MP 1,1-5,1 cMP 5,1 crashing with Cinebench R20.060

[nocomprendo]

I'm having an issue with my cMP 5,1 (4,1) freezing and rebooting with Cinebench R20.060.

Here are my specs:

Processor: 2 x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5690 @ 3.47GHz
Memory: 32 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
Storage OS: Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD x4 slot
Graphics: Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8 GB
OS: Mojave 10.14.6 (18G5033) (clean install)

This issue first happened with another photography software called ON1 Photo Raw 2020.
Afterwards, when trying Cinebench to see what score I would get and if there was any issues, the first time I ran the test with default settings, the image froze during the first stage of the test and rebooted after 10 seconds (or so).
I'm not sure where this issue is coming from. Don't know if it's the GPU, the power supply or power related issues, if it's an OS problem, or anything else.

Did anyone had this sort of problems?
Anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks in advance!!

 

[superparati]

It would help to have the crash log of your system.
At the reboot, macOS may suggest you to open the crash report. Next time pleas share it with us.

However I have to say your description remind me similar issues I went through.
Have you ever change the thermal past of your CPU?

The MacPro can reboot for several reasons, one of them could be related to too much heat.
Do you monitor your MacPro temperature? Istat Menu or hardware monitor are two good softwares.

 

[Macschrauber]

Check Northbridge temperature.

 

[nocomprendo]

It would help to have the crash log of your system.
At the reboot, macOS may suggest you to open the crash report. Next time pleas share it with us.

However I have to say your description remind me similar issues I went through.
Have you ever change the thermal past of your CPU?

The MacPro can reboot for several reasons, one of them could be related to too much heat.
Do you monitor your MacPro temperature? Istat Menu or hardware monitor are two good softwares.

Thanks for your comments.
When the computer reboots, it doesn't show me a crash log option. It only ask if I want to re-open all apps that were being used before shutdown.
I bought this computer used from another guy, with these settings, and he told me he had never had these problems and that thermal past was changed a couple of months ago. I was already thinking about changing it myself. Just need to t-hex 3mm tool.
iStat monitor was showing high tem for Northbridge. Up in the 80º celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).

 

[tsialex]

Did you tested Furmark? How your Sapphire Pulse is connected to the backplane, do you have a dual-miniPCIe 6-pin to 8-pin cable?

 

[nocomprendo]

Did you tested Furmark? How your Sapphire Pulse is connected to the backplane, do you have a dual-miniPCIe 6-pin to 8-pin cable?

Hey.
No, I haven't tested Furmark.
Yes, I have dual-mini PCIe 6-pin to 8-pin cable. But in the meantime, I decided to do a clean install the OS. I went for Catalina on a spare HDD. I used DosDude Catalina patcher on a external USB drive.
For that reason, I switched graphics to the original and started installing. About 50% of the first stage of the install, the computer froze and rebooted. Stunned, I tried it again, but wasn't even able to get the initial install stage. I was pressing alt/option to get to the startup manager, chose the usb with the patched installation, and while loading it froze again.
I put back the original NVME with Mojave (which was working before) with OpenCore, got I've got to the boot screen, chose the Mojave OS and the compute froze again midway into loading.

So, right now, I can't do anything. Can't install a new OS. Can't load the old one.
Clearly, I must have a overheating problem. Northbridge, processors... something is forcing the computer to reboot.

 

[tsialex]

Hey.
No, I haven't tested Furmark.
Yes, I have dual-mini PCIe 6-pin to 8-pin cable. But in the meantime, I decided to do a clean install the OS. I went for Catalina on a spare HDD. I used DosDude Catalina patcher on a external USB drive.
For that reason, I switched graphics to the original and started installing. About 50% of the first stage of the install, the computer froze and rebooted. Stunned, I tried it again, but wasn't even able to get the initial install stage. I was pressing alt/option to get to the startup manager, chose the usb with the patched installation, and while loading it froze again.
I put back the original NVME with Mojave (which was working before) with OpenCore, got I've got to the boot screen, chose the Mojave OS and the compute froze again midway into loading.

So, right now, I can't do anything. Can't install a new OS. Can't load the old one.
Clearly, I must have a overheating problem. Northbridge, processors... something is forcing the computer to reboot.

Start your diagnose checking the Northbridge heatsink push pins, usually called here rivets.

 

[nocomprendo]

Hey.
No, I haven't tested Furmark.
Yes, I have dual-mini PCIe 6-pin to 8-pin cable. But in the meantime, I decided to do a clean install the OS. I went for Catalina on a spare HDD. I used DosDude Catalina patcher on a external USB drive.
For that reason, I switched graphics to the original and started installing. About 50% of the first stage of the install, the computer froze and rebooted. Stunned, I tried it again, but wasn't even able to get the initial install stage. I was pressing alt/option to get to the startup manager, chose the usb with the patched installation, and while loading it froze again.
I put back the original NVME with Mojave (which was working before) with OpenCore, got I've got to the boot screen, chose the Mojave OS and the compute froze again midway into loading.

So, right now, I can't do anything. Can't install a new OS. Can't load the old one.
Clearly, I must have a overheating problem. Northbridge, processors... something is forcing the computer to reboot.

Also, I've tried NVRAM reset and SMC reset.
System won't boot up to recovery mode, safe mode, or Apple Diagnotics.

 

[tsialex]

Also, I've tried NVRAM reset and SMC reset.
System won't boot up to recovery mode, safe mode, or Apple Diagnotics.

Apple Diagnostics are not supported with older Macs, you have to install an AppleOEM GPU (RX 580 is not supported with AHT) and boot AHT from an USB key.

Read this article to know how to download and install AHT for MP5,1:

GitHub - upekkha/AppleHardwareTest: Apple Hardware Test Download Links

Apple Hardware Test Download Links. Contribute to upekkha/AppleHardwareTest development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[nocomprendo]

Apple Diagnostics are not supported with older Macs, you have to install an AppleOEM GPU (RX 580 is not supported with AHT) and boot AHT from an USB key.

Read this article to know how to download and install AHT for MP5,1:

GitHub - upekkha/AppleHardwareTest: Apple Hardware Test Download Links

Apple Hardware Test Download Links. Contribute to upekkha/AppleHardwareTest development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Good tip!
Ran the test and "No trouble found". No issues. Restarted into previously working Mojave and nothing. It froze 60% into the loading process.

 

[tsialex]

Good tip!
Ran the test and "No trouble found". No issues. Restarted into previously working Mojave and nothing. It froze 60% into the loading process.

Replace the GPU for one with pre-boot configuration support (like an AppleOEM GPU), enable verbose boot, then film the boot process to know where is causing the problem.

 

[nocomprendo]

Replace the GPU for one with pre-boot configuration support (like an AppleOEM GPU), enable verbose boot, then film the boot process to know where is causing the problem.

I finally was able to boot to USB Catalina Patcher and install it to a spare HDD.

I'm using the same exact configuration with which yesterday I wasn't able to boot into anything!
However, for what is worth, before I turned it on for the first time today, I took out the tray and gave it a little push on the heatsinks. I don't yet have a 3mm Allen to tighten it properly. Afterwards, I connect the power cable that was disconnected since last night and turned the computer on, trying to boot to the Catalina installer and voilá! I was using the original GPU GeForce GT 120. Just like yesterday. I'm using it to write this text!

As soon as I logged in for the first time, I installed Mac Fan Control to cool down Northbridge as much as I can (not much because the weather here is pretty hot this week. I was able to cool down NB from 83º C to about 68º C,

Now, I'm thinking about installing Catalina on the NVME, but I'm afraid to have the same issues all over again.
Any thoughts or advices?
Is there a way to make fans continue to blow fast and help cooling NB while installing?

 

[tsialex]

I finally was able to boot to USB Catalina Patcher and install it to a spare HDD.

I'm using the same exact configuration with which yesterday I wasn't able to boot into anything!
However, for what is worth, before I turned it on for the first time today, I took out the tray and gave it a little push on the heatsinks. I don't yet have a 3mm Allen to tighten it properly. Afterwards, I connect the power cable that was disconnected since last night and turned the computer on, trying to boot to the Catalina installer and voilá! I was using the original GPU GeForce GT 120. Just like yesterday. I'm using it to write this text!

As soon as I logged in for the first time, I installed Mac Fan Control to cool down Northbridge as much as I can (not much because the weather here is pretty hot this week. I was able to cool down NB from 83º C to about 68º C,

View attachment 934510

Now, I'm thinking about installing Catalina on the NVME, but I'm afraid to have the same issues all over again.
Any thoughts or advices?
Is there a way to make fans continue to blow fast and help cooling NB while installing?

Do you really think that is a good idea to install a hacked Catalina to a Mac Pro that is not reliable? How do you will know that some problem is caused by hardware and not by the hacked install?

Rethink this. Go back to a supported install of Mojave and only when you have full confidence on your Mac Pro, after all the repairs needed are done and fully tested, you try an unsupported macOS install.

 

[Macschrauber]

Check Northbridge Pins.

High Delta between chip and heatsink

Redo thermal paste of course, then.

 

[nocomprendo]

Do you really think that is a good idea to install a hacked Catalina to a Mac Pro that is not reliable? How do you will know that some problem is caused by hardware and not by the hacked install?

Rethink this. Go back to a supported install of Mojave and only when you have full confidence on your Mac Pro, after all the repairs needed are done and fully tested, you try an unsupported macOS install.

Good advice! Thanks
Going back to supported Mojave.

 

[tsialex]

Check Northbridge Pins.

High Delta between chip and heatsink

Redo thermal paste of course, then.

Yep, totally agree that something is very wrong with that 19ºC delta and 2400rpm intake/exaust. Over 10ºC with normal SMC management and I'm already freaked.

 

[nocomprendo]

Check Northbridge Pins.

High Delta between chip and heatsink

Redo thermal paste of course, then.

Yeah. I will do that as I get my Allen tool.

 

[Macschrauber]

Stop using this cpu board, until you fixed it.

 

[nocomprendo]

For the Northbridge, which one is more appropriate? Thermal paste or pads?
Any suggestions in terms of type of thermal paste or pads?
What about processors? Should I have different concerns about the type of thermal paste?

 

[Macschrauber]

Imho Arctic MX-4 is good enough.

But thats a religion. People apply all kinds of expensive paste.

 

[nocomprendo]

I finally was able to boot to USB Catalina Patcher and install it to a spare HDD.

I'm using the same exact configuration with which yesterday I wasn't able to boot into anything!
However, for what is worth, before I turned it on for the first time today, I took out the tray and gave it a little push on the heatsinks. I don't yet have a 3mm Allen to tighten it properly. Afterwards, I connect the power cable that was disconnected since last night and turned the computer on, trying to boot to the Catalina installer and voilá! I was using the original GPU GeForce GT 120. Just like yesterday. I'm using it to write this text!

As soon as I logged in for the first time, I installed Mac Fan Control to cool down Northbridge as much as I can (not much because the weather here is pretty hot this week. I was able to cool down NB from 83º C to about 68º C,

View attachment 934510

Now, I'm thinking about installing Catalina on the NVME, but I'm afraid to have the same issues all over again.
Any thoughts or advices?
Is there a way to make fans continue to blow fast and help cooling NB while installing?

Update after repasting processors and northbridge.
Temperatures reduced quite a bit.
Comparing to the temps that I was having when I posted a few week ago, now it has improved.
Even though, I'm still having a temperature gap between Northbridge Diode and Heatsink.
I've tested it by running Geekbench and Cinebench. Let me remind that this post was created after having a computer freeze and reboot when running Cinebench. Now it ran perfectly well (at least so far). Geekbench was also successful.

I wonder if using another thermal paste would make a difference. I've used this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halnziye-Quality-Spreader-Thermal-Grease/dp/B07DGJZS93
Thermal conductivity: >6.5 W/m-k

Would thermal pads be any better?

 

[h9826790]

Update after repasting processors and northbridge.
Temperatures reduced quite a bit.
Comparing to the temps that I was having when I posted a few week ago, now it has improved.
Even though, I'm still having a temperature gap between Northbridge Diode and Heatsink.
I've tested it by running Geekbench and Cinebench. Let me remind that this post was created after having a computer freeze and reboot when running Cinebench. Now it ran perfectly well (at least so far). Geekbench was also successful.

I wonder if using another thermal paste would make a difference. I've used this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halnziye-Quality-Spreader-Thermal-Grease/dp/B07DGJZS93
Thermal conductivity: >6.5 W/m-k

Would thermal pads be any better?

That temperature difference is normal. The heatsink is too small. No matter how good your thermal paste is. It just can’t cool down the NB quick enough to closer the gap.

 

[macguru9999]

Probably a 2x cpu issue, , or the backplane or the motherboard in that order.... given that its a 2009 mac pro