Screen fades to white mid ride - MacBook Pro

Bugs and Support
1

2020-07-04T14:00:00Z

Zwift version: 1.0.53.029
Game Resolution: High (1080p)
Hardware:

  • MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) MacBookPro11,5 Quad-Core Intel Core i7 2.8 GHz 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB
  • Mac OS Catalina 10.15.5

About 30 min into the ride the screen fades to white, before coming back to full colour. The duration it stays white seemed to get longer as the ride went on. At around the hour mark it stayed full white and didn’t return forcing me to exit the ride. (in this case jut before the peak on L’Etape Stage 1!)

Screen fade is only occurring during Zwift sessions. General computer activity is not resulting in white screen fade.

The uploaded files are from the restarted Zwift session showing progression from beginning to fade, deep fade, then recovering … before repeating…

Screen Shot #1 2020-07-05|690x436 !
Screen Shot #2 2020-07-05|690x405 !
Screen Shot #3 2020-07-05|690x401

Anybody else had this issue and/or know of a resolution?

Potential problems

  • graphics card, although 370; in theory is better/newer than the 290 extreme spec requirements
  • in game resolution at 1080p; in theory should be ok for the graphic spec, I haven’t tried a ride at the lower res.
  • macbook is generally too old (like me but I hope not…)
2

I occasionally use my MacBook instead of AppleTV 4K, most recently was the day before yesterday for about 1.5hrs.

My MacBook is an early 2015 MacBook Pro running Catalina 10.15.5. I have the i5 and integrated Iris graphics only (no AMD vid card). I also have a lower spec CPU, 2.9 GHz i5. Zwift runs fine on my MacBook Pro w/out any issues. Your hardware is better, it’s not “too old”.

I would venture that it video card related. A couple suggestions:

  • Try a lower resolution in Zwift.
  • Are you running on battery power? If so, it might be switching from the AMD to the integrated mid Zwift and causing a problem. You can disable the energy saver pref which will disable the integrated no matter what.
  • Not 100% sure, but I believe you can disable the AMD. If so, it might be worth trying to see if the integrated graphics chip results in the same issue.
1 Like
3

Thx for the quick response.
Not on battery power, so the saver should not be an issue.
This has only started over the last month or so - prior to that no problems.
Agree that it seems to be related to the graphics card; either something at the Zwift end changing the graphic intensity or card itself going off.
Will try the lower resolution next ride.
Thx

1 Like
4

Could your MacBook graphics card be overheating? I am running a triple fan cooling stand under my 2012 MacBook pro with a Nvidia GT 650 at 1080p. I no longer find it hot to the touch after a Zwift session.

1 Like
5

Another possibility. Set up us outside, good ventilation for the Mac, although standard fan. Thx for the suggestion.

6

Reducing the resolution to 720p seemed to work. 80 min session, no additional fan, no screen whiteout. Lower resolution seemed to take the pressure off the graphics card and perhaps reduced the temp. Thx

1 Like