I guess my Mac Pro 3.1 is broken

[sesabookchen]

I got a new mac pro 3.1 recently and want to upgrade hell out of it. However, to some reason, my mac pro wont start and all the memory risers on two boards keep flashing like crazy and fan got very loud. I swap around the memory all i can but it doesn't work.

My mac pro 3.1 spec:
8 core 2.8ghz cpu, 20gb memory, ATI HD2600XT

This is what happened exactly:
1) install Yosemite and nvidia driver
2) I found the memory can only be recognised for 16gb in Yosemite (before it's 20gb in mavericks), some memory bank has an x mark on system profile
3) I open the case install the gtx 560ti using the superdrive 4pin power, i have a 4 pin to 6 pin connector only. I also swap the memory a bit in the same time
4) it sparks and wont boot up, so i switch back to hd2600xt
5) Memory board riser start to flash crazy, no matter how i swap the memory. But it's booting up this time.

So if anyone know how to fix, please let me know. Otherwise i will maybe just throw into the garbage bin. :-(

Thanks a lot

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I guess the spark may be fire the motherboard or at least the memory dimm slot both of them?

 

[Twimfy]

I got a new mac pro 3.1 recently and want to upgrade hell out of it. However, to some reason, my mac pro wont start and all the memory risers on two boards keep flashing like crazy and fan got very loud. I swap around the memory all i can but it doesn't work.

My mac pro 3.1 spec:
8 core 2.8ghz cpu, 20gb memory, ATI HD2600XT

This is what happened exactly:
1) install Yosemite and nvidia driver
2) I found the memory can only be recognised for 16gb in Yosemite (before it's 20gb in mavericks), some memory bank has an x mark on system profile
3) I open the case install the gtx 560ti using the superdrive 4pin power, i have a 4 pin to 6 pin connector only. I also swap the memory a bit in the same time
4) it sparks and wont boot up, so i switch back to hd2600xt
5) Memory board riser start to flash crazy, no matter how i swap the memory. But it's booting up this time.

So if anyone know how to fix, please let me know. Otherwise i will maybe just throw into the garbage bin. :-(

Thanks a lot

===============

I guess the spark may be fire the motherboard or at least the memory dimm slot both of them?

When you say a spark...do you mean an actual visible spark? It seems you may have disturbed some dust or left some debris in the case when changing things around to cause a short.

However the fact that your memory wasn't displaying correctly in the first place suggests you may have a faulty riser board but it could be one of many things.

Have you tried booting with only the bare minimum of RAM (2GB) with various modules to say if it'll fire up?

 

[DanielCoffey]

Even if you decide to abandon the 3.1, don't just throw it away. If you are honest about describing the faults, there will be people wanting it for parts or repair.

 

[sesabookchen]

When you say a spark...do you mean an actual visible spark? It seems you may have disturbed some dust or left some debris in the case when changing things around to cause a short.

However the fact that your memory wasn't displaying correctly in the first place suggests you may have a faulty riser board but it could be one of many things.

Have you tried booting with only the bare minimum of RAM (2GB) with various modules to say if it'll fire up?

Yeah, it's a visible spark.
I tried booting with 2gb, still have the same issues. 4 lights flashing all the time. Fan gets very loud.

It's a spark on the graphic card 6 pin connector. I am not sure whether it's allowed to use the super drive 4pin to drive the power. I should wait for the 6pin-6pin connector. ah..

 

[sesabookchen]

Even if you decide to abandon the 3.1, don't just throw it away. If you are honest about describing the faults, there will be people wanting it for parts or repair.

yeah, maybe i will sell the parts. Btw, I am in Melbourne, Australia. If anyone want to have my semi-damaged mac pro parts can PM me.

 

[Twimfy]

yeah, maybe i will sell the parts. Btw, I am in Melbourne, Australia. If anyone want to have my semi-damaged mac pro parts can PM me.

Yeah you definitely should have waited. If you're very lucky it may just be your power supply which has suffered. If you're really unlucky you might have killed your logic board.

If I were you I'd head to eBay and maybe order a new power supply and give it a go.