Macbook Pro M1 Max Problems

[@that1cameraguy]

I’ve had my 14inch max MacBook Pro since it came out and have not had any crashes, maybe 1 time. Hopefully they can just replace it.

[@Richard_Lutz]

That would be great. We will see what happens. Glad to hear that your computer is working!

[@doritosicecream2820]

well this look likes the new META of the industries, where they roll out half completed products then make the changes and fixes with the help of user reporting those problems. thanks for the update I'll wait for a bit before going in to the store and pull the trigger on it.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I hope this is not the case. As a working pro I need to be confident that my gear is going to work everyday.

[@waynerm002]

I'm thinking there maybe a hardware issue or some software not playing nice, with yours. I am going to guess you have tested it with only the Mac OS installed and it still crashes? If so, then it would be something with the hardware as there would be a lot of videos out on this. With this kind of unit where everything is integrated, the system board would need to be changed out, with these units being hard to come by, that means you'll need a new machine. Sadly there is a bit of a wait for them at this point. Mine has been running smooth without crashes. I purchased a M1 Mac Mini a couple of months back and out of the box, it had issues. It wouldn't connect to my 32 inch external monitor without crashing after a couple minutes of use. I couldn't set it up on that monitor, had to use a travel USB-C monitor to setup and after a couple of days of this, I returned it and ordered a M1 Air, which was has been great to use and my wife now has that machine. The only thing I would change about my order is getting the 2TB drive instead of the 1TB I got.

[@S3XYEV]

My biggest issue has just been getting used to the Mac OS, after many decades of Windows PCs - LOL 😆...LOVING it so far though! 💜 ...I am sorry to hear about the issues you have experienced! ...Maybe it's a MAX-Chip situation? I've not heard of this happening with other Max users, however. Sounds like a "Lemon" 🍋to me as well! There's always going to be "some" units that will have problems, without it being a full product-line defect. I have the Pro, as I don't currently have the need for the extra GPU cores - I use Adobe programs, Davinci, etc. Everything have been smooth and FAST! ....I haven't come close to maxing out the chip - all with no heat, I have yet to hear the fans, and ALL-Day battery Life! 🔋It's amazing! .....When I do need more, I'll simply upgrade, and it will be M2 or M3 by then - LOL 😆 - the resale value of these will no doubt be amazing.

[@RogerZoul]

I've had mine well before thanksgiving 2021 and it has never crashed. I do have strange behavior with the SD card going missing, bur no crashing. I hope you got your replaced by now.

[@pvitale]

Wow I have maxed out 14 inch and it never crashed once on me. Has to be a software issue. Are you running anything like istats or whatever. Wish you luck. Loving mine.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I actually reached out to Apple and they ran diagnostics on it when I connected to their server. I got a NDR005 and NDR006 code which sounds like the trackpad. This is also after reintsalling the OS and updating the OS. I have an Genius Bar appointment for this week. It will be interesting to hear what they say. I may end up returning it to get a maxed out 16-inch. Updates to follow!

[@richard_loosemore]

Okay, so I have to tell you my experience. I had an M1 mini that had problems, and one of those was intermittent crashes. Took it Apple Store: result was “It passes all the tests”. But I didn’t give up. The store explained that they only have limited abilities to diagnose, and they told me to file an online support case. I did. At first I got nowhere, but I persisted. I got bumped up to level 2 support. Still no joy. I didn’t give up. I think I went to Level 3. Lots of talking, trying a bazillion Usual Suspects. No improvement. Finally, my online support guy (who was really good by the way) eventually suggested I take it back to the store again, so back to the store I went. FINALLY they decided to keep going with days and days of tests, and just before they were about to give up, they guy there saw it crash. That was all he needed: he replaced the entire logic board for free, effectively giving me a new machine. All along, it was a defective logic board, not my imagination. Now, if he had not seen that crash, the online support people would have bumped it up to the level where they install software and monitor its behavior for days or weeks on end, and the would definitely have seen the crashes then. So don’t give up! You have a defective logic board, I’m absolutely sure of it. They owe you a new one.

[@Richard_Lutz]

Thanks! The problem resolved itself. It only happened at my parents house which is very odd.

[@EastEndEnquirer]

At last! I am not alone (or going nuts!). I bought a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) 16Gb 1TB in December in London UK and have had nothing but problems with it, mainly unstable OS which crashes whenever it feels like it. Most was five crashes in eight minutes one morning. Three trips to Apple Store - they could not find anything wrong with it - no idea how many calls to Apple Support (60+ maybe) and have had my problem escalated to a Senior Advisor who would stick with me until problem solved. Had about five of those. Reinstalled OS, you name and I have done it. Zapped the drive again on Friday, reinstall Monterey 12.3 and... still crashes. Also have an odd problem where cannot select text or drag and drop when using trackpad sometimes but fine when I plug a mouse in. Huh? Had similar problem to sonoflysistrata below in that Apple's approach has been "we cant reproduce the fault therefore there is no fault". What? Tech support has been very disjointed with a lack of following basic procedures and it seems engineer not checking what the previous engineer tried. Their favourite trick was telling me it was the peripherals attached to it when there were none at all. Nothing. As Richard said in the video the biggest problem is that I do not trust this machine. Certainly not to take to a client site. Or even run reliably at home. Basic problems with Apple not being able to contact me (when everyone else can) and an approach that seems to be "if we don't contact him to see if the problem is solved he might forget about it" which really winds me up. I have been using Apple products since my first SE/30 and this is without doubt the worst Mac I have ever had by far. Joke is that the 11 year old Intel Macbook Pro with cracked screen and flaky battery which the new M1 was supposed to replace is absolutely fine. Just runs and runs and runs. So.... I am sticking with this until I am 100% satisfied that this machine is worth the £2,500 UKP I paid for it. I would have been much better off buying a Windows machine. And I hate Windows. Anyway thanks for all your comments, so nice to see it is not just me having these problems. Well, not nice for you of course but.... you know what I mean! Stick with it! Mark

[@rollforever85]

Damn.. that sounds awful

[@deltametaYT]

Bummer on the MacBook. I heard many Apple stores have been closed recently. Hope that doesn’t mess with your trip to Seattle.

[@Richard_Lutz]

It's actually the reason why I'm headed over there. There is no authorized service centers between Bellevue and Spokane. I'm hoping they can get it fixed in one day. It could take two weeks if I opted to have it sent out for service.

[@danphilpott6302]

So how did it turn out? You still having problems? Mine is on the way. Update!?

[@Richard_Lutz]

I actually kept the computer. It's been working great.

[@2107J]

..did you receive your MacBook before or after Nov.1st? in case you got it after, I'd just make use of the prolonged refunds which is valid through Jan.8th. this really doesn't sound normal. hope you're being helped by apple.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I placed my order on Nov. 11th. and received it Dec. 9th. I have a Genius Bar appointment for next week. I've considered returning my current M1 Max and getting a fully maxed out version. The problem is this is the only computer I have and I could be without a computer for a month. Not ideal.

[@2107J]

@@Richard_Lutz I'd do a backup and return it for a new one.. better safe than sorry ;) a backup and reboot should take less than a month. you'd need to put up with that kind of problem for the next years of usage instead, which I wouldn't recommend. til then, happy new year and best regards from germany

[@Richard_Lutz]

@@2107J I appreciate the feedback and thoughts. I could always get a cheap computer to hold me over in the meantime and then return it when the new MBP arrives. Hope you're going well in Germany and staying safe. Happy New Year!

[@tonycaine5930]

I wish you would have added some footage of the laptop freezing.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I probably should have. It is extremely unexpected at times. It would've been tough to grab my phone and record it.

[@GiorgioAlzora54]

I did not experience such issue with my M1 macbook air and my macbook pro M1 max. Did you install bad software ? Very strange. For me it is just an amazing machine. Expensive yes but considering the perf and the shelflife, not so expensive.

[@qwesisikka7880]

You’ve spoken about crashes but not once mentioned the software or if the software is M1 compatible. There can be so many factors effecting stability not just Apple hardware.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I agree with this. The thing that I noticed is it was unpredictable. I had no idea what was causing the problems to happen in the first place.

[@qwesisikka7880]

@@Richard_Lutz You just need to be a bit more specific. Anyway I hope you got the issue resolved.

[@NOT_A_TOP_FAN]

Had mine for 2 months now. For me, it's Intel based software that I need to use, which aren't optimized AT ALL. Yeah, they are on Rosetta 2, but so laggy, I have to use another laptop for my workflow. It's a complete beatdown. When I was doing my due diligence, I knew there was some software on Rosetta 2 that I use quite a bit, but assumed they were at least functional (until developers reworked them).... These are click, wait 4, 5, 6 seconds for something to engage...and that's just silly.... This is a "professional" laptop, that kind of performance is unacceptable, and instead of using Rosetta 2 as an excuse or whatever, they just shouldn't even say things are compatible. I know all this is a developer issue, but it does irritate me that Apple doesn't proactively attempt to either speed developers along in updating, or just provide better transparency, so people don't waste their time.... Since I got my MacBook during the holidays, I have until 1/8 to return. I don't want to, but I also can't have a workflow that is taking me longer, when the entire point of purchasing this was for "efficiency"....

[@Richard_Lutz]

It's frustrating. My computer crashed twice today and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do. A part of me wants to return it and upgrade. Unfortunately, I already sent back my old computer so if I trade it in I could be waiting nearly 2 months to get the computer. That is a long time to wait. I'm just concerned a 10-core CPU and a 24 GPU with 32 gb won't be enough power in a few years.

[@NOT_A_TOP_FAN]

@@Richard_Lutz I hear you. Personally, I think you have a lemon. I've had issues, but crashing isn't one of them. And I'm assuming all of your software is native apple stuff (or at least it's truly optimized), Considering the issues you''re having with that computer, and you're questioning if you got the right specs, maybe just doing the return and upgrading will be the best move. Solving for the gap inbetween getting another one will be tough, but I know anytime I've questioned if I should have gotten "more" specs, it's something that just hard to move past. If it's in your budget, it probably will give you the peace of mind you need. I mean, it's not like you won't use the performance......

[@Richard_Lutz]

@@NOT_A_TOP_FAN I appreciate the feedback. I had a mid-2015 MBP that wasn't this unstable. I have an Genius Bar appointment next week. If they cancel it or have to send the computer out I'm going to to return the computer. I can live with a Mac Mini for a month or two and sell it later.

[@kenroman777]

Just today basically running nothing it started to get warm on my lap whil;e watching a youtube and I noticed in about 42 minutes it went from 100 to 86 % battery. That was crazy so I shut down restarted after charging to 100% and now for 45 minutes doing the same thing it is cool and still at 100%..

[@Richard_Lutz]

@@kenroman777 ​ @Ken Roman I haven't heard that problem before. This is on the M1 Max?

[@armandolo17]

I do not think your new mac should crash, i got mine 3 weeks ago and works perfect. Which programs are running ? Do you see any memory leak ? Is that problem is hardware related you should return it asap.

[@Richard_Lutz]

I ran diagnostics when speaking to Apple. After connecting with their server they scanned my computer and got NDR005 and NDR006 error codes. Sounds like it’s an issue with the trackpad.

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

@@Richard_Lutz sounds like defective hardware. Shouldn’t be hard to fix. Hope everything works out 💪🏻

[@BarkingMadMediaCan]

I've only had one freeze since having it a month. Sounds like you got a lemon

[@Tetex]

I have been using Arch Linux for months and it just crashed once in all these months. Windows used to crash all the time. Hearing your story with macOS makes me want to stick with Linux.

[@Brickoliciousness]

I'd argue that it's a lemon. No Mac PC products I've owned, have crashed more than 2-3 times in their lifetime.

[@brownievegas7092]

I'm in agreement with the suggestion to return the M1 Max based on your issues. The freezing doesn't seem like a commonality with these machines. At least I haven't experienced it on my M1 Max. Be a good opportunity to get the maxxed out M1 Max instead since you seemed to have some buyer's remorse from getting a lesser spec'd laptop. Wish you well anyways.

[@Richard_Lutz]

Thanks for your feedback. I just need to find a way to get something to hold me over until I get a new computer. I looked on Apple's website and I would have to wait until March to get a maxed out machine. Not ideal.

[@gabeenterprises3537]

it's so obvious that you just want to be rid of this computer and purchase a maxed out one. Just sell it online and buy an new one.

[@Richard_Lutz]

Purchased a new one. I won't get it until sometime in March.

[@peterbreis5407]

I don't have your problem with my Macbook Pro M1 Pro but there are problems with Big Sur on M1. I am a very long term Apple customer and can offer you one valuable piece of advice: Do not make Apple's problems yours. You have paid a premium price for the hardware, software and customer service. Be firm and polite, Apple will try and suggest the problem is purely you and nobody in the entire universe has ever had it, but don't buy that. If you make it crystal clear you are unsatisfied and can not tolerate your work being lost and constantly interrupted they will usually do everything to fix it starting with a replacement unit if necessary. btw You didn't say what software you are using. Is it by any chance Premiere Pro? because that may be the issue. Still it should not take the whole Mac down.

[@Richard_Lutz]

Thanks for your feedback. It's definately not Premiere because it has crashed when I was not using the program. For instance, it crashed 3 times in one day when using Chrome. No other pro level programs were running at the time which is odd. A few weeks ago I connected with Apple Care and they ran diagnostics and got a NDR005 and NDR006 error code which is the trackpad. Apple also said they would let me replace the machine.

[@pashafaith3639]

24 core GPU is called M1 pro not Max, only 32 Core GPU is the Max. So the title of your video should be the M1 MacBook Pro!

[@Richard_Lutz]

You're entitled to your opinion, but I have the M1 Max chip.

[@waynerm002]

The 24 and 32 core GPU units both falls under M1 Max nomenclature. The 16 core is the M1 Pro.

[@pashafaith3639]

@@waynerm002 it’s not an opinion, it is the fact. Look at apple website, and congratulations. The 24 core GPU unit, has the same memory bandwidth as M1 with 16 core GPU. M1 Max chip has higher bandwidth 400 ( 24 core is 200) and also M1 Max supports 3 6k monitors versus 2 for 16 or 24 cores….. in your opinion you have M1 max but the fact is different.M1 max is only one that is not configurable.

[@waynerm002]

@@pashafaith3639 I like your passion on the subject but you have misread the information on Apple's site. M1 Pro - up to 16 core GPU, M1 Max - up to 32 core GPU. Don't believe us, go to the site, do a build on the M1 Pro and select the 24 core option, you will see it is listed as a M1 Max and it also allows you to select 64GB of RAM, that option is not available on a M1 Pro machine. By the way, which machine did you get?

[@ck8708]

I respect this guy's assertiveness in saying stupid things.