Frequent restarts due to "GPU panic"

[imom]

My 2010 MBP has been restarting suddenly, around once a day, with this error message:

*** Panic Report ***
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f8e647bd5): "GPU Panic: [<None>] 3 3 7f 0 0 0 0 3 : NVRM[0/1:0:0]: Read Error 0x00000100: CFG 0xffffffff 0xffffffff 0xffffffff, BAR0 0xd2000000 0xffffff912829d000 0x0a5480a2, D0, P3/4\n"@/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/AppleGraphicsControl/AppleGraphicsControl-3.12.8/src/AppleMuxControl/kext/GPUPanic.cpp:127
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff9116c6b0a0 : 0xffffff800b4dab12
0xffffff9116c6b120 : 0xffffff7f8e647bd5
0xffffff9116c6b200 : 0xffffff7f8c19cfa4
0xffffff9116c6b2c0 : 0xffffff7f8c269add
0xffffff9116c6b300 : 0xffffff7f8c269b48
0xffffff9116c6b380 : 0xffffff7f8c4eea23
0xffffff9116c6b4f0 : 0xffffff7f8c28db79
0xffffff9116c6b510 : 0xffffff7f8c1a3cfd
0xffffff9116c6b5c0 : 0xffffff7f8c1a1690
0xffffff9116c6b7c0 : 0xffffff7f8c1a276f
0xffffff9116c6b8a0 : 0xffffff7f8db2a0ea
0xffffff9116c6b8e0 : 0xffffff7f8db39aa3
0xffffff9116c6b900 : 0xffffff7f8db683ea
0xffffff9116c6b940 : 0xffffff7f8db68449
0xffffff9116c6b980 : 0xffffff7f8db3f642
0xffffff9116c6b9d0 : 0xffffff7f8db0b08a
0xffffff9116c6ba70 : 0xffffff7f8db06f2d
0xffffff9116c6baa0 : 0xffffff7f8db04ac1
0xffffff9116c6bae0 : 0xffffff800bae00f7
0xffffff9116c6bb80 : 0xffffff800bae28c8
0xffffff9116c6bbe0 : 0xffffff800badfa07
0xffffff9116c6bd20 : 0xffffff800b597eb0
0xffffff9116c6be30 : 0xffffff800b4df283
0xffffff9116c6be60 : 0xffffff800b4c28b8
0xffffff9116c6bea0 : 0xffffff800b4d2665
0xffffff9116c6bf10 : 0xffffff800b5b8dca
0xffffff9116c6bfb0 : 0xffffff800b5ecc86
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl(3.12.8)[3186B630-FFF4-32C9-BAB9-DCD0C9DB6BA2]@0xffffff7f8e639000->0xffffff7f8e64cfff
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl(3.12.8)[C57F5F56-2229-365F-9765-F24


Disabling graphic card switching has not helped.

Any ideas?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

If the graphics card has gone it could well mean a logic board replacement, probably not a sensible financial choice for a 6year old machine.

 

[imom]

If the graphics card has gone it could well mean a logic board replacement, probably not a sensible financial choice for a 6year old machine.

Agreed. I was just hoping someone could confirm the exact source of the problem from the console message. I couldn't (in good conscience) sell this machine as it is, knowing that it crashes every day.

 

[maflynn]

I'd say if you're getting that multiple times a day, then the computer is on it way out

Backup your data just to be safe.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Could be happening when your MBP switches from "Integrated" to "Discrete" graphics if the graphics card is shot. You could give gfxCardStatus in "Integrated Only" mode a shot.

 

[jantoman]

It's just a few weeks I got back my MacBook Pro from servicing: the NVIDIA GPU chipset has been resoldered, and after two years of struggling I was sooo happy. Just a bit worried because the fans were spinning much faster and louder than before... and in fact last Thursday my laptop suddenly stopped working No video, just the startup chime and nothing else.
I'm gonna bring it back to the lab, but I don't think I can trust my MBP anymore. Such a pity I didn't spot the issue when Apple was replacing those faulty logic boards for free. It's the second-in-a-row troubled MBP I own, and probably the last.

 

[jantoman]

Hi. I know this thread is quite old, but IMHO it's worth to update it.
Three years ago I found this video on YouTube:

Louis Rossman found that in many of these laptops the GPU kernel panics were caused by a capacitor on the GPU switch circuit that was just too small for the task... Replacing it with a bigger one fixed the issue: I did it on my MBP 2010 and I didn't see a kernel panic since.
FIY the capacitor is called C9560, 330 mF polyester tantalum: the original was 2 volts, we replaced it with a 10 volts if Ii remember well.

 

[Audit13]

Hi. I know this thread is quite old, but IMHO it's worth to update it.
Three years ago I found this video on YouTube:

Louis Rossman found that in many of these laptops the GPU kernel panics were caused by a capacitor on the GPU switch circuit that was just too small for the task... Replacing it with a bigger one fixed the issue: I did it on my MBP 2010 and I didn't see a kernel panic since.
FIY the capacitor is called C9560, 330 mF polyester tantalum: the original was 2 volts, we replaced it with a 10 volts if Ii remember well.

Massive thread here on the subject: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/gpu-kernel-panic-in-mid-2010-whats-the-best-fix.1890097/

 

[jantoman]

Right, and now both threads are linked 👍