Early 2008 Mac Pro fried GPU

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First post. I have an early 2008 Mac Pro with a fried Nvidia GeForce 8800GT currently running 10.5.8 (because it WAS working well). What GPU will work in this machine for under $300? Secondly, how do I upgrade the OS so that the card will work when nothing shows up on my screen?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Steve
 
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G'day and welcome to the forums.

Any of the nVidia 8800GT's for Macs will work, and ATI Radeon 4870 HD, and later such as the 5770, for Macs also. My preference in Mac Pro days was a flashed 4870 with 1GB of memory. Under $300.00? Shop around.

You upgrade by purchasing later software. Apple Online sells OS X.6 Snow Leopard for $20 including postage. From there go to OS X.6.8, and if your Mac Pro is model 3.1, or later. you can download the latest Mavericks for no charge. Your problem is later gfx cards like the 4870 will not work on any operating system earlier than OS X.6 Snow Leopard, or later. Shame you had not updated earlier as Apple have stopped security updates for Snow Leopard, let alone Leopard! You may have to purchase Snow Leopard, then the gfx card, install that, and erase the hard drive using the SL disc.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Apple-M...PCI-Express-Video-Graphics-Card-/280756764191
 
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Thanks for your advice, Harry. I'll hunt for some of the cards you suggested if I have to.
I do have a new hard drive that I have partitioned but that is blank otherwise; I had been planning to upgrade to the latest OS possible on that drive and use Bootcamp to run Windows Vista on the 2nd partition... just my luck that my card failed before I could do so! I also have a PC GeForce GTX 650 Ti... Might this card work if I were to install it and then boot to a later OS using a USB stick and then download the required driver?

Thanks again,

Steve
 
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Well you will need the Snow Leopard DVD from pple Online. After updating it to OS X.6.8, if you have an Appe ID account, go to the App Store and download Mavericks OS X.9. Regarding the GTX650 doubt it but give it a try. From all accounts it may work. I wonder if Leopard is modern enough to recognize the card?


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4904649


Then this for the drivers only after updating the operating system. You may as well go Mavericks as it is a free download. Note drivers for Lion onwards only. That is one problem when your operating systems gets more than a couple of releases behind:-

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1440150&highlight=gtx+650+ti:-
 
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Thanks again for your time, Harry. I too, was thinking the next step is to order the Snow Leopard DVD.
Will the computer boot from the Snow Leopard DVD if I hold C at startup? My display still won't work, so if holding C is supposed to bring up a boot option, I won't be able to see it.
 
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Also, does booting from a Snow Leopard DVD require a fully functioning computer running Leopard 10.5.8, or will it boot directly to Snow Leopard 10.6 assuming the GTX 650ti is compatible. If this is the case, I suspect my best bet would be to locate a used GeForce 8800GT to bring my computer, with its current OS, back to life, and then immediately upgrade to Snow Leopard, then Lion, then Mountain Lion, then Mavericks, and then find a GPU that is more reliable. In my case, its as though the nature of the problem precludes a solution... I guess the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" way of thinking came back to bite me. From now on its upgrade, upgrade, and upgrade some more!

Thanks again for your help, Harry. Much appreciated!
 

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Also, does booting from a Snow Leopard DVD require a fully functioning computer running Leopard 10.5.8, or will it boot directly to Snow Leopard 10.6 assuming the GTX 650ti is compatible.

The computer will boot from the Snow Leopard DVD.

- Nick
 
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Thanks for your reply, Nick.

I'm operating on a new premise now. After running extensive diagnostics, I am being told that there is a HDD error: "4HDD / 11 / 4000000: SATA ( 0,0 )". I've since removed the original HDD from the first slot and replaced it with a new blank 1 TB drive that had previously been partitioned into 2 equal halves, but which is blank otherwise. I then attempted to boot from the original OS X discs that shipped with the computer, but booting stops after the wheel spins for a few seconds and the computer seems to freeze. The fact that I have been able to run diagnostics and see the results makes me question my original assumption that the GPU failed. If you have any suggestions based on this new information, I'd love to hear them. Thanks again!

Best,

Steve
 

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I'm operating on a new premise now. After running extensive diagnostics, I am being told that there is a HDD error: "4HDD / 11 / 4000000: SATA ( 0,0 )".

How did you determine this? Usually the best way to "do a diagnostic"...is to boot the computer from another source (such as an OS install DVD, original gray disks, another hard drive, etc.).

In your original post you said that the computers video card was fried. If the gpu/video card is fried...how are you able to see anything on the computer display?

Lastly...I need to know exactly what computer you have. You said you have a "Mac Pro". Is this a desktop computer or a laptop?

I then attempted to boot from the original OS X discs that shipped with the computer, but booting stops after the wheel spins for a few seconds and the computer seems to freeze.

Are you 100% sure that these original disks (they should be gray colored) came with THIS VERY computer? If they didn't...and they came with another computer...very likely they won't work.

The fact that I have been able to run diagnostics and see the results makes me question my original assumption that the GPU failed.

Again...like I mentioned above...if you truly had a "fried" gpu...you probably wouldn't be able to see anything or very much. So I also question the "fried gpu" theory.

- Nick
 
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Thanks for your reply, Nick. It is an early 2008 Mac Pro desktop (3,1). I do have the grey disks it came with. I ran diagnostics by holding "d" while booting with disk 1 of 2 in the DVD drive. I hadn't seen anything on the screen (apart from the Apple logo) until I ran the diagnostics, at which point I questioned whether it actually was the GPU, which I had been told by the people at the Apple store and by an authorized repair shop that they referred me to. Between getting no support from Apple (or vaguely misleading information from their store), this has become a frustrating problem. If the graphics card is still good, and if I have a blank HD in the main slot, shouldn't I be able to boot up by holding "c" with disk 1 in the DVD drive (CLEAN INSTALL). Or, do I need to somehow load the OS onto the blank drive before installing it into the computer? I appreciate you taking the time to offer your advice.

Best,
Steve
 
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Re-iterate Nicks question about being sure these discs came with the computer? The original system discs for the 2.8GHz Mac Pro 3.1 were OS X.5.1 for early 2008 models and X.5.2 later models in 2008. Discs from another Mac Pro, let alone a different model, may well not work as they are extremely model specific.

Popping in disc one, rebooting and holding down 'C' should boot from the DVD to the Installer. Even with a failed or blank hard drive this should happen. If it is not booting either a failed optical drive or back to the video card Steve.
 
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I do have other Macs around but these discs have always been amongst my Mac Pro gear... I'll call the Apple store to verify the serial numbers etc. as the discs simply say "Mac OS X Install Disc 1 & 2". They are marked "2008" but I did have a PowerBook G4 around that time??? My optical drive is a bit noisy with some DVD's but it hadn't given me any problems prior to this. Would the diagnostics have run at all with the wrong disc? Actually, the G4 would have been discontinued by 2008.
 

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I ran diagnostics by holding "d" while booting with disk 1 of 2 in the DVD drive. I hadn't seen anything on the screen (apart from the Apple logo) until I ran the diagnostics, at which point I questioned whether it actually was the GPU…

I am still confused. You can't say "I hadn't seen anything on the screen (apart form the Apple logo)"…and then come to the conclusion that the gpu is fried.

What you're not understanding is…when a gpu or video card is "fried"…in many cases you cannot see ANYTHING…all you get is a black display. Nothing…not light…not brightness…nothing. And if you do get something…it can be a bunch of garbled mixed up video images…lots of pixelation…but basically a display of images that can make using the computer impossible.

So…if you saw an Apple Logo…and you were able to run diagnostics…then you had good enough video to work from. And without any further info from you…this in no way shape or form sounds like a bad video card. There is just no connection…or info given so far to indicate a bad video card.

If the graphics card is still good, and if I have a blank HD in the main slot, shouldn't I be able to boot up by holding "c" with disk 1 in the DVD drive (CLEAN INSTALL).

If the video card is still good…then how did you come up with the conclusion that the video card is fried?? I really don't think that you understand what a fried video card is…or looks like. If the video card is fried…then in most/many cases…NOTHING can be seen on the computer display. Or if something can be seen…it is just a lot of "video garbage" which makes using the computer impossible.

If you were able to run diagnostics (and see what you were doing)…then the video card is probably not fried. And if you were able to boot the computer from the DVD with the hardware diagnostics test on it…then there should be no reason you shouldn't be able to boot the computer from the same disks to install the OS.

I'm going to suggest (just like Harry suggested)…purchase the $19 Snow Leopard OS install DVD to install OS 10.6.

And unless you can give us better info (or images)…to prove that the gpu/video card is "fried"…I think that all of the info in this thread related to the video card being fried...has only resulted in creating a lot of confusion!:(

- Nick
 
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I apologize for any confusion. I had an orange screen originally; my first thought was: "bad graphics card"; my internet searches told me: "bad graphics card"; then an Apple Care representative told me: "bad graphics card"; then an Apple Genius told me: "bad graphics card"; then 2 separate authorized repair technicians to whom Apple Care referred me told me: you guessed it, "bad graphics card". After all this, I figured it was a bad graphics card. I'll order that DVD and give that a shot, though. I don't know why I can't boot from my disk if it allows me to run diagnostics. Thanks again for your help.
 

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I apologize for any confusion. I had an orange screen originally; my first thought was: "bad graphics card"; my internet searches told me: "bad graphics card"; then an Apple Care representative told me: "bad graphics card"; then an Apple Genius told me: "bad graphics card"; then 2 separate authorized repair technicians to whom Apple Care referred me told me: you guessed it, "bad graphics card". After all this, I figured it was a bad graphics card.

Did any of these folks actually physically examine the computer?

- Nick
 
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A valid question... No, they didn't. They did however, to the last, sound so confident in their assessments that it seemed a waste of time to drag this very heavy computer across town. Had they said, "we need to see it", I would have been inclined to listen to their advice. They just don't seem to be very interested in attending to a 6 year-old computer; in fact, the lady at the Apple Store said they consider the computer to be, and I quote: "Vintage".
 
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Quick update:

My startup discs are indeed the one's that shipped with the computer. When I boot with disc 1 of 2 in the DVD drive while holding "c" the computer shows the grey Apple screen and then shuts down. If I boot holding "option", I see my Mac HD, my Windows HD, and the OS X Startup Disc... when I choose the latter, the computer shows the grey Apple screen with the loading icon, but the icon freezes after about a minute and remains frozen on the grey Apple screen. I then have to hold the power button to shut down. Is this a faulty OS X CD, perhaps?
 

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A valid question... No, they didn't.

Thanks for the info.

All of these folks are relying on what you tell them. If what you're telling them is inaccurate in any way…then their assessment (over the phone or via email) will be incorrect also. This is called GIGO. Look this up if you don't know what it means.;)

From what I'm reading in this thread…I'm not seeing a lot of evidence that we are dealing with a bad video card. You may very well have a bad video card…but with the info in this thread so far…I'm not seeing it.

What I'm primarily seeing is the statement…"I have a bad video card/gpu." My question is…what are you experiencing/seeing…that makes you think you have a bad video card???

Then to confuse things further…you changed your mind (since you ran some sort of diagnostics)……and go from I have a bad video card to I have a bad hard drive.

Bad video cards don't just disappear. You don't go from a situation with a bad video card to a bad hard drive…unless the initial diagnosis (bad video card) was wrong.

You said that all of those folks you interacted with (internet searches, Applecare rep., Apple Genius, 2 separate authorized repair technicians)…all said "bad graphics card". If this is the case..how or why did you change your mind from "bad graphics card" to "bad hard drive"??

AGAIN…please provide some sort of info/symptoms that wold indicate that you have a bad graphics card…so we can make some sort of intelligent diagnosis.:)

They just don't seem to be very interested in attending to a 6 year-old computer; in fact, the lady at the Apple Store said they consider the computer to be, and I quote: "Vintage".

Nothing new here. We have heard this before.

- Nick
 
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You're right, the problem may be something other than the graphics card; I was going on what the Apple folks told me. I figured right off the bat that if I could see anything on the screen it was odd that I was being told the video card was done. Here is what I know from the beginning:

I was working in Photoshop when my screen suddenly went dark. The screen was still on but displaying solid black. After a few minutes of this black screen, I decided to power down by holding the power button on the Mac Pro. After 20 minutes or so, I powered back on... the computer started normally until, just when the desktop usually appears, the screen turned solid, bright orange. There were no icons visible. I then read about a number of people who had this same thing happen, and when they changed their graphics card, the problem was fixed. The problem is that most of the posts I read were written when the graphics cards that work in the 2008 Mac Pro were still widely available (i.e. 2009-2010). I'm not a computer technician, so this sounded like it was the problem to me, and this was also the opinion of the folks I've mentioned. When it occurred to me to run the startup disc diagnostics, I found it reassuring that I the display seemed to be working. The basic diagnostics found NO problems. The extended diagnostics then told me it was a HDD error. Again, as a non-technician, I became confused. I tried to boot from disc holding "c" and the computer shut down. I tried "option" and chose the disc and it stalled at the Apple screen. I tried to boot into windows but the screen stayed black. I zapped the PRAM... no change. As it stands, if I turn the computer on and let it boot it displays the grey Apple screen and then shuts down. Booting from the disc won't work (and I have tried putting my blank partitioned HD in the first slot). I have ordered Snow Leopard but suspect this won't boot either. I don't know what else I can tell you that might help. Maybe repairing disc permissions would work, but I can't get that far. I've attached a few diagnostic screenshots: the first shows a basic diagnostic with "no problems"; the second shows "extended" testing suggesting "HDD Error"; the third shows another "extended" test with my primary HD removed and my blank HD in the first slot and again reports "no problems". Therefore, extended testing shows an error in my main HD and, as you can see, the display is normal and free of artifacts.

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