mac pro early 2009 suddenly shut down

[macpowered]

Hello everyone,

I have a mac pro early 2009 2 x 2.26 GHz Quad-Core with 16GB of DDR3 ECC1066 MHz. The graphics card is an ATI Radeon HD 4870 512Mo and it runs El Capitan. I upgraded from version 4.1 to version 5.1.

My problem is that regularly, it stops suddenly. The LED on the power button is off. I'm activating the power button, nothing there, it doesn't restart. I have to unplug it from the outlet and put it back to restart. It may take 12 hours without problems as half an hour, it is random.

Where is the problem coming? The power supply, motherboard, memory? I tested the memories but it does not seem to come from there. I said that I had the problem before the upgrade to 5.1.

Thank you in advance to those who take the time to look into my problem !! (Sorry for my english, I am French)

 

[pigoo3]

I upgraded from version 4.1 to version 5.1.

Can you please explain what you mean by this…upgraded from Version 4.1 to version 5.1 of what?

merci beaucoup,

- Nick

 

[lclev]

So you have flashed the firmware to make it in effect a 2010 Mac Pro. But it was having the random shutdowns before the firmware flash - correct? Any other hardware changes? Have you looked to see if there are any panic logs?

One thing you can try is to reset the SMC. Shut down the computer, unplug the power cord, wait fifteen seconds, attach the power cord and wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

You can also download the pdf technical manual on your mac pro and work through the troubleshooting. The manual for the 2009 is almost identical to the 2010 manual since they have basically the same architecture.

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

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_mid2010.pdf

Lisa

 

[pigoo3]

So you have flashed the firmware to make it in effect a 2010 Mac Pro.

This is what I was thinking…but wanted to be 100% sure from the OP.

- Nick

 

[lclev]

Can you please explain what you mean by this…upgraded from Version 4.1 to version 5.1 of what?

merci beaucoup,

- Nick

He has flashed the firmware to make the 2009 in effect a 2010 model able to run the DDR3 ECC1066 memory and can upgrade to Westmere processors.

Lisa

Edit: you type faster than me!!! Have I said that before???

 

[pigoo3]

He has flashed the firmware to make the 2009 in effect a 2010 model able to run the DDR3 ECC1066 memory and can upgrade to Westmere processors.

Yes I've heard of this. I wonder what the OP's plans are (if an upgrade has been done yet or not). I also heard that it is possible to reverse the firmware upgrade (back to 4,1)...with some exceptions.

Edit: you type faster than me!!! Have I said that before???

I bet you type wayyyy faster than me! Just can't reply to two posts at once!

- Nick

 

[macpowered]

Thank you to help me !!

Yes I had flashed the firmware to make it in effect a 2010 Mac Pro.
I've already reset the SMC but no change.
I've make a test with ASD EFI 3S132. There was 2 errors.

Memory - DIMM 2 (test50) - SMBIOS self-test check
-Check SMBIOS for devices that are flagged as having an error
ERROR - DIMM size miscompare.
- TEST FAILED -

Memory - DIMM 1 (test50) - SMBIOS self-test check
-Check SMBIOS for devices that are flagged as having an error
ERROR - DIMM size miscompare.
- TEST FAILED -

I don't really understand this message. Is it because of the upgrade (4,1 to 5,1) ?
A problem with the DIMM on the card ? (sorry, I don't know the technical terms)

 

[macpowered]

Yes I've heard of this. I wonder what the OP's plans are (if an upgrade has been done yet or not). I also heard that it is possible to reverse the firmware upgrade (back to 4,1)...with some exceptions.
- Nick

Yes you can reverse the firmware but you have to look at the ROM version. I've read that it is not possible in case you have one of those special refurb Mac Pros with the MP41.0081.B08 firmware.

 

[pigoo3]

I've read that it is not possible in case you have one of those special refurb Mac Pros with the MP41.0081.B08 firmware.

Exactly.

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

I've make a test with ASD EFI 3S132. There was 2 errors.

Memory - DIMM 2 (test50) - SMBIOS self-test check
-Check SMBIOS for devices that are flagged as having an error
ERROR - DIMM size miscompare.
- TEST FAILED -

Memory - DIMM 1 (test50) - SMBIOS self-test check
-Check SMBIOS for devices that are flagged as having an error
ERROR - DIMM size miscompare.
- TEST FAILED -

- Did you upgrade or change or move around (ram in different slots any of the ram since the 4,1 to 5,1 firmware upgrade?
- From your first message…it sounded like you did remove some of the ram (for testing). Maybe the ram was reinstalled…it wasn't properly seated. Double check to be sure the ram is fully seated into each of the ram slots.
- You said your Mac Pro has 16gig of ram. Is that 4 x 4gig, 8 x 2gig…or some other combination?

* Nick

 

[macpowered]

- Yes I tried differents combination with RAM.
- I've checked and the ram is fully seated in the slots.
- It is 2 x 8Gig (I've try with others, I have 4 x 2Gig too)

 

[macpowered]

I've seen that one of the two CPUs is always hotter than the other(I don't know how to convert in Farenheit. In Celcius, the difference is about 10°C). Is it normal ? They never have been very hot (max 130°F)

 

[pigoo3]

- It is 2 x 8Gig (I've try with others, I have 4 x 2Gig too)

- When the Mac Pro was still 4,1 (before the firmware update). What was the ram configuration (which sticks of ram were installed)?
- Is any of this ram brand new or almost new?
- Was any or all of this ram used in the Mac Pro when it was still 4,1?

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

I've seen that one of the two CPUs is always hotter than the other(I don't know how to convert in Farenheit. In Celcius, the difference is about 10°C). Is it normal ? They never have been very hot (max 130°F)

- In case you ALWAYS wanted to know…here are the formulas for converting °C to °F and °C to °F:

°C x 9/5 + 32 = °F​

(°F - 32) x 5/9 = °C​

- Are these these original 4,1 CPU's…or did you upgrade to 5,1 CPU's after the 5,1 firmware upgrade?

Yes…you can have differences in temperature between the CPU's. 10°C might be a little more than I would expect. Maybe the inside needs to be cleaned with some compressed air.

- Nick

 

[macpowered]

When I bought this mac pro, there were 4x2Gig installed in slot 1-2-5-6. I had the shutdown problem.
I bought 2x8gig (instaled in slot 1-2) and I upgrade my mac to 5,1. I was thinking that the problem was the ram.
Cpu are the original ones. I have cleaned them and change thermal paste (cool master E1 IC essential). And there is no dust in my mac (I am rather psychotic about that !! )
Anyway, thank you very much for your help.

 

[harryb2448]

Think your problem is the memory. What modules now, specs and where did you get them? And not a great idea flashing anything. All it does is try and fool the hardware into believing it is something it is not which is a recipe for disaster.

 

[macpowered]

I've made a picture making a diagnostic. Is everything is ok ?

 

[pigoo3]

When I bought this mac pro, there were 4x2Gig installed in slot 1-2-5-6.
I bought 2x8gig (instaled in slot 1-2) and I upgrade my mac to 5,1. I was thinking that the problem was the ram.

It sounds like you have what I would call two groups of ram. The original 4x2gig (when you purchased the computer)…and the 2 x 8gig purchased later.

Just so I understand 100%.

- Are you saying that the 2x8gig of ram and the 5,1 firmware upgrade were done at the same time?
- And are you saying that you are not using the 2x4gig of ram that came with the Mac Pro originally…because of the shutdown problem?
- Also…how long have you owned this Mac Pro? Did you purchase it recently...and upgraded it right away? Or have you owned it for a while…used it with the original 2x4gig of ram (and used it as a 4,1 Mac Pro)…and it ra fine until the 5,1 upgrade & the 2x8gig of ram?

And there is no dust in my mac (I am rather psychotic about that !! )

Did you blow air thru the heat sink cooling fins? A lot of dust/dirt can accumulate in there.

- Nick

p.s. Just like harryb mentioned. I'm thinking that the ram is the problem.

 

[lclev]

I have several thoughts.

One - the version of ASD you are using is for the 2009. When I did the upgrade to my Mac Pro from 4,1 to 5,1, I was told I had to now test using the ASD for a 2010 Mac Pro. I have never tried it as mine has never had an issue (knock on wood! ) but it is a thought. ASD 3S143 is the version used for a 2010 Mac Pro.

Two - it is still possible, given the test results, it is memory related. The memory speed and processor speed you are listing indicates to me you did not upgrade the processors or memory to what a 5,1 would be running. Do any of the diagnostic lights light up in front of the memory sticks on the board.

Lisa

 

[pigoo3]

Two - it is still possible, given the test results, it is memory related. The memory speed and processor speed you are listing indicates to me you did not upgrade the processors or memory to what a 5,1 would be running. Do any of the diagnostic lights light up in front of the memory sticks on the board.

I'm wondering if the "new" 2x8gig of ram is either defective or not properly Apple/Macintosh compatible.

- Nick