diff --git a/test/device/test_amd_llvm.py b/test/device/test_amd_llvm.py
index 9fb9fa333c..0522f35750 100644
--- a/test/device/test_amd_llvm.py
+++ b/test/device/test_amd_llvm.py
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 import unittest
-import numpy as np
 from tinygrad import Device
 from tinygrad.device import CompileError
-from tinygrad.helpers import flat_mv
-if Device.DEFAULT=="AMD":
-  from tinygrad.runtime.ops_amd import AMDAllocator, AMDDevice, AMDProgram
+if Device.DEFAULT == "AMD":
+  # NOTE: if you don't gate this, LVP fails on Mac
   from tinygrad.runtime.support.compiler_amd import AMDLLVMCompiler
 
 @unittest.skipUnless(Device.DEFAULT == "AMD", "Runs only on AMD")
@@ -18,16 +16,8 @@ entry:
   ret void
 }
     '''
-    device = AMDDevice()
     compiler = AMDLLVMCompiler("gfx1100")
-    obj = compiler.compile(src)
-    allocator = AMDAllocator(device)
-    a = allocator.alloc(1*8)
-    prog = AMDProgram(device, "test", obj)
-    prog(a, wait=True)
-    na = np.empty(1, np.uint64)
-    allocator._copyout(flat_mv(na.data), a)
-    assert na == [0x1234567800000005]
+    compiler.compile(src)
 
   def test_compiler_diag_error(self):
     src = """
diff --git a/test/device/test_hcq.py b/test/device/test_hcq.py
index dceca7d5bc..54b55592bc 100644
--- a/test/device/test_hcq.py
+++ b/test/device/test_hcq.py
@@ -224,7 +224,8 @@ class TestHCQ(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_copy_64bit(self):
     if TestHCQ.d0.hw_copy_queue_t is None: self.skipTest("device does not support copy queue")
 
-    for sz in [(1 << 32) - 1, (1 << 32), (1 << 32) + 1, (5 << 30), (6 << 30) - 0x4642ee1]:
+    # NOTE: these must be a multiple of 8 for .view(fmt='Q') to work
+    for sz in [(1 << 32) - 8, (1 << 32), (1 << 32) + 8, (5 << 30), (6 << 30) - 0x4642ee0]:
       buf1 = Buffer(Device.DEFAULT, sz, dtypes.int8, options=BufferSpec(nolru=True)).ensure_allocated()
       buf2 = Buffer(Device.DEFAULT, sz, dtypes.int8, options=BufferSpec(host=True, nolru=True)).ensure_allocated()
 
diff --git a/test/models/test_whisper.py b/test/models/test_whisper.py
index aeab692713..8779f21c9b 100644
--- a/test/models/test_whisper.py
+++ b/test/models/test_whisper.py
@@ -94,12 +94,14 @@ class TestWhisper(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEqual(TRANSCRIPTION_2,  transcriptions[0])
     self.assertEqual(TRANSCRIPTION_1,  transcriptions[1])
 
+  @unittest.skip("file 3 url is broken")
   @unittest.skipIf(CI or (Device.DEFAULT == "CPU" and CPU_LLVM), "too long for CI")
   def test_transcribe_long(self):
     waveform = [load_file_waveform(fetch(TEST_FILE_3_URL))]
     transcription = transcribe_waveform(self.model, self.enc, waveform)
     self.assertWER(transcription, TRANSCRIPTION_3, 0.085)
 
+  @unittest.skip("file 3 url is broken")
   @unittest.skipIf(CI or (Device.DEFAULT == "CPU" and CPU_LLVM), "too long for CI")
   def test_transcribe_long_no_batch(self):
     waveforms = [load_file_waveform(fetch(TEST_FILE_3_URL)), load_file_waveform(TEST_FILE_1)]
diff --git a/test/test_gc.py b/test/test_gc.py
index faa25a741f..3f3c8129b7 100644
--- a/test/test_gc.py
+++ b/test/test_gc.py
@@ -7,13 +7,22 @@ from tinygrad.engine.realize import run_schedule
 from tinygrad.uop.ops import UOp
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
 
+def _allocations_of_type(t):
+  ret = 0
+  for x in gc.get_objects():
+    try:
+      if isinstance(x, t): ret += 1
+    except ReferenceError:
+      pass
+  return ret
+
 def tensors_allocated():
   gc.collect()
-  return sum([isinstance(x, Tensor) for x in gc.get_objects()])
+  return _allocations_of_type(Tensor)
 
 def bufs_allocated():
   gc.collect()
-  return sum([isinstance(x, Buffer) for x in gc.get_objects()])
+  return _allocations_of_type(Buffer)
 
 class TestGC(unittest.TestCase):