MacBook Pro crashing, heat related?

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MacBook Pro crashing, heat related?

So I have had a bit of a sorted history with MacBook Pros of late. Currently my model's battery is giving me no end of anger and bewilderment...

Anyway, it has been crashing, a lot, lately. Its not a Kernel Panic crash, its the kind where when you listen to music or play a game, the last moment of audio repeats over and over again. Complete failure.

It usually has been happening while playing Call of Duty 4. Its not consistent, its doesn't crash every time I play, just now and then. I was just editing and exporting some video with Premiere Pro and Quicktime Pro and just tanked. I think it is heat related since its always after getting an intense workout. I know the fans are spinning up, I can hear them. Using SMCfancontrol, I always keep the fans at a minimum of 3000...

Anyway, I know the first gen UniBodies still struggled with the nVidia chipsets. I didn't get mine at launch in October, it wasn't until January that I got it. Also, about a month after I got it, the logic board was replaced for the battery related issues.

Is it possible they put a defective logic board in? Wouldn't all their stock have been replaced with better ones by now?! Is there something else I can try, or is it going to need another logic swap? I really can't be without this machine for very long..

MacBook Pro UNB 15.4" 2.53GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Aug 2, 2009 4:54 PM

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Answer 1

Mac-Medic

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Aug 2, 2009 6:11 PM in response to ksherman_86

Note the exact time the issue happens and check your System logs in your Console application for clues to the cause. If it's a thermal shutdown, there should be lines in there with thermal in them.

Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'.

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Answer 2

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 2, 2009 6:32 PM in response to Mac-Medic

What's the terminal command to check that log? Also, what would I be looking for in that log?

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Answer 3

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 2, 2009 7:02 PM in response to Mac-Medic

Well, found the console and figured out when the system restarted. The previous entries don't seem all that related. It was checking by DVD drive (disk1s1) and then something that seems related to MobileMe (was related to aos something that google reveals to be MobileMe related).

So what should I be looking for?

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Answer 4

Mac-Medic

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Aug 2, 2009 7:30 PM in response to ksherman_86

Look for lines like "cause of shutdown." You may have to wait until it shuts down again and the look at the logs right after that.

Download SystemLoad and run that for an extended period of time to heat the computer up good.

You might try running your hardware tester too. Boot with the "D" key held down when booting from your install DVD.

Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

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Answer 5

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 3, 2009 9:06 AM in response to Mac-Medic

Alright, I ran the hardware test last night, surprise surprise, nothing showed up. I just found out there is a way to loop the testing, will try that tonight.

I was looking through the log and found this string that may be of some explanation for the shutdown:
*Previous Shutdown Cause: 3*
Some light googling seems to point it towards a hardware issue.

Currently, I am loading the system down. Got COD4 playing in a window to work up the GPU and System Load loading up the CPU. So far, its goin steady. But even before the issue was intermittent, like it didn't happen everytime I played COD4. So not really sure what to do next other than keep stressin.

Any ideas on the log entry?

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Answer 6

KhinFai

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Aug 3, 2009 9:29 AM in response to ksherman_86

Did you perform any upgrades to your ram ?

Your hard disk , is it near full capacity space ?

Which graphic card that you use when you execute COD4 application ?

Message was edited by: KhinFai

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Answer 7

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 3, 2009 9:42 AM in response to KhinFai

RAM is the 4GB DDR3 that came with the machine.

The Hard Drive is upgraded, 500GB 7200rpm that had well over 150GB free.

Graphics card was the 9600M GT 512MB one. Pretty much never switch over to the 9400M because it only gives me another 20minutes of battery life, which isn't usually worth the hassle of logging out to make the switch.

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Answer 8

Mac-Medic

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Aug 3, 2009 11:24 AM in response to ksherman_86

Intermittent problems are hard to diagnose sometimes. Keep it running hot for hours and see if you can get it to act up.

You might try an Archive and Install to eliminate a software issue.

If it still acts up after doing all that, contact Apple and let them know what you have all tried. You may need a new logic board at that point.

Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

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Answer 9

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 3, 2009 11:57 AM in response to Mac-Medic

Yeah, I will continue to test it..

I don't think a fresh install is what I want to do yet. I was planning on doing one when Snow Leopard rears its head, but not before. Mighty inconvenient. And I have to work on the machine everyday..

Thanks again, and I will keep you posted if something pops up.

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Answer 10

ksherman_86 Author

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Aug 9, 2009 6:43 PM in response to Mac-Medic

Well my intentional attempts to crash the machine didn't work, yet (though haven't had a ton of time to do so) but it crashed again on its own! I had just finished editing and uploading some pictures for work and started watching SG-1 on Hulu. A few minutes in, boom. Temperature (according to the iStat menu at the top of the screen) read 81F, which I don't think is totally out of line.

Looked in the console, again returned with:

Aug 9 20:32:46 localhost kernel[0]: Previous Shutdown Cause: 3

Awesome. So do I take the machine in at this point? I really hope they wont have to try to stress the machine and get it to fail, because its still intermittent. I have even played Call of Duty 4 a few time through out the week, and the system didn't fail. Updated to 10.5.8 yesterday as well, so its not a OSX-version thing, potentially.

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Answer 11

Mac-Medic

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Aug 9, 2009 7:04 PM in response to ksherman_86

I would contact Apple. I think that logic board needs to be changed.

Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

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