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nMP PCIe Switch Diode very hot
- Thread starter armut
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Sorry, I meant OP's list of temperatures, it is nowhere to be found in my copy of iStat.
I am using TG Pro and my PCIe Switch Diode is around 79-81c average when Idle. Everything else looks ok. Using macOS Catalina.
I am no 'wiz' when it comes to thermal sensors and what is the ideal temperature, but given all of the reading and searching about this topic over the last months I've done, I would conclude that the high temperature is probably normal operation for the PCIe Switch Diode and it "is what it is". Nothing can be done unless you have the fans on all of the time, and dong this might be overkill. Yes, keeping it cooler is good for it overall, but maybe it might overall not be necessary and therefore "do-able" and tolerable.
Anyone else conclude the same for the PCIe Switch Diode temperatures? I think if it were a major issue, the fans would be "on" more as default.
Hello loby,
Do you have any problems with Catalina? (with displays, any random crashes etc?)
No I don't..I downgraded from 10.15.5 back to macOS Mojave a few months ago, but recently updated to macOS Catalina 10.15.6 and do not have any issues. Performance (video editing & rendering) seems to be ok. No issues with crashing (did not have any before) and no display issues so far...
Catalina 10.15.6 seems to runs better and faster than 10.15.5. 10.15.5 I noticed single core slow down (slight), but with 10.15.6 it seems better.
I have D500 graphic cards with 12-Core CPU & 64 GB RAM.
Click the icon or where TG Pro is on your Menu bar. Then scroll down to "Show Main Window", then scroll down and you will find the PCIe Switch Diode. It will probably be the longest green bar with the highest temperature.
I see, thanks. No, I think its all looking good, but was just wondering where my PCIe switch diode temp could be found
But it is indeed probably not a part of the new hardware
I don't have a mac pro 2019, but I am sure the thermal cooling is nice and quite with (I believe) the four fans and is why the temperature numbers are quit lower than the mac pro 2013. I don"t think the mac pro 2019 will have any issues with thermal cooling like the 2013 model.
@miloshima, sorry I was not online for longer.
I did not follow temperatures more than having MacsFanControl always enabled and control only the PCIe switch
to get it between 66 (lower) and 70 degrees (upper).
I have no high power tasks, so the only thing to control in my case is the PCIe switch.
I think, its not a bad idea having slightly higher fan speed, but very high rpms is not disirable as well.
The noise, the dust getting inside, the lifetime of the fan. (But a fan exchange is rather easy.)
What I would really like is a cooling block that connects the PCIe switch termally with the rear aluminium connector
panel. The problem is the curved connector panel. This had to be measured very well, but for that a spare I/O
board and a spare connector panel would be necessary to avoid having the Mac disassembled for a longer period.
I was thinking to protect everything with thin foil or tape and inserting gypsum/plaster in between PCIe switch
and the curved I/O panel.
With such a workpiece it should be possible milling a cooling block, inserting with compound, and hoping to get
more heat off of the PCIe switch.
But below all, I dont know, if temps over 70 or over 80 degrees is really serious.
Datasheets showing 70 degrees max., but noone knows if the 70 degrees of the datasheet is the same
that we see on our temp sensors.
So, till now, I only do a look on the sensors and have MFC always enabled and autostarted.
I did not follow temperatures more than having MacsFanControl always enabled and control only the PCIe switch
to get it between 66 (lower) and 70 degrees (upper).
I have no high power tasks, so the only thing to control in my case is the PCIe switch.
I think, its not a bad idea having slightly higher fan speed, but very high rpms is not disirable as well.
The noise, the dust getting inside, the lifetime of the fan. (But a fan exchange is rather easy.)
What I would really like is a cooling block that connects the PCIe switch termally with the rear aluminium connector
panel. The problem is the curved connector panel. This had to be measured very well, but for that a spare I/O
board and a spare connector panel would be necessary to avoid having the Mac disassembled for a longer period.
I was thinking to protect everything with thin foil or tape and inserting gypsum/plaster in between PCIe switch
and the curved I/O panel.
With such a workpiece it should be possible milling a cooling block, inserting with compound, and hoping to get
more heat off of the PCIe switch.
But below all, I dont know, if temps over 70 or over 80 degrees is really serious.
Datasheets showing 70 degrees max., but noone knows if the 70 degrees of the datasheet is the same
that we see on our temp sensors.
So, till now, I only do a look on the sensors and have MFC always enabled and autostarted.
Hello, I bought recently a Mac Pro 6.1
Catalina 10.10.5 have been installed just before the sale, there are 32 Go RAM and a Kington SSD 500 Go inside.
When I begin to use it, the fan goes up to 2600 rpm without explanation and stays there ...
After som research, I downloaded Mac Fans control and I was able to use the Mac basically with one apple display screen. The switch diode was the reference for the fan control and I was able to maintain the temp around 62°C at room temperature until 30°C. In these cases, fan speed goes progressively to 1100 rpm in one day (23°C), sometimes 1300 when hotter in the room (30°C).
I also downloaded Hardware Monitor, and made it show some values.
two days ago, I bought a LaCie 2Big thunderbolt 2 HD.
When I plug the thunderbolt cable, the temp of the switch diode begins to go up, and either Hardware monitor crashes and then the HD makes a savage ejection, or, when hardware monitor is off, finder is crashing when I try to read the contend of the HD...
Do you have thunderbolt 2 HD running with your Mac Pro ? Do you have the same problems ?
Thanks.
Catalina 10.10.5 have been installed just before the sale, there are 32 Go RAM and a Kington SSD 500 Go inside.
When I begin to use it, the fan goes up to 2600 rpm without explanation and stays there ...
After som research, I downloaded Mac Fans control and I was able to use the Mac basically with one apple display screen. The switch diode was the reference for the fan control and I was able to maintain the temp around 62°C at room temperature until 30°C. In these cases, fan speed goes progressively to 1100 rpm in one day (23°C), sometimes 1300 when hotter in the room (30°C).
I also downloaded Hardware Monitor, and made it show some values.
two days ago, I bought a LaCie 2Big thunderbolt 2 HD.
When I plug the thunderbolt cable, the temp of the switch diode begins to go up, and either Hardware monitor crashes and then the HD makes a savage ejection, or, when hardware monitor is off, finder is crashing when I try to read the contend of the HD...
Do you have thunderbolt 2 HD running with your Mac Pro ? Do you have the same problems ?
Thanks.
So glad I finally found this thread. I have been having severe throttling issues with my 6 core trash can. I had been using temp software called Fanny which only shows CPU and GPU temps. Finally got TG Pro and was able to see the PCIe switch diode temp, which is currently in the high 80's despite the cool, climate controlled machine room its in. All other temp sensors are normal. I have the machine maxed out, and presumably, years of that have worn it down. 128g of ram, all of the Thunderbolt and USB ports are used, 3 monitors, one is 4k, several TB hard drives etc. I was considering sending the machine to Apple to replace the Logic Board, but given how I'm running the computer, I will likely run into the same issue, if not immediately, soon. Thanks for the info!
No, I don't.
The gap is much to big.
If the i/o panel would be flat, it would be an apportunity using a copper plate between the chip and the panel by using thermal pads.
If someone has spare parts, one can put tape on the chip and on the panel and insert semi-solid plaster into the gap.
(plaster-powder with water mixture)
When the plaster-powder is set, its a sample to build a copper or aluminium copy.
(Would be interesting, if it reduces the temp, what is actually not certain)
But after all that, probably the best simple solution is to let the fan running faster
with one of the control apps.
--------
BTW: the "heatsink plaster" (any kind of silicone) what is offered often in the bay
is also hard to remove without breaking something.
I did'nt found another solution that fixes a heatsink stable but removable, something like a non permanent glue.
Finally, I would not recommed to play with all this fragile Apple parts.
Its extremly easy to brick this maschine.
The gap is much to big.
If the i/o panel would be flat, it would be an apportunity using a copper plate between the chip and the panel by using thermal pads.
If someone has spare parts, one can put tape on the chip and on the panel and insert semi-solid plaster into the gap.
(plaster-powder with water mixture)
When the plaster-powder is set, its a sample to build a copper or aluminium copy.
(Would be interesting, if it reduces the temp, what is actually not certain)
But after all that, probably the best simple solution is to let the fan running faster
with one of the control apps.
--------
BTW: the "heatsink plaster" (any kind of silicone) what is offered often in the bay
is also hard to remove without breaking something.
I did'nt found another solution that fixes a heatsink stable but removable, something like a non permanent glue.
Finally, I would not recommed to play with all this fragile Apple parts.
Its extremly easy to brick this maschine.