Mac Pro Only Boots in Safe Mode - GeForce 7300 issue?

It won't boot from brand new Snow Leopard DVD

I have an early Intel Mac Pro that was running a NVIDEA GeForce 8800GT and a 7300.

Over a period the Mac wouldn't boot, then it took forever to get to the Apple logo and then would only boot into Safe Mode. I put a new formatted HD in, fresh RAM and with a fresh OS. Even with a bare system with no peripherals it was no go.

Things went from bad to worse over a week or so and I ended up buying a new Mac Pro 8 core so that I could keep producing.

This weekend working on the old Mac it seems it was indeed a video card issue. I had 3 7300 cards hanging around and it finally booted with one of the 7300 cards and without the later 8800GT.

I would never have thought a video card would bring a system down completely.

Well, I have exactly the same issue.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3036815?answerId=15131221022#15131221022

Am now convinced it's the video card.

Any recommendations for a drop in card that has 2 DVI ports and full 10.5.8 and higher driver support. ?

Me, too! With a model 3.1, 2008, 8-core.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3194585?answerId=15688122022#15688122022

It turned out to be the graphics card - old nvidia 8800GT died. New 5770 works but I thinks I need a "driver". I am also running on 10.5.8 OS. Do I have to upgrade to Snow Leopard to get the driver needed? Or is there one that works on Leopard? Where can I find it?

<There has got to be a billion Mac Pros with dying nvidia cards about this time - why is the diagnostic and repair process so hard to find? (and why don't graphics cards last as long as their computers - only 3 years!??)>

I'm having the same problem. I'd like to get the ATI HD 5770 card. But it requires Snow Leopard and I'm still running 10.4.11. I don't mind upgrading to Snow Leopard. But since my computer won't boot up (except in safe mode, but not from any HD or DVD), I can't install Snow Leopard before installing the new card. Does anybody know if the card will work at all with 10.4.11? Perhaps with limited resolutions or something, but enough to allow me to boot up and then install Snow Leopard? Sharon above seemed to be able to boot up using 10.5.8 in a limited way.

Thank you for this thread. I recently had the same problem with my Mac Pro 1,1, the computer would only work in safe mode. Out of safe mode and the display would get some weird streaks in it, pointer would freeze then work again. After searching endlessly on the issue I found your post. Desperate, I ordered the ATI HD 5770 card from the Apple store (even tho the desc clearly states requirements are Mac Pro 2010+). Problem solved. Thank You SO much :-)

For what it's worth, after doing some research I was actually able to repair my 7300GT. Turns out it's well documented that two of the capacitors on the board fail. If you have a soldering iron it's pretty easy to replace them. I'd never done any thing like it before and it worked out fine. I replaced the two capacitors and my computer booted up with no issues. Problem solved.

Capacitors are polarized. They work better and last longer when you observe the plus and minus markings on the old ones, and install the new ones with the same polarity. The physical size is of no importance, but new ones may be larger and may not fit in the same space.

You can increase the capacitance in almost every case with no impact, and you can use a hotter heat range and a higher Voltage rating, but not a lower capacitance or a lower heat range or a lower Voltage rating.