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Freezing and three beep intervals?

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lookitsgabe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 8, 2011
5
0
Hello, I have a macbook pro early 2011, here are some specs:

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,1
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.3 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Boot ROM Version: MBP81.0047.B0E
SMC Version (system): 1.68f96
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled



I've been having this issue with my macbook where it freezes up and beeps at me three times in an interval until I do a hard reboot. I sent my macbook to apple care already and it was already sent to the depot where it had its logic board replaced. I researched the patterns of the beeping, and the 3 beep intervals meant a ram problem, but the depot didn't detect a problem with my ram.

So I'm wondering, why is this happening to my mac?
 
Z

zettahertz

macrumors newbie
May 25, 2011
16
0
I just had it occur to me once when i was playing a game, on a 2011 MBP 15", only change is I replaced the HD with a 120gb Corsair Force 3 SSD.

I ran a memory test on mine (2 passes) and it seemed fine. Not sure what caused it either.

Just wondering, do you also have an SSD?
What were you doing when it froze?
 
D

Detrius

macrumors 68000
Sep 10, 2008
1,623
19
Apex, NC
Just because they didn't find a problem doesn't mean there isn't one, and just because it passed two iterations of a memtest doesn't mean it won't fail on the tenth.
 
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zettahertz

macrumors newbie
May 25, 2011
16
0
is the 3 beeps ALWAYS related to a memory issue, corrupt memory / defective slots or logic board? Just wondering if overheating can cause it, or something w/ the SSD. I would think i'd be getting beachballing for the latter though.
 
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lookitsgabe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 8, 2011
5
0
zettahertz said:
is the 3 beeps ALWAYS related to a memory issue, corrupt memory / defective slots or logic board? Just wondering if overheating can cause it, or something w/ the SSD. I would think i'd be getting beachballing for the latter though.
Click to expand...

They replaced my logic board. It wasn't overheating because I was only running safari when it froze.

and I haven't added any hardware to my pro, so if it came with an SSD then yes.

corrupt memory? What would I need to tell apple, like what part of my hardware would I tell them is faulty?
 
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Z

zettahertz

macrumors newbie
May 25, 2011
16
0
yeah, corrupt RAM modules. That's one of the causes of the 3 beeps, but it seems like most other people get it right when they boot it up.

How often is this happening to you?
 
L

lookitsgabe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 8, 2011
5
0
zettahertz said:
yeah, corrupt RAM modules. That's one of the causes of the 3 beeps, but it seems like most other people get it right when they boot it up.

How often is this happening to you?
Click to expand...

Well, once every day before I got my logic board replaced. But after it got replaced just one time in total, and this was a week ago that I got it fixed.
 
N

nomanstool

macrumors member
Oct 4, 2010
90
1
Z

zettahertz

macrumors newbie
May 25, 2011
16
0
@ nomanstool

yeah, seems like it's your new RAM. try taking out the new RAM modules and see if it's still happening.
 
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nomanstool

macrumors member
Oct 4, 2010
90
1
yes I suspect the ram as well, as of the moment I don't have spare ram, so I'll update this thread once I get a replacement. I do hope its just RAM only and not the logic board.

It hasn't occurred in 3 days straight… freeze is totally random.
 
L

lookitsgabe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 8, 2011
5
0
nomanstool said:
would you happen to have boom app installed by
globaldelight.com
Click to expand...

I don't have that app installed.

I noticed a trend in the freezing/beeping freezing.

Whenever I play a game that requires a lot of graphics rendering or when I stream live broadcasting video and I then lift my macbook, it freezes.

is this normal for a macbook? or should it be able to take me lifting it after going through some intense work?
 
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nomanstool

macrumors member
Oct 4, 2010
90
1
I think it has to something to do with Graphics as well. since MBP's have dual graphics, maybe the integrated mode uses the ram, and transfers it to discrete ram.

I tried using both ram in a single slot and the freezing disappeared, I used it in both ram slots. But for the life of me, when I use them both in the same slots, I'm getting those random freezes.

Funny, I wasn't experiencing this when I had the 2x4gb, that came with my mac.

I do think its Logic Board issue now, since both ram passed through Memtest when I checked.
 
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pyraxiate

macrumors newbie
Feb 3, 2013
1
0
I also was having an issue with the 3 beeps and freezing. I tested ram in my other i7 laptop and it was fine. My hard drive did shows errors when I ran verify on it. I then decided to install my SSD ( 256gb Kingston Hyper X ) and it also froze on me. I was originally worried that my logic board was going bad but then I thought about something. My laptop was only having issues when I moved / carried it. I disabled the sudden motion sensor and all has been well since. I hope this helps some of you out!
 
A

Apple Techs

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2012
60
0
Phoenix, Az
I have a customer who should be bringing in a MacBook tomorrow with the same exact issue 2011 MacBook Pro sounds like ram but could be gpu hard to tell without a system in my hand.

Something interesting this person said it happened more when the moved the MacBook around opposed to it just sitting on the table....maybe bad or poor solder points at the ram slots? Not sure yet but I will update when I resolve the issue
 
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presidentroots

macrumors newbie
Apr 26, 2013
1
0
Macbook freeze, beeping,ticking left side

Like your customer Apple Techs my 2010 Macbook pro 17inch 2.66 i7 has random freezing. When using the computer on my lap it has frozen the pointer and computer or sometimes the screen goes black. Also on freezing there has been 3 beeps from one side of computer more recently a clicking tick, tick tick sound from left hand side . Took computer to repairer who used the computer for 3 days in a row on a desktop with no problems. Playing games lots of videos. He could find nothing wrong.

Can you/anyone suggest what the issue may be.Logic board ?Ram? GPU ?
 
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