cMP 5,1 With macOS Mojave Intermittent Cursor Freezes / Hangs For A Fraction Of A Second, Randomly,

I have this very, very annoying problem on a cMP 5,1 macOS Mojave 10.14.6:

Intermittent random cursor hanging / freezing for microseconds to 1/2 second, with hiccups in any opened windows at the "release" stage.

Extremely annoying when dragging things around or when drawing because it also looses any active selection I might have, and interrupts the line as I'm drawing.

I originally thought it was a problem with the Inateck Pcie USB card, but nope. Will post updates here as I continue to troubleshoot.

Update 12:

FREAKING HELL!!! I FOUND THE CULPRIT! FINALLY!!!

Do you know what it is??? Guess, I'll wait... One, two, three... All right, I give it to you:

It's having the USB mouse plugged to the Apple USB keyboard plugged to any of the rear USB ports that's causing this shit!

I kid you not. If I plug the keyboard to one of the rear USB port of the Mac and the mouse to a second USB port in the front, all is fine and dandy. WHAT???!!!!

It's a generic HP/Logitech optical mouse if you want to know, model M-UAE96. The keyboard is an Apple aluminum model 1243/2171.

If I plug the mouse/keyboard combination to any of the front USB ports, it's all smooth and good as well!!

This is too much!! I've been tracking this problem for nearly a month now. F%c^@g hell! And I've had this same exact wired mouse plugged to the same wired Apple keyboard cascading like this since FOREVER! It was NEVER a problem.

I recently updated Mojave to 10.14.6. Another thing that happened recently was one of the 8GB RAM module died. Is it related? Is it not? I don't know but I'm happy I got rid of these pesky interruptions.

Un-freaking-believable!

Update 11:

Open Terminal, type: "sudo pmset proximitywake 0"

NOPE!

Update 10:

Go to: Library/Preferences, Removed Power Managements.plists

Rebooted Computer.

NOPE.

Update 9:

Removed Bluetooth Pan from Network Preferences.

Before

After.

NOPE!

Update 8:

Bluetooth Preferences/Advanced/Turned OpenBluetooth Setup Assistant at startup if no keyboard/no mouse are detected OFF. (Were on.)

Removed all listed bluetooth devices just in case.

NOPE.

Update 7:

System Preferences/Energy Saver/Wake for Network Access/ OFF (it was on by default.)

NOPE.

Update 6:

Since the Energy Saver is set to kick in at 10min. by default, I put the Screen Saver on 5min. Monitoring again.

NOPE.

Update 5:

Another suggestion: Open Bluetooth Preferences/Advanced/Allow Bluetooth Devices to Wake This Computer -> Turn Off. (It was on.) Keep monitoring.

NOPE! Still Happening.

Update 4:

There must be a setting that get rid of this stupid "Idle Sleep Preventers" and ensuing errors that make the mouse hangs/freeze.

OK I put it back to its Default Settings, and keep monitoring.

NOPE! No change, still happening.

Update 3:

Opened Activity Monitor app and started monitoring all the while moving the mouse constantly.  When the mouse got stuck, took a picture asap:

Notice this little Kextd bugger right there? Appears each time the mouse micro freezes.

OK, Opened Console app and monitored what's going on while moving the mouse, and Bingo!!! Look at the pesky kextd bugger right after the freaking ERROR, right after... Idle Sleep Preventers:

default 18:56:48.913499 -0700 contextstored Idle Sleep Preventers: <private>

error 18:56:48.912847 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.912996 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.914124 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.914309 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915062 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915141 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915221 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915359 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915498 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

error 18:56:48.915777 -0700 hidd <private>: iohideventsystem_client_dispatch_service_removal:0x10000004

default 18:56:48.940097 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:48.946275 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:48.962305 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:48.962367 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.999748 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.999814 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.034727 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.034790 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.068190 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.068284 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.082342 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.082403 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.094638 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.094698 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.109420 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.109482 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.127156 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.127217 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

default 18:56:49.146118 -0700 trustd asynchronously fetching CRL (http://crl.apple.com/root.crl) for client (kextd[57]/0#-1 LF=0)

default 18:56:49.146178 -0700 trustd cert[2]: AnchorTrusted =(leaf)[force]> 0

Could it be my Energy Saver Settings?...

Really? This is the setting that generates all these interruptions and mouse freezing hanging? OK then, how about this?

NOPE! Still does it.

Update2:

I'm getting to the bottom of this problem:

- Disconnected Display port monitor, leave just DB15 monitor connected. Nope.

- Disconnected DB15 port monitor, leave just Display port monitor connected. Nope.

- Disconnected SDI monitor from BMD card. Nope.

- Disconnected Voyager USB hard drive dock. Nope.

- Disconnected Behringer USB audio interface. Nope.

- Swapped USB Keyboard + mouse from USB port 1 to 2 to 3. Nope.

- Restarted computer in Safe Mode (SHIFT.) NOPE! Still happens.

- Restarted Computer holding Option/Command/P/R to clear PRAM. Nope.

- Re-installed Inateck card.

Update 1:

No, I'm wrong, the Mac continues to hang... The card has been out of the machine for the last two weeks and the problem still exists. So it's not the Inateck.

I'm gonna have to do some more research and testing. Dang.

Original Post:

 I have an Inateck KT4004 Pcie USB3 (5Gbps) Card Adapter (rev B4?) in Slot 3 of my cMP 5,1 running macOS Mojave 10.14.6 and it makes the system hangs for sub seconds constantly.

My 2014 Inateck KT4004 Card

By this I mean that the mouse will freeze and will come back to life, freeze, come back to life, and on and on in an intermittently and randomly manner.

Drives me crazy as if for example I try to drag something from my left monitor to the right one it will freeze, loose whatever item I was dragging and drop it in the middle. It makes it impossible to draw on screen among other things.

I removed the card and sure enough the system is smooth as butter. Need to run some more tests but I feel I might need to replace this card I bought back in 2014 with a more recent one.

Inateck KT4004 (current Version)

I have an Ableconn PU31-AC2 USB3 (10Gbps) in the same Mac Pro and that one works flawlessly, but I need more inputs.

Abletonn PU31-AC2

What's your favorite USB PCIe Card for cMP? Let me know in the comments.

Which is faster? Mac mini 2012 vs. classic Mac Pro 2012, Encoding HD 1080 h264 comparison

Encoding a 60min. HD ProRes422 to HD h264 (Best/MultiPass Quality) file on cMP (6 cores Xeon), and on Mac Mini (quad core i7)

1) Using Compressor:

1a) cMP = 210min. Abysmal!

VTEncoder almost never goes over 400% CPU

Using only 6 cores at 70% and 6 cores at 10%. Total never goes over 40% User CPU load.


1b) Mini = 50min. Best results!

VTEncoder barely goes over 200% CPU

Using only 4 cores at 10% and 4 cores at 5%. Total never goes over 40% User CPU load.

2) Using Adobe Media Encoder:

2a) cMP = 90min. Meh.

AMEncoder goes up 750% CPU

Using 6 cores at 80% and 6 cores at 60%. Total goes over 65% User CPU

2b) Mini = 84min. Meh.

AMEncoder goes up 600% CPU

Using 4 cores at 80% and 6 cores at 60%. Total goes over 65% User CPU

3) Machines configs:

cMP 2012 6 cores 3.46GHz, 32GB Ram, Radeon 7950 3GB.

Mini 2012 4 cores i7 2.3GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz), Intel 4000 1.5GB

Conclusion: Even though its specs are underwhelming compared to the cMP, the Mini wins with Compressor.

The cMP is really terrible! (x4 real time!!! What?) The Mini encodes the 60min. file in less than 50min. - under real time. 

On the other end with AME (which is much more power hungry) it's about the same on both machines and it takes longer than real time (x1.5 real time more or less.)

The Mini sports a dedicated h264 encode/decode chip, makes sense that the performance is better, it seems though only Compressor is accessing this added power. Adobe? What the heck??

Have a good day!