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Owners of new iMac all-in-ones with ATI graphics report freeze ups

Apple Computers are marketed on the fact that they have fewer problems, fewer viruses and are often viewed as more secure than the Windows-based competition. At the same time, Windows machines are marketed as cheaper than the Mac machines offered from Apple.

Apple has seen its market share climb in recent years with more users of the machines out there more viruses and exploits have been surfacing aimed at Mac computers. There have also been more glitches found inside Mac hardware. AppleInsider reports that some new iMac owners are reporting a video issue relating to the ATI Radeon HD 4850 video card inside some of the machines.

Owners of these machines are reporting that the system frequently freezes randomly causing the user to reboot. The freeze issues are not related to software running at the time of the freeze in Mac OS X. However, some users are saying that the freeze issue happens when running Windows in a Boot Camp partition where drivers or Mac software would not be the cause of an issue.

This isn’t the first graphics glitch for the iMac; a similar issue was noted in 2007 when the new aluminum iMac machines launched. In that instance the freeze would allow some programs to continue running, this time around the entire system halts. With the 2007 glitch, Apple was able to fix the problem with a firmware update.

There are threads on the Apple support forums relating to the issue and according to AppleInsider, Apple is aware of the issue. Some owners who have called the support line have been told that a fix is in the works and is expected to be rolled out with the Mac OS X 10.5.7 update. A few users report that replacement systems have been offered after troubleshooting failed. If this is a hardware problem, replacement systems may suffer from the same issue though.

In March 2009, DailyTech reported that some who purchased the new MacBook Pro machines were also seeing issues with graphics. The MacBook Pro users were having problems with the NVIDIA 9600M and 9400M GPUs. The problems with the notebooks manifested with green lines on the screen and the problem seemed to stem from the 9600M.

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Vendor's fault
By SimpleLance on 4/20/2009 4:43:11 PM , Rating: 2
If the GPU is indeed faulty, why then did Apple use it? And why did they eventually sell the product to the customer?

Even small-time system vendors perform burn-in tests. For the price that Apple charges, you would think they would have better QA.




RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/20/2009 11:10:23 PM , Rating: 2
Well, I think the point is that Gateway doesn't run ads about how they make computers that "just work"...... while Apple does, and they clearly don't "just work".

Not to mention, I didn't know Gateway was yard stick that you were measuring Apple against.... HA!!


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/21/09, Rating: -1
RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/21/2009 9:02:56 AM , Rating: 2
Actually, I slept great last night without knowing that. :p

So, no response to the first part of my post? They are supposed to "just work" right? I don't think Gateway has ever made that claim as clearly Apple falsely does.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Alexstarfire on 4/21/2009 10:23:34 AM , Rating: 2
Pirks would rather ignore parts that he has no answer to. Gateway has never been the best company. Using Pirks' usual analogy, it's like comparing a Lexus to a Kia. With Lexus being a better PC vendor and Kia being Gateway.

I'm sure in the end we will find out that it's a fault with some Apple product and Pirks will still be denying it. He'd rather substitute his reality in place of actual reality. Modified Adam Savage quote there. :)


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/21/2009 11:13:18 AM , Rating: 2
I am beginning to realize that about Pirks. Just like people who support one political party and act like the one is inherently evil and causes all the problems we face with no objectivity or consideration that BOTH main parties are the cause of our problems.

It is quote clear that in Pirks eyes, Apple can do no wrong. Clearly, he has been drinking the kool-aid.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/21/2009 5:45:46 PM , Rating: 2
You mean Macs just work and PCs just don't work? Or what? ;)


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/21/2009 10:32:13 PM , Rating: 2
Well, obviously.... Macs don't just work.... that should be reserved for IBM. Macs just break ;)


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 2:10:30 AM , Rating: 2
So, what you have seen in a few of these broken iMacs is the proof to make broad sweeping statements about *ALL* Macs.

HA!


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 9:18:16 AM , Rating: 2
Actually, it has nothing to do with my personal experience about Macs, I have never owned one. I am just looking at all the defects that have been reported on Mac books, and the desktop variants and turning 1+1 into 2.

If your campaign slogan is.... "It just works" or however it goes, and clearly that isn't the case with all the defects in Macs (gpus (both nvidia/ati *cough* Mac defect *cough*)case problems, battery recalls, the power adapter problems).... the list goes on and on.

They don't just work! The better ad would have been, "They just work sometimes".


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 12:48:27 PM , Rating: 2
Same could be said about PCs. They are not better than Macs, they just don't do ads because they are poor OEMs with razor thin margins. Big deal :)


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 2:40:48 PM , Rating: 2
I agree, the two are about the same on quality, one just looks prettier. HP and Dell do run quite a few ads though, they just don't target Apple from what I remember, nor do they make outlandish claims about being immune to viruses or nonsense like that, even though Vista is likely more secure than OSX.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 3:11:24 PM , Rating: 2
Claim about immunity is not outlandish. When Macs start having mass infections like Conficker - then its outlandish, but not yet.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 3:32:33 PM , Rating: 2
Well, saying you don't need antivirus is outlandish, you know it's true. The fact is, there are holes a plenty in Mac apps and holes in the core, so in my books, that claim=outlandish.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 3:37:09 PM , Rating: 2
Holes are in every platform, but holes per se mean almost nothing. You need a huge ocean of malware to exploit those holes. Windows has this ocean, Mac has not. Hence Mac needs no antivirus yet.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 3:46:58 PM , Rating: 2
But, Apple tries to portray it as the OS is more secure, which it isn't really. That's the difference. They should say something a little more accurate like "since Mac's market share is so small, we don't have to worry as much about malware!".

And, even Apple recommends anti virus.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 6:29:29 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Apple tries to portray it as the OS is more secure
No, they try to portrait Macs as more secure computers which is true because very small amount of malware is written for Macs. Reason WHY they are more secure doesn't matter in this case.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 8:48:19 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah it does, because it's misleading. They should warn people that if TOO many people buy makes then they WON'T be more secure.

It's not completely honest.... bottom line man! They are not inherently more secure, they are just less attacked...... There is a difference.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/23/2009 12:15:18 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
It's not completely honest
As if MS ads are completely honest. HA!


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/23/2009 8:33:59 AM , Rating: 2
Well, point out something they have lied about?


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/23/2009 8:34:52 AM , Rating: 2
Specifically in the shopper ads since those are the only ones they have every done that target Apple, although it's very brief.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/23/2009 2:32:51 PM , Rating: 2
MS lies comparing junk PC hardware with high-end machines like Macs. They can't be compared directly.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/23/2009 5:26:36 PM , Rating: 2
Ummm... junk hardware? How do you know it's junk hardware? The commercials were actually pretty practical and basing it mostly off of basic specs and price, which is a very valid comparison.

And, they can be compared directly by price and performance.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/23/2009 5:56:40 PM , Rating: 2
Compare the cheapo 17" HP laptop featured in the Lauren ad and the 17" MacBook Pro, then you'll understand the part about junk.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/23/2009 9:28:26 PM , Rating: 2
You compare it, you are the one that said it's junk!

And, I am not talking about the case and accessories, I am talking about the real specs such as CPU, Memory, Mobo, HDD etc.


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/24/2009 3:17:55 AM , Rating: 2
RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/24/2009 8:47:12 AM , Rating: 2
You think that link shows it as being JUNK PC hardware? Come on Pirks! Surely you can do better than that!

The worst thing about it is the Intel graphics, but for most people they will never know the difference.

A 2.0Ghz CPU is hardly junk, that Apple site didn't even list what BRAND or MODEL the CPU is. I guess they don't understand that it's not all about ghz because the efficiency numbers change between CPU models and brands.

And.... OH NO!!!!! "last year’s DDR2" *GASPS* Again, DDR2 isn't inherently JUNK, it might be a little slower, but once again, she probably won't be able to tell the difference.

And.... no blue tooth? Clearly, if she used any bluetooth devices, she would have bought one with bluetooth. But, the little usb modules are REALLY cheap and small... so who cares?

You know, some times it nice to have CHOICES!


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/24/2009 8:48:16 AM , Rating: 2
Honestly, I am really disappointed. I would expect an Apple blog to come up with something A LITTLE better than that half hearted attempt at slamming MS and PC's.... seriously!


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/24/2009 11:41:09 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, sure, CHOICES between cheap junk with inferior hardware (you conveniently forgot about sucky battery life, and huge weight and thickness of that cheapo HP) and luxury hardware with premium specs for extra money. This doesn't fix MS lies however, when they try to directly compare cheapo plastic things with premium quality products belonging to totally different market segment.


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/24/2009 11:49:03 AM , Rating: 2
Weight and thickness doesn't make something junk, that's just personal preference. Battery life doesn't make it junk either.... 2.5 hours isn't horrible, granted I would like a longer life, but that's not horrible.

And, you keep on leaving out the meat and potatoes of the whole deal. Do those few options warrant more than 3X the price? Sorry, but I can go out and buy an Asus notebook with great specs, equal/better to Mac specs, for less.

Tell you what. You can continue paying for your look, and I will pay less for function.... sound good?


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/24/2009 3:45:23 PM , Rating: 2
You can't buy WinPC notebook with the same battery efficiency (minutes/WHr) and performance/weight/thickness ratio as MBP 17" no matter how much you pay. Sound good?


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/24/2009 4:09:19 PM , Rating: 2
Ok.... so now the argument changes. Now they aren't "junk", but you just can't find an exact match based on specs! The ONLY place that Apple has PC's beat is in form factor and style. You can easily find notebooks with the battery life, the performance, close in weight, but probably not in thickness with all the above mentioned criteria.

But, that doesn't matter to me, I would rather spend half as much and have the same functionality as the MBP. I don't NEED it to be stuffed in a pretty aluminum case because I don't care about the image. And, along with that image, you can take the overheating gpus! ;)


RE: Vendor's fault
By Pirks on 4/24/2009 5:08:44 PM , Rating: 2
You can pretend it's not junk, I don't care. It's a matter of terminology. If it's worse I call it junk, but I agree most people can't afford real high quality stuff, hence their defensive attitude about it. If you don't want to call it junk, then don't call it. I'll keep calling it the way I see fit. We only differ in terminology. I also don't like it when Winzealots here call my Alienware "overpriced", that's the same thing. So I'm in your boat actually :)


RE: Vendor's fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/24/2009 5:53:08 PM , Rating: 2
Well, price doesn't determine quality. I have a $1k Acer notebook that I bought 3 years ago, it has been all over the world, had sand all in it.... and it still works great!

Also, use of the word "worse" is subjective. What makes it worse? If it lasts just as long is it worse?

If it works for you, that's all the really matters though. I don't really care, we just look at it differently. So far, my purchasing habits have rewarded me with long lasting equipment at a reasonable price, that does everything I need it to do, just as well as a $2,500 notebook.


RE: Vendor's fault
By 9nails on 4/21/2009 9:03:53 PM , Rating: 2
Quantity.

Apple bids the GPU and sells the contracts to the manufacture who can meet the bid requirements at a fair price. To undercut others AMD/ATi needs to make volume to profit. Odds are that some of the volume will miss the scrutiny of a good QA and get passed along.

This problem might be something to the effect of bad heat paste that can't be found in initial inspection.


Not Apple's Fault
By TomZ on 4/20/2009 11:29:02 AM , Rating: 5
It's not Apple's fault, it's obviously AMD's fault. Apple is not responsible for system integration and testing of their products.

There, Pirks, I saved you having to write 100 comments on this article defending your precious fruity company.

(And of course I don't believe that Apple should be let off the hook.)




RE: Not Apple's Fault
By amandahugnkiss on 4/20/2009 12:41:24 PM , Rating: 3
I'm glad somebody gets it. Part of the premium Mac experience includes superior graphics and cooling, it was explained very well in another thread just last week :).


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By ChugokuOtaku on 4/20/2009 1:37:11 PM , Rating: 5
Sounds like Apple's getting into a habit of letter their consumers perform the initial testing of their products.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By justjc on 4/20/2009 1:37:37 PM , Rating: 3
*Wonders if Pirks is sick, on vacation or if #1s comment actually worked.

About the issue I would also guess insufficient cooling, in Apples design of the iMac, is the reason as the problem according to the article happens using Windows(probably running games) a task more demanding than running OSX(which is most likely what Apple tested).


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pryde on 4/21/2009 1:28:26 AM , Rating: 1
Considering that 28.8% of all Vista crashes were caused by Nvidia and only 9.3% for ATI and 17.9% for MS I would say it is Nvidia with the buggy drivers.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/21/09, Rating: 0
RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Samus on 4/21/2009 3:05:49 AM , Rating: 2
bad drivers caused my radeon 4870 x2 to run significantly hotter...because they ran the fans too slow!


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/21/2009 6:15:26 PM , Rating: 2
Can't say the same about my Gateway that's definitely trying to fly away using its turbines when GPU is working full load


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Alexstarfire on 4/21/2009 10:09:55 AM , Rating: 2
He brings facts, you bring opinions.... yes, you must be right Pirks, we are sorry. If only your stuff is overheating then it's something you are doing. I've used dozens of ATI and nVidia cards over the MANY years I've modified my system and the only time I've ever had either overheat is when the heatsink wasn't on the video card, and that is totally my fault.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/21/2009 6:19:53 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
If only your stuff is overheating then it's something you are doing
Then those iMacs with 4850 are freezing because of something their owners are doing :P


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Alexstarfire on 4/21/2009 7:06:25 PM , Rating: 2
I said YOUR stuff, not theirs. I have no idea why theirs are having problems. I don't have a Mac and my dad doesn't dual boot or have the HD 4850 so I couldn't even test it if I wanted to.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By 9nails on 4/21/2009 8:52:17 PM , Rating: 2
They're all Pirks! Even if customers do "something wrong" with their computers, the manufacture should fix these issues. Problems like these are internal to the computer design and can't be fixed without voiding the warranty. People paid a premium for these computers and have they have a right to own a product that works well.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 2:18:54 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
People paid a premium for these computers and have they have a right to own a product that works well.
Tell that to Gatewy dude :P


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By TomZ on 4/20/2009 5:06:32 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
I have no idea who's at fault here, Apple or ATI or someone else
I'm surprised you would say that. After all, what's the value of having Apple as a "premium" system integrator (in your view) if they don't properly validate their designs?

Really, Apple is just another PC vendor, just with a higher price tag. They make the same kinds of mistakes as the other PC vendors do.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Not Apple's Fault
By spread on 4/20/2009 6:09:30 PM , Rating: 2
Interesting hypothesis.

When was the last time you washed your motherboard?


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pneumothorax on 4/21/2009 9:09:28 AM , Rating: 2
I only wash my Mac Pro's "Logic Board" (Apple's don't use lowly motherboards) with certified Apple Kabbalah Water.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/21/2009 9:09:15 AM , Rating: 2
So, what you have experienced in your life is proof to make broad sweeping statements about *ALL* pc makers.

HA!


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 2:27:27 AM , Rating: 2
Well, you guys do sweeping statements about all Macs, so why can't I do the same for PCs? I'm just using your own logic, that's all.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 9:14:06 AM , Rating: 2
You guys? Now you are lumping me into a group that I don't belong in.....

As far as what "THOSE" guys do, why would you want to be like "them"? And, I wouldn't call what you are using "logic". While it does belong to you, logic is probably the wrong word to use to describe it.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By Pirks on 4/22/2009 12:42:24 PM , Rating: 2
Hey, stop criticizing my opponents for their logic that I use here, or you get downrated in no time! Or Whaaaclown gets nasty with "bananas" or something...


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By weskurtz0081 on 4/22/2009 2:36:31 PM , Rating: 2
I don't care what they say.... your alright. Although I don't agree with what you say, I cannot deny that I don't use the tactics you are currently employing! Good times, good laugh.


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By griffynz on 4/21/2009 12:09:20 AM , Rating: 2
My ATI 4850 has NEVER caused me any problems with Vista, guess the hardware must be ok then? Does APPLE do BLU (BSOD)TOO ?


RE: Not Apple's Fault
By armulyman on 4/22/2009 9:58:30 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe Apple will just deem graphics cards unnecessary and offer no explanation as to why their screens no longer turn on.


Apple has diagnosed the problem
By bubba551 on 4/20/2009 11:08:11 AM , Rating: 5
The "pixie dust" was left out during the final assembly.




RE: Apple has diagnosed the problem
By spread on 4/20/2009 6:12:11 PM , Rating: 3
Steve Jobs wasn't available to bless these Macs.


RE: Apple has diagnosed the problem
By Atheist Icon on 4/20/2009 6:50:44 PM , Rating: 3
I thought Rabbi's would work in the event of Steve Jobs not being there....


By murphyslabrat on 4/20/2009 8:27:04 PM , Rating: 5
no, Rabbi's are for the Jews. They need to have iRabb's do the job.


Ouch
By ciparis on 4/20/2009 11:24:50 AM , Rating: 2
That's gonna smart for the early adopters. The age-old advice to hold off on Apple's new models until the first owner reports trickle in is proven sage once more.




RE: Ouch
By achintya on 4/20/2009 11:44:19 AM , Rating: 3
This applies to most tech products, not just Apple ones.

In general, newly launched first gen hardware suffers from the most bugs/problems due to lack of mass testing.


RE: Ouch
By Scabies on 4/20/2009 1:47:06 PM , Rating: 2
are you kidding? I thought it was common practice to get the new Apple anything as soon as you could find one?
Apple users, researching their products. All lies.


Might be Heat Related
By ltcommanderdata on 4/20/2009 11:40:45 AM , Rating: 3
..if they are really putting a full desktop HD4850 in the iMac. Which is too bad, since the HD4850 is a pretty decent GPU, when it works of course.




RE: Might be Heat Related
By Totally on 4/21/2009 12:46:39 AM , Rating: 2
Doesn't look like it's heat relate, since the lockup happens when booting up into window via bootcamp. it's most likely software and I blame bootcamp as the culprit.


And in further news
By JakLee on 4/20/2009 3:14:51 PM , Rating: 2
In order to supply it's user base with an even better Apple like experience; Apple is proud to announce a partnership with a top 5 video card manufacturer - MATROX, inc. This is a HUGE boon for the next generation of Apple computers with increased stability and cutting edge features like multi-monitor support and enhanced 2d graphics capability. This will also prevent current issues with software errors due to driver issues running programs (like pesky 3d games) that have afflicted Mac's recently due to the failure of ATI and Nvidia.

Look for your new Imac soon!

*note: you can purchase this cutting edge graphics technology directly from your local Mac store for only $499 for your current Mac system.




RE: And in further news
By 9nails on 4/21/2009 9:15:27 PM , Rating: 2
Matrox was *the* card back in their day! I had a Millennium G200 they I gave away a few years back that still worked. Amazing quality, good performance, good price. I'm not sure how Matrox is these days - it's been 10 years since I've owned one. More of the same I hope.


Correct me if I am wrong...
By TreeDude62 on 4/21/2009 8:25:38 AM , Rating: 2
I thought ATI themselves only made the GPU and reference boards. Wouldn't that mean that some other company actually manufactures the board that the GPU is in? Which means the issue may not even be ATI's if it is the board that is bad.

BTW to anyone saying they have had issue with ATI cards, please state the card manufacturer as some are better than others. I have had 2 sapphire cards and never had an issue (my old 9600pro and my current 3870).




By Alexstarfire on 4/21/2009 10:27:45 AM , Rating: 2
I thought Apple used reference boards though? I could be totally wrong since I don't exactly check that stuff.


Sooo...
By jlips6 on 4/20/2009 4:41:22 PM , Rating: 3
even if this was the worst card ever created, isn't it still Apple's fault for allowing customers to use it in their pre-made computers?

After they buy it, it's anybody's buisness, but if this is one of the options that Apple gives, it doesn't matter how bad the card is. They shove strips of cardboard with a picture of a graphics card on it that they inherited from a wealthy Nigerian graphics card king online, it's Apple's fault for not checking that these strips of cardboard didn't work.




But... But...
By ZachDontScare on 4/20/2009 3:20:15 PM , Rating: 2
But as we've been lectured non stop for years, even though macs are basically PCs, they are better because they feature BETTER hardware, right?

Jeesh, between this and the new mac trojan horse they found, its not a good start of the week for apple fanboys.




I'm on my 3rd 4850
By Jellodyne on 4/20/2009 5:36:39 PM , Rating: 2
The symptoms described sound an awful lot like the first two 4850 cards I sent back to Asus. On my PC, mind you. The third is in the box next to the PC. I've been reluctant to remove the working graphics card to upgrade to yet another 4850 deal with that whole mess again...




Macs
By TheFace on 4/20/2009 11:07:54 AM , Rating: 1
In the proverbial words of the Human Torch,

"Flame on!"




As much as I hate Apple...
By Shawn on 4/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By weskurtz0081 on 4/20/2009 11:54:07 AM , Rating: 5
Wow, you think the ENTIRE lineup of 4800 cards has a problem based on your experience with 2 4830's? Really?


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By smackababy on 4/20/2009 11:56:00 AM , Rating: 2
Welcome to real life.

I don't think this is ATI's fault entirely on this one.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By knutjb on 4/20/2009 1:49:10 PM , Rating: 2
Funny how Apple gets a little finger wagging for something like this but Vista gets destroyed because of vendors bad drivers... One would think for as much as Apple charges they could have ensured proper cooling (card or case), if that is the problem, or at least proof their systems prior to release since they control everything. I thought that was the reason to spend so much on an Apple "it simply works", looks like they are starting to follow Microsoft by putting it out and fixing it with an update after numerous failures have been reported. If heat is the problem, who out there doesn't know the 4850 can be used as a hot plate? Who really knows what the real problem is since Apple won't say what the problem really is anyway.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By Shawn on 4/20/2009 2:03:38 PM , Rating: 2
Do a search for "atikmdag stopped responding".


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By weskurtz0081 on 4/20/2009 11:03:28 PM , Rating: 2
Well, I did that, and one thing I noticed in common is Vista, which makes me think it is a driver issue with Vista. Considering that we are currently talking about a problem they are having with Apple computers, I SERIOUSLY doubt it's the exact same driver problem which they may or may not have had with Vista.

So, once again, you think the entire lineup of 4800 cards are shot because of a Vista error?


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By Alexstarfire on 4/21/2009 10:31:28 AM , Rating: 2
To be fair they did say, as well as other posts have said, that it occurs, at least more frequently, when booting up Windows with BootCamp. Doesn't say what version of Windows though so that's anyone's guess.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By Bateluer on 4/20/2009 11:55:08 AM , Rating: 5
No, the problem is likely with Apple and them not providing adequate cooling for the GPU. They do have a history of this with various chips, ATI, Nvidia, Intel, and Motorola.

There are a great many people out there running Radeon 4800s without any problems whatsoever, myself included. My 4870 has been running since July 08 when I bought it without a single issue.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By weskurtz0081 on 4/20/2009 11:57:36 AM , Rating: 5
Bingo! Inadequate cooling FTW. The one thing the GPU's have in common between both Nvidia and ATI is the Apple platform and inadequate cooling.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By FITCamaro on 4/20/2009 12:10:31 PM , Rating: 3
That's because fans aren't cool so Apple doesn't like to use them.


By therealnickdanger on 4/20/2009 2:45:16 PM , Rating: 2
... but fans are like wind turbines. Wind turbines are green. Green is cool. So..

*headsplode*


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By Sazar on 4/20/2009 12:29:11 PM , Rating: 4
Apple's cool brand and image is all the cooling needed for these cards.


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By MonkeyPaw on 4/20/2009 4:10:39 PM , Rating: 2
IIRC, more than a few of Apple's past "stability incidents" have come from fan-speed throttling issues. I think that was even the case with the early Intel CPU adoption, when Macbookpros became near molten on the bottom. Fortunately, all the major semiconductor companies have thermal fail-safes to keep real damage from happening.

It's rather comical if Apple claims faulty chips, since they seem to have the same problems with whoever they use. These reoccurring issues mean one of 2 things, either really really bad luck with suppliers, or poor design--be it hardware or software. Other OEMs just don't have this kind of problem (or at least it's not reported).


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By plonk420 on 4/20/2009 6:06:05 PM , Rating: 2
no issues on my 2-pin fan HIS 4870 (bought around the time of the announced price drop).

it DID pop my PSU (or combination of it and CPU) in my cramped HTPC case, possibly due to heat, so now i'm running it with a beast of a PSU, a PC P&C...


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By kmmatney on 4/20/2009 1:18:50 PM , Rating: 2
Let me guess - you tried installing the HD4830 in an ASRock Dual VSTA motherboard...


RE: As much as I hate Apple...
By Shawn on 4/20/2009 2:05:04 PM , Rating: 2
Nope, it was a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3.


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