[macOS M3] GPU Panic, Causing System-wide Kernel Panic

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macOS M3 GPU Panic: A System-Wide Kernel Panic

Introduction

The Apple M3 Pro is a powerful and feature-rich laptop, but like any complex system, it's not immune to bugs and issues. In this article, we'll delve into a specific problem that has been reported by users: a system-wide kernel panic caused by the GPU. We'll explore the symptoms, reproduction steps, and potential causes of this issue, as well as provide some troubleshooting tips to help you resolve the problem.

Symptoms

When creating the initial Mii, the whole computer crashes. The symptoms of this issue include:

  • Random colored squares and lines flash across the screen
  • UI elements distort or vanish
  • Portions of the screen rapidly flicker or smear
  • The mouse cursor may freeze briefly, followed by the entire display locking up or going black
  • The system freezes, leading to an automatic reboot triggered by a GPU panic

Reproduction Steps

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Azahar on macOS M3 Pro
  2. Boot a clean, stock 3DS firmware
  3. Open Mii Maker
  4. Begin creating the initial Mii

Warning: The whole computer will crash, and any unsaved work will be lost. (I found this out the hard way)

Log File

The log file provides valuable information about the crash, including the following:

  • panic(cpu 7 caller 0xfffffe002ef332a4): IOGPUGroupMemory.cpp:214 Assertion failed: result != kIOReturnSuccess at pc 0xfffffe0030d1e78c, lr 0xfffffe0030d08330 (saved state: 0xfffffe8e5620e3e0)
  • x0: 0x0000000000000000 x1: 0x0000000000000100 x2: 0x0000000000000100 x3: 0x0000000000000001
  • x4: 0x000000011d0108b9 x5: 0x0000000000000000 x6: 0x0000000000000000 x7: 0x0000000000000000
  • x8: 0xfffffe002e23693c x9: 0x0000000000000001 x10: 0x0000000000000000 x11: 0x00000000f8acd1d2
  • x12: 0x0200000000000000 x13: 0x0000000000000000 x14: 0xffffffffffffffff x15: 0xffffffffffffffff
  • x16: 0x0000000000000000 x17: 0x3a87fe002dca34d0 x18: 0x0000000000000000 x19: 0xfffffe2465947ca0
  • x20: 0x0000000000000000 x21: 0xfffffe2465947d10 x22: 0xfffffe2465947d68 x23: 0x0000000000000001
  • x24: 0xfffffe1f9dad6a00 x25: 0xd2df5eae9291b200 x26: 0xffffffffffffffff x27: 0xfffffe8e5620e810
  • x28: 0x0000000000000000 fp: 0xfffffe8e5620e7e0 lr:0xfffffe0030d08330 sp: 0xfffffe8e5620e730
  • pc: 0xfffffe0030d1e78c cpsr: 0x80401208 esr: 0xaaaaaaaaf200bffc far: 0x0000000124c05cc0

Debugger Message

panic

Memory ID

0x6

OS Release Type

User

OS Version

24E263

Kernel Version

Darwin Kernel Version 24.4.0: Fri Apr 11 18:33:47 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.101.15~117/RELEASE_ARM64_T6030

Fileset Kernelcache UUID

AC412664E74EA7733952478F1E5358E2

Kernel UUID

E99A8F1D-76EB-3617-AAA6-F8FF941C424A

Boot Session UUID

674968B6-9D5F-4CDB-BFC6-AC93EE1DA55C

iBoot Version

iBoot-11881.101.1

iBoot Stage 2 Version

iBoot-11881.101.1

Secure Boot

YES

Roots Installed

0

Paniclog Version

14

Kernel Cache Slide

0x0000000025ef0000

Kernel Cache Base

0xfffffe002cef4000

Kernel Slide

0x0000000025ef8000

Kernel Text Base

0xfffffe002cefc000

Kernel Text Exec Slide

0x0000000027640000

Kernel Text Exec Base

0xfffffe002e644000

mach_absolute_time

0x11e7803b5

Epoch Time

sec: 0x681d745a usec: 0x00015c72

Zone Info

Zone map: 0xfffffe1168000000 - 0xfffffe3768000000 .VM: 0xfffffe1168000000 - 0xfffffe1734000000 .RO: 0xfffffe1734000000 - 0xfffffe19ce000000 .GEN0: 0xfffffe19ce000000 - 0xfffffe1f9a000000 .GEN1: 0xfffffe1f9a000000 - 0xfffffe2566000000 .GEN2: 0xfffffe2566000000 - 0xfffffe2b32000000 .GEN3: 0xfffffe2b32000000 - 0xfffffe30fe000000 .DATA: 0xfffffe30fe000000 - 0xfffffe3768000000 .Metadata: 0xfffffe60fe010000 - 0xfffffe6107810000 .Bitmaps: 0xfffffe6107810000 - 0xfffffe610abc4000 .Extra: 0 - 0

CORE 0 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 1 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 2 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 3 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 4 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 5 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 6 Recently Retiredstr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 7 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e8059ec

CORE 8 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 9 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

CORE 10 Recently Retired Instr

0xfffffe002e807280

TPIDRx_ELy

1 0xfffffe2a30022750 0: 0x0000000000001007 0ro: 0x00000003281130e0

CORE 0 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 1 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 2 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 3 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 4 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 5 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 6 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 7 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 8 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 9 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 10 PVH Locks Held

None

CORE 0 PC

0x0000000198c71c9c

CORE 1 PC

0xfffffe002ee21028

CORE 2 PC

0xfffffe002e6dde1c

CORE 3 PC

0xfffffe002e6dde1c

CORE 4 PC

0xfffffe002e801938

CORE 5 PC

0xfffffe002e801938

CORE 6 PC

0xfffffe002e6dde1c

CORE 7 PC

0xfffffe002e6dde1c

CORE 8 PC

0xfffffe002e6dde1c

CORE 9 PC

0xfffffe002e801938

CORE 10 PC

0xfffffe002e801938

Compressor Info

4% of compressed pages limit (OK) and 2% of segments limit (OK) with 0 swapfiles and OK swap space

Panicked Task

0xfffffe2ffd210e58: 16055 pages, 42 threads: pid 1302: azahar

Panicked Thread

0xfffffe2a30022750, backtrace: 0xfffffe8e5620db30, tid: 14817

Kernel Extensions in Backtrace

com.apple.iokit.IOGPUFamily(104.4.1)[
macOS M3 GPU Panic: A System-Wide Kernel Panic - Q&A

Q: What is a system-wide kernel panic?

A: A system-wide kernel panic is a critical error that occurs when the operating system's kernel, which is the core of the operating system, crashes or becomes unstable. This can cause the entire system to freeze or shut down.

Q: What causes a system-wide kernel panic?

A: A system-wide kernel panic can be caused by a variety of factors, including hardware issues, software bugs, and driver problems. In the case of the macOS M3 GPU panic, it is believed to be caused by a bug in the IOGPUFamily driver.

Q: What are the symptoms of a system-wide kernel panic?

A: The symptoms of a system-wide kernel panic can vary depending on the specific cause of the issue, but common symptoms include:

  • The system freezing or shutting down
  • A blue screen of death (BSOD) or a kernel panic screen
  • Error messages or logs indicating a kernel panic
  • The system becoming unresponsive or crashing

Q: How can I troubleshoot a system-wide kernel panic?

A: To troubleshoot a system-wide kernel panic, you can try the following steps:

  1. Check the system logs: Look for error messages or logs that may indicate the cause of the kernel panic.
  2. Run a diagnostic test: Run a diagnostic test, such as a memory test or a disk test, to identify any hardware issues.
  3. Update drivers: Update the drivers for your hardware, including the IOGPUFamily driver.
  4. Reinstall the operating system: If the issue persists, you may need to reinstall the operating system.

Q: Can I prevent a system-wide kernel panic?

A: While it is not possible to completely prevent a system-wide kernel panic, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood of one occurring. These include:

  1. Keeping your operating system and drivers up to date: Regularly update your operating system and drivers to ensure you have the latest security patches and bug fixes.
  2. Running regular diagnostic tests: Run regular diagnostic tests to identify any hardware issues before they cause a kernel panic.
  3. Monitoring system performance: Monitor your system's performance and watch for signs of instability or crashes.

Q: What should I do if I experience a system-wide kernel panic?

A: If you experience a system-wide kernel panic, follow these steps:

  1. Save any unsaved work: Immediately save any unsaved work to prevent data loss.
  2. Restart the system: Restart the system to attempt to recover from the kernel panic.
  3. Run a diagnostic test: Run a diagnostic test to identify the cause of the kernel panic.
  4. Contact Apple support: If the issue persists, contact Apple support for further assistance.

Q: Is there a fix for the macOS M3 GPU panic?

A: Yes, Apple has released a fix for the macOS M3 GPU panic. You can update your operating system to the latest version to resolve the issue.

Q: Can I recover data from a system-wide kernel panic?

A: In most cases, data can be recovered from a system-wide kernel panic. However, the likelihood of successful data recovery depends on the severity of the kernel panic and the type of data that was being worked on at the time of the crash.