Kernel Panic With 4k 240 Hz External Monitor

When connected to my Alienware AW3225QF 4k 240 Hz monitor with my M2 Max MacBook Pro, I encounter a kernel panic and a system crash at least once every 2 days. Is this issue specific to the high resolution and refresh rate combo?


panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe001836b410): DCPEXT2 PANIC - apt firmware: dual\_pipe.c:180 sync\_pipe\_end\_of\_config() -- - iomfb\_mailbox(68) apt firmware: dual\_pipe.c:180 sync\_pipe\_end\_of\_config() -- RTKit: RTKit-2758.1.1.release - Client: AppleDCP-811.1.1\~754-t602xdcp.RELEASE !UUID: a1000010-2140-1ed5-a178-80d201401ed5 ASLR slide: 0x000000000021d000 Time: 0x000000090ceeff39



MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.0

Posted on Oct 18, 2024 4:37 AM

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Posted on Jan 28, 2025 7:53 AM

I have a ROG PG32UCDM with firmware MCM108 and a Mac mini m4 pro. I connected the monitor with a high quality Thunderbolt 4 usb-c cable so I am certain it is not the cable's problem. This issue still exist on macOS 15.3. As long as I set the monitor refresh rate to 240Hz or 48-240Hz, a kernel panic will occur once a while, especially when mac mini was under heavy load such as running video games. this never happened when I set the monitor refresh rate to 120Hz.

99 replies

Oct 18, 2024 12:12 PM in response to Infilak

that looks like a 4k display with

  • 1x DP 1.4 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3)(Supports up to 3840 x 2160 240 Hz, DSC, HDR)
  • 2 x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 1.4 & 2.3)(Supports up to 3840 x 2160 240 Hz FRL, HDR, VRR as per specified in HDMI 2.1) (including 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL with eARC - to support Dolby ATMOS signal pass-through)


what interface(s) are you using? how long are your cables?


Dec 25, 2024 12:34 PM in response to Infilak

Just adding another comment for visibility as I'm having this exact same issue.


Was using an M1 Pro MacBook Pro for quite a few months with my 240Hz monitor without any issues, but because of the limitations of the M1 Pro I was limited to 120Hz in the settings.


Recently upgraded to an M4 Pro which supported 240Hz and so updated the settings for the higher speed, and began having intermittent crashes. First thought was of course that it was something to do with the new Mac, but seems this isn't the case.


Seen others on Reddit with the same issue as well, so seems to be a consistent and widespread issue for all users with 240Hz monitors (maybe 4K only??), in fact I have the exact same monitor model OP mentioned.


Would be good to get this resolved.

Jan 21, 2025 6:51 AM in response to subvoxel

I also reported it with Feedback Assistant (in late December), same 'Status' and 'Recent Similar Reports' status as yourself.


Can't personally corroborate the Sequoia vs Sonoma story as I've only used my 240Hz panel with Sequoia, but that's a good detail to note.


Definitely needs more reporting this way, as I get the sense 240Hz panels aren't very popular within the Mac ecosystem, given they'll be primarily used for Windows gaming, so this might be overlooked.

Sep 26, 2025 2:23 AM in response to Infilak

After recent posts I tried 240Hz on Tahoe, unfortunately it's still not fixed, got a kernel panic


panic(cpu 10 caller 0xfffffe003f2763e0): "mismatched swapID's 782080 vs 782082\n" @UnifiedPipeline.cpp:14910
Debugger message: panic
Memory ID: 0x6
OS release type: User
OS version: 25A354
Kernel version: Darwin Kernel Version 25.0.0: Mon Aug 25 21:17:56 PDT 2025; root:xnu-12377.1.9~3/RELEASE_ARM64_T6030
Fileset Kernelcache UUID: 8860B2D25408AD9DB2C7905AED272C65
Kernel UUID: 6D0E05EA-97D5-3382-AC19-7DB351C560DF
Infilak wrote:

When connected to my Alienware AW3225QF 4k 240 Hz monitor with my M2 Max MacBook Pro, I encounter a kernel panic and a system crash at least once every 2 days. Is this issue specific to the high resolution and refresh rate combo?

panic(cpu 0 caller 0xfffffe001836b410): DCPEXT2 PANIC - apt firmware: dual\_pipe.c:180 sync\_pipe\_end\_of\_config() -- - iomfb\_mailbox(68) apt firmware: dual\_pipe.c:180 sync\_pipe\_end\_of\_config() -- RTKit: RTKit-2758.1.1.release - Client: AppleDCP-811.1.1\~754-t602xdcp.RELEASE !UUID: a1000010-2140-1ed5-a178-80d201401ed5 ASLR slide: 0x000000000021d000 Time: 0x000000090ceeff39



Oct 18, 2024 6:55 PM in response to Infilak

a VPN is a great way to get you to be "present" on in institutional network, or other single point on the globe that is better than where you are actually located.


Many vendors push their VPN software as a way to improve security. Nothing could be further from the truth. A VPN sends all your data over EXACTLY the same wires to a point of the Internet where it is concentrated for easy data harvesting. VPN vendors have already been fined for doing this, regardless of their promises to the contrary.


But you do not have A VPN installed. you have at least parts of FOUR:


 VPNs:

    [Loaded] HSSHydraNetworkExtension - /Applications/Hotspot Shield.app

    [Loaded] HSSWireGuardNetworkExtension - /Applications/Hotspot Shield.app

    [Loaded] HydraTunnelProvider - /Applications/Hotspot Shield.app

    [Loaded] WireguardTunnelProvider - /Applications/Hotspot Shield.app


¿What is the date of your most recent backup, and by what method?

Dec 15, 2024 9:30 PM in response to Infilak

I am quite optimistic that this issue can be solved via software update. Just hope they prioritize it somewhat higher. 240Hz displays are not widespread yet and Apple does not sell a display with a refresh rate greater than 60Hz themselves. :(


Reason why .. because for me (M2 Studio) it runs for hours and days without issues doing all kinds of different tasks. Just occasionally (every 2-3 days, after 20+ hours of use) there is one reboot. Does not point usually to a hardware issue ..


Feb 22, 2025 7:05 PM in response to Infilak

Same issue here.

MacBook Pro

Mac14,6

Z1760002PCH/A

Apple M2 Max

12(8性能和4能效)

64 GB

Firmware 11881.81.4

11881.81.4


every 2-3 days it's crashed with below error messages.

I also connect to the MSI MPG 322URX QD-OLED which is 4K 240MHZ monitor.


I have upgraded to the latest version of the MAC OS 15.3.1, but the issue is still in there.



panic(cpu 1 caller 0xfffffe0032c512ac): DCPEXT1 PANIC - apt firmware: dual_pipe.c:180 sync_pipe_end_of_config() --  - iomfb_mailbox(70)


apt firmware: dual_pipe.c:180 sync_pipe_end_of_config() -- 


RTKit: RTKit-2758.80.3.release - Client: AppleDCP-811.80.8~570-t602xdcp.RELEASE


!UUID: a1000010-2140-1ed5-a178-80d201401ed5


ASLR slide: 0x00000000001b7000


Time: 0x000000c7890cb1bd

Mar 20, 2025 7:14 AM in response to wayanbarre

<< OK, I got some 'good news' here. Been talking to the Apple Support, explaining the situation and just aknowledging.

The person found a 'tracker' about this issue. >>


That is good news not only for THIS ISSUE, but also for Apple Support Specialists -- working as designed.


The mechanism of providing Formal, well-documented Bug Reports to Apple does work. With that information, they can (and do) try to reproduce the issues you are encountering, track down those bugs, and fix them!


[In my opinion] It remains lamentable that the feedback back to the User is so weak, and that problems sometimes take a very long time to fix.

Apr 3, 2025 1:44 PM in response to Infilak

Unfortunately the kernel panic still happens with macOS 15.4. Also, the status of my bug report in Feedback Assistant has been finally updated after many months to: "Investigation complete - Unable to diagnose with current information"... There is no other update, reply or request for further information (but I'm not sure what else could be provided anyway).


At this point I think it's very likely that Apple will never fix this issue because it seems a kernel panic like this isn't considered important enough. Perhaps the reason is that the panic doesn't happen with an Apple device but with a "third-party" one but it's completely unreasonable to expect that everyone should connect only Apple branded devices to their Macs. These high-end monitors are perfectly stable on PCs with Windows and Linux using various GPUs from different vendors.

Apr 3, 2025 4:46 PM in response to Infilak

yes, BUT:


XDR display

The Apple Pro Display XDR, which macOS allows to connect using two HBR3 connections to a Mac, doesn't support Display Stream Compression (DSC). That would be 51.84 Gbit/s, impossible for Thunderbolt 3, but it works because the two 3008×3384 10bpc 60 Hz 648.91 MHz signals of the XDR display only require 38.9 Gbit/s total and Thunderbolt does not transmit the DisplayPort stuffing symbols used to fill the HBR3 bandwidth.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)

Jun 10, 2025 1:04 PM in response to Infilak

Holy...


this issue is so old and i took me days to figure out what is the issue.


I have 2 Samsung Curved Screens (120 & 240 Hz) the 240 Hz crashes frequently my Mac Studio M3 Ultra.





Core Panic Details:


Panic Type: DCPEXT1 PANIC - apt firmware: dual_pipe.c:295 sync_pipe_end_of_config()

Triggering Task: iomfb_mailbox (Task 69) – RUNNABLE at time of panic

RTKit Firmware: RTKit-2784.120.5.0.1.release

AppleDCP FW: AppleDCP-811.120.12.0.1~680-t603xdcp.RELEASE

macOS Version: 14.5 (Build 24F74)

Kernel Version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.5.0

Panicked CPU: Core 18


Relevant Kernel Extensions (Kexts):

- com.apple.driver.RTBuddy

- com.apple.driver.IOSlaveProcessor

- com.apple.driver.AppleDCP


Backtrace Top:

- sync_pipe_end_of_config() (dual_pipe.c:295)

- DCPEXT1 PANIC

- iomfb_mailbox (Task 69)

Kernel Panic With 4k 240 Hz External Monitor

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