[mgorbach]

Hello everyone,
I am a new mac user and starting out with mac pro 2.66 ghz. I got it with the standard RAM configuration and I bought an additional 2gb from OWC. I put it and everything seem to be working well (and quicker!). But yesterday I started trying to play WoW and I am getting often kernel panics, referencing com.apple.GeForce. I ran some ram tests (ran 10 runs of memtest as well as the the apple hardware diagnostics on the disc (extended)) and they have shown no problems. This is really frustrating to have random crashes on such an expensive system. Should I not have bought 3rd party RAM, should I send it back? Any help would be much appreciated.

[cgc]

I also purchased a 2.66GHz Quad Intel Mac Pro and read that Apple recommneds only using their memory due to heat concerns (and fan noise). If the problem only occurs in WoW I'd try some other very CPU-intensive programs or games to see if the problem follows. It may be that WoW for Intel is buggy. Does your computer have any other problems?

[mgorbach]

Haven't really seen much problems other than that. The only fishy thing was when I finished running memtest in super user mode, i typed exit to continue booting the system and it crashed. A kernel panic according to the logs. Haven't seen any other crashes during running software. Also, the OWC ram i bought was special mac pro ram, with big heatsinks. Apple approved, I beleive.

[amazing]

Easy enough to test: take the OWC RAM out, and see if you still get kernel panics when playing WoW. After an extensive test (have fun!), put the RAM back in and see if the kernel panics resume.

[Big Mac]

OWC probably isn't a very good choice for RAM. With that said, what does the KP log say is crashing?

[Spliffdaddy]

Looks more like your video card driver is the problem.

[Big Mac]

You cannot really say that without seeing the log. WoW is very RAM intensive.

[mgorbach]

Sat Aug 19 20:27:49 2006
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x003A2287): getPhysicalSegment() out of 32b range 0x10f17f000, len 0x1000, class IOGeneralMemoryDescriptor
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x36fdb658 : 0x128cdb (0x3c99c4 0x36fdb67c 0x131cdf 0x0)
0x36fdb698 : 0x3a2287 (0x3edad8 0xf17f000 0x1 0x1000)
0x36fdb768 : 0x3a41e5 (0x657e900 0x0 0x0 0x5f67004)
0x36fdb788 : 0x67a40c (0x6c7c800 0x0 0x0 0x0)
0x36fdb7d8 : 0x687689 (0x411b7000 0x36fdb820 0x0 0x6c0791)
0x36fdb848 : 0x6c4a55 (0x5eb5804 0x7335204 0x0 0x2)
0x36fdb8d8 : 0x68ee4f (0xc1d00031 0xbeef0351 0x2 0x2)
0x36fdb918 : 0x68599f (0x36fdbc34 0x36fdbbd8 0x0 0x5c5d394)
0x36fdbbf8 : 0x67c285 (0x0 0x600d600d 0x7024 0x36fdbc34)
0x36fdbca8 : 0x88797c (0xc1d00031 0xbeef0351 0x2 0x2)
0x36fdbd18 : 0x3b0605 (0x6d94000 0x5f6288c 0x5f62890 0x5f62894)
0x36fdbd68 : 0x18a230 (0x6d94000 0x14 0x66edbc8 0x0)
0x36fdbdb8 : 0x12b498 (0x66edba0 0x5f62864 0x0 0x0)
0x36fdbdf8 : 0x124af1 (0x66edb00 0x0 0x2c 0x36fdbedc)
0x36fdbf08 : 0x1959e7 (0x36fdbf44 0x0 0x0 0x0)
0x36fdbfc8 : 0x19b18e (0x61f4920 0x1 0x10 0x0) Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.GeForce(4.3.6)@0x850000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x64c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.4)@0x667000
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(4.3.6)@0x676000
com.apple.NVDAResman(4.3.6)@0x676000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x64c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.4)@0x667000

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.7.2: Tue Jul 25 23:09:54 PDT 2006; root:xnu-792.10.96.obj~3/RELEASE_I386


*********

[Spliffdaddy]

Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.GeForce(4.3.6)@0x850000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x64c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.4)@0x667000
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(4.3.6)@0x676000
com.apple.NVDAResman(4.3.6)@0x676000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x64c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.4)@0x667000

Those are all nVidia graphics related.

RAM problems typically exhibit themselves as purely random errors and KPs. It is difficult to recreate the same error time and again if the problem is the RAM.

If you *always* get the above-mentioned errors, I'd say it's either the video card or its driver.

[mgorbach]

Interestingly, I have taken out the extra RAM and am now getting NO kernel panics once in for all. The only kernel panic I have seen (with the RAM in) that is outside WoW was the following, whicih I got after testing memory with memtest in super user mode and typing exit to continue booting the system into normal OSX.

Fri Aug 18 23:40:11 2006
panic(cpu 2 caller 0x003A2287): getPhysicalSegment() out of 32b range 0x115b42000, len 0x1000, class IOGeneralMemoryDescriptor
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x371236a8 : 0x128cdb (0x3c99c4 0x371236cc 0x131cdf 0x0)
0x371236e8 : 0x3a2287 (0x3edad8 0x15b42000 0x1 0x1000)
0x371237b8 : 0x56c07f09 (0x5cd7680 0x0 0x371237dc 0x3a4435)
0x371237f8 : 0x56c081f4 (0x5cd7680 0x61 0x0 0x5ef2844)
0x37123858 : 0x56c155b7 (0x355fe004 0x5ef2828 0x61 0x1)
0x37123898 : 0x56c4b7f1 (0x5ef2804 0x200206 0x371238c8 0x37ec58)
0x37123938 : 0x56c172b5 (0x5ef2804 0x5eaf804 0x61000 0x0)
0x371239a8 : 0x56c17952 (0x60fff 0x0 0x37123a1c 0x37123a18)
0x37123a38 : 0x56d33832 (0xc1d00004 0x31415929 0x31415932 0x3e)
0x37123ab8 : 0x56c0dbfb (0x5eaf804 0x5ebf604 0x0 0x56d8a7a8)
0x37123b38 : 0x56c05bb3 (0x0 0x4ad9b0 0x92000001 0x680e8000)
0x37123b88 : 0x56c06d1e (0x5db7c00 0x5920500 0x0 0x0)
0x37123bd8 : 0x56c06e30 (0x5db7c00 0x5d3c200 0x5db7c00 0x1)
0x37123c18 : 0x56be8155 (0x5db7c00 0x1 0x0 0x0)
0x37123c78 : 0x56be2065 (0x5db7c00 0x5 0x5 0x5db7c00)
0x37123c98 : 0x38a179 (0x5db7c00 0x57afea0 0x57afea0 0x0) Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.NVDAResman(4.3.6)@0x56c04000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x56bda000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.4.4)@0x56bf5000
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.4.4)@0x56bda000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.1)@0x59d000

Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.7.2: Tue Jul 25 23:09:54 PDT 2006; root:xnu-792.10.96.obj~3/RELEASE_I386

Any suggestions regarding how I can confirm whether or not this is a RAM issue or something WoW related?

PS. The kernel panics in WoW occur more or less randomly. Most of the time they occur while first trying to log in to the game. I get the "your computer needs to be rebooted" screen.

[Marioz]

I just received my two Gb from OWC but as my MacPro was ordered w/h the X1900 and wireless/BT options it will arrive in some weeks :-(.
Anyway I did a very extensive search before to order RAM to anybody. OWC is the only one (at the moment) who sells RAM that follows all the Apple prescriptions.

[chefpastry]

mgorbach, have you contacted OWC? What did they have to say about it?

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

OWC probably isn't a very good choice for RAM...

OWC is an excellent RAM vendor. Just call their tech support and chat it up. First, though, I would test with just the OWC RAM in as well as with just the Apple RAM in. And I would experiment with changing the slot configuration too.

Note that with Photoshop CS2 for a long time RAM in excess of 4 GB caused flakiness. Sometimes weird things can happen with RAM, especially with brand new boxes and/or app versions.

If you do identify bad RAM either vendor will exchange it, no problem.

[cgc]

I read that a company (I think it was OWC) had made Apple certified RAM for the Mac Pro but had to redo their RAM design to have better characteristics. Not sure if this was OWC, but I thin kit was.

[k2director]

It wasn't OWC that had to redo its RAM design. OWC had the right ram essentially from day one. However, there were multiple reports of Crucial and Kingston selling ram for the Mac Pro, and then having to take the ram back when they discovered that the ram didn't meet Apple's specs.

[Leonard]

You may want to check your MacOS X build on your new Mac Pro Mac Pro: Video frame rate appears to be slow in some programs . Apparently there is a chance a few Mac Pros from the manufacturer, got out with the wrong build.

It may not be your problem, but you may want to check before you do too much debugging.