2009 MacPro Dead. (Don't mind me - just venting)

[ncc1701d]

I get to gray screen and it hangs. Can't open dvd drive, Can't Pram it or safe boot. Support coming in a few minutes to see what the issue is...

I've noticed some posts here have people getting upgrades when issues like this happens - how to get an upgrade a 2010 MacPro (when it's announced) out of this unfortunate event??

I've had issues with the apple raid card (I know - get rid of it ) and now this. I'm told it could either be a logic board or one of my HDD's... I told the mac 'genius' guy I wasn't happy with this machines performance to which I was told "even if it was a PC, they also have problems" - yeah, but a PC wouldn't cost me USD $6,500!

 

[nanofrog]

Hmm... Your day and mine seem to be on the same page. Main board's +3.3V reg is undervolting, and is wreaking havoc with the PCIe cards, the RAID cards in particular (alarm's going off about every 10 seconds).

Packing it up now (already have the RMA #, just got to get to FedEx in the morning). And I even get to pay the shipping (at least it's only one way).

I wish you luck with it, and hope you get sorted soon. I'm supposed to be looking at 10 business days.

Fortunately I've a backup system to help me through the withdrawal symptoms (it's s-l-o-w in comparison, and is already driving me nutz).

 

[grue]

I get to gray screen and it hangs. Can't open dvd drive, Can't Pram it or safe boot. Support coming in a few minutes to see what the issue is...

I've noticed some posts here have people getting upgrades when issues like this happens - how to get an upgrade a 2010 MacPro (when it's announced) out of this unfortunate event??

I've had issues with the apple raid card (I know - get rid of it ) and now this. I'm told it could either be a logic board or one of my HDD's... I told the mac 'genius' guy I wasn't happy with this machines performance to which I was told "even if it was a PC, they also have problems" - yeah, but a PC wouldn't cost me USD $6,500!

Upgrades come from multiple failures.

My 2007 8x3.0 went in for a dead 8800GT 3 times, a bluetooth board once, and this last time they tried replacing the logic board and it immediately failed again. 2009 on the way now, but only an 8x2.26 Shafted.

 

[VirtualRain]

While this will be of little solace, perhaps you will find some humour in the fact that MacRumors is today reporting that Steam and it's portfolio of games might be coming to the Mac... including the title "Left 4 Dead"

I do sympathize though... my last PC main board fried itself twice ($%$# Nvidia chipsets) and I had to do the RMA thing and wait each time.

As for Apple replacing a Mac Pro with a more current model... I can't imagine it unless they are either very low on your old model's inventory or you've had repeat issues. Given the 2009 is still a current model, I wouldn't expect an upgrade to a 2010.

 

[ncc1701d]

Well, after a few hours of looking and pulling my computer apart the following has been put forward:

It's not the HDD's, since when the computer starts it's just a gray screen, nothing else. He said if it was the HDD's, there would be a question mark appearing on the LED.

It's not the graphics card. can't remember why he thinks that though.

It's not the logic board, otherwise he said there would be no start up sound at all - which I'm still getting.

He tried disabling blue tooth, but that didn't fix the problem.

Tried hooking it up to an older EIZO monitor I have via DVI, and that didn't help.

Not sure if he tried disabling wifi, as I was getting pretty agro by then...

He says it's not the Apple Raid Card

He says it's the IO (input output - look like a massive board covering most of the Right side of the computer?) board and has ordered another one and it should be installed on Tuesday (just like the transporters and medical staff )

So, I'll just have to wait and see... (he seems competent in what he's doing, but he also said the Apple raid Card was very good... So here's hoping )

It's already had the gamut of raid card problems and now this. The tech guy laughed when he came around and said "Oh - I've been here before!" (He also had to fix the screen of my wife's iMac a few months back).

As for upgrades, I'd even put something toward it if necessary. I wonder how many more faults it needs before it's considered upgradeable... I will say the phone support were quick to get someone around to look at it, so pretty happy about that.

Any way, will post updates to bore everyone with

 

[ncc1701d]

Stupid question time...

If I get an SSD, connect it to the 2nd optical bay and install OSX on it, - but for the time being my HDD bays with the original Bootup OSX on it are still in place, do I just hold the option key down on start up and it will give me the option of which to boot up in? (and then subsequently force it to start up on the SSD through 'System Preferences -> Start Up Disc')

If that's possible, can the SSD OSX access the data on the HDD's, even though there is an OSX system not "in use" on the HDD's?

All this is to have access to my current HDD data until such time my bigger WD RE4's are available again, but I can make use of an SSD in the mean time.

 

[nanofrog]

Stupid question time...

If I get an SSD, connect it to the 2nd optical bay and install OSX on it, - but for the time being my HDD bays with the original Bootup OSX on it are still in place, do I just hold the option key down on start up and it will give me the option of which to boot up in? (and then subsequently force it to start up on the SSD through 'System Preferences -> Start Up Disc')

If that's possible, can the SSD OSX access the data on the HDD's, even though there is an OSX system not "in use" on the HDD's?

All this is to have access to my current HDD data until such time my bigger WD RE4's are available again, but I can make use of an SSD in the mean time.

I've never tried it, but I should think so.

 

[psychometry]

Way too many smileys in this thread...

 

[rickvanr]

Upgrades come from multiple failures.

My 2007 8x3.0 went in for a dead 8800GT 3 times, a bluetooth board once, and this last time they tried replacing the logic board and it immediately failed again. 2009 on the way now, but only an 8x2.26 Shafted.

That's strange. Usually they replace with a 'like' model.

OP, be thankful, at least you're still under AppleCare! Yes, you can use the SSD as a start up disk, and still use your other hd's. You can just set up the SSD to be your start up disk in your System Preferences > Startup Disk

 

[666sheep]

Stupid question time...

If I get an SSD, connect it to the 2nd optical bay and install OSX on it, - but for the time being my HDD bays with the original Bootup OSX on it are still in place, do I just hold the option key down on start up and it will give me the option of which to boot up in?

Sure. SSD (with 10.5) in optical bay is my main boot drive, but i'm connecting to first HDD bay other drive with 10.4 from time to time. I also got three HDD Raid 0 in bays 2,3 and 4.
All drives are visible under 10.5 and 10.4 and no problem with selecting boot volume by option key at startup.

 

[ncc1701d]

Excellent. Thanks Chaps! I've ordered the 200GB SSD from OWC, should get it by the middle of the month, just in time for the computer to be back up and running.

Way too many smileys in this thread...

If I didn't try and put on a brave face - I'd be crying!

 

[Umbongo]

Upgrades come from multiple failures.

My 2007 8x3.0 went in for a dead 8800GT 3 times, a bluetooth board once, and this last time they tried replacing the logic board and it immediately failed again. 2009 on the way now, but only an 8x2.26 Shafted.

That isn't a sufficient replacement, why have you not kicked up a fuss? 2.66GHz 8-core at least should be what they give you. People have got those as replacements for 2008 2.8GHz 8-core models.

 

[rickvanr]

That isn't a sufficient replacement, why have you not kicked up a fuss? 2.66GHz 8-core at least should be what they give you. People have got those as replacements for 2008 2.8GHz 8-core models.

Exactly. If his 8 x 3.0 was when they had the 8 x 3.2, he should have gotten the 8 x 2.66 being the like model.

Jeez, I got an 8 x 2.93 for a dead G5.

 

[Nostromo]

Way too many smileys in this thread...

You can pull a face to add some negative balance.



Oh!

I just increased the smileys by one!

 

[grue]

That isn't a sufficient replacement, why have you not kicked up a fuss? 2.66GHz 8-core at least should be what they give you. People have got those as replacements for 2008 2.8GHz 8-core models.

I tried, but they stood firm, saying the policy is supposed to be for similar performance, not for similar clock rates, which is fair enough.

C'est la vie. At least I get EFI64, I guess.

Exactly. If his 8 x 3.0 was when they had the 8 x 3.2, he should have gotten the 8 x 2.66 being the like model.

Jeez, I got an 8 x 2.93 for a dead G5.

Mine was the first 8-core… but you got a 2.93 for a G5? Jesus christ, maybe I should call and do some yelling… probably too late though.

 

[Umbongo]

I tried, but they stood firm, saying the policy is supposed to be for similar performance, not for similar clock rates, which is fair enough.

That is a fair policy, but the 2.26GHz system does not perform as well as a 3GHz system in single threaded applications. The difference may be minimal, but it is an arguing point. In reality you probably won't notice the difference, but you have a case for something better. They aren't going to offer a better system right off the bat unless you had already kicked up a fuss over the multiple returns.

 

[ncc1701d]

Do they negotiate? If wanted a faster processor foe example, could you pay the difference? (assuming you agreed with the original exchange)