Mac Pro (mid 2010) graphics cards keep failing

Question

Mac Pro (mid 2010) graphics cards keep failing

I have a Mac Pro (mid 2010) that I have bought new in 2012. I love this computer. It does everything I want and has more power that I need.

Earlier this year the graphics card finally gave up the ghost and failed. Worse yet (the repairman told me) it shunted the power to some board in my beloved Mac Pro and burned that out. So I had him install a new graphics card (Nvidia Quadro) and replace the burned out board.

After about five months I would randomly find the Mac Pro shut down, and sometimes the UPS would be beeping. The UPS manufacturer support article said that this occurs when something in the computer gets too hot. The computer just shuts down. Odd that this only happened when it had been in sleep mode and always sometime during the night. This would only occur every few weeks.

Finally in November I got weird squiggles on the screen. I called a repair guy and he said that it was the graphics card failing. I also noticed that there was a lot of heat coming out the back of the Mac. This has never happened before.

So that graphics card was replaced with another graphics card that was used/refurbished.

Now I am getting the shut down and beeping UPS in the middle of the night. I know how this movie ends and it doesn't end nicely.

So this is where I need some clarity. I can upgrade to a Saphire Radion 580 which has two fans and good reviews. The thing that scares me is this card needs two six pin to eight pin adapter. If my system is old would putting a power hungry graphics card be the thing that sends it over the edge? An apple tech suggested that it would be like putting a turbo charger on a model T: it would work but engine parts might blow out the tailpipe.

I don't want engine parts blowing out my tailpipe.

All of that to say that I am not a computer savy lady and I need some clarity. If the graphics cards are getting hot and failing is that due to crappy graphics cards or could something else within the system be causing the graphics cards to fail? How does this work? Best advice? I feel like Polly Purebread singing "Wonder dog, oh wonder dog! Where is my wonder dog?" Dating myself but this is a safe place where we can all share our feelings.

Mac Pro, macOS 10.13

Posted on Dec 26, 2022 4:35 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

133,171 points

Dec 26, 2022 5:04 PM in response to breakfast with Amy

Lots of folks are running your same Mac with two-sixes to an eight power cord, and parts do not come spitting out the back.

In the unlikely even that you over-draw the power supply, it will do a sudden uncontrolled power down to save itself.

Your failures are likely caused by THE most common problem of all...

... bad luck.

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Answer 2

Dec 26, 2022 5:06 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hmm, bad luck you say. Well I am familiar with that. It doesn't scare me as much as the black box of magic that is inside of my Mac Pro.

Thank you for taking the time to talk me down from the ledge of confusion. I feel better now.

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Answer 3

Dec 26, 2022 5:12 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

The power supply tech also suggested getting some canned air and blowing out the dust from the interior components. So I will get some canned air, place the Mac Pro on a non conductive surface and blow it out. Don't know if that will help but the Apple tech said it might help and wouldn't hurt.

Am I supposed to be doing this once or twice a year? The CyberPower tech said he does it every 3 months. I am compulsive but every 3 months makes even my eyebrows raise. The Apple tech said every 3 months is excessive.

Is there a recommended time frame to use compressed air to blow out any dust? I vacume the exterior air vents to make sure they are clear. I thought that was about all the cooling maintenance that was needed.

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Answer 4

Dec 26, 2022 5:29 PM in response to breakfast with Amy

Consumer vacuum cleaners should be kept far away from electronics. Their plastic wands can generate electronics-killing static charges long before you feel the Zap of a static discharge.

The recommended procedure has always been to move your Mac Pro to a 'don't care if it gets a little dusty' location, and fire the dust bunnies up and out with the canned air. as long as you are not completely unrelenting in spinning the fans, you can't do damage with ordinary compressed air.

I think every three months is excessive as well. If you get it up off the floor, even a little, like on some blocks of wood it will eat less dust and need cleaning less often.

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