Macbook Pro 15" 2015 Intel GPU strange frequency

[this_self]

Hi. I've noticed it on several my macbook laptops. Sometimes (for now I didn't notice when exactly) the usual frequency of my iGPU could be decreased from 750hz (normal frequency) to 200hz and then all interface works not so fast. And only one thing helpful - reboot.

May be someone has been faced with the same issue and may be someone know how to google about it or make fast resolve?

Spoiler: Screenshots

 

[curnalpanic]

Hi, I am having this exact problem with both a 2014 and a 2015 MBP (both with integrated Iris Pro graphics only). I used the Intel Power Gadget to confirm that the GFX clock has dropped to a steady 200 MHz.

Sadly, I have not found any fix for this despite searching extensively.

It seems to always occur when waking from sleep, and I have never seen it happen while using the computer. And just like in your case it can only be resolved by rebooting. But at least that solves the problem every time, albeit temporarily.

I'd say this happens at least once a week.

 

[this_self]

@curnalpanic
The first answer.. very good
I was searching around this issue with trying to understand what exactly happening and why it is so..
You won't believe...

It was iTerm2 in full-screen mode. When I was using iterm2 in full screen mode, turn my laptop into sleep and then restore from it, then GPU frequency was reducing to 200mhz and only reboot was helping me. I just stopped to use it in full screen mode and that's it. I didn't have this issue several months. Maybe it would be helpful for you.

And just interesting.. are you using iterm2? Maybe we have the same root of issue.

 

[curnalpanic]

Ok, that' interesting. I don't use iTerm, though. But maybe there is another app causing the issue for me.

Anyways, thanks for your reply, and I'm glad you found the solution.

 

[curnalpanic]

Hi again,

Just after posting here last two weeks ago, I noticed my Boot ROM version was a bit out of date. After upgrading my 2014 MBP to a 3rd party SSD (last fall), I don't get any of the ROM upgrades that otherwise come with macOS. That's just one of the drawbacks of replacing the stock SSD.

So I popped in the old SSD and installed Catalina (public beta) onto it. Now I have the latest and (hopefully) greatest Boot ROM. Yay!

I performed an SMC reset afterwards just for good measure.

In the 2 weeks since then, I haven't had the low gfx clock issue at all. Looking at Power gadget app, I also see the clock moving up and down a bit more than I'm used to. But never stuck at 0.2. So maybe they did fix something.

For reference, my Boot ROM version went from MBP112.0146.B00 to 156.0.0.0.0 (MacBookPro11,2).

I'll post here again if I ever see the issue again, but for now I will consider it fixed.

 

[curnalpanic]

Ok, it just happened again. Apparently the Boot ROM did not do the trick.

 

[this_self]

Ok, it just happened again. Apparently the Boot ROM did not do the trick.

The same about me, it just happened again.
But I didn't face with it so far... maybe about 3 months.

I have started to use custom display scaling

Spoiler: Screenshot

And when I have enabled it - I began facing with it again. But while I have been using default scaling for my Macbook Pro 15" 2015, I wasn't facing with it.
Pretty strange stuff. I'm concerning that a lot of people should face with it, but just do not all realize what's really facing with it

Just interesting, are you using custom scaling as well?

 

[curnalpanic]

Just interesting, are you using custom scaling as well?

Yes, I have it scaling one step above the default, just like you. Looks like 1680x1050.

 

[this_self]

I have switched back to Default. Will see...
(But, surely, I would prefer to use not 2x, but at least 1.5x scaling... I like to see a lot of content on the screen).

 

[mastercheif91]

I'm running into this issue as well on a 2015 Retina MBP... Has anyone found a solution yet?

I only use 2x scaling FWIW

 

[this_self]

I'm running into this issue as well on a 2015 Retina MBP... Has anyone found a solution yet?

I only use 2x scaling FWIW

Unfortunately, no useful feedback about this issue.

I only noticed that it is happening when I'm overloading my laptop and my ram and swap are overloaded, then this GPU performance issue is happening.
Very strange..

 

[LevineP]

Ok, it just happened again. Apparently the Boot ROM did not do the trick.

I'm running into this issue as well on a 2015 Retina MBP... Has anyone found a solution yet?

I only use 2x scaling FWIW

Unfortunately, no useful feedback about this issue.

I only noticed that it is happening when I'm overloading my laptop and my ram and swap are overloaded, then this GPU performance issue is happening.
Very strange..

Hi guys! Anything new about this? 2015 Retina MBP with dGPU here and facing the same issue. I've realized if I manually force the laptop to use dGPU, it works flawlessly, the problem is that sometimes I just want to use iGPU (for example while I'm using it unplugged) in order to save battery and this is a nightmare.
It's okay knowing that if you restart the Mac it is temporary fixed, but it's not the supposed behaviour for a machine like this...

I'd like to hear you! Take care!

 

[curnalpanic]

So far no issues with this on Monterey, running it for about two months or so now on both my 2014/2015 MBPs. Has it finally been resolved? Who knows. Keeping fingers crossed here.

 

[curnalpanic]

Nope, not fixed. Just happened again.

Guess it's off to buy an M1 Mac for me.

 

[mastercheif91]

Hi guys! Anything new about this? 2015 Retina MBP with dGPU here and facing the same issue. I've realized if I manually force the laptop to use dGPU, it works flawlessly, the problem is that sometimes I just want to use iGPU (for example while I'm using it unplugged) in order to save battery and this is a nightmare.
It's okay knowing that if you restart the Mac it is temporary fixed, but it's not the supposed behaviour for a machine like this...

I'd like to hear you! Take care!

My fix was to get an M1. Sorry, not helpful I know. In my experience, the issue happened slightly less often with Monterey, but I don't have any hard data to prove that.

 

[Dr_Charles_Forbin]

I'm noticing the same thing here. I'm on my 2015MBP remoted into a 2014 mac mini - 500GB SSD - and diskarbitrationd on the mini is well over 90% CPU. Oddly enough, the only external drive is a NAS for Time Machine. It's dogging trying to install updates to Turbotax.

 

[Flyview]

Bringing this back from the dead. Also seeing this on a 2014 15" MBP with OCLP Sonoma on it. Happens rarely but very annoying when it does as everythign becomes laggy. Only today did I think to check the iGPU frequency in iStatMenus and found it was stuck at 200MHz. Reboot fixes it but would like to know what causes it. Switching to dGPU also works but switching back to iGPU it's still stuck at 200MHz. Interestingly I also have an upgraded SSD, but I doubt that's the link unless everyone in this thread also swapped out their SSDs.

 

[xboxbml]

Bringing this back from the dead. Also seeing this on a 2014 15" MBP with OCLP Sonoma on it. Happens rarely but very annoying when it does as everythign becomes laggy. Only today did I think to check the iGPU frequency in iStatMenus and found it was stuck at 200MHz. Reboot fixes it but would like to know what causes it. Switching to dGPU also works but switching back to iGPU it's still stuck at 200MHz. Interestingly I also have an upgraded SSD, but I doubt that's the link unless everyone in this thread also swapped out their SSDs.

How do you see that in iStatmenus?.. been trying to figure it out for a while here.. I have the mid 2015 15" MBP. When I look in iStat I only see the Iris showing me anything..but I know it has the AMD R9 M370X

 

[Flyview]

How do you see that in iStatmenus?.. been trying to figure it out for a while here.. I have the mid 2015 15" MBP. When I look in iStat I only see the Iris showing me anything..but I know it has the AMD R9 M370X

How do I see what in iStatMenus? I'm looking at the integrated GPU (Iris) frequency. It does show that for me. I cannot see the dedicated GPU frequency.

 

[xboxbml]

How do I see what in iStatMenus? I'm looking at the integrated GPU (Iris) frequency. It does show that for me. I cannot see the dedicated GPU frequency.

I don't see a frequency anywhere listed.. how do you see it?

 

[Flyview]

I don't see a frequency anywhere listed.. how do you see it?

I tap on my chosen "sensors" shown in my menu bar and that pops out a huge list of all the sensors. Perhaps you don't have "Sensors" enabled in the app config to show in your menu bar? It shows "Intel GPU Frequency" right below "CPU Frequency."

 

[xboxbml]

I tap on my chosen "sensors" shown in my menu bar and that pops out a huge list of all the sensors. Perhaps you don't have "Sensors" enabled in the app config to show in your menu bar? It shows "Intel GPU Frequency" right below "CPU Frequency."

Yeah I have several up there.. I'm not seeing a Frequency item anywhere.. am I missing something?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Yeah I have several up there.. I'm not seeing a Frequency item anywhere.. am I missing something?

I seem to recall one having to install Intel's Power Gadget (discontinued now) to work alongside iStat, it's shown here from Bjango's page. The Intel site leads you to some other alternative links now, but as my old C2D never had that support I can't say for sure this is the issue.

 

[xboxbml]

I seem to recall one having to install Intel's Power Gadget (discontinued now) to work alongside iStat, it's shown here from Bjango's page. The Intel site leads you to some other alternative links now, but as my old C2D never had that support I can't say for sure this is the issue.

Yeah I saw that on their website, but I didn't think it would be related to that item.. no one else has said you needed it to see that. maybe you do?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Yeah I saw that on their website, but I didn't think it would be related to that item.. no one else has said you needed it to see that. maybe you do?

It definitely is and there were one or two threads about it on this forum. Perhaps email Django directly about it, they are quite good with their replies and support in general.

Tbh I was all ready to download from the Intel site but back then only the Intel "I" chips were supported (i3, i5, i7 etc onwards), not my C2D, so this feature I could never get.

I suggest you maybe link to that Intel page your email to Django and inquire what option there is?

Edit: Perhaps some suggestion from this MR thread gets you further.