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Green screen of death + reboot

Landing

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 30, 2021
53
26
Hi,
I’m not sure if it’s my monitor or not (a 4K OLED Samsung G80SD). With my MacBook Pro M2 Pro and Studio M2 Max, after some time, I experienced what I can only describe as the “green screen of death.” This means that a green screen appears at some point, causing the computer to freeze and then reboot.

I’m not sure what’s happening. It’s odd because I have no problems using my MacBook Pro M1 Max.

I’m not sure if others have the same problem as me. I can’t explain it.

MBP M2 Pro and M1 Max are using Sequoia
Mac Studio is using Tahoe ( same issue when it was on Sequoia)
Samsung OLED 4k at 240Hz (VRR) through Hdmi 2.1 (same experience using display port)

I don't know what to do.
 
Have you tried booting into safe mode to see if it also happens there? If it doesn't, it could be an app that starts automatically or part of macOS that is corrupted/not happy.

Next steps:
Make a backup of your system
Disable all apps that start automatically then reboot and see if the problem persists.

If it does, reinstall macOS (without data loss, though it is always wise to make a backup just in case!) and see if that resolves the issue.
 
Landing said:
I don't know what to do
Click to expand...
If its happening on two different computers, on two different versions of macOS, then we can easily eliminate mac hardware. Maybe something is up with the monitor if the failure occurs with the MBP when hooked up to the monitor.

Try to replicate the issue on the MPB when its not on the monitor.

What applications are in use when this issue hits?

In googling this, many of the returned links point a GPU failing, or flex gate (that ribbon cable that connect the display to the GPU in MBPs). Since its happening on both computers its extremely unlikely both the studio and MBP's gpu are failing at the same exact time ion the same exact way.
 
Try a different display (anything at all will do for now).
Do the problems disappear?
Or... do they remain the same?
 
It seems to be related to the VRR. I don't have reboot without it.
 
"It seems to be related to the VRR. I don't have reboot without it."

What is "VRR"?
Does that mean variable refresh rate?

If it does, then can't you set the display to a NON-variable refresh rate?
As in, say, 120hz or 60hz?
If you do this, does it still crash?

Sometimes one has to do... what one has to do.
And... live with it that way.

(I'm thinking that if the refresh rate "varies", then the Mac [which probably expects the refresh rate to remain steady] will "go out of sync" with the display, and that could be problematic...)
 
Landing said:
It seems to be related to the VRR. I don't have reboot without it.
Click to expand...
It has to do with the bandwidth - power exhaustion on the thunderbolt ports. If you have monitors that have a refresh rate of 120Hz etc…- no issue with 60Hz

I recently had a similar issue, and had to re-do the setup, using different ports to spread the bandwidth - power pull. Called Apple Support and they confirmed it’s a bandwidth limitation of the ports being hit. Its worth visiting the Genius Bar for a chat regarding this.
 
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2 different computers, 2 different cables.
So what's common : M chips + VRR monitor.

We had problems with Eizo monitors because of M chips :
"The video signal output from the Mac computer with Apple M series Chip is fluctuating in several frame cycles, which may be interfering with the LCD panel control of the external monitor.". (Eizo support)
It's probably a mess with a VRR monitor. We use "Stillcolor" to stop M chips dithering.

A green display with reboot (kernel panic) is a hardware problem, probably bandwidth limitation.
Try to limit and fix refresh rate at 60 Hz with BetterDisplay.
 
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