2013 15" Retina MacBook Pro GPU Issue

[Traverse]

I have a 2013 15" rMBP with Iris Pro and Nvidia GForce 750m.

I've noticed that this model is more delicate in terms of bumping the thunderbolt cable could cause an external monitor to become snowy. Well I was working with two monitors when my external suddenly became snowy. I unplugged it and my screen blinked like normal to switch back to the iGPU. Then I plugged my external back in and my screen when black and stayed that way.

My iTunes was still playing so the system was running, but the screen was black. I couldn't put it to sleep and I had to force shut it down and lose a lot of work.

Is this normal? I am running gfxCardStatus, could that have done it? For the sake of full disclosure. I had my system set to iGPU only. After I plugged in my monitor I remembered to switch it back to dynamic switching and the external came on. What scares me is that I never bumped my monitor cable when it when snowy.

Any thoughts?

Edit: by snowy I meant all white nose.

 

[sebseb]

gfxCard app has bugs! I used it for about a year without any issues and it was marvelous but then all of a sudden one day it start to mess my screen, mix all the pixels or something making it hard to read stuff. I tried restarting and reseting PRAM and screen was still the same. So i managed to delete the app and after restart the screen was just fine!

I recommend you don't use this app!

 

[poiihy]

gfxCard app has bugs! I used it for about a year without any issues and it was marvelous but then all of a sudden one day it start to mess my screen, mix all the pixels or something making it hard to read stuff. I tried restarting and reseting PRAM and screen was still the same. So i managed to delete the app and after restart the screen was just fine!

I recommend you don't use this app!

The craziness you described has nothing (or almost nothing) to do with gfxCardStatus. One of your GPUs are failing. You probably had gfxCardStatus setting to a certain GPU which failed. If it's a 2011 MacBook Pro then most likely you've been hit by Radeongate.

 

[blooperz]

externals can't run off of the integrated if you have the model with the dedicated GPU I've heard...so if you set it to only run integrated I can see why there would be issues while running an external screen. I don't know if GFXcardstatus can mess with the hierarchy of GPUs in that sort of situation, I've been using the app for over a year and never had this issue on externals....and it can't be Radeongate he mentioned several times its's a 2013 model.

 

[Traverse]

I think the program is buggy. When I had it enabled just to keep an eye on which graphics card was in use my screen would flicker every time I changed GPUs (when opening iPhoto for example). I have been running with the program off and it no longer flickers. I can't tell when it changes GPUs.

 

[sebseb]

The craziness you described has nothing (or almost nothing) to do with gfxCardStatus. One of your GPUs are failing. You probably had gfxCardStatus setting to a certain GPU which failed. If it's a 2011 MacBook Pro then most likely you've been hit by Radeongate.

Nah I have the 2010 model (nvidia 330m) and both graphics cards work perfectly fine! I've used the integrated and dedicated and both are fully functional!

 

[MacInTO]

I think the program is buggy. When I had it enabled just to keep an eye on which graphics card was in use my screen would flicker every time I changed GPUs (when opening iPhoto for example). I have been running with the program off and it no longer flickers. I can't tell when it changes GPUs.

Did you just solve your own problem? I tried gfx once and it did funny things to my computer so I uninstalled it. I've not really needed it.

As for the thunderbolt cables, I think it's the connector/ports that are the problem. I experience the same thing when I have a monitor plugged in. HDMI is better IMHO. I also preferred firewire.

 

[Traverse]

Did you just solve your own problem? I tried gfx once and it did funny things to my computer so I uninstalled it. I've not really needed it.

As for the thunderbolt cables, I think it's the connector/ports that are the problem. I experience the same thing when I have a monitor plugged in. HDMI is better IMHO. I also preferred firewire.

Well, it's still installed, but I don't have it start automatically. I haven't had any issues yet so I assume it's fixed.