Fans randomly go super fast on my Mac Pro from 2009 after CPU upgrade

Hey guys,

lately I upgraded the CPU's of my MacPro from 2009. I had two Intel Xeon E5520 at 2,23GHz (Quad-Core) and replaced them with the fastest you where able to buy the Mac Pro right of Apple, the two Intel Xeon X5570 at 2,93GHz (Quad-Core). I did everything as you need to, removed the heat sinks, cleaned of the old thermal paste, placed the new ones in (without the plastic holding thing as the new ones didn't fit in it) distributed new thermal paste over them so there is every where a thin layer of it. I then screwed the head thinks again on the processor board and placed it back in my MacPro. It booted ad works find with them.

But now he randomly starts speeding up the fans to there max RPM and he won't stop doing that till I shut the computer down and restart it, restarting it with the 'restart-option' doesn't stop the fans.

I already checked with a temperature software if one processor maybe gets to hot or so, but both are around 30degrees and 40degrees, same temperature als the old ones had and the old ones never did that.


What could be the solution? It's quiet frustrating as the MacPro is normally so quiet and now sounds like a starting helicopter when he does that... :/

Have you reset the SMC? And maybe just because the PRAM? The SMC controls the fan speeds.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

Lisa

Sounds like the front fan heat sensor has not been connected, or not connected properly.

Okay, how do I connect it properly? or how do I test if it's connected properly?

Copy and paste the link below and download the repair manual for your Mac Pro 2009. Pages 148-152 deal with fans.

tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_early2009.pdf

Lisa

Thanks Lisa, tried that SMC thing and now is my MocPro is test running to check if it now appears again, if he now stays quiet for 24 to 48 hours of running all the time. I got it fixed, I'll tell you if I got results but already thanks for the great help

Good! Be sure to download the manual I posted above. You have to copy and paste it into your address bar and it will download a nice repair manual with pictures for you Mac Pro.

Lisa

Okay... sadly it wasn't doing the job... he went crazy again with the fans today... is there something particular you would recommend me to do in the repair manual or something else I should thy?

MineCooky said:

It booted ad works find with them.

But now he randomly starts speeding up the fans to there max RPM and he won't stop doing that till I shut the computer down and restart it, restarting it with the 'restart-option' doesn't stop the fans.

Click to expand...

In the quote above from post #1…it was mentioned that the Mac Pro boots and works fine with the new CPU's. I would come to a different conclusion. If you're having problems with the fans…then the Mac Pro is not running fine (because of the fan issue).

Logically speaking…this computer was working fine BEFORE the CPU upgrade…and not working fine AFTER the CPU upgrade. Which possibly means:

- incompatible parts could have been used
- the new parts could be defective
- something might have been installed incorrectly
- something got damaged during the CPU upgrade
- something was forgotten during the install

The key at this point is getting the computer working 100% again. What I would do is remove the new CPU's…and reinstall the old CPU's. When you do this you will have 1 of 2 results:

- the Mac Pro will be working 100% again
- the Mac Pro will NOT be working 100% again

If the Mac Pro is working 100% again…then all is GOOD.…and you can probably assume one or both of the new CPU's are bad or not compatible. If the Mac Pro is NOT working 100% again AFTER installing the old CPU's…then something got damaged when the new CPU's were installed.

HTH,

- Nick

In addition to what Nick said - check the thermal paste on the CPUs. If that was not done correctly - even coverage and no overflow - that could be the issue too.

Lisa

And further to Lisa suggestions, ensure all old paste was removed with cotton bud and alcohol wipes. When applying new paste the rule is JUST enough. Too little better than too much.

Yea, I did that, there is nowhere something squeezing out or something like that

MacPro from 2009 speeds up the fans while booting and holds that speed

Hey Guys,

at first I hat this problem with my MacPro from 2009 after upgrading to two 2,93GHz Processors:
http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-des...fast-mac-pro-2009-cpu-upgrade.html?highlight=

The reset of the SMC worked for a few days, but then he startet speeding them up while booting and than, after a bit slowed them again down to normal speed. He did that a few days, but now he starts the fans a few seconds after pressing the start button and never stops doing that till you shut him down again.

lclev was so kind and posted me that link:
tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_early2009.pdf
Sadly I got no idea what do do with the Technician Guide as I got no idea what to search for ... ://

Threads merged…same topic…same member.

Thanks for understanding,

- Nick

MineCooky said:

The reset of the SMC worked for a few days, but then he startet speeding them up while booting and than, after a bit slowed them again down to normal speed. He did that a few days, but now he starts the fans a few seconds after pressing the start button and never stops doing that till you shut him down again.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure you seriously considered what I posted earlier in the thread. If the new CPU's are compatible, if the install was completed 100% correctly (no steps forgotten), and if no damage was done…then there should not be any problems.

Since you do have a problem…this means something is wrong. And this is why I suggested reinstalling the old CPU's to see if everything returns to normal.

- Nick

Okay, today I started to circle it in. My brother got the same exact MacPro as I got, before I started upgrading it. So I tested what happens if I put his CPU board (dual 2,23GHz) in my Mac Pro, he works perfectly fine with it, no loud fans, nothing Than I was curious, I put my CPU board (dual 2,93GHz) in his Mac Pro, he also works just fine wth it. I now just let his boar in my Mac Pro and mine in his, I assume that his Mac Pro will now go trough the same story as mine, but I don't know it.

Let's see what happens the next days...

Strangely the CPU board works just fine in my brother's Mac Pro. Next weekend I'm going to change them back, maybe it has been just a slack join.

If the CPU board works fine on another Mac Pro…but not in yours. Logically this should mean that the CPU board (and everything on it) is fine.

If reinstalling this CPU board back into the original Mac Pro & the problem still exists. Then this would logically mean that the issue is somewhere else in the original Mac Pro (and not anything to do with the CPU board).

- Nick