nothing happened. Even brought it in the apple store to get logic board replaced and still freezes.
PRetty stupid to be having problems for a $2000 machine don't you think?
Testing from "Cold"
Hi, MacDuke -- you indicated that you have a new Thunderbook that doesn't exhibit the freezing -- that's great news! It means there's hope for the rest of us...
Just to be sure there were no outside interdependencies, I did a complete fresh install of OS X on a reformatted disk -- no add-ons, no extras, just plain off-the-dvd OS X.
I wanted to reproduce the problem before calling AppleCare, and get away from the "did you do this and that" discussion.
I simply started up PhotoBooth (not iPhoto), and selected the "Mirrored" effect -- this was rumoured to force the system to use the discrete graphics card.
Then I fired up 9 Terminal windows -- one to run "top" and I started running "yes > /dev/null" in each of the other windows. I figured this test would take a long time to hang -- it did so almost immediately, allowing me to call Apple and report that with absolutely no outside influences, the system showed the problem.
The funny thing is that when I tried to make this happen a second time, after I got off the phone with Apple, it didn't happen the same way. I rebooted (hard), checked the disk, and then started the same test the same way... 2 hours later, the system was still running... then after another little bit, I got the "soft freeze", where the cursor would move, but the system wouldn't respond. Another hard reset.
I wonder if you were able to turn the machine off overnight (to let it thoroughly cool down), and then first thing in the morning you could try the photobooth / dev_null test... If your machine remains impervious to this, then I have hope that we're dealing with a simple defective batch of hardware...
Sorry for the inconvenience of asking for the test -- I think we're all anxious to see if there are truly ANY working models out there...
Many thanks,
Scott
Hi, MacDuke -- you indicated that you have a new Thunderbook that doesn't exhibit the freezing -- that's great news! It means there's hope for the rest of us...
Just to be sure there were no outside interdependencies, I did a complete fresh install of OS X on a reformatted disk -- no add-ons, no extras, just plain off-the-dvd OS X.
I wanted to reproduce the problem before calling AppleCare, and get away from the "did you do this and that" discussion.
I simply started up PhotoBooth (not iPhoto), and selected the "Mirrored" effect -- this was rumoured to force the system to use the discrete graphics card.
Then I fired up 9 Terminal windows -- one to run "top" and I started running "yes > /dev/null" in each of the other windows. I figured this test would take a long time to hang -- it did so almost immediately, allowing me to call Apple and report that with absolutely no outside influences, the system showed the problem.
The funny thing is that when I tried to make this happen a second time, after I got off the phone with Apple, it didn't happen the same way. I rebooted (hard), checked the disk, and then started the same test the same way... 2 hours later, the system was still running... then after another little bit, I got the "soft freeze", where the cursor would move, but the system wouldn't respond. Another hard reset.
I wonder if you were able to turn the machine off overnight (to let it thoroughly cool down), and then first thing in the morning you could try the photobooth / dev_null test... If your machine remains impervious to this, then I have hope that we're dealing with a simple defective batch of hardware...
Sorry for the inconvenience of asking for the test -- I think we're all anxious to see if there are truly ANY working models out there...
Many thanks,
Scott
My custom built Windows 7 rig can run circles around all your macs. Virus/problem free.
Oh yeah, it doesn't crash under load either
.