Resolved (Sort of Resolved) Tiny lags such as this on 2019 MacBook Pro

[Mike Richardson]

Edit: Well, the "fix" is to just disable automatic graphics switching. I recommend Apple products to anyone who wants to feel like they spent $2000 on a quality product. ROFL wait n/m

Is this just part for the course or something? #SteveJobsDied

The video is just one example of these tiny lags. It happens in every app, and regardless of input device. External, internal, trackpad, mouse, whatever.

The video was using an external keyboard and I was typing deliberately loud so you could notice the lag at the end.

The laptop is basically brand new. (Yes, I erased Big Sur and installed Catalina. And I wanted the last Intel MacBook Pro with a decent amount of memory, because it's probably my last Mac ever).

It did not do this when I first got it. The tiny lags have been maybe the last week or so.

I'll run the standard kind of diagnostic things and update the thread.

(And of course, while typing this post, my internet goes out, because apparently I live in Iraq now.)

EDIT: Why does the site let you upload a video and then it just throws it away? https://mikerichardson.name/tidbits/********.mov

EDIT #2: If You Censor Bad Words In Links, It Breaks The Freaking Link. https://mikerichardson.name/tidbits/bovine_excrement.mov

Hardware Overview:
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,1
Processor Name: 6-Core Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled
Memory: 32 GB

 

[theMarble]

Very strange. Do you have an Apple Store where you are? You could it in and ask for a checkup.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Apple Hardware Test, or whatever it's called now: Pass

EtreCheck Pro: Nothing that's an actual issue. (OMG, I have unsigned apps. I like to play Quake 3 still. etc)

Disk First Aid: All checked out fine.

Software Update: There was a security update (Obfuscated by upgrade to Big Sur). I applied the update.

Very strange. Do you have an Apple Store where you are? You could it in and ask for a checkup.

Sure, there's several, but it's still a hassle.

Actually, I'll play some Quake 3 tomorrow. That'd be an excellent way to reveal input lags.

 

[Slartibart]

so how is it WITHOUT the external peripherals?

 

[Mike Richardson]

The Quake 3 test was an invalid test, because that causes the laptop to switch to discrete ATI AMD graphics.

The problem has to do with Intel graphics, and the slow decline of Apple since Steve Jobs died.

MBP 2019 (16") - Integrated Graphics lagg… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

MacBook Pro 16" (2019) Integrated Graphic… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

(The URLs are different, but the forum is obfuscating this fact.)

After a few days I got the answer from Apple support that this is the normal behavior for this machine. I asked the support man what else I can do now and got the answer: "Sell the device and never buy another Apple device again".

If that is an accurate quote, then wow.

I probably should have known better. My 2015 MacBook Pro also had a problem with Intel graphics while watching Netflix - random bright flashes in dark scenes. The fix was to disable integrated graphics.

I always was curious why that was even an option. Apple stuff is just supposed to work, right? Apparently not. Seems like that checkbox is the only thing that stands between them and some class action lawsuits.

If you think it's going to get any better with this switch to the ARM stuff - well, it might, but too late.