Mac Pro (Late 2013) GPU Issues

[strangepumpkin]

Originally Posted by fsrenduro

I had a quad core trash can that I was having this issue with for almost a year before I did anything. Took me several go arounds over the phone and finally at the Apple Store to get it resolved.

I shot several pieces of video to show the behavior when it would freeze up but continue playing audio. This was great evidence for the techs.

Of course it was always that they couldn't reproduce it and it was an OS error or Avid error or bad RAM or anything else.

How I ultimately proved it was by buying a refurbed quad core trash can. I used a clone of the system drive on an external USB 3 SSD and ran it on the bad trash can until it froze and shot video of the freeze. I did this for about a week to gather my info. Then I swapped the RAM from the bad trash can to the new trash can and ran it for a couple of weeks. No freezes. At this point there was nothing to eliminate except that it was the computer itself. They started replacing one GPU at a time and I would get it back, retest it and still get freezes. Went back to Apple Store.

I did this until a third fix didn't solve the problem. At that point they just gave me a new trash can.

I ended up selling one of them for a slight loss but was never without my work computer and now I haven't had a freeze on the new computer in almost a year.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds a lot like what I'm going through. I've been back and forth with Apple since January.

I've been trying to show them everything I can to prove that it's not the OS. What's different from your experience is that according Apple, the engineers can't use my videos I've taken to help. Not sure what that means, but it's super frustrating.

I think I might have to go the same route you did and buy another Mac Pro.

[Becharax]

Just wait for the new modular 2018 Mac Pro ... hopefully they will use the new i9 chips !! sounds amazing ...

[Becharax]

Originally Posted by strangepumpkin

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds a lot like what I'm going through. I've been back and forth with Apple since January.

I've been trying to show them everything I can to prove that it's not the OS. What's different from your experience is that according Apple, the engineers can't use my videos I've taken to help. Not sure what that means, but it's super frustrating.

I think I might have to go the same route you did and buy another Mac Pro.

so you basically spilled $4,000 in the trash

[strangepumpkin]

Originally Posted by DJ Bechara

so you basically spilled $4,000 in the trash

Well, not quite. I do have faith that Apple will eventually fix the mac. But the question is when. In the meantime, if I purchase another mac I can prove to apple that it's not a software issue and then once everything is fixed, sell the old or new one, take a loss, but at least not a $4000 loss.

[Becharax]

I think the iMac Pro is now the thing to go !

[strangepumpkin]

Originally Posted by DJ Bechara

I think the iMac Pro is now the thing to go !

Yeah that model looks amazing! Way out of my price range though starting at $5k USD

[strangepumpkin]

**UPDATE**

So, after I decided to give Apple a call to bug the tech support team on the status of my case, I was informed that Apple had indeed approved a GPU replacement for my Mac Pro. I took it into the local Apple certified repair shop and they flagged graphics card "B" as the culprit and have ordered the part for replacement. They were nice enough to allow me to keep the mac until the part arrives as I'm still working on some projects. So, hopefully, this will be the fix.

[Becharax]

Well Mine was not approved for a GPU replacement since the certified repair shop could not replicate the error even after keeping my Mac running for a week at their shop ... how did you bug those tech support team ?

[strangepumpkin]

Originally Posted by DJ Bechara

Well Mine was not approved for a GPU replacement since the certified repair shop could not replicate the error even after keeping my Mac running for a week at their shop ... how did you bug those tech support team ?

I just kept calling them until I was assigned a "special advisor" (or something like that) who sent me some software to capture my mac's log data and sent it back to their engineers. Then I kept bugging my advisor for updates and what was supposed to happen next.

Don't assume anyone you're talking to you understands the issue you're having. I had to clarify that repeatedly at each step. Sometimes twice with the same person.

[gio1009]

Originally Posted by kwijibo

As soon as the Geniuses looked at the GPU errors in the console logs, they started talking replacement - it seemed to be a known issue. They replaced one D300, still had issues. They replaced the other D300 - still problems. Finally they replaced the "GPU riser board" and everything has been fine since

So, my mac pro is having both D300s replaced this weekend as it is still covered by apple care. My questions is, WHAT IS THE "GPU RISER BOARD"? I ask just in case the mac continues to have the same problems. It would be easier for me to explain to them. Can you post a photo of it? Thanks!!