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Level 4

1,180 points

Mac Pro 12-core and Radeon 5870 - Display goes all static at random times

Hello

My new 12-core Mac is FAST! I love it.

Sometimes - at random times - the display goes to static. It looks a lot like old TV static did on UHF and VHF channels (remember those?). The picture just goes bad and does not get better unless I restart.

I don't know if it's a software or hardware issue. I'm using the Radeon 5870 attached to a 30" display. No other monitors or screens are attached.

Any ideas here?

Thanks,

---------S

12-core Mac Pro 2.93 GHz, 24GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5870, 12TB Storage, 30" Screen, Mac OS X (10.6.4), External Blu-Ray burner, Canon 5D MkII

Posted on Sep 2, 2010 3:07 PM

Best reply

Macpro22

Level 1

15 points

Posted on Sep 2, 2010 9:43 PM

Steve,

I am a new Mac Pro 12-Core owner, and while I am enjoying my Mac I am experiencing an issue similar to yours.

Every know and then my computer screen will go into a jumbled mesh of random colors boxes, and shapes. Except unlike your need to restart the computer when the problem arrises, mine only lasts for a fraction of a second, and then returns to a normal.

The problem is however that these little screen flashes are becoming more prominent. Which gives me the feeling that our video cards might be in their graves soon. 😟

John

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116 replies

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jul 20, 2011 11:35 AM in response to julianfromberlin

Half kidding, but Mac Pro makes a solid Windows (probably linux as well) workstation if someone needs dual Xeon & runs Windows 7 Pro very well, rock solid with latest graphic cards and drivers (if you limit yourself to the 2 x 6-pin connectors that is), and probably less issues than building your own such as the SR-2 from eVGA.

No drivers for pre-10.6.4, so no support for Leopard in case you wanted to try that.

And I think Lion is premature for post production and professionals to jump on except on a test system drive, and then I'd wait six months for vendors and drivers from everyone (controllers are going to need updates to drivers too).

I imagine vendors waited to see Lion shipped before nailing anything in place or final testing, and you definiely don't want bleeding edge (just a stand alone graphic drive please!).

I have HP monitors but not an Apple ATI. I do have ATI 6790 though.

antikus

Level 1

8 points

Aug 23, 2011 2:17 AM in response to Steve Dorsey

Yep. Count me in. MacPro'10 5870, Apple 30" screen. Started having those snow static screens after a year and 2 days after I bought it. Should probably talk to AppleCare.

Steve Dorsey Author

Level 4

1,180 points

Aug 26, 2011 7:13 AM in response to antikus

Please talk to Applecare - they need to hear about this stuff.

🙂

Steve Dorsey Author

Level 4

1,180 points

Aug 26, 2011 7:13 AM in response to Steve Dorsey

The issue is still there in Mac OS 10.7.1. They did not fix it.

Sep 3, 2011 11:47 AM in response to Steve Dorsey

Got a Macpro 4.1 8 core 2.26 ghz 16 gig ram with the ati 5870 graphic cards, i get random poping and flickering on the screen and then it will freeze with random vertical line and other random colored blocks. then i have to force quit and restart the computer.

anyone know any fixes? i was reading the thread and it's becuase of a driver issue, i hope they updated this soon, 18K replies and would think this is an important issue.

please help

Aloha!

Sep 3, 2011 12:10 PM in response to gallery808

hope this comes in an OS Updated

Steve Dorsey Author

Level 4

1,180 points

Sep 3, 2011 12:55 PM in response to gallery808

808:

First of all, Aloha. Hawaii rocks (got married there a few months ago, Sandy Beach, Oahu).

Your issue is probably not a video driver issue. The reason I say that is because your Mac crashes and needs to be rebooted. Sounds more like a system software issue. I'd recommend re-installing the OS and seeing if the issue persists.

The video driver issue manifests itself by drawing bars or lines on the screen (or static in my case), and it can be fixed by powering the monitor off and on again. It does not crash the machine.

🙂

--------S

Sep 3, 2011 1:26 PM in response to Steve Dorsey

Much Mahalos,

makes sense, i will try to do a clean install again. thanks!!!

Sep 22, 2011 7:15 AM in response to Steve Dorsey

I bought a MacPro in May 2011 with a 5870 that wouldn't recognize the 30" cinema display on boot and swapped it out for the 4770 which is much slower but it worked ok, got a replacement 5870 back yesterday and now the computer just does a hard crash after a screen freakout.

The original card used to visually buzz, and not sync after sleep... the new card flickers and goes to a grey screen of death for several seconds then freezes the whole system.

I'm looking for some kind of firmware update or driver update... answers of some kind?

I see apple has stopped selling this card as an option when you buy a new MacPro, probably a bad sign for us.

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Sep 22, 2011 7:36 AM in response to EditorScott

4770? typo.

The 5870 is still there as BTO for extra $200

Are you running Lion 10.7.1 or later? or 10.6.8? You need 10.6.5 or above.

Steve Dorsey Author

Level 4

1,180 points

Sep 22, 2011 8:47 AM in response to EditorScott

Scott,

That sounds like a problem that the Apple Store may be able to fix/replace. I know it's a pain in the ***, but lug your setup into a store (make an appt. first), and then they can see the issue for themselves. They are very good about taking care of stuff like this.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

Sep 23, 2011 3:23 PM in response to The hatter

Yes I meant the 5770, sorry.

i'm still running 10.6.8 and will be for a while to come.

Is it me or are people who are having these problems mainly have the MacPro single processor quad core machines? Maybe these machines have lesser power supplies than the dual processor versions?

Also this 5870 card is a replacement of another 5870 card. I have no DVI cabling except the 30" cinema display.

I've tried a bunch of things ... pulling out all my internal drives except the system drive and it still crashed.

I booted externally from a FW800 drive and i couldn't get it to crash but i did get some screen hiccups.

Today I'm back to running off the internal system drive and only once did the card give me a grey screen of death / hard crash. that was playing a low rez standard def video in FCP timeline....

This is frustrating... it can't be that i have 2 bad video cards in a row. ??

Kovlor

Level 1

0 points

Sep 25, 2011 10:25 PM in response to Steve Dorsey

I have the same issue at work with a 12 core machine but with the nvidia GT 120 card. It is hooked up to an ultra sharp 24" display and only started displaying the static when I had the ultra sharp connected. same solution is to turn the monitor off and then on again.

I also use another 12 core Pro that has the ATI 4870 in it and it has never had an issue, it is connected to a 21" newer Dell monitor.

Maybe the older ultra sharps?

Sep 26, 2011 8:57 PM in response to Steve Dorsey

**UPDATE** Just wanted to update the status of my MacPro, took it in to the genius bar, and turns out the card was DOA, dead on arival, so it was covered by Apple Care and my computer rocks now and i haven't had any problems, gaming, video editing FCPX, photogrpahy stuff, and im running 3 monitors. it's awesome!!!! im a happy camper. i love the new ATI 5870 card! ALOHA!🙂

Steve Dorsey Author

Level 4

1,180 points

Sep 28, 2011 6:42 AM in response to gallery808

That's great news, 808!

Mac Pro 12-core and Radeon 5870 - Display goes all static at random times