Game freezing after 2-3 hours of play, causing a system-wide freeze within minutes .

Hi,

As of 12/24, my game has been consistently freezing after a few hours of play. On the other hand, I've seen a similar kind of freeze on another machine I recently owned, so I can't be certain that this freeze is new, or unique to this particular machine.

Thankfully, the system freezes cause a series of Diagnostic Reports that I'm able to see once I'm able to restart. The file names for this series are consistently as follows: ‘Kernel_[date]_[machine name].gpuRestart’. But again, on the other hands, even now as I'm about to try a different user on this machine for testing purposes, I already have 20 new ‘Kernel_[date]_[machine name].gpuRestart’ reports.

-- Things I've Tried --
- Updated my software and firmware. I am on the most up to date version of my OS.
- Cleanly installed my graphics card drivers. Not since the error started, but the drivers were a completely clean and up to date install as of two days before these recent issues.
- Made sure antivirus programs are not getting in the way.
- Ensured I'm not using freesync or G-sync monitor. I'm not. :)
- Performed a clean boot. No change that I've noticed.
- Unplugged any unnecessary peripherals, like a backup drive. No change. I even tried running without the second monitor, and it made no difference.
- Tried to run with no other applications open (other than Activity Monitor) to ensure no "interference". No change. (Though I would be pretty surprised if I couldn't also run a handful of other apps at the same time.)
- Ensured that the latest version of Safari is installed, that are accepted and not being filtered, and that all Browser History and Cookies/Web Data is absent. Easy, since I don't use Safari!
- Checked the FFXIV recommended port ranges to make sure they are opened/forwarded/triggered.
- Tried a direct wired connection to my modem. No change.

Any ideas? Technical support, any idea what to do with my system freezing every couple of hours while playing? :D

Some specs . . .

-=-=-=-=-=-=- FFXIV Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-
Unsure how to obtain for my OS; happy to get this information to you!

=-=-=-=-=-=- System Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac Pro
Model Identifier: iMacPro1,1
Processor Name: Intel Xeon W
Processor Speed: 3 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 10
L2 Cache (per Core): 1 MB
L3 Cache: 13.8 MB
Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled
Memory: 128 GB
Boot ROM Version: 1554.60.15.0.0 (iBridge: 18.16.13030.0.0,0)

Radeon Pro Vega 64:
Chipset Model: Radeon Pro Vega 64
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 16 GB
Vendor: AMD (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x6860
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-D0500D-114
VBIOS Version: 113-D05001A1XT-018
Option ROM Version: 113-D05001A1XT-018
EFI Driver Version: 01.01.114
Metal: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily2 v1
Displays:
iMac:
Display Type: Built-In Retina LCD
Resolution: 5120 x 2880 Retina
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Color (ARGB2101010)
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
LG UltraFine:
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p 4K UHD - Ultra High Definition)
UI Looks like: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Color (ARGB2101010)
Display Serial Number: 010NTMX1W619
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Automatically Adjust Brightness: No
Connection Type: DisplayPort

Devices:

LG UltraFine Display Audio:

Manufacturer: LG Electronics Inc.
Output Channels: 2
Current SampleRate: 48000
Transport: USB
Output Source: Default

iMac Pro Microphone:

Default Input Device: Yes
Input Channels: 1
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Current SampleRate: 48000
Transport: Built-in
Input Source: iMac Pro Microphone

iMac Pro Speakers:

Default Output Device: Yes
Default System Output Device: Yes
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Output Channels: 2
Current SampleRate: 48000
Transport: Built-in
Output Source: iMac Pro Speakers

Bluetooth: Version 6.0.14d12, 3 services, 27 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Model: iMacPro1,1, BootROM 1554.60.15.0.0 (iBridge: 18.16.13030.0.0,0), 10 processors, Intel Xeon W, 3 GHz, 128 GB, SMC
Boot Volume File System Type: apfs
Thunderbolt Bus: iMac Pro, Apple Inc., 41.4
Thunderbolt Bus: iMac Pro, Apple Inc., 41.4
Graphics: kHW_AMDRadeonProVega64Item, Radeon Pro Vega 64, spdisplays_pcie_device, 16 GB
USB Device: USB 3.0 Bus
USB Device: Magic Keyboard
USB Device: USB/PS2 Wheel Mouse
USB Device: Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable
USB Device: USB 3.1 Bus
USB Device: USB3.1 Hub
USB Device: USB2.1 Hub
USB Device: Hub
USB Device: LG UltraFine Display Controls
USB Device: LG UltraFine Display Audio
USB Device: iBridge Bus
USB Device: Headset
USB Device: Ambient Light Sensor
USB Device: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
USB Device: Apple T2 Controller
Memory Module: NODE 1/CPU1_DIMM_A0, 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, Hynix, HMA84GR7AFR4N-VK
Memory Module: NODE 1/CPU1_DIMM_B0, 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, Hynix, HMA84GR7AFR4N-VK
Memory Module: NODE 1/CPU1_DIMM_C0, 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, Hynix, HMA84GR7AFR4N-VK
Memory Module: NODE 1/CPU1_DIMM_D0, 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz, Hynix, HMA84GR7AFR4N-VK
bridge_model: iBridge2,1
AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x7BF), wl0: Oct 23 2019 08:32:36 version 9.137.11.0.32.6.36 FWID 01-671ec60c
Network Service: Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
Network Service: Wi-Fi, AirPort, en1
PCI Card: pci8086,15f0, USB eXtensible Host Controller, Thunderbolt@67,0,0
bridge_os_version: Bridge OS 5.1 (18P3030)
Thunderbolt Device: UltraFine 4K, LG Electronics, 1, 39.1

-=-=-=-=-=-=- Application Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Unsure how to obtain a clear, clean list given my OS. Happy to give it to you if you know how to obtain that? :)

-=-=-=-=-=-=- Install Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Unsure how to obtain a clear, clean list given my OS. Happy to give it to you if you know how to obtain that? :)

-=-=-=-=-=-=- Proccess Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Unsure how to obtain a clear, clean list given my OS. Happy to give it to you if you know how to obtain that? :)


In case this helps, the problem I'm having is very similar to Error 3 on this link, but please note that the machine I'm working with now is a different one running Mojave; this is not the same computer. https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...03#post5466903

An update on this: I have a test user on this machine that I've been playing on off and on for the last day or so to see if I could replicate the issue. I could, and have confirmed that some issue with changing inventory/item lists can cause (for Macs) the entire machine to freeze as the machine has a gpuRestart cascade.

Yesterday, I played for something like nine hours without issue. I started with nothing else running besides Activity Monitor and the Notes app to take notes on machine behavior, nor anything unnecessary connected via Thunderbolt or USB (e.g.: my backup drive, etc.). Since the system freeze was happening after about 2-3 hours of play previously, I'd change a single variable one by one to see if it triggered the gpuRestart cascade. First, I added a browser, and would switch between apps from time to time (to look up crafting or gathering information). Then, I added an app that has a GPU Renderer hang in Activity Monitor (Discord). Then, I added connecting my Time Machine drive and letting Time Machine backup. No crashes.

Today, I was still running on the test user to assess something else. I had the browser open and Time Machine backing up, but no Discord window open. A handful of hours into play, right as I was extracting a materia (and thus effectively altering an item list, which seems to be the common trigger for this), the game window's graphical interface froze. As previously, I could still move the mouse cursor (though not within the game window), and I could technically even 'click' on the round 'character' button and hear the *click* noise of it activating, but the graphics were frozen mid-animation.

I lucked out this time around, as several seconds later, everything but FFXIV became responsive again. I could test if the FFXIV window being backgrounded lowered its CPU usage as usual (it did). I looked at the /Library/Logs/Diagnostic Reports window, and two new ‘Kernel_[date]_[machine name].gpuRestart’ logs were present at the time of the initial freeze. Not a full gpuRestart cascade this time, but enough to hang the game, and the whole system for several seconds. I wasn't able to Quit the way FFXIV ought to be Quit (via Log Out or Exit Game in the app itself), but I was able to 'soft' close it via the menubar.

I took some notes, and then tested whether reopening FFXIV would be functional, shaky (a crash soon thereafter), or freeze the machine. It was able to render the login window, the start screen, and the character screen, but as soon as I tried to login to my character, it was too much demand on the machine that had just recently had two gpuRestarts. The whole machine permanently hung.

I force shutdown the machine by pressing and holding the power button. I then turned it back on as per usual, logged into the test user, and looked over the Diagnostic Logs. As I expected, exactly nineteen ‘Kernel_[date]_[machine name].gpuRestart’ logs. (I have a suspicion why 19 of these logs is the equivalent of the GPU entirely failing on this machine, but again, it's only a suspicion.)

I've also talked to a PC user who also plays the game a lot, and he mentioned that he's been receiving more frequent red text error messages when item creation/transferring fails, but all it does for him is not complete the action, I can't say it's the same root issue causing dramatically different problems for PC users than Mac, as I'm not sure we're experiencing the same root cause, but I thought it worth it to mention it.

So that's where I'm at. I'm at a point where I'm just not sure I can even keep playing FFXIV. I've reached out to FFXIV Customer Service for help, but I keep getting bounced from agent to agent, and they ask me the same basic questions, all of which I've answered in the initial email. I'm also in communication with Apple Support, who's talking to the Apple Engineers, because any FFXIV error that can cause a GPU Restart cascade and take down the whole machine is something Apple needs to know about.

Anyone from Support here have any ideas? <3 I'd honestly much prefer a fix to this than just to keep talking to Apple. (Collaborating with SquareEnix means maybe a fix to a pretty terrible bug! Collaborating with Apple about a fatal bug in FFXIV is, at absolute 'best', likely to get the game no longer supported for Mac.)