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2012 Mac Pro Takes 25 seconds to hear chime on startup?

L

looking4anotebo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 9, 2007
300
47
My boot time is about 15 seconds after that, but after I press the power button, it takes about 25 seconds to hear the chime and begin the startup. I have tried everything,

This is brand new install on SSD, no programs installed. Did this on the previous 7200 rpm drive.
I've only had the computer a few weeks.

I have tried:

Reset PRAM
Reset SMC
Repair permissions
Terminal commands to confirm root directory

And it still exists. Any insight would be great. This is driving me nuts.


Specs-

12 core 3.06
32gb Ram
240gb Crucial SSD
Dual 5770
 
I just used one of those 2.5 to 3.5 drive sled adapters. It was doing this before on the native 1tb western digital black.
 
Try taking out all of your RAM except 1 stick, see if it goes faster. If it doesn't, try a few more single sticks. If it does, then you'll need to swap about different combos until you can isolate which stick(s) is causing it.
 
Just tried disconnecting all usb...still the same. I will try the RAM check tonight, although I doubt that's it because I just replaced the 16gb stock ram with 32gb of all new ram. It's done this with both sets of ram so each set would have to have a faulty stick.
 
The machine actually has apple care still on it for like another day or 2. Wondering if it would be worth bringing it in?
 
looking4anotebo said:
My boot time is about 15 seconds after that, but after I press the power button, it takes about 25 seconds to hear the chime and begin the startup. I have tried everything,

This is brand new install on SSD, no programs installed. Did this on the previous 7200 rpm drive.
I've only had the computer a few weeks.

I have tried:

Reset PRAM
Reset SMC
Repair permissions
Terminal commands to confirm root directory

And it still exists. Any insight would be great. This is driving me nuts.


Specs-

12 core 3.06
32gb Ram
240gb Crucial SSD
Dual 5770
Click to expand...
Which model from Crucial and did you check first for any firmware update or reports of issues with it, in Mac OS?
 
Mine does the same thing. I do have it stuffed to the max. 6 Drives, full slots.
 
Mine has six drives. Dual CPU, lots of RAM, PC graphics card. Always about 8-10 seconds to chime and then about 11 seconds to desktop. That is on average. There are times if I don't have a good shut down then it takes longer to chime.
 
looking4anotebo said:
... This is brand new install on SSD, no programs installed. Did this on the previous 7200 rpm drive...
Click to expand...

Could you check the system preference and see whether this startup drive is indeed the SSD? If not, the MP might need to search for a boot drive (tries to locate the old one first), hence the delay you experience.

Magnus
 
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Inutopia said:
Try taking out all of your RAM except 1 stick, see if it goes faster. If it doesn't, try a few more single sticks. If it does, then you'll need to swap about different combos until you can isolate which stick(s) is causing it.
Click to expand...

This nailed it. I left just 1 stick of 4gb ram in the computer and it booted in 4-5 seconds. Does this mean I have bad ram? Is there any reason to haul this heavy computer into Apple store to get it checked?
 
So, if you test all the stick one by one, and all of them give you good boot time. Then it means the total RAM size / more RAM slots used is the cause.

May be try the 6 stick "optimum" configuration. If that's ok for you. Then may be you can use the computer with less RAM but keep yourself happy.
 
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h9826790 said:
So, if you test all the stick one by one, and all of them give you good boot time. Then it means the total RAM size / more RAM slots used is the cause.

May be try the 6 stick "optimum" configuration. If that's ok for you. Then may be you can use the computer with less RAM but keep yourself happy.
Click to expand...


Here is what happens with 4GB sticks:

1 stick = 5 chime
2 stick = 10 second chime
3 stick= 12 second chime
4 stick= 14 second chime
5 stick = 18 second chime

8 sticks = 25 second chime

So is there something really wrong or is this normal?
 
looking4anotebo said:
This nailed it. I left just 1 stick of 4gb ram in the computer and it booted in 4-5 seconds. Does this mean I have bad ram? Is there any reason to haul this heavy computer into Apple store to get it checked?
Click to expand...

Glad this worked for you. I think it's possibly a bad stick. I'd now try each one on it's own to see what one causes it.

h9826790 said:
So, if you test all the stick one by one, and all of them give you good boot time. Then it means the total RAM size / more RAM slots used is the cause.

May be try the 6 stick "optimum" configuration. If that's ok for you. Then may be you can use the computer with less RAM but keep yourself happy.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that this is the case. I have 8x4GB in my 09 MP and the time to chime is about 5 secs.
 
Inutopia said:
I'm not sure that this is the case. I have 8x4GB in my 09 MP and the time to chime is about 5 secs.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it affect all the Mac. But in his case, obviously that's related. Also, it may not necessary a bad stick, but because of our RAM spec is a bit different. (May be different manufacture also cause the difference? I really not sure)

Anyway, may I know if you are using ECC RAM?

And for OP, are you using ECC RAM?
 
I always thought that during the time you pressed the power button and when you heard the chime, that the system was doing a memory test. Logically, the more RAM you have, the longer the delay before you hear the chime.

The OP's own tests seem to confirm this. Mine, with 32GB RAM (4 sticks, single CPU) take about 15 seconds before I hear the chime.
 
h9826790 said:
I don't know if it affect all the Mac. But in his case, obviously that's related. Also, it may not necessary a bad stick, but because of our RAM spec is a bit different. (May be different manufacture also cause the difference? I really not sure)

Anyway, may I know if you are using ECC RAM?

And for OP, are you using ECC RAM?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is ECC ram. I have had a lot of Macs, never a time like this.
 
25 seconds doesn't seem a bit abnormal?? What if I go with 48 or 64 and it takes a minute to chime? I have a hard time believing it was this way new in 2012.
 
It's not abnormal at all. Do any of your other Macs have eight full memory slots?

My 2012 with eight slots full takes... 25 seconds to do its POST and then chimes. POST is a standard thing, done to make sure that all of the necessary components are working before boot.

If you don't trust what you're hearing from people here, by all means take it in to the Apple Store. They'll tell you the same thing, and perhaps that will give you some confidence in your equipment. The time is yours to spend, right?
 
Trust me, the last thing I want to do is haul a 50 pound computer into a retail store in the mall, but when I see other users with similar computers -- say, Inutopia and his older 12-core Mac Pro with 8x4gb and his chimes in 5 seconds... I wonder what the difference is.
 
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