Startup time Mac Pro 2.1

I have been using my Mac Pro 2.1 for some time.

It is a original 1.1 2.66 Ghz but with a CPU upgrade now to 2.1 with 2.33 Ghz 8 Cors.

The system works perfectly but the booting takes quite some time.

At power on it takes 10 seconds to get the chime sound so fare so good.
Then it takes 1 minte and 45 seconds before I get the log in screen.
Then after approx 30 seconds the system is ready to use.

Is this only the harddrive that takes for ever to bring the data.
The system is fitted with 4 hard drives and holds 12 GB of memory

I have added some shots of My Mac.

I hope you can help me with this or give me the start up times of your Mac Pro in a similar configuration.

thanks,

have you done any regular maintenance like permissions repair and while you are there verify the start up disk

You should also have the larger RAM load first, so the 2x 2 gig RAM chips in slots 1&2 in the upper ram card, the second 2x 2 gig RAM chips in slots 1&2 in the lower ram card, and the 2x 1 gig RAM chips in slots 3&4 in the upper ram card, with the 2x 1 gig RAM chips in slots 3&4 in the lower ram card

As loishen says matched pairs of memory - the user guide lists how to install them.

The graphics card is really low bottom end. In my Mac Pro days used an ATI Radeon HD4870 card with 1GB memory and it flew even compared to the 8800GT let alone the 7300. Hard Drive No. 3 will really struggle as it needs a minimum of 15-20% free space to work anywhere near peak.

The best boost you can give your Mac Pro is an SSD as the boot drive. Consider a 6GB Mercury for OWC.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_6G/

thanks,

I have done all that.
- swapped the memory so the first A&B banks are filled with 2 GB blocks
- Repaired Disk Permission on the start up disk
- Set the start up disk as start up disk.

But in the end no real improvement.

I run the Balckmagic disk test.

This shows a disk performance of approx 45 to 50 Mb/s
Could this be the case the system is not that fast in start up?

Is the graphics card really holding the system back in start up?

thanks,

Blackmagic or do you mean Apple Hardware test from the original install discs?

I did the AHT form the original 10.4.7. DVD. Luck that I still had this one

The test states a error

4MEM /41/40000001:B:0:1 R:3

I think it has to do with memory but what

I have run a test with Checkup for approx 2 hours from startup. It doies not show a error ?

Yes failed memory. Remove all and add a pair at a time until you hit the slow boot time. If you are the original owner is all the memory 100% Apple compatible? Macs are very fussy about using low density modules.

Ok did the test this are the results.

2 x 2 GB in bay A1 start up time 1:36 AHT no errors
2 x 2 GB in bay A1 and B1 start up time 1:35 AHT no errors
2 x 2 GB in bay A1 and B1 + 2 x 1 GB in bay A2 start up time 1:35 AHT no errors
all bays full total of 12 GB start up time 1:35 AHT error

Even without the modules that cause the error the start up time is the same.

I have also checked the data trough put of the hard drives they are all approx 45 to 60 MB/s (done with the app from the app store blackmagic disk test)

When I check in the system info I can see that the first 3 drives have a 3 Gigabite negotiating speed. Inly the forth drive is at 1.5 Gigabite as this one is 150 Sata.

The first one is holding the OS.

So at this moment no improvement due to memory any other ideas

thanks

Still the same suggestion an SSD into position none and install the OS onto that. Current OS disk to position two and use Migration Assistant to copy over. Means dropping drive into say an external case hooked up by FW800, but it is the slowest.

In the end I will start using a SSD as the OS and App drive.

Just to inform you.
I made a time machine backup of the first drive, the OS drive.
Than dropped the Snow Leopard dvd in the system and booted with the C key down.
Installed SL clean on the first drive over writing the Lion OS.

After the installation did the full update of the system so it would be at the latest OS version.
Then did a re-start and timed it.

Now the system boots in 37 seconds.

Did some re-starts and had a start up time of 35 to 38 seconds every time.
Sure no apps where installed.

Then did a reboot with the C key down and used the restore function and restored from the time machine backup the system.

After the restore the system is back on 1 minute and 45 seconds booting time again.

Would a clean install of Lion be a option and then migrate the user account.

Probably only fitting a SSD and then restoring the current installation will have a improvement but not as much as it can be?

any thoughts on this