Zwift crashes on startup or minutes into ride // MacBook Pro

Bugs and Support
#1

Hi there,

Hoping someone has the answer for this!

For a bit, Zwift was crashing on startup when it pairs with my bike. Now that’s fine but it crashes consistently during my ride, often around 5 minutes in, but sometimes could be 15 minutes in, or even later, but the crash almost always happens.

I’ve read through the crash guide/Mac Catalina guide on Zwift and it didn’t help. I also emailed Zwift support awhile ago and haven’t heard back. I searched the forum and found a few people with similar issues but no solutions listed. Feeling pretty anti-zwift right now, especially due to the lack of reply from their support staff. Anyone deal with this and know what’s going on?

I have:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018)
2.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3
eGPU – Razer Core X with Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB 256-Bit GDDR6
Catalina 10.15.6 (19G2021)
Wahoo KICKR bike (I use ANT+ on a USB extension under the bike bc bluetooth sometimes drops signal)

Catalina document folder access granted unless there is more to do that this+comp restart.

Thanks!
Eric

#2

Have you tried running without the eGPU? Wasn’t AMD having serious driver issues earlier this year? Are the Radeon drivers the latest? What about overheating issues with the MacBook. There have been a spate of people in the last six months with MacBooks overheating. Several have reported having problems solved by adding cooling to the MacBook.

The other solution to this problem is an Apple TV 4k. There maybe a new higher performance ATV released at the October phone event.

#3

All fair points. Thanks for the advice!

I use the same set up for 4k video work daily without issue (and that stuff is pretty darn taxing). I don’t think it’s a performance issue. The crashes on startup suggest it’s not a heat issue either but could be a driver issue. Will google more there.

Also, my monitor is only 2560 x 1440 (2K).

Maybe time for a PC, then I can finally use that Veleton beta invite. :wink:

#4

I’ve got two MacBook pros, one from 2015, one from 2020 (a work machine). On each, Zwift causes the fan to blow and the case to heat up. I don’t understand this, since it runs fine on a lowly iPad, or for that matter, my old iPhone SE (the iPhone-6 version).

#5

@Eric_Nichols Try disabling the eGPU when running Zwift might not have the necessary support for it.

@Daniel_Connelly_LKHC I too have multiple MacBook Pros, the newest of which is a mid 2015 model. The fan kicks into high gear when running Zwift. It has done this since 2015. This is normal. That said, I have never had Zwift crash. Currently running the latest Catalina.

#6

Thanks – when the computer case gets too hot to touch I worry about stressing the system. Bad things tend to happen to semiconductor electronics when you run them hot (except high-power electronics, such as automotive…). But there’s thermal sensors which would shut the system down. So it’s probably fine: there’s a lot of Macs out there and they’re successfully running Zwift, clearly. Strange, however, my humble iPhone runs the code fine, on a crappy battery.

#7

There are different degrees of thermal damage, and it’s a function of both time and temperature. Anecdotally, while I didn’t have problems with crashing, in the ~4 months I used my MBP for Zwifting, its display developed a contact problem (faint stripes on parts of the screen more or less visible depending on the color, not enough of an issue for my use to bother fixing) which I’m pretty sure had something to do with the thermal load. I have a CPU temperature widget in the menu bar, and whenever I open Zwift, it goes straight to 70 C before even getting to the pairing screen.

#8

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the ideas! I will give all of them a try.

Interestingly my set up with eGPU worked for 5 months without incident.Then I actually remeber a Zwift update coming through mid summer and that’s when it all started. I installed an OS update a few weeks later thinking that might help, and it didn’t.

So overheating was never an issue for me. Could be part of the problem, but my gut says it might be something having to do with a Zwift update and the drivers for the graphics card.

I do wonder if PC is just the way to go. Has anyone gone from MAC to a dedicated gaming PC for zwift? Any models you suggest?

#9

You should take a look at this

Dedicated gaming PC is perhaps not the best option, Zwift is a little bit special…

I use an 8 years old PC, upgraded just the GPU (Nvidia GTX 1650) and have Ultra graphics with no problems. HDMI to a 55" TV, using Companion App.

Win 10 and GPU driver always up to date!

Ride on!

#10

Weirdly Zwift is now working totally fine, no software updates that I can tell. Had a few longer rides, used eGPU, and nothing went wrong.

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