iMac crashes at least weekly, thoughts? (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

My iMac crashes at least weekly it seems. It happens when I'm not around. I discover it when it gives the accurate but misleading login notice that Apple Watch won't unlock after a Mac restart. And then when I log in, everything launches anew, and a crash report comes up. Here's the latest crash log. I'm guessing these are these key words describing the problem, from the first line:

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff8018814e67): "AMDFramebufferVIB::setPowerState(0xffffff80437e0000 : 0xffffff7f99507d76, 0 -> 1) timed out after 45576

Anyone know what this might mean, or portend? Is my imac dying an early death? It's only about three years old, I think. I haven't started googling this yet.

Is this something Apple support might help with, even though I'm out of warranty?

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff8018814e67): "AMDFramebufferVIB::setPowerState(0xffffff80437e0000 : 0xffffff7f99507d76, 0 -> 1) timed out after 45576 ms"@/AppleInternal/BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/xnu/xnu-6153.141.1/iokit/Kernel/IOServicePM.cpp:5296
Backtrace (CPU 0), Frame : Return Address
0xffffff9158e9bb40 : 0xffffff801811a65d
0xffffff9158e9bb90 : 0xffffff8018254a75
0xffffff9158e9bbd0 : 0xffffff80182465fe
0xffffff9158e9bc20 : 0xffffff80180c0a40
0xffffff9158e9bc40 : 0xffffff8018119d27
0xffffff9158e9bd40 : 0xffffff801811a117
0xffffff9158e9bd90 : 0xffffff80188c1abc
0xffffff9158e9be00 : 0xffffff8018814e67
0xffffff9158e9be50 : 0xffffff8018814749
0xffffff9158e9be60 : 0xffffff801882bcde
0xffffff9158e9bea0 : 0xffffff80188134f8
0xffffff9158e9bec0 : 0xffffff801815c605
0xffffff9158e9bf40 : 0xffffff801815c131
0xffffff9158e9bfa0 : 0xffffff80180c013e

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
19G2021

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 19.6.0: Thu Jun 18 20:49:00 PDT 2020; root:xnu-6153.141.1~1/RELEASE_X86_64
Kernel UUID: 1D3A0F3D-D908-397B-BD16-8F48C0823A2E
Kernel slide: 0x0000000017e00000
Kernel text base: 0xffffff8018000000
__HIB text base: 0xffffff8017f00000
System model name: iMac18,3 (Mac-BE088AF8C5EB4FA2)
System shutdown begun: NO
Panic diags file available: YES (0x0)

System uptime in nanoseconds: 15653792491129
last loaded kext at 15548462599191: >!UAudio 323.4 (addr 0xffffff7f9ce51000, size 434176)
last unloaded kext at 5690704364718: >usb.cdc 5.0.0 (addr 0xffffff7f9cdb6000, size 28672)
loaded kexts:
@filesystems.smbfs 3.4.4
>!ATopCaseHIDEventDriver 3430.1
>AudioAUUC 1.70
@fileutil 20.036.15
>X86PlatformShim 1.0.0
>!APlatformEnabler 2.7.0d0
>AGPM 111.4.4
@filesystems.autofs 3.0
>!AUpstreamUserClient 3.6.8
@kext.AMDFramebuffer 3.1.0
>!AHDA 283.15
@kext.AMDRadeonServiceManager 3.1.0
@kext.AMDRadeonX4000 3.1.0
>!AGraphicsDevicePolicy 5.2.6
>!ASMCLMU 212
>!AThunderboltIP 3.1.4
>!A!IKBLGraphics 14.0.7
>!A!IPCHPMC 2.0.1
>!AGFXHDA 100.1.429
@AGDCPluginDisplayMetrics 5.2.6
@kext.AMD9500!C 3.1.0
>eficheck 1
>!AHV 1
|IOUserEthernet 1.0.1
|IO!BSerialManager 7.0.6f7
>!A!IKBLGraphicsFramebuffer 14.0.7
|Broadcom!B20703USBTransport 7.0.6f7
>pmtelemetry 1
@Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X 7.0.0
>!A!ISlowAdaptiveClocking 4.0.0
>!AMCCSControl 1.14
|SCSITaskUserClient 422.120.3
>!U!SCoexistentDriver 489.120.1
>!AVirtIO 1.0
@filesystems.hfs.kext 522.100.5
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeDataless 1.0.0d1
@BootCache 40
@!AFSCompression.!AFSCompressionTypeZlib 1.0.0
@filesystems.apfs 1412.141.1
>!ASDXC 1.7.7
|!ABCM5701Ethernet 10.3.5
>AirPort.BrcmNIC 1400.1.1
@private.KextAudit 1.0
>!AAHCIPort 341.140.1
>!AACPIButtons 6.1
>!ARTC 2.0
>!ASMBIOS 2.1
>!AACPIEC 6.1
>!AAPIC 1.7
$!AImage4 1
@nke.applicationfirewall 303
$TMSafetyNet 8
@!ASystemPolicy 2.0.0
|EndpointSecurity 1
>!UAudio 323.4
>usb.cdc.acm 5.0.0
>usb.serial 6.0.0
>usb.cdc.ecm 5.0.0
>usb.cdc.ncm 5.0.0
>usb.cdc 5.0.0
>!UMergeNub 900.4.2
>!AHIDKeyboard 209
>!AActuatorDriver 3440.1
>!AMultitouchDriver 3440.1
>!AInputDeviceSupport 3440.8
>!AHS!BDriver 3430.1
>IO!BHIDDriver 7.0.6f7
@kext.triggers 1.0
>DspFuncLib 283.15
@kext.OSvKernDSPLib 529
@kext.AMDRadeonX4200HWLibs 1.0
@kext.AMDRadeonX4000HWServices 3.1.0
>!AGraphicsControl 5.2.6
|IONDRVSupport 576.1
|IOAVB!F 850.1
>X86PlatformPlugin 1.0.0
>IOPlatformPlugin!F 6.0.0d8
|IOAccelerator!F2 438.7.3
>!ASMBusPCI 1.0.14d1
|Broadcom!BHost!CUSBTransport 7.0.6f7
|IO!BHost!CUSBTransport 7.0.6f7
|IO!BHost!CTransport 7.0.6f7
>!AHDA!C 283.15
|IOHDA!F 283.15
|IO!B!F 7.0.6f7
|IO!BPacketLogger 7.0.6f7
@!AGPUWrangler 5.2.6
|IOSlowAdaptiveClocking!F 1.0.0
>!ASMBus!C 1.0.18d1
@kext.AMDSupport 3.1.0
@!AGraphicsDeviceControl 5.2.6
|IOGraphics!F 576.1
@plugin.IOgPTPPlugin 840.3
|IOUSBMass!SClass 4.0.4
>usb.!UHub 1.2
>usb.networking 5.0.0
>usb.!UHostCompositeDevice 1.2
|IOAudio!F 300.2
@vecLib.kext 1.2.0
|IOSerial!F 11
|IOSurface 269.11
@filesystems.hfs.encodings.kext 1
>!AThunderboltDPInAdapter 6.2.6
>!AThunderboltDPAdapter!F 6.2.6
>!AThunderboltPCIDownAdapter 2.5.4
>!AHPM 3.4.4
>!A!ILpssI2C!C 3.0.60
>!A!ILpssDmac 3.0.60
>!AThunderboltNHI 5.8.6
|IOThunderbolt!F 7.6.1
|IOEthernetAVB!C 1.1.0
|IONVMe!F 2.1.0
|IO80211!F 1200.12.2b1
>mDNSOffloadUserClient 1.0.1b8
>corecapture 1.0.4
|IOSkywalk!F 1
>!A!ILpssI2C 3.0.60
|IOAHCI!F 290.0.1
|IOUSB!F 900.4.2
>usb.!UXHCIPCI 1.2
>usb.!UXHCI 1.2
>!AEFINVRAM 2.1
>!AEFIRuntime 2.1
|IOSMBus!F 1.1
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$quarantine 4
$sandbox 300.0
@kext.!AMatch 1.0.0d1
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>!AFDEKeyStore 28.30
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>!ASSE 1.0
>!AKeyStore 2
>!UTDM 489.120.1
|IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 422.120.3
>!ACredentialManager 1.0
>KernelRelayHost 1
>!ASEPManager 1.0.1
>IOSlaveProcessor 1
|IOUSBMass!SDriver 157.140.1
|IOSCSIArchitectureModel!F 422.120.3
|IO!S!F 2.1
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>!UHostMergeProperties 1.2
>usb.!UCommon 1.0
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@kext.CoreTrust 1
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>!AACPIPlatform 6.1
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@kec.pthread 1
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@kec.Libm 1

 

[JohnRice]

They should be able to tell you what the problem is. My prime suspicion is a bad RAM card. So, if it's a 27" you can easily replace it.
If you have TechTool Pro, it can run a torture test on the RAM.

 

[JohnRice]

BTW, once I had one Mac that was doing that, and after an OS update, it stopped doing it.

 

[DaveF]

Pretty sure this is Apple standard RAM (not after-purchase upgrade) since it's the base 8GB for this model iMac.

I'll check with Apple. And look into the TechTool Pro, see if can tell me anything.

 

[DaveF]

BTW, once I had one Mac that was doing that, and after an OS update, it stopped doing it.

I'm up to date, and it started doing it fairly recently (past several months), through a couple of updates I think. (If it's software, it supports my view that macOS is getting worse and Catalina is the worst yet.)

I fear it's non-serviceable hardware, namely the video card since the panic code references the AMD Frame Buffer.

 

[JohnRice]

I'm trying to be "best case scenario" because this year has already provided enough bad scenarios. If it's RAM, it will cost very little to replace.

And regarding Catalina, there's a reason I haven't migrated to it on any of the computers I manage.

 

[DaveF]

TechTool Pro is $130, so not an option to start.

 

[John Dirk]

I fear it's non-serviceable hardware, namely the video card since the panic code references the AMD Frame Buffer.

Dave. I'm not a MAC guy but I would agree it's related to video RAM based on this message. According to this it should be user replaceable.

 

[JohnRice]

The question might be, does your computer share system RAM for video? It probably depends on the particular configuration of yours. The Minis all do.

 

[DaveF]

I think it’s dedicated video ram

“3.4GHz
Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB of VRAM”

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

support.apple.com

 

[DaveF]

Dave. I'm not a MAC guy but I would agree it's related to video RAM based on this message. According to this it should be user replaceable.

System RAM is trivially upgraded by the user. VRAM is not.

 

[DaveF]

I’ve submitted a support request to Apple. I might have time tomorrow to call or do an online chat. Knowing the problem would at least let me decide what to do next. I’ll accept occasional crashing over a new $2500 iMac. But if it’s a $500 repair, I’d seriously consider that.

I mostly worry it’s non-diagnosable and I’m stuck without an informed decision.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Are you putting your disks and display to sleep when idle? If so, don’t do that and see if the crashes stop.

Do you have anything (hub, hard drives, external dvd drive, etc...) connected via usb or thunderbolt? Try leaving them unplugged and see if the crashes stop.

 

[John Dirk]

I’ve submitted a support request to Apple. I might have time tomorrow to call or do an online chat. Knowing the problem would at least let me decide what to do next. I’ll accept occasional crashing over a new $2500 iMac. But if it’s a $500 repair, I’d seriously consider that.

I mostly worry it’s non-diagnosable and I’m stuck without an informed decision.

The log file you posted earlier strongly suggests an issue with the graphics subsystem but it could be more what the system is doing at the time of the crashes than the actual hardware. Again, I'm not a MAC guy but Windows PC's have a feature called Safe Mode which allows you to boot up using the minimal set of drivers and programs needed to support the system. If MAC's have an equivalent mode it might be instructive to run it this way for awhile and see if the periodic crashes go away.

 

[DaveF]

Two external usb drives. Will have to check tomorrow on whether they go to sleep or not, but I think so.

I can boot into a safe mode. But that’s tough to use normally. I’ll have to watch for a couple days when it might be more convenient to leave it like that to see if they resolved the problem. That would point to a software issue.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Two external usb drives. Will have to check tomorrow on whether they go to sleep or not, but I think so.

I would first try not putting them to sleep for a week or two, along with not sleeping your internal drive and monitor. If the crashes continue, I would try leaving one or both unplugged for a week or two (if possible) and see if the crashes stop.

 

[John Dirk]

I can boot into a safe mode. But that’s tough to use normally. I’ll have to watch for a couple days when it might be more convenient to leave it like that to see if they resolved the problem. That would point to a software issue.

Exactly. It would be odd for memory to fail in the manner you've described. It really does sound like software not playing well with the memory for whatever reason.

 

[Thomas Newton]

There are reports on the Internet of other setPowerState() crashes under Catalina. I can't tell for certain, but if you are running Catalina, it is possible that the OS itself (or some other kernel extension) has the bug, and that the AMD video card driver is merely the thing that happened to be running when the bug caught up with the system.

 

[Thomas Newton]

There are several suggestions in this thread:



The consensus seems to be that it is sleep-related behavior; maybe "Power Nap"-related. I'd take all of the proposed workarounds with a grain of salt; but maybe one will work for you.

 

[DaveF]

Yeah, I found some of those reports. So maybe it’s the wake from sleep problem. The kernel panic crash log details are different so I don’t know for sure. But seems possible. Unfortunately there’s no fix there: it’s a macOS bug AFAICT.