Leopard's graphics glitches
Distortion and more.
For a number of users, Mac OS X 10.5.x (Leopard) exhibits various display glitches and distortions that were not apparent on identically configured systems running Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger). The problems include displacement of elements to other portions of the screen, inverted colors, randomly appearing artifacts and more. The problems are especially prone to occur in graphics intensive applications like Time Machine.
Here's an example:
A wide array of cards is affected, including those from ATI and NVidia, as well as built-in Intel graphics chipsets.
The solutions to this problem differ based on severity of the problem, Mac/graphics card model, user willingness and Apple's whim. Here are a few options:
Update card drivers Make sure that your graphic card's drivers are up-to-date. Search VersionTracker for the name of the manufacturer of your card. If you're not sure which card your Mac uses, check the EveryMac Web site.
Calibrate display settings In System Preferences, navigate to Displays then Color, then Calibrate. Follow the steps and check for alleviation of color-related issues.
Seek a replacement graphics card Some cases are the result of faulty graphics cards, or graphics cards that display fault under Leopard but not Tiger. As such, some users are having success obtaining replacement cards from Apple that do not exhibit the issues under Leopard. Here's a service provider locator.
Some example posts from an Apple Discussions thread:
- "Apple sent me a replacement ATI X1900 XT card I have fitted it and the glitches have gone. Fingers crossed that they wont return.
- "It is a problem with the Ati card. Leopard pushes it too much and it overheats. Talk to Apple - they will most likely upgrade your card. It is a recognised problem. "
Downgrade to Mac OS X 10.4.x Use our tutorial on reverting to an earlier version of Mac OS X to go back to Tiger. Far from ideal, but acceptable for some users.
Wait for an update Apple has been known to include enhanced graphics card drivers, which are otherwise unavailable, with new Mac OS X updates. Mac OS X 10.5.2 may hold fixes for these issues.
Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.
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