DefineDesign Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 (edited) I have had numerous crashes with chief architect. Sometimes several per day. It seems to be getting more frequent. Mainly when editing in the 3d views or using the library browser. Today I got fed up and called chief tech support. Tech Support basically said using external monitors connected through usb ports (24" Samsung SyncMaster 2443) with my Macbook pro M1 Max is causing all the issues. The Macbook pro only has USBC Thunderbolt ports to connect monitors so what else am I to do. He said this will almost always cause crashes when working in large files in 3D views or the library browser. He said 80% the crashes will not happen if I just use the laptop screen with no monitors hooked up. He blamed Apples choice to only use a CPU. He said GPU technology is so much better and more powerful. I I don't experience these crashes with other CPU intense software. I dumbfounded Chief Architect does not disclose this when purchasing the software. Seem disingenuous to say the software works on a mac with such big limitations. They clearly tell you Ray tracing is not supported why is this left out. Do other Mac users experience these crashes? Curious if this problem would go away if replaced the dual monitors with one large monitor. I would love to hear from other Mac users. Macbook Pro M1 Max 64gb Ram OS Sonoma 14.2.1 Chief Architect Premier 25.3.0.77 Dual Samsung SyncMaster 2443 (1920x1200 resolution) Edited February 13 by DefineDesign Add info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I have a 16" M1 Max running a Dell 43" 4k and a Dell 34" Ultrawide through the CalDigit TS4. I also connect many external USB drivess and GB ethernet in. The 43" is new enough to run on USB-C from the TS4. The ultra wide is Display port (also found in the TS4) No issues. https://a.co/d/3D5xjGC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanC Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I have an old 2019 MacBook Pro hooked up to an even older Apple LED Cinema Display and I've had no issues with crashing in any 3d views (I don't use PBR on this setup) or library. Not sure this helps considering my setup is much less sophisticated, but it works well for me. p.s. One other note...when I purchased my MacBook Pro, I was told I had to get the 16" and not the 14". The 2019 16" has 2 graphics cards whereas the 14" did not. Not sure how things work now that Apple has switched to the M chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 9 hours ago, DefineDesign said: I have had numerous crashes with chief architect. Sometimes several per day. It seems to be getting more frequent. Mainly when editing in the 3d views or using the library browser. Today I got fed up and called chief tech support. Tech Support basically said using external monitors connected through usb ports (24" Samsung SyncMaster 2443) with my Macbook pro M1 Max is causing all the issues. The Macbook pro only has USBC Thunderbolt ports to connect monitors so what else am I to do. He said this will almost always cause crashes when working in large files in 3D views or the library browser. He said 80% the crashes will not happen if I just use the laptop screen with no monitors hooked up. He blamed Apples choice to only use a CPU. He said GPU technology is so much better and more powerful. I I don't experience these crashes with other CPU intense software. I dumbfounded Chief Architect does not disclose this when purchasing the software. Seem disingenuous to say the software works on a mac with such big limitations. They clearly tell you Ray tracing is not supported why is this left out. Do other Mac users experience these crashes? Curious if this problem would go away if replaced the dual monitors with one large monitor. I would love to hear from other Mac users. Macbook Pro M1 Max 64gb Ram OS Sonoma 14.2.1 Chief Architect Premier 25.3.0.77 Dual Samsung SyncMaster 2443 (1920x1200 resolution) Pretty sure Apple also states that it only supports one external monitor for the M1 Max or regular M1 chip. The m1 ultra on the studio and newer laptops can do multiples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 https://support.apple.com/kb/SP854?viewlocale=en_SA&locale=en_SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Gia Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 If you want to eliminate some variables I would recommend getting a monitor with either 254 ppi (pixels per inch) which is what the resolution of a 16 inch Macbook M1, or 1/2 that resolution, around 127 ppi. Also, use either usb c or a display port cable to connect to the laptop. Your particular monitor has 94 ppi. It's just not a good match and requires extra work for your cpu to do and that work is done at 60 hertz. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefineDesign Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 Thank you everyone for the responses! I appreciate you taking the time to help. I'm curious if I would get better performance (No crashes) with a single large 4k monitor. Thinking a 43" 4k Monitor would be good screen size to replace two 24" monitors. Apple clearly shows the M1 Max Macbook Pro as capable for running multiple monitors. Does using a dock really increase performance of the CPU while using dual monitors? I thought it just brought convenience when plugging in. I visited Apple tech support yesterday. They were puzzled by the situation and were very much inclined to say it was software issue. Apple tech thought my computer should be more than powerful enough for the task. I told them the fan never kicks on so I don't think I'm overworking the chip. They also asked if I could run Chief with just one monitor and see if any crashes occur. If crashes continued they are escalating to Apples Engineering department to identify the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HayleyM Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I have had SO MANY issues with Chief X15 Crashes on my 2020 M1 13" MBP and I almost never had monitors attached. When I reached out to tech support they basically just said "don't work in 3D" which is the entire point of Chief Architect for me as I am an interior designer... And I never use PBR anymore because even the simplest plans are painfully slow, I am always in Standard view (with lines but I've been turning those off to help). I was running Ventura until today when I updated to Sonoma, and now it's even worse. Now I can't even work in Cross Sections without crashing. It's become extremely frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthd97 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I have a very old HP 24 inch monitor connected to my M1 Max studio via HDMI. I am not sure if the MacBook has a HDMI port ? I would first ensure that the drivers for your monitors are up to date and compatible with the apple OS that you are using. You might need to talk to an IT professional ? edited: Your MacBook only has USBC ports, will another type of adapter work that is compatible with your Samsung monitor ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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