Indeed, Apple saves millions of dollars on cheaper components and ensures future failure of the device, so you buy a new one. Lawsuits and warranty repairs are already paid for many times over by the cheaper component savings.
@@FVBmovies depends on the product, use case, and scenario actually. everything ive owned was a dream to use. cant say the same for other people but just my uses.
That's not even $1. LTC is known to give MASSIVE discount to big customers. Most major brands will do the same, they offer products at mot that much higher than bare cost for their big customers. Take the LTC chip as an example, the die size can't be more than a few sq mm, and for mass production of mature analog processes (say 350nm), per sq mm cost can't be more than $0.08. So, the chip costs at most maybe $0.4 to manufacture. If Apple is negotiating the price, I'd be very surprised if LTC even dared to ask for even 50% gross margin, so at most the chips would be $0.8, and that's a worst case estimation. Apple is literally saving cents by using a lower rated chip.
@@panjak323 or try to use a portable as a portable and not permanently on and docked, desktop machine? Even I turn off my dedicated desktop machine every other day to clear out my ram and prevent attaining too much cached and swap ram.
@@otozinclus3593 if the cheaper chip works well, then why not to use it? But the IC die has some design flaws that may or may not occur, so it didn't have any reliability tests. Apple probably didn't expect that chip to fail and made a reasonable cost cut.
@@Gameplayer55055 But that is the point: The cost savings sacrifice quality and decreased quality increases the likelihood of fails. It is a calculated gamble Apple does this with all kind of their products, as an example the MacBook air M1/M2 base model SSD dies extremely quickly, because of the limited 8GB RAM making the laptop use Swap a lot, as well as the cheap SSD they used in the first place. But there are dozens of examples Apple skimps on quality very regularly and sometimes that leads to failure. But Apple does not care, because they will frame it like it is your own fault
My M1 Mac mini (2020 model) blew two weeks ago. I pulled the board and saw a suspicious raised dot on one of the chips and figured that was the problem. Now thanks to the video I went and took a closeup look at it: a CD3218 B12. So not the 3217, but close enough I'm guessing it does the same job and failed for the same reason (plugging in a USB cable and bye-bye logic board!).
Well the problem is Apple and other Computer Manufacturer use this same Chip instead of using the old one that won't break other components because the old one has Fail safe that cuts the power rail when the voltage is higher than 5 Volt
It could be that they don’t understand the failure mode. Clearly the buck mosfet is failing short and passing 12V, but that could be just one possible failure mode. This video mistakes failure rate per operating hour (by recommending that you unplug all usb) vs the failure being instigated from an esd event, a bad high voltage handshake, or some other discrete “event”. In reality, it’s clear the author doesn’t know what causes the problem.
god bless you and the work you are doing! as a repair shop owner I can finally use the light bulb analogy to explain it to the client and why the repar will cost so much
Getting to the point with Apple that you have to create a video and say. 'If you want to fix your Apple product you have to watch this 5 min video' so that you don't have to repeat yourself to every customer. Before saying what the price is.
You can have usb-c ports, ofcourse. You just shouldn't use them. On a serious note, the 10A 5V chip will probably get burned as well if you use both ports at the same time. You could try testing small heatsinks on the 2 ICs (lower the temperature, increase its lifespan).
Just my anecdote, I keep two Dell monitors each connected to my Macbook M1 Pro via the two left USB-C supplying both power and display. They are connected 24/7 except the odd day or two each month where it’s disconnected for travel. It’s been over 2 years I’ve run it like this and haven’t had any problems yet.
@@jjptech Yeah that's the plan if I remember to come back and update this comment in the future. But again even if it does die it's only one anecdote and shouldn't be biased and focused on this one experience.
@@legend-2890 It's for my business and it's got applecare+ on it. I hate how half the time after bringing it back up from sleep overnight it forgets all the window and app positions especially since I use multiple Spaces for each monitor. If I unplug it every night, it just never remembers any of it and I spend time every day moving all my apps back to their correct monitor and spaces view. Plus, if people are going to nitpick about their mac's life, right now its behaviour is set to keep the battery charged to 80% only to keep the battery healthy, if I keep unplugging it every night it'll remember to fully charge to 100% by night time when I don't actually need it.
Apple does, because of the following: 1. Probably the cheapest USB C controller on the market, giving them a higher profit margin in production. 2. If they fail, that means the customer needs to buy a new one. There is a fine line between form and function and apple has always thrown out all function for form. Every single Mac model since 2004-2005 is plagued with some sort of issue. Even the 13" Unibody MacBooks.
@@IIdankII That's true with a few exceptions. Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean you should. Apple built their Mac's to be disposable trash even in Steve Job's late hay day. Their "this Mac is recyclable" advertisements essentially meant you're meant to recycle them as they're shitty products. To be fair, other Apple Product's like iPhones have had no issues with longevity, it's always just something minor like a screen cracking. The iMac G5 was what set it off and has to be deemed as the worst product Apple has ever shat out, worse than the Lisa. It got only one year of software updates, was about as reliable as an MP's "promise" and had the worst sounding speakers and build quality of any Mac to ever hit consumer shelves. It was lazy and kicked off a lazy cycle in Apple's products.
That's like when they kept using really cheap ineffective capacitors for the 17" Unibody MacBooks and then butterfly keyboard for 4 years even when they were failing at a rapid rate and had to be forced to offer replacements. When MacBooks work they are great but when they don't it's an expensive problem and there should be no cheap components in such an expensive device.
Because they can, and they have such little confidence in their products that they only put on a 1 year warranty. There are hard drives you can buy that are warrantied for five years.
I'll keep an eye on mine. I have a 2023 M2 Pro 14" model so its definitely got one of these suckers. I'm quite confident about replacing it if anything bad happens, but id rather not. I use it at work plugged into a USB-C dock all day, so that's slightly concerning. But at the same time, I didn't pay for it, nor will I be paying for the repair.
What if I just plug in my usbc devices only on the MagSafe side? I have a M2 Pro 16inch MacBook, I usually have only 1 thunderbolt cable plugged from my dock that does everything from display/power/peripherals
it looks like it's best to use the MagSafe side because the LT8642EV-1 10Amps is in charged of that side. Also, my Lenovo Legion USB-C port died and killed my nVIDIA GPU. so this problem isn't just Apple's issue.
Your 3000 dollar laptop made unuseable by a part that costs apple 3 dollars . . . No thanks, i was planning on getting a new one, but i guess i will stick to my 2012 macbook pro for the time being!
Once again thanks for the informative video iBoff Mat, I wasn't aware of the presence of that terrible TPS62180 on these boards. Also glad that you confirmed that we can use CD3217 from A2442 (same position on boards) to replace CD3217's on A2485 16"
I am using macbook pro 2021 16 m1 pro. i use double usb c hub from anker for using 2 monitors, charging, ethernet, sdcard, mouse dongle. Will this trigger issue? sometimes i left it connected all night. As you said in the video. The main common problem is the USB c on the right side where there is only one USB c?
dunno man. I do exactly that. i have laptop on 24/7 plugged into usb c hub with hdmi. i wouldn't worry about it. make sure you got applecare though. Had mine about a year no issues
You know the ram clears out when you turn it off and cold boot it every now and then. Some programs will leak into ram or be stored in cache that don’t need to be. Also if you bump into swap, it seems like a great time for a cold reset after an over night rest.
Hey in the start of this video you started with “Have you heard about this exploding USB-C port”, but the title mentions ports* Is this issue only happening on the right side usbc port?
@iBoffRCC could you please elaborate a bit more on the different usage of these usb-c ports ? More importantly, is connecting a thunderbolt or usb-c screen, and therefore also charging/powering the MacBook via this port could have the same devastating effect on the ports' ics as connecting a peripheral that needs to be powered by this port ? This is not very clear from your video.
I am confused, so what macbook should we buy that long lasting? Now I have been using macbook pro 15" 2019 from 2020, surprisingly facing this issue (usb ic port exploding) in 2023 when rarely use it from 2022-2023. and currently I face the flexgate issue Thinking to buy new one but with the same risk issue and higher price is scary. Cant imagine that cost for repairing
No, I’ve worked at an authorized repair shop for years and we rarely see port issues on any of the newer Mac’s. Most of the port issues we see are on aging intel MacBooks from the mid 2010s. My M1 Pro 14 inch MacBook Pro sat docked for a couple years using the right USB-C cable to dock it and I never had issues. That isn’t to say it isn’t a problem, but it’s not some giant scandal affecting tons of people. Most of the M1 Pro/Max series computers out there will likely never have an issue from the manufacturing or parts used.
I think there is more involved when it comes to replacing the cd3217. You would according to say have a master and slave cd3217. If you replace the master then you also have to replace the rom chip of that. At least I read this somewhere
this 👍. you're right, the chip revision also matters( you can discern it by the markings and type glossy/mat). since all the chips are not the same revision, swapping them will cause issues with the program inside the rom.Keep in mind the code inside the rom defines what functions are used: usb3/2, pci passthrough,dp port......) so naturally it will not be the same between all models. replacing both is good practice, when you pull from the same board.
We did the ROM swap, nothing changed. And every other CD3217 sources you can imagine (not shown in table) but it still didn't work. Read the blog and you will understand
@@iBoffRCC In any case, a lot is still unclear when it comes to the cd3217. Hopefully there will be solutions to this problem. For example, it would also be nice to be able to disable a cd3217 and case of (for example) water damage.
I remember many years back some models of Thinkpads had a similar issue with the lightning USB-C port, that would in time eventually break your computer.
@@mikaelahyakuya3485 Yeah it was fixable with firmware, the T480 im pretty sure. A large amount of those laptops are just unusable because you didn’t even have to use the USB-C port all that much, just have the device powered on and it’d eventually break, while the firmware released after a lot of the damage had been done + some people just never updated it.
My E14 Gen 2 USB C Port died 4 times in a span of 2 years, the last one fried the mobo, but ofc no one posted video about this because people love thinkpads and hate apple :P
@@jacobglass2951 Apples not really all that exceptionally awful of a company, they’re just the biggest that gets the most publicity. I love Thinkpads myself but models like the T480 would literally destroy themselves from just being… powered on, while to ruin *specifically* the M1 Max and M1 Pro models of the Macbook Pro, you need to have a specific USB-C port in constant use for a long time. Hell, the T480 specifically was a pretty great laptop, that a lot of people think of as being the last “great” Thinkpad. Nowadays Thinkpads are more guilty of the things Apple are blamed for, like being overpriced - the new Snapdragon Thinkpad costs twice the price of a Macbook Air, for example.
It’s only bus-powered devices that are the problem (drives & hubs), right? I’d think that displays would be ok since they’re not drawing power from the Mac. Likewise, running the Macbook from a powered dock ought to be ok as well, I’d think. (?)
Thank you for this amazing video. Some questions: is this faulty chip also present on iMac / Apple displays? Does this also happen if what's connected has it's own power supply or if it's powering the laptop?
@@jm036 due to blackouts in Ukraine I've bought MacBook Pro M1 because it's the only laptop that holds charge for all the day and arm based, so it's efficient (I hope snapdragon x catches up in popularity) I like everything in it except upgradability, feeling a bit handcuffed, otherwise I'd purchase mega big 2tb SSD and 32gb ram
How about charging? I always try to charge with a 5V USB Charger thru the USB-C Port over night, so battery charges slower which is better for the battery. But is it save for the IC's? Should a future swap to the DigiKey IC be done before it should blow?
So, just a question, I’m using the usb ports on my desktop pc that is 10 years old. I never had this issue. Gigabyte motherboard. Do you think the PC & laptop motherboards have different lifespans?
As far as what we checked, HDMI is on different circuit. Then charging (20V) via the right port will not trigger the TPS. But it's still advisable to remove the charger afterwards.
This is the kind of issue, you would expect from a device with 1/10th of the price. Within 20 years of non apple and much cheaper devices, I've had only 2 VRM failures, first one was because of shorted ceramic cap (I caused it by spinning a fan in opposite direction with vacuum cleaner), easily fixed by removing the said cap. And the second one was caused when I shorted Vcore of RTX 2060 when soldering extra capacitors, again easily solved by removing the short, and replacing a 12V fuse. So all in all, nothing has ever failed for me, unless I caused it directly by myself.
I got an M1 Pro so I guess I'll keep the USB-C connector unplugged, which also means Backup will not be regularly done. Kind of sad, I never worry about leaving devices plugged into my Windows PCs or Linux laptops, ever!
I wonder if it is safe to plug in SD cards for long periods of time, does it also use the stepped down voltage from that sacred buck converter? SD should be 3.3V so I assume no?
Seems this could be a software fix, hopefully they will push some to fix it. But it also seems this might turn into a class action law suite considering the cost of these macbooks. With this being such a long term issue you can’t tell me apple isn’t aware of this by now. I’m sure they know.
Do I understand correctly, that this is only happening on the right side? I currently use the right port with a dock but I could switch to the left side. I always unplug in standby, as I don’t want my battery to die and in general I never leave devices plugged in when not in use. I only sometimes leave an ssd plugged in, usually in the left side. Will stop doing that for sure.
hello, I was wondering what would happen if i let an externally powered device plugged in for a long time, this shouldn't happen right? the IC wouldn't need to deliver the current and the problem would not be applicable, right?
Apple: “No, it was definitely not intentional, we clearly didn’t mean to use cheap parts in our products and it is definitely not a plan to make people buy AppleCare+ in case anything unfortunate and unexpected like this happens, because we clearly didn’t know. This also is obviously not a concern or problem people should worry about, this may not accelerate E-Waste, so Carbon Neutral by 2030. We want all of our Apple customers to be happy, worry-free and to save money as well!” - Tim (is) Cooked
@@iBoffRCC idk for sure, it's probably depending on settings. What I do is connect my phone when MBP is sleeping, phone starts charging. Then after some time (about a minute in my case, but I have very short sleep times in Settings also) charging stops. So I presume in real sleep external ports are not powered. Also if you run pmset -g log|grep -e " Sleep " -e " Wake " -e " DarkWake " in Terminal, you will see a "USB-C plug" DarkWake for 45 seconds (in my case) and then Sleep DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNP] : due to SMC.OutboxNotEmpty smc.70070000 smc.70200000 USB-C_plug/ Using AC (Charge:68%) 45 secs Entering Sleep state due to 'Maintenance Sleep':TCPKeepAlive=disabled Using AC (Charge:68%) 26 secs DarkWakes are service wake ups with screen off.
Hey this thing just happened to my M1 Pro 14-inch. Wasn't using it for a week, was left disconnected. When I tried to turn it on, it was dead. It was working fine when last used. When I checked the board, it was completely dead. There was a hole in the CD3217. I wasn't using the right USB-C port at all since I saw this video 2-3 months ago. So apparently it can happen even without use. It is my daily driver laptop for multimedia stuff, and I had some data on it... it failed just after 1 year of moderate use
I saw iBoff says it doesn't activate that TPS IC if it's the other way around. It only gets activated if the mac is powering the external device. Docks have plenty of power to support whatever is connected to it. I'm referring to reputable brands, and Caldigit is one of them.
I first said to my SO, do you smell something burning? Then quickly unplugged it. Luckily quick enough that it only damaged that port. It isn't that bad living with just two USB-C ports
damn man, these are 2-3-4k $ devices and they wanna save 1 or 2$
Designed by an American company.
Indeed, Apple saves millions of dollars on cheaper components and ensures future failure of the device, so you buy a new one. Lawsuits and warranty repairs are already paid for many times over by the cheaper component savings.
@@FVBmovies depends on the product, use case, and scenario actually. everything ive owned was a dream to use. cant say the same for other people but just my uses.
That's not even $1. LTC is known to give MASSIVE discount to big customers. Most major brands will do the same, they offer products at mot that much higher than bare cost for their big customers.
Take the LTC chip as an example, the die size can't be more than a few sq mm, and for mass production of mature analog processes (say 350nm), per sq mm cost can't be more than $0.08. So, the chip costs at most maybe $0.4 to manufacture. If Apple is negotiating the price, I'd be very surprised if LTC even dared to ask for even 50% gross margin, so at most the chips would be $0.8, and that's a worst case estimation.
Apple is literally saving cents by using a lower rated chip.
Well they’d be 8k devices if they didn’t apply that logic across the BoM
Apple : Of course, it's because you are shutting it down wrong.
You are using the USB wrong. Just never use it, and it won't ever fail. This is clearly the user's fault
@@panjak323 or try to use a portable as a portable and not permanently on and docked, desktop machine? Even I turn off my dedicated desktop machine every other day to clear out my ram and prevent attaining too much cached and swap ram.
So i shouldn't be using Mouse in my PC or Mac Studio?@@panjak323
Texas Instruments
Calculator : 😎
MacBooks : 💀
Engineers that prototyped this IC must be sued for real
Not the Engineers, the one forcing the low budget should. In this case apple
@@otozinclus3593 if the cheaper chip works well, then why not to use it?
But the IC die has some design flaws that may or may not occur, so it didn't have any reliability tests.
Apple probably didn't expect that chip to fail and made a reasonable cost cut.
@@Gameplayer55055 But that is the point: The cost savings sacrifice quality and decreased quality increases the likelihood of fails. It is a calculated gamble
Apple does this with all kind of their products, as an example the MacBook air M1/M2 base model SSD dies extremely quickly, because of the limited 8GB RAM making the laptop use Swap a lot, as well as the cheap SSD they used in the first place. But there are dozens of examples
Apple skimps on quality very regularly and sometimes that leads to failure. But Apple does not care, because they will frame it like it is your own fault
That's apple's fault. Chip has clearly stated specs, which apple clearly doesn't follow.
@@panjak323
10 amps for 2 ports
But 6 amps for 1 port
Seems logical, but something went wrong
My M1 Mac mini (2020 model) blew two weeks ago. I pulled the board and saw a suspicious raised dot on one of the chips and figured that was the problem. Now thanks to the video I went and took a closeup look at it: a CD3218 B12. So not the 3217, but close enough I'm guessing it does the same job and failed for the same reason (plugging in a USB cable and bye-bye logic board!).
What about continuously using a monitor that transmits both video signal and power through a single USB Type-C cable?
Yeah. What about this?
Galaxy in dex mode can be kept on forever. I've had 2 connected for years
Well the problem is Apple and other Computer Manufacturer use this same Chip instead of using the old one that won't break other components because the old one has Fail safe that cuts the power rail when the voltage is higher than 5 Volt
why apple engineers still using this f%ing ic TPS62180 ?
Because they have smol brain
not because of the engineers but because of the greedy MBAs in-charge
It could be that they don’t understand the failure mode. Clearly the buck mosfet is failing short and passing 12V, but that could be just one possible failure mode.
This video mistakes failure rate per operating hour (by recommending that you unplug all usb) vs the failure being instigated from an esd event, a bad high voltage handshake, or some other discrete “event”. In reality, it’s clear the author doesn’t know what causes the problem.
@@trshcln6937Because they have SMD brain lmao
My cheap HP gaming laptop simply cuts the power off, lmfao.
god bless you and the work you are doing! as a repair shop owner I can finally use the light bulb analogy to explain it to the client and why the repar will cost so much
Getting to the point with Apple that you have to create a video and say. 'If you want to fix your Apple product you have to watch this 5 min video' so that you don't have to repeat yourself to every customer. Before saying what the price is.
You can have usb-c ports, ofcourse. You just shouldn't use them. On a serious note, the 10A 5V chip will probably get burned as well if you use both ports at the same time. You could try testing small heatsinks on the 2 ICs (lower the temperature, increase its lifespan).
Just my anecdote, I keep two Dell monitors each connected to my Macbook M1 Pro via the two left USB-C supplying both power and display. They are connected 24/7 except the odd day or two each month where it’s disconnected for travel. It’s been over 2 years I’ve run it like this and haven’t had any problems yet.
Come back when you have an issue
Bro you’re really testing your luck here 😂
It’s a usb C cable just remove it
@@jjptech Yeah that's the plan if I remember to come back and update this comment in the future. But again even if it does die it's only one anecdote and shouldn't be biased and focused on this one experience.
@@legend-2890 It's for my business and it's got applecare+ on it. I hate how half the time after bringing it back up from sleep overnight it forgets all the window and app positions especially since I use multiple Spaces for each monitor. If I unplug it every night, it just never remembers any of it and I spend time every day moving all my apps back to their correct monitor and spaces view. Plus, if people are going to nitpick about their mac's life, right now its behaviour is set to keep the battery charged to 80% only to keep the battery healthy, if I keep unplugging it every night it'll remember to fully charge to 100% by night time when I don't actually need it.
Man I do these to with my dell monitors. Scared af since seeing this video
Apple's been using these chips since 2015 with constant failures. I don't know who the hell keeps forcing these on these machines.
Apple does, because of the following:
1. Probably the cheapest USB C controller on the market, giving them a higher profit margin in production.
2. If they fail, that means the customer needs to buy a new one.
There is a fine line between form and function and apple has always thrown out all function for form. Every single Mac model since 2004-2005 is plagued with some sort of issue. Even the 13" Unibody MacBooks.
@@IIdankII That's true with a few exceptions. Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean you should. Apple built their Mac's to be disposable trash even in Steve Job's late hay day. Their "this Mac is recyclable" advertisements essentially meant you're meant to recycle them as they're shitty products.
To be fair, other Apple Product's like iPhones have had no issues with longevity, it's always just something minor like a screen cracking.
The iMac G5 was what set it off and has to be deemed as the worst product Apple has ever shat out, worse than the Lisa.
It got only one year of software updates, was about as reliable as an MP's "promise" and had the worst sounding speakers and build quality of any Mac to ever hit consumer shelves.
It was lazy and kicked off a lazy cycle in Apple's products.
That's like when they kept using really cheap ineffective capacitors for the 17" Unibody MacBooks and then butterfly keyboard for 4 years even when they were failing at a rapid rate and had to be forced to offer replacements. When MacBooks work they are great but when they don't it's an expensive problem and there should be no cheap components in such an expensive device.
Because they can, and they have such little confidence in their products that they only put on a 1 year warranty.
There are hard drives you can buy that are warrantied for five years.
I know who's forcing this, it's called obsolescence.
If I leave the macbook conected to an hube that also provide power for a lot of time it can also make damage?
Does M1 Macbook Air also has the same potential issue? or is it only happening on the pro and max series models
does this mean the regular m1/m2/m3 macs namely macbook air is unaffected by this?
What about display monitors connected via USB C? Does the same scenario apply?
I'll keep an eye on mine. I have a 2023 M2 Pro 14" model so its definitely got one of these suckers. I'm quite confident about replacing it if anything bad happens, but id rather not. I use it at work plugged into a USB-C dock all day, so that's slightly concerning. But at the same time, I didn't pay for it, nor will I be paying for the repair.
What if I just plug in my usbc devices only on the MagSafe side? I have a M2 Pro 16inch MacBook, I usually have only 1 thunderbolt cable plugged from my dock that does everything from display/power/peripherals
wondering the same thing
I saw a video somewhere else Lenovos had a similar issue with their thunderbolt ports
it looks like it's best to use the MagSafe side because the LT8642EV-1 10Amps is in charged of that side. Also, my Lenovo Legion USB-C port died and killed my nVIDIA GPU. so this problem isn't just Apple's issue.
@@evanmila4048 yea I knew someone where I saw Lenovo used the same ic chips too seems like a intel controller issue
is this an issue on mac mini as well?
Your 3000 dollar laptop made unuseable by a part that costs apple 3 dollars . . . No thanks, i was planning on getting a new one, but i guess i will stick to my 2012 macbook pro for the time being!
Could the same thing also happen on iPhone or iPad?
Once again thanks for the informative video iBoff Mat, I wasn't aware of the presence of that terrible TPS62180 on these boards. Also glad that you confirmed that we can use CD3217 from A2442 (same position on boards) to replace CD3217's on A2485 16"
amazing video, i have a question, should we also disconnect the magsafe and HDMI cables too? when not in use
Is this the same for the desktop models?
Is the left side ports more reliable?
I am using macbook pro 2021 16 m1 pro. i use double usb c hub from anker for using 2 monitors, charging, ethernet, sdcard, mouse dongle. Will this trigger issue? sometimes i left it connected all night. As you said in the video. The main common problem is the USB c on the right side where there is only one USB c?
dunno man. I do exactly that. i have laptop on 24/7 plugged into usb c hub with hdmi. i wouldn't worry about it. make sure you got applecare though. Had mine about a year no issues
I think it's pure luck, probably related to ESD
You know the ram clears out when you turn it off and cold boot it every now and then. Some programs will leak into ram or be stored in cache that don’t need to be. Also if you bump into swap, it seems like a great time for a cold reset after an over night rest.
@@Gameplayer55055 I agree. This is probably not as common an issue as this click-bait TH-camr tries to imply.
Does the TPS62180 chip also supply the 5 volts (and degrade) when connected to a USB-C dock which gets its power from an external PSU?
What usually cause the fault? Is it the Buck or the USB-C controller? Bad thermal management of the ICs?
Hey in the start of this video you started with “Have you heard about this exploding USB-C port”, but the title mentions ports*
Is this issue only happening on the right side usbc port?
Is the sd card reader affected too?
@iBoffRCC could you please elaborate a bit more on the different usage of these usb-c ports ?
More importantly, is connecting a thunderbolt or usb-c screen, and therefore also charging/powering the MacBook via this port could have the same devastating effect on the ports' ics as connecting a peripheral that needs to be powered by this port ?
This is not very clear from your video.
I am confused, so what macbook should we buy that long lasting?
Now I have been using macbook pro 15" 2019 from 2020, surprisingly facing this issue (usb ic port exploding) in 2023 when rarely use it from 2022-2023. and currently I face the flexgate issue
Thinking to buy new one but with the same risk issue and higher price is scary. Cant imagine that cost for repairing
I’m wondering the same…
Must you buy a MacBook?
Must you buy a MacBook?
Is it possible for you to replace that bad chip with the one that never fails?
I have MacBook Air m1. Should I be afraid of this issue?
No, I’ve worked at an authorized repair shop for years and we rarely see port issues on any of the newer Mac’s. Most of the port issues we see are on aging intel MacBooks from the mid 2010s. My M1 Pro 14 inch MacBook Pro sat docked for a couple years using the right USB-C cable to dock it and I never had issues.
That isn’t to say it isn’t a problem, but it’s not some giant scandal affecting tons of people. Most of the M1 Pro/Max series computers out there will likely never have an issue from the manufacturing or parts used.
So probably the newer iPads also aren’t exchangeable with different CD3217s from a different model?
It works but you need to exchange the ROM IC too
does it only affect type c ports?
for example if i kept a sdcard in slot would i be fine or an hdmi cable and magsafe?
same questio
Aren't there any drop-in replacements for the TPS buck converter
so what is says, is that cd3217 can be only replaced from the donor boards from the same place ??? it is sucks
As a M1 Pro macbook owner for 2 1/4 years, I'm now scared. Is this only happening to 16 inch or also to 14 inch MacBooks?
If I connect a camera to a MacBook via USB-C, which device (camera or MacBook) is providing the 5V?
Are the 2 left USB C Ports generally safer to use?
None of them are safe really.
Does this means keep magsafe plug in is also prone to failure?
Are MacBooks with M4 chips affected?
Does A2141 also uses TPS62180 to power USB ports? Left side, right side or both?
I think there is more involved when it comes to replacing the cd3217. You would according to say have a master and slave cd3217. If you replace the master then you also have to replace the rom chip of that. At least I read this somewhere
this 👍. you're right, the chip revision also matters( you can discern it by the markings and type glossy/mat).
since all the chips are not the same revision, swapping them will cause issues with the program inside the rom.Keep in mind the code inside the rom defines what functions are used: usb3/2, pci passthrough,dp port......) so naturally it will not be the same between all models.
replacing both is good practice, when you pull from the same board.
We did the ROM swap, nothing changed. And every other CD3217 sources you can imagine (not shown in table) but it still didn't work. Read the blog and you will understand
@@iBoffRCC In any case, a lot is still unclear when it comes to the cd3217. Hopefully there will be solutions to this problem. For example, it would also be nice to be able to disable a cd3217 and case of (for example) water damage.
I remember many years back some models of Thinkpads had a similar issue with the lightning USB-C port, that would in time eventually break your computer.
If I remember correctly, it's the firmware issue.
@@mikaelahyakuya3485 Yeah it was fixable with firmware, the T480 im pretty sure. A large amount of those laptops are just unusable because you didn’t even have to use the USB-C port all that much, just have the device powered on and it’d eventually break, while the firmware released after a lot of the damage had been done + some people just never updated it.
My E14 Gen 2 USB C Port died 4 times in a span of 2 years, the last one fried the mobo, but ofc no one posted video about this because people love thinkpads and hate apple :P
@@jacobglass2951 Apples not really all that exceptionally awful of a company, they’re just the biggest that gets the most publicity. I love Thinkpads myself but models like the T480 would literally destroy themselves from just being… powered on, while to ruin *specifically* the M1 Max and M1 Pro models of the Macbook Pro, you need to have a specific USB-C port in constant use for a long time.
Hell, the T480 specifically was a pretty great laptop, that a lot of people think of as being the last “great” Thinkpad. Nowadays Thinkpads are more guilty of the things Apple are blamed for, like being overpriced - the new Snapdragon Thinkpad costs twice the price of a Macbook Air, for example.
It’s only bus-powered devices that are the problem (drives & hubs), right? I’d think that displays would be ok since they’re not drawing power from the Mac. Likewise, running the Macbook from a powered dock ought to be ok as well, I’d think. (?)
I am wondering the same thing…
Does the Mac Studio also use this?
Is it safe or possible to use a usb c cable to connect to an external monitor with the power lines cut off from the cable?
Thank you for this amazing video.
Some questions: is this faulty chip also present on iMac / Apple displays?
Does this also happen if what's connected has it's own power supply or if it's powering the laptop?
Is the m3 13inch macbook air affected?
will putting thermal pads help to reduce ic temperature when device connected?
Guess I’m staying away from 14” and 16” MacBooks. Thanks for the valuable information!
I guess I made the right choice to step back from the MacBooks by letting go of my 16” M1 Max MBP, then. Damn…
Or you use the USB-ports on the other side… But yeah, you should learn about the failure modes of Dell XPS. Reliability is always relative.
I'd like to, but MacBooks have no alternatives. Come on windows laptop manufacturers, make a device that isn't a plastic toy but actually usable
@@Gameplayer55055 There are plenty in that price bracket. Stop comparing apples (lmao) and oranges.
@@jm036 due to blackouts in Ukraine I've bought MacBook Pro M1 because it's the only laptop that holds charge for all the day and arm based, so it's efficient (I hope snapdragon x catches up in popularity)
I like everything in it except upgradability, feeling a bit handcuffed, otherwise I'd purchase mega big 2tb SSD and 32gb ram
How about charging? I always try to charge with a 5V USB Charger thru the USB-C Port over night, so battery charges slower which is better for the battery. But is it save for the IC's? Should a future swap to the DigiKey IC be done before it should blow?
So, just a question, I’m using the usb ports on my desktop pc that is 10 years old. I never had this issue. Gigabyte motherboard.
Do you think the PC & laptop motherboards have different lifespans?
Does the SD Card slot use this IC?
Is this issue also on the Mac Mini and iMac?
Once again, iBoff comes through with a masterful video. Turn your notebook off once in a while.
If I use HDMI or USB-C for charging only, will this affect the issue?
As far as what we checked, HDMI is on different circuit. Then charging (20V) via the right port will not trigger the TPS. But it's still advisable to remove the charger afterwards.
@@iBoffRCC what about charging via left side of macbook?
Does this TPS62180 problem not affect the macbook airs (regular M1, M2, M3, not pro not max)?
The link to the cd3217 artikel is not working
Thank you for letting us know, fixed!
@@iBoffRCCthank you for the video
to prevent this from happening, can I just use the left USBs instead of the right one?
Does it apply to desktop Macs too? I have a m2 pro mini with external ssd connected all the time.
This is the kind of issue, you would expect from a device with 1/10th of the price. Within 20 years of non apple and much cheaper devices, I've had only 2 VRM failures, first one was because of shorted ceramic cap (I caused it by spinning a fan in opposite direction with vacuum cleaner), easily fixed by removing the said cap. And the second one was caused when I shorted Vcore of RTX 2060 when soldering extra capacitors, again easily solved by removing the short, and replacing a 12V fuse.
So all in all, nothing has ever failed for me, unless I caused it directly by myself.
Does this affect Mac Minis bro? I leave my hub in all the time... yikes
As always, a very complete video. Keep going, folks!
Thank you!
Are these timebomb ports safe for charging only (with official psu & cable)?
Or am I now limited to using the 2 left ports?
2019 16” mbp
My entry level Windows Laptops, which does have USB C, doesn't have this issue
While the USB C only does regular USB as usual
So just shutting it down instead of leaving it to sleep should "prevent" this issue?
this channel is a live encyclopedia. well done!
I got an M1 Pro so I guess I'll keep the USB-C connector unplugged, which also means Backup will not be regularly done. Kind of sad, I never worry about leaving devices plugged into my Windows PCs or Linux laptops, ever!
I wonder if it is safe to plug in SD cards for long periods of time, does it also use the stepped down voltage from that sacred buck converter? SD should be 3.3V so I assume no?
Thanks for the informative video! What about active docking stations that charge the Macbook? Does this also place a load on the TPS62180YZFR?
Does this apply to standard M2 Macbook Air?
I have the M2 Max 14" MBP, so if I understood the video correct I should be fine, if I don't use the right side USB-C (next to HDMI and SD)?
Seems this could be a software fix, hopefully they will push some to fix it. But it also seems this might turn into a class action law suite considering the cost of these macbooks. With this being such a long term issue you can’t tell me apple isn’t aware of this by now. I’m sure they know.
Do I understand correctly, that this is only happening on the right side? I currently use the right port with a dock but I could switch to the left side. I always unplug in standby, as I don’t want my battery to die and in general I never leave devices plugged in when not in use. I only sometimes leave an ssd plugged in, usually in the left side. Will stop doing that for sure.
So basically as long as you don't exceed 30w on the right side port(6a x 5v) you should be fine?
Any laptop brand you would recommend?
Does this apply to imac m1 and m3 too?
I connect my MBP M2 to a hub and use an external monitor and connect the charging cable to the hub. Will that also damage the USB C port?
If you don't turn off your Mac, potentially might. You can offset the headache by making backups and buying Apple Care+.
Any chance you know if Mac Studio uses the same IC?
hello, I was wondering what would happen if i let an externally powered device plugged in for a long time, this shouldn't happen right? the IC wouldn't need to deliver the current and the problem would not be applicable, right?
Same thing happened to ipad pro m1 , I lost all connectivity via the USB C 😢, the iPad now only charge and can't detect or be detected via USB c
The way this is also a pretty annoying issue on iPads now too. Made even worse with only one port and having no way to recover the OS by itself.
Apple: “No, it was definitely not intentional, we clearly didn’t mean to use cheap parts in our products and it is definitely not a plan to make people buy AppleCare+ in case anything unfortunate and unexpected like this happens, because we clearly didn’t know. This also is obviously not a concern or problem people should worry about, this may not accelerate E-Waste, so Carbon Neutral by 2030. We want all of our Apple customers to be happy, worry-free and to save money as well!” - Tim (is) Cooked
I think when it's sleeping and you plug something in macbook darkwakes and then sleeps again after some time with usb-c unpowered.
We'll check that. How long would it take to go unpowered?
@@iBoffRCC idk for sure, it's probably depending on settings. What I do is connect my phone when MBP is sleeping, phone starts charging. Then after some time (about a minute in my case, but I have very short sleep times in Settings also) charging stops. So I presume in real sleep external ports are not powered.
Also if you run
pmset -g log|grep -e " Sleep " -e " Wake " -e " DarkWake "
in Terminal, you will see a "USB-C plug" DarkWake for 45 seconds (in my case) and then Sleep
DarkWake from Deep Idle [CDNP] : due to SMC.OutboxNotEmpty smc.70070000 smc.70200000 USB-C_plug/ Using AC (Charge:68%) 45 secs
Entering Sleep state due to 'Maintenance Sleep':TCPKeepAlive=disabled Using AC (Charge:68%) 26 secs
DarkWakes are service wake ups with screen off.
Hey this thing just happened to my M1 Pro 14-inch. Wasn't using it for a week, was left disconnected. When I tried to turn it on, it was dead. It was working fine when last used. When I checked the board, it was completely dead. There was a hole in the CD3217. I wasn't using the right USB-C port at all since I saw this video 2-3 months ago. So apparently it can happen even without use.
It is my daily driver laptop for multimedia stuff, and I had some data on it... it failed just after 1 year of moderate use
What about docking station?
How about m1 macbook are, are they prone to this fail?! Thanks
Is this also valid for m2 mac mini?
cant you find a doner board and copy the data from the programmed chip and write it on a new chip?
I love this guy's humor.
So i can’t leave it plugged in with a thunderbolt 4 dock?
😮
Is that an issue with m1 airs?
But if I keep my USB device plugged in the other ports it will fine right ?
So in theory just avoid the right side usb-c port and it should be ok? as the video shows that the left-sided ports use a different IC.
why didnt my macbook aoir 2020 m1 hasn't blew it's thunderbolt type c port after plugging in a type c hub for 2 days no unplugs?
Air M1 doesn't use the TPS62180 so it simply couldn't have happened.
Is this also a problem with a dock like the Caldigit Ts3+ that supplies power and data? I've left it plugged in most of the time on 24/7 for 2 years
I saw iBoff says it doesn't activate that TPS IC if it's the other way around. It only gets activated if the mac is powering the external device. Docks have plenty of power to support whatever is connected to it. I'm referring to reputable brands, and Caldigit is one of them.
I first said to my SO, do you smell something burning? Then quickly unplugged it. Luckily quick enough that it only damaged that port. It isn't that bad living with just two USB-C ports
love how informative this channel is. thank you!