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 👍