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Possible GPU Problem?

Hello all,


Last evening as I was working on my MacPro 5,1 I noticed that the MP 4,1 had shut down. A few weeks ago I noticed a slight clanging sound from the MP 4,1 and discovered that it had shut down then as well. After having some GPU issues with my MP 5,1 a few months ago, which I eventually solved with a used unit from OWC, my first thought was that perhaps the GPU in the MP 4,1 had also died. Now when I press the power button the MP 4,1 will not boot and the red light from the GPU area stays on instead of simply flashing as usual. Perhaps another sign of a faulty GPU, not sure.

I then shut it down from the power bar.


I’d like to get some opinions on this if possible before I order yet another GPU. All replies will be much appreciated.


Gary

Posted on Jan 8, 2019 4:25 AM

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29 replies

Jan 8, 2019 7:56 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks for the reply. I had definitely thought of doing exactly that. However, when I checked MacTracker the HD 5770 from my MP 5,1 is not listed as compatible with the MP 4,1. The two GPU's mentioned for the 4,1 were the Nvidia GeForce GT 120 and the ATI Radeon HD 4870. Of course the HD 5770 may very well work in the MP 4,1. However, considering the down time I experienced with the MP 5,1 when its GPU died, and the time it took to get a replacement GPU (my mistake), I don't want to take a chance that trying the HD 5770 in the MP 4,1 might in some way have a negative effect on it as well, in which case both MacPro's would be out of commission.


Gary

Jan 8, 2019 8:33 AM in response to Garnick

You do know that the firmware on a 4.1 can be upgraded so that it becomes a 5.1.

Therefore one could surmise that the 5770 will work in the 4.1. The two GPU's you mention the GT120 and the HD4870, were probably the stock cards that Apple supplied with the Macs, that does not mean that other cards will not work in the 4.1.

for all the time it takes to swap them over, and it won't do the card any harm.

Jan 8, 2019 10:34 AM in response to lllaass

Thank you all for the information, much appreciated. About an hour ago removed the GeForce GT 120 from the MP 4,1, with all good intentions to install the 5770 to make sure the MP 4,1s GPU was indeed the culprit. I had made a good attempt at removing the 5770 from the MP 5,1, but when it came to unpluging the GPUs power cable that was a different situation. I knew what I had to do to release that cable from the socket, but at that point I was weary of doing so, thinking that if the worst should happen I'd be stuck. Therefore, I followed my first inclination and ordered the GT 120 from Amazon. Normally I would have ordered from OWC, but the price on Amazon was in Canadian $$$ and less than the OWC price especially after convert it to CDN $$$. However, the one thing that set my mind at ease was when I noticed that the Amazon unit actually carried the OWC 90 day warranty. It is also shipped from Ontario, my home province, so I think it was a good decision. The way I see it, if the GPU wasn't the issue I will at least have a backup once the initial issue is fixed. Otherwise I'll try to resell it.


Thanks again,


Gary

Jan 14, 2019 6:12 PM in response to Garnick

You have mades some assumptions and jumped ahead. Sorry that did not work out.


The standard procedure for debugging "Fans on, No chime, no boot" is to remove everything in a slot and look for the chime. That is, remove all PCIe cards, all drives including DVD Readers, and try for the chime. If you get the chime, you can build back up, slowly and deliberately, from there.


If you get no chime, you take one more step back. Remove all the RAM DIMMs, and if the processor is running it will blink the power light in a help-me code, typically "no RAM installed" or possibly "not enough working RAM to start up".

Jan 15, 2019 6:02 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hello again Grant,


This is strange. You have replied here in my initial post about this subject and now I cannot find the one I started yesterday after installing the replacement GPU with no positive results. However, all of that aside, I assume you did read the one I posted yesterday, "Not a GPU Problem". In that case you also read what I mentioned about the red lights at an attempted start up. As usual, the red light near the GPU comes on, but now it stays on. If I hold down the power button for at least 5 seconds another red light at the top left comes on. Then the only way to shut down is the off switch on the power bar.


Now to your recent suggestions. I have no PCIe cards installed on this Mac Pro. When you mention removing all drives I assume that includes HDD's as well. Is that correct? Does the DVD Reader refer to the Super Drive or to external DVD Readers, or perhaps all of the above. As far as the Super Drive is concerned I assume the only thing to do there is unplug it. Is that correct? The fans seem to be running regardless of what's happening elsewhere.


One thing I failed to mention. About a month ago the computer shut down on its own. I restarted and everything seemed to be fine. About a week ago it happened again, which is why I immediately thought of it being a GPU issue, like I had on my 2010/12 MP a few months ago. However, that is not the case this time.


I'll await your reply before I proceed further.


Gary

Jan 15, 2019 8:41 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

It would seem that I've been so wrapped up with this situation that I'm no longer thinking straight at all. I have just taken a bit of a break and back for more. Of course the GPU card is PCIe, again not thinking. At this moment the MacPro is connected to the rest of the world only by its Power cable. No Drives(including the DVD Reader). No RAM DIMMs. NO CHIME!!! NO blinking Power Light.


The fans are still working properly, and the red lights are still lighting. As far as I can decipher, those are the only two pieces of technology that are actually doing their job now. Or perhaps not really doing their job, I have no idea.


Gary

Jan 15, 2019 11:12 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

By "Power Problems" are you referring to the Power Supply in the computer or line power, or perhaps both? Just this morning I thought perhaps I should unplug from the power bar and connect directly to the wall outlet. I didn't do that because I've been working off this power bar with no issues for a long time. But of course things can change. As soon as I send this I'll do that and see if it makes any difference. If I find a blinking light that's a start at least perhaps, or maybe not. Can't hurt and might help.



Jan 15, 2019 1:08 PM in response to Garnick

OK, I think I'm just about ready to give up on this Mac Pro. I've tried every test known to man, perhaps overstated or perhaps not. I tested both the wall outlet and the power bar and they were exactly the same, 124.5 Volts. Of course under load that could and probably would be somewhat different. Therefore I am counting that possibility out unless I find a good reason not to do so. If it's the MP Power Supply itself that's at fault I can purchase one from OWC, but of course that would be simply a test and probably have to be returned if possible. As I mentioned in a previous post, I will keep the 2009 MP for parts that perhaps might still be viable, but otherwise I'll check Kijiji. Or of course perhaps OWC for a used MP.


Thanks for all of your help Grant,

Gary

Jan 16, 2019 6:25 AM in response to Garnick

Yes indeed, I'm back,


I just pulled the CPU Tray to do a proper cleaning as I have done occasionally in the past. As I was looking at the processor I saw something rather odd. I wasn't sure if it was what I thought, or perhaps what it seemed to be. As I touched it I knew immediately what it is of course, since it moved freely and I picked up the small spring and put it in a small plastic bag. It is indeed a spring, but of course I have no idea where it is supposed to be located. Certainly not almost wedged under the corner of the CPU.


Now, even though I realize this is a sort of "needle in a haystack" question, it is however one that I feel obliged to ask. Would any of you good folks have any idea or knowledge as to where this tiny spring may have come from. If so I'm sure I could probably replace it. Even at that I doubt this would have any bearing on my particular problem with this MacPro, but this is one last straw that I'm quite willing to grasp. The length of this spring is 1/4" = 7mm. I am also including a scan of the spring if that's of any help. So there's your impossible mission for this early morning, should anyone choose to accept it. However, since I cannot seem to attach the spring pic here I will try ot do so in the following reply.



Jan 16, 2019 7:06 AM in response to Garnick

I've also wondered if this little "spring" was actually a sort of electronic connector, since I have seen some connectors that did resemble a small spring. There's no sign of solder or any other manner of connecting to an electronic part at all, just one more guessing game. Even if it is a cnnector I would have no idea what it had connected in the first place. Moot!

Jan 16, 2019 7:23 AM in response to Garnick

Please click the "Last" button to view the Spring. I had started a totally different thread last week about this suject, but somehow my initial thread became this one instead. Therefore, although I did post the Pic of the Spring it is showing up in my previous thread. However, by clicking the "Last" button you can view the Spring. I do not know how to combine these two separate threads.

Possible GPU Problem?

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