ASUS prime Z370-A Big Sur 11.2 sleep problem

[HacMac]

Nobody interested in the mds_stores issue? Don't you have that problem? I'm pretty sure Windows/Linux don't do something like this. I find it really irritating.

 

[NZRichard]

I find it really irritating.

Might be some good info here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/144474/mds-and-mds-stores-constantly-consuming-cpu

 

[HacMac]

Might be some good info here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/144474/mds-and-mds-stores-constantly-consuming-cpu

Thanks, but i have a freshly installed clean macOS. I didn't start setting anything up yet. I wonder if OpenCore changes something on the OS drive when booting? I would like to find a way to see what triggers Spotlight to scan again and again. It also runs again if i immediately restart after booting into macOS. There is something not right here that's for sure.

Let me ask again, don't you see mds_stores running a few minutes after booting macOS each time on your computers?

 

[NZRichard]

mds_stores running a few minutes after booting macOS each time on your computers?

Where is this visible - Activity Monitor?

 

[Scimitar]

I wonder if OpenCore changes something on the OS drive when booting?

No, Spotlight is a MacOS software feature and not related to the bootloader.

I would like to find a way to see what triggers Spotlight to scan again and again. It also runs again if i immediately restart after booting into macOS. There is something not right here that's for sure.

I suspect that you're simply not letting Spotlight complete its initial index. If it isn't allowed to complete, it will trigger during the next boot up and attempt to finish its work. After the initial index is created, Spotlight will continue to run the in the background to update and maintain the index. That will require very little ongoing CPU activity, however, so you shouldn't notice it, particularly on something as powerful as an 8700K.

Let me ask again, don't you see mds_stores running a few minutes after booting macOS each time on your computers?

No, I don't see it but I'm not watching Activity Monitor like a hawk. My system settles down pretty quickly after boot to a baseline state with very little background activity.

My Activity Monitor screenshot below shows 98% idle and virtually zero current mds or mds_stores activity. However, mds and mds_stores have consumed about 7 minutes of cumulative background CPU activity since my last boot. I recommend that you simply let Spotlight complete its index. It's a bit of short term pain for long term gain. Otherwise, you're fighting an extreme uphill battle against a fundamental feature of the OS since Spotlight is deeply integrated into MacOS.

 

[HacMac]

@Scimitar

Thanks for having a look. What irritates me is that mds_stores settles down after 2-3 minutes or something. So i don't restart before it's done. My SSD is only filled with freshly installed macOS, so almost empty. I have another SSD (NTFS formatted) installed which i excluded from indexing in Spotlight. So i wonder what mds_stores is doing. There is simply not much to index available which would justify the high CPU load each startup.

 

[NZRichard]

So i wonder what mds_stores is doing

If you think this activity is excessive, check the macOS disk in Disk Utility -> First Aid

 

[Scimitar]

I spent some time this evening testing various framebuffer patch parameters and identified a pseudo-working configuration. Each port now works individually using the attached config.plist. However, multiple monitors will not work without hot unplugging and replugging one of the cables after boot up. The act of hot plugging seems to reset the iGPU and clears the screen corruption issue. I was then able to confirm that all three combinations of connectors functioned properly (both in mirror and extended display modes): DP+HDMI, DP+DVI, and HDMI+DVI. I was also able to enable DP+HDMI+DVI simultaneously but only in mirror mode.

FYI, the HDMI output is only 1080p. I tried to get the iGPU to output 4096 x 2160 @ 24Hz and 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz using the enable-hdmi20, enable-max-pixel-clock-override, and enable-hdmi-dividers-fix parameters but to no avail. So this is another limitation for now.

Finally, I played around with patch parameters to disable certain ports but without success. For reason I don't yet understand, setting the BusID to 0x00 doesn't disable the connector. I tried the patch alone and in combination with agdpmod=vit9696 in an attempt to override AppleGraphicsDisplayPolicy but neither worked. So for now, the only way to avoid screen corruption entirely is to have only a single display connected.

 

[HacMac]

Very cool @Scimitar thanks a lot.

I remember reading somewhere about the cable/reconnect thing. There was solution/hack which somehow simulates a dis-/reconnect (force a port rescan) in order to prevent having to mess with the cables. Not ideal, but maybe the only way, idk.

 

[NZRichard]

So for now, the only way to avoid screen corruption entirely is to have only a single display connected.

Screen distortion may also occur with dual monitors using dGPU - RX 580/570 (Signature/300 Series-1, 2, 3). This occasionally occurs with one/both screens on startup and wake from sleep using different Opencore 0.8.2, ... 0.8.5 EFI folders. The quick fix for this distortion is toggling the power button on the monitor(s) - a more elegant hot plugging.

Any thoughts on running the iGPU in a headless mode as an "assist" to the dGPU?