Kernel panic, hardware issue

[htg]

I have a Macbook, which has been suffering relatively frequent kernel panics. It's not the software (I reinstalled OS X from scratch) and it still persists, so it has to be the hardware.

It tends to happen when doing something relatively graphic intensive, be it watching a YouTube video, Skype and stuff like that. I assume that would suggest there's an issue with the graphics, but could it be a user serviceable part?

I hope my Macbook isn't doomed.

Macbook model: http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-2.0-white-13-late-2007-santa-rosa-specs.html

 

[justperry]

I have a Macbook, which has been suffering relatively frequent kernel panics. It's not the software (I reinstalled OS X from scratch) and it still persists, so it has to be the hardware.

It tends to happen when doing something relatively graphic intensive, be it watching a YouTube video, Skype and stuff like that. I assume that would suggest there's an issue with the graphics, but could it be a user serviceable part?

I hope my Macbook isn't doomed.

Not necessarily, there could be bugs in the GPU's drivers.

Run Apple Hardware Test and see if there are any Errors, AHT is not foolproof though, if it comes out clean there is still a chance it is HW related.

If you have any Panic Log post one here.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Can you post the kernel panic logs (one or two or three)? They can be found in Finder > Applications / Utilities / Console > System Diagnostic Reports > kernel ... .

The part after BACKTRACE is important, but you can delete the part after MacOS build.

Did you install any new RAM lately? And the GPU, since it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), and soldered to the logic board, like a dedicated GPU in notebooks also is, is not user replaceable.

 

[htg]

Here you go:

Backtrace (CPU 1), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0xc8bdf8 : 0x21b837 (0x5dd7fc 0xc8be2c 0x223ce1 0x0)
0xc8be48 : 0x1109d30 (0x1111da4 0x4ed2280 0x1111d94 0x1)
0xc8bed8 : 0x553ec7 (0x4f70000 0x4f67580 0x1 0x507c7a8)
0xc8bf28 : 0x552ea6 (0x4f67580 0x7 0xc8bfc8 0x2ab75b)
0xc8bf88 : 0x552eea (0x50033c0 0x56a4000 0x1105ea1 0xffffffff)
0xc8bfc8 : 0x2a179c (0x50033c0 0x0 0x10 0x58f3d80)
Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelGMAX3100FB(6.3.6)@0x10fe000->0x1114fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.3.0)@0x914000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)@0x928000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.2)@0xd85000
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleSMC(3.1.0d5)@0x918000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

 

[justperry]

Here you go:

Backtrace (CPU 1), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0xc8bdf8 : 0x21b837 (0x5dd7fc 0xc8be2c 0x223ce1 0x0)
0xc8be48 : 0x1109d30 (0x1111da4 0x4ed2280 0x1111d94 0x1)
0xc8bed8 : 0x553ec7 (0x4f70000 0x4f67580 0x1 0x507c7a8)
0xc8bf28 : 0x552ea6 (0x4f67580 0x7 0xc8bfc8 0x2ab75b)
0xc8bf88 : 0x552eea (0x50033c0 0x56a4000 0x1105ea1 0xffffffff)
0xc8bfc8 : 0x2a179c (0x50033c0 0x0 0x10 0x58f3d80)
Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelGMAX3100FB(6.3.6)@0x10fe000->0x1114fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.3.0)@0x914000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6.5)@0x928000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.2)@0xd85000
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleSMC(3.1.0d5)@0x918000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Graphic related, that does not mean your GPU is bad, seems more likely like OS bugs.

Edit: Which OS is installed now?

 

[htg]

Graphic related, that does not mean your GPU is bad, seems more likely like OS bugs.

Edit: Which OS version did your Mac come with.

My OS can't be bad. It was running Lion (with kernel panics), I then formatted the hard drive, did a clean install of Snow Leopard (currently running 10.6.8) hoping it would solve the problem. It obviously hasn't. The only third party app that has been installed is Skype, it's a completely, fresh clean install with nothing else.

Also, I have a retail Snow Leopard disk, I've installed the same version on multiple Macs and never had any problem with those.

 

[justperry]

My OS can't be bad. It was running Lion (with kernel panics), I then formatted the hard drive, did a clean install of Snow Leopard (currently running 10.6.8) hoping it would solve the problem. It obviously hasn't. The only third party app that has been installed is Skype, it's a completely, fresh clean install with nothing else.

Also, I have a retail Snow Leopard disk, I've installed the same version on multiple Macs and never had any problem with those.

That's what I wanted to know, seems like you did exactly what I would have suggested you to do, install a different OS X version.
Now, the only thing you can do is to run Apple Hardware Test and see if there are any Errors.

Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test

It might be RAM which is faulty.