MP 3,1 random crashes - where to begin troubleshooting?

[pullman]

This morning my Mac Pro 3,1 behaved very strangely. The screen went black though the computer appeared to still be on. I could force restart with CMD-Ctrl-Power button but the screen would not come on. I managed to remote desktop from my laptop and I saw that the MP's resolution had somehow become 1248x800 (checked Sys Prefs-Display). Only resetting that to best resolution for the display allowed the screen to come to life upon another forced restart.

Console-User Diagnostic Reports lists crashes by the following applications:

- SpyderUtility (a screen calibration utility that I've set to launch on login)

- System Preferences

For the same time period (this morning) Console-System Diagnostic Reports has reports for the following:

- PenTablet driver for my Wacom pad,

- Powerstats,

- SystemLoginTool,

- SystemUIserver,

- iTeleport Connect (a remote connection tool that launches on login),

- com.apple.internetaccounts,

- com.apple.sharekithelper.

I am a bit lost as to where to even begin to look for reasons for this behaviour so would very much appreciate any suggestion.

Thank you very much in advance.

Philip

 

[VAGDesign]

I would start from memory, then GPU and finally Hard Disk.

Try to remove all memory slots and leave one. See what happens.
If after troubleshoot the memory there is no difference, try GPU.

What GPU do you have? Can you find another to test the computer?

If nothing from the above is the problem, then I think it's something with the HDD or the OS.

My main thought was the GPU, since it won't let you change resolution, maybe it's the tool for calibration, or something else if the hardware is OK.

Please let us know what's you GPU and what OS X version you're running.

Best of luck!

 

[pullman]

Thanks very much for the reply and the suggestions.

I have a feeling you're right it might be the graphics card. I use an (Apple) ATi Radeon HD5870 (and use 10.9.5).

I've had similar problems in the past whereby the screen would just go black but the computer would remain on. But they've been intermittent. Perhaps the GPU is coming to an end. Unfortunately I don't have another I could use.

The 5870 is supposed to work with the MP 3,1 but I am wondering if it's not 100% compatible with my setup which includes a striped boot drive on a Sonnet Tempo Pro. Perhaps I should myself the GPU I had before, the nVidia 8800 I think it was.

As for the OS, it's a while since I did a fresh installation. I know that shouldn't be a problem but perhaps that would be the easiest to clean out any - and probably difficult to find - issues.

best
Philip

I would start from memory, then GPU and finally Hard Disk.

Try to remove all memory slots and leave one. See what happens.
If after troubleshoot the memory there is no difference, try GPU.

What GPU do you have? Can you find another to test the computer?

If nothing from the above is the problem, then I think it's something with the HDD or the OS.

My main thought was the GPU, since it won't let you change resolution, maybe it's the tool for calibration, or something else if the hardware is OK.

Please let us know what's you GPU and what OS X version you're running.

Best of luck!

 

[pullman]

I checked the RAM using Rember and it passed all tests with flying colours.

But the computer crashed just now, at 14:41 my time. A few minutes before a fan turned on on or close to max. I've found the following in Console - All messages:

2015-10-04 14:41:43,000 kernel[0]: [1:0:0] GPU HangState 0x00000000, HangFlags 0x00000006: IndividualEngineHang 0, NonEngineBlockHang 1, FenceNotRetired 1, PerEngineReset 0, FullAsicReset 1

2015-10-04 14:41:43,000 kernel[0]: ** GPU ASIC Log Start **

2015-10-04 14:41:43,000 kernel[0]: : 0x00006898 : 0x00000092 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000018 : 0x000090f0 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000001 : 0x00006898

2015-10-04 14:41:43,000 kernel[0]: : 0x00000001 : 0x00000015 : 0x00000000 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000047 : 0x00000000 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000058

Similar entries continues for several pages, then this:

2015-10-04 14:41:44,000 kernel[0]: ** GPU ASIC Log End **

2015-10-04 14:41:44,000 kernel[0]: ------------------

2015-10-04 14:41:44,000 kernel[0]: GPURestartReportEnd

2015-10-04 14:41:44,000 kernel[0]: Trying restart GPU ...

2015-10-04 14:41:45,816 com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.DumpGPURestart) Throttling respawn: Will start in 9 seconds

2015-10-04 14:41:46,000 kernel[0]: [1:0:0] GPU HangState 0x00000000, HangFlags 0x00000006: IndividualEngineHang 0, NonEngineBlockHang 1, FenceNotRetired 1, PerEngineReset 0, FullAsicReset 1

2015-10-04 14:41:46,000 kernel[0]: ** GPU ASIC Log Start **

2015-10-04 14:41:46,000 kernel[0]: : 0x00006898 : 0x00000092 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000018 : 0x000090f0 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000001 : 0x00006898

2015-10-04 14:41:46,000 kernel[0]: : 0x00000001 : 0x00000015 : 0x00000000 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000047 : 0x00000000 : 0x00000001 : 0x00000058

Which also continues for pages. Then:

2015-10-04 14:41:47,000 kernel[0]: ** GPU ASIC Log End **

And then another several pages of similar kernel[0] entries, then a similar set as above:

2015-10-04 14:41:47,000 kernel[0]: : ** GPU Debug Info End **

2015-10-04 14:41:47,000 kernel[0]: ------------------------

2015-10-04 14:41:47,000 kernel[0]: GPURestartReportEnd

2015-10-04 14:41:47,000 kernel[0]: Trying restart GPU ...

2015-10-04 14:41:47,019 com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.DumpGPURestart) Throttling respawn: Will start in 8 seconds

2015-10-04 14:41:48,000 kernel[0]: [1:0:0] GPU HangState 0x00000000, HangFlags 0x00000006: IndividualEngineHang 0, NonEngineBlockHang 1, FenceNotRetired 1, PerEngineReset 0, FullAsicReset 1

2015-10-04 14:41:48,000 kernel[0]: ** GPU ASIC Log Start **

Under Console - System Diagnostic Reports I also see a crash report for the PenTabletDriver with the 14:41 time stamp. Oddly, this morning I removed the driver and software for the Wacom tablet and reinstalled it and it worked well all day.

Not sure what this means but it appears both the GPU and the tablet are upsetting the system somehow.

I would start from memory, then GPU and finally Hard Disk.

Try to remove all memory slots and leave one. See what happens.
If after troubleshoot the memory there is no difference, try GPU.

What GPU do you have? Can you find another to test the computer?

If nothing from the above is the problem, then I think it's something with the HDD or the OS.

My main thought was the GPU, since it won't let you change resolution, maybe it's the tool for calibration, or something else if the hardware is OK.

Please let us know what's you GPU and what OS X version you're running.

Best of luck!