Temperature Rises with audio

Did Steve happen to mention a Leopard patch? (which my temperature bugged machine shipped with) 😉

Have any of you seen the latest bit in Mac World about this?

http://www.macworld.com/article/146532/2010/02/macproaudioupdatebenchmarks.html

They repeatedly refer to the fix as a "firmware update" which it certainly was not. I'm surprised that they got that wrong, especially since this is the first article they have done about the problem (as far as I know).

Note the "before and after" tests. Is it possible that Mac World did not include core audio utilization as part of the before and after benchmarking? Am I missing something, or have they totally missed it? These tests minimize the size and scope of the problem as presented in the article, part of which is the fact that utilizing core audio or using the FW bus caused a 40W minimum excess CPU power burden.

They've corrected the article, now it says it's an OS update instead of firmware.

From what I've seen, I think their test results are accurate and I don't see them leaving things out.

And they're not minimizing the problem, this particular article is just talking about an additional benefit to the fix besides the power use and lower temps.

Ok got my new machine back from Apple today, Now I am really upset!!

1. I sent in a Dual 2.66 8 core March 2009 Nehalem that was damaged from overheating, melted my Video and audio card. )I paid to replace as I did not have time to play the Apple "Genius" game.

2. After a month, of waiting, and arguing and even apple corporate involved this is what I got.

GARBAGE! They replaced my computer with a new Quad Core Intel Xeon 2.26!!!!

So Apple being so helpful decided to save money and play the bait and switch from my 2.66 duals and sent me a cheap o replacement with dual 2.26. This is totally unacceptable! What is going on with Apple..

EVERYONE BEWARE Look at the "About This Mac" when you get your replacement.

I can't believe the Thousand Oaks Apple Store in California. They should have corporate come down and see which "Genius" has my faster processors!

What should i do? At this pint and a month without my 10k MAc Pro, and with apple care, and under warranty, and me loosing xxxxxxx$ not to mention the gas, travel and hassle of going back and forth to the apple store.

I think they should at least now that it is so messed up upgrade me for free to the 2.93 duals at the minimum. I mean how can you order a replacement computer that is the cheap one when the customer has the receipt for the dual faster one?

Anyones thoughts how to handle this without me going postal? please advice me. I was excited Apple was helping, but now everyone should know this is how you are treated when you spend 12k on a MAc Pro.

Please offer some good advice how to resolve at this point... as I have just frustration and hostitliy.

Should they not sent "NEXT DAY AIR" the correct processors to my home at this point?
Should they not offer me a upgrade from 2.66 to 2.93 for the year and 1 month of constant panics, and frustration and then having them DOWNGRADE my computer when replacing it?

Please Advise, as you all are not upset.

Kind Regards,
B


PS

The best part is that the Computer does not have the Audio fix!!! the Thousand Oaks Store in California had not even heard of it!! Now that is a joke! Apple Cooperate if your listening please step in and educate you stores about overheating and fixes!

They asked if this fix was for software or hardware? go figure...on a "Genius" would ask that.

I feel your pain...and more considering I have a similar (2.66 8 Core) machine from August. So as not to question you when you obviously have much more on your mind, where can I find the full description of your case? I don't have the extra PCIe and graphics card (stock 2x monitor card Apple Store card set-up) but still close, and on Leopard so no patch as of yet 😟 So I would like to familiarize myself with what happened to you if you have a link.

Thanks in advance (and good luck with resolving this horrible situation).

Commiserations bbendorf,

You don't seem to give an email so we can write to you off list, so I'll leave it here with saying that I went through much the same thing. Your general experience tallies with mine. I got minimal response from Apple and only my repaired machine back (eventually - a month seems typical). I don't think Apple do compensation, they'd rather blow off any goodwill and keep the money.

Yet another example to drum into fantasy heads that think a Mac Pro failure is easily remedied. Practical experience shows it can be the slow, expensive, disruptive, and frustrating in the extreme.

Hey BB,

If you want to try, just have all your case numbers, warranty and things like that ready ahead of time before you call him. Be calm and to the point.

I don't know if that will take you very far, but it's a shot. Somehow you have to talk to the right person there and he might be the one.

The Mac they are giving you is good, but it's not right as a replacement for the Mac you had.

Your story is the stuff of legends, my friend. I'm amazed at what a trial this must be for you. If you need some comic relief, you might want to check THIS out.

Good luck, hang in there... 🙂

<Post edited by host>

I apologize if this has already been mentioned, I am following several theads on this subject and I can't re-read all the pages every time ;-))

So as I ponder upgrading to SL and the headaches that will bring concerning my large pool of audio app's and plug-ins versus running my machine hot all the time with my Apogee Duet plugged in until and if/when a Leopard patch is issued and now I see this:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2339757&tstart=0

Most disheartening.

There's a new OS upgrade on the way and coming soon. Perhaps just wait until after it's come out and let those with these issues report in and tell us if things have been fixed or not.

Thanks Cl user! You can find me on face book.
Ask to be my friend then I can give email as I got spammed so much i left out my email.
This way i can filter.

The Update is I had my wife call as I was so mad i should not interface with the Apple store anymore. apple Care is professional and kind. They were so professional and apologized and now they are ordering another machine with the correct processor and 8 cores. 2.66 dual Quad Core Nahelems. Also the "New" machine they gave me was not new, it was early 2009 also. So That was mistake 2.

They did not give a time frame for the new new machine to arrive, but after calling dozens of software vendors to "Re-Licence" my software and get new serials and downloading , emailing authorization codes for my film scoring and editing software, to think they want me to bring this machine back, remove all the drives, PCIe cards, and then rebuild it again is really troubling. I should be on Payroll from Apple store. I think they should have Apple come to my home, take it all apart and undue the screws to HD's Bluray DVD Burner, and set it up. Apple Care is worth every dime, they are awesome and professional. So everyone should purchase it. Without it I would have needed a Lawyer at this point, so the money and help is worth every dime. I applied the fix, the computer they gave me now BUZZES like a pulse with all the FW ports used . Kind of weird. It does not overheat but this Buzz also comes out my Audio now and I had to filter the noise out with my out board EQ fixed pitch. But I am wondering if they need to work on that buss more and power used.

For those with the Problem the Audio fix with snow fixed the overheating internally, and no more Grey panics. So good job. Now they need to refine it and get the buzzes and pulsating vibrations out. I only panic'd one time with this replacement wrong MAc pro with the fix. It was in logic, no panic report other then thread 95 stating no response from XXX and could not wake.
Launched logic 9 again and it has ran solid ever sense.

One note:
Something weird is going on with my FW and Raid eSATA drives since the fix. It is like a"Peekaboo" game. Now you se them on the desktop,...now you don't. No errors just disappear then reappear.

Also a new bug sense the update my Logitech wireless mouse skips around and mouse jumps around. That is totally new. This is a Fresh install by apple so sense i added the Audio fix my mouse is weird. I guess I could use a wired but that is a mess as I have no USB ports left.

So I will update everyone when Apple gets my "New "New" replacement for the NEw replacement that had the slower and cheaper processors in it. Unbelievable that a Store is that incompetent to order the cheap o machine with the wrong processor, not install the audio fix, when you took it in and left it for a month for audio overheating and the heat melting a UAD2 Audio and Apple Video card.

Lets see...
Replace the overheated machine that fried itself because of overheating problems, with a cheap different machine,

Have the customer pick up the new machine after a month and 2 hr drive, do not install any of the PCIe Cards, have the customer purchase a small phillips so he can re-install the Bluray DVD burner and PCIe cards.

Then have the customer go back to this discussion, find the audio fix link and install it along with other OS updates.

Refuse to give the install OS snow disks that came with the Replacement computer stating that the Original 10.5 disks will work fine.. Sounds like some inside job to me. I cant even Boot from the Old machines 10.5 disk with the Snow installed and EFI update. These people need training! and could be slippery. I bet some kid at the Thousand Oaks store swapped my 2.66's with his 2.26's and kept my Snow install disks to upgrade his/her own computer. Apple should look into this! ( I have the snow upgrade disks but they do not have all the apple diagnostics tools and would not work other then booting.) Also I want to be able to have original disks with a "NEW" replacement...Apple can have my old disks that work with the old computer. I am really upset at how cheap Apple has become! The disks were in a packet at the Apple Store! So you know some Kid Genius took them home for a freebee.

So here it is in a nutshell..

Customer has not had his 15k MAc Pro for over a month do to overheating that Apple Store and Apple denied and ever existed for 9 months, then finds out and makes a fix, and now has the customer to do it all over again?.

That is what all you can expect unless Apple jumps down the Store managers and educates the "Geniuses" who blew us all off....

Thanks for Apple care. They are the true heroes!

You would think Apple would at this point just give me some prize like another 30" or something.
The UAD Audio card was over 1800, plus the Video card I bought out of pocket for 1600 NVIDA's best!, Gas was 70.00, time off work was xxxxx.xx as I missed two commercials and a demo not to mention other projects. I did use my Mac Book Pro Dual 8 core but had to purchase a new Audio card so I could attach it to my studio. Just good old honesty and making it right should be easy for Apple as they were like that, Steve jobs is like that, just not leaking down the chain i guess.

To all of you hang in there, have patients but state your position and do not budge! Make them step up to the plate and fix it. As I was passive and got walked on, and treated like a idiot, not a customer who spent over 58k on Apple Products and computers for his studio last year.

Now lets see if they give me a prize for all my troubles... Post what you think Apple should give me as a Prize!
I already have:
IPhone 3GS
Mac Book Pro Fully loaded
Quadra 950 fully loaded
Mac Plus
Mac SE
Quadra 900 Fully loaded
MAc Pro G5
Final Cut pro 3 versions current
Logic 9 Pro and Studio 3 versions

Let me know what you all think!


Kind Regards,
BB

Hi,

I was wondering ESI MAYA44e PCIe is a reliable soundcard in terms of stability and quality? You mentioned latency, how does the latency compare to your motu ultralite? I don't want to upgrade to snow leopard from leopard, so am looking to purchase a pci e soundcard to live with this problem, but unsure if paying 1000 more for a motu pci e is worth it if the MAYA44e is decent.

I'd recommend an RME card, they re rock-solid, ultra low latency performers. I have the multiface 2 and it hasn't been affected by the noise issue, and you can pick up a brand new one for under 1k. A much better option than the maya imho.

Hi,

I definitly prefer a RME soundcard. But where can I get it for under 1 k? I'm in Canada, and the multiface is about 1,100 here and the card is another 400. Did you mean the card and multiface together can be had for under 1 k?

Hello, does this problem meant to affect only mac pro? Because my MBP 2009 has the same problem.