MP 1,1-5,1 What to do with a Mac Pro 3,1 with the black screen / full fan problem?

[davebot 0.9]

My Mac Pro 3,1 is sick, likely terminal. Others have invested many hours addressing the problem mine seems to have, without a fix. I still want to try swapping my old graphics card back, but if that's not the fix, I think I'm ready to move on. The graphics card in the case now is a GEFORCE GTX 980 Ti, specially flashed with a Mac image. It was working great, and made Portal zippy.

Is there any market for a broken Mac Pro 3,1, or do I need to dump this in the Best Buy recycle bin? A sad end for an old friend!

The 30" Cinema Display works fine, although I did not succeed in connecting it to my 2017 iMac 27", even with the Apple Geniuses and Apple Support. Perhaps it will work with my 2021 MacBook Pro M1 -- although a Samsung 32" curved display might be nicer.

I have original boxes for everything, including the display. But who would want a broken Mac Pro tower? Does it have value for parts, or would the case be worth keeping for a PC build?? I would remove the hard drives, but leave the 22 GB RAM. I'm not sure whether the current fault is a logic board problem or some controller, cable, power rails, power supply -- perhaps a combination of factors. Others have documented their efforts addressing all these. The system works great -- until it suddenly goes to black screen and the fans roar like a jet engine. The only option then is to force-quit with the power button. This has happened with both the (recently repaired) MacOS El Capitan system, and on the Linux system -- which are on separate drives in the case.

Before the Mac Pro started acting up, I was enjoying it for programming (Linux Mint, on its own drive) and old Steam games (El Capitan on another hard drive in the case). I tried hard to also get Windows running on another drive in the case, but could not get it to install, despite Herculean effort.

Thanks in advance!

In the weeds... below are links to threads devoted to the problem my Mac Pro seems to have.


Mac Pro 3,1 black screen then fans on full


2008 Mac Pro 3,1 Screen Goes Black and Fans Ramp up to Full Speed


Mac Pro 3.1 black screen, loud fans

 

[Macschrauber]

As a quick test you cann pull one of both Ram risers, maybe a bank or a single Ram Stick is dead.

Check out sensor readings. Did an Hardware Test?

Show temperatures with Macs Fan Control. I have seen the chipset cooler bracket falling off.

 

[davebot 0.9]

Thanks, but... If you look at the threads I linked, those folks did all those things and more. Many hours. I don't have that kind of fight left in me. They spent many hours (and dollars) and found no solution. My problem appears identical to theirs.

I did run the Apple Hardware Test from the original disc that came with the computer, in extended mode, overnight. No problems found. At some point, you just have to cut your losses, and it helps to learn from the experiences of others, like those in the threads I linked.

 

[Macschrauber]

Well, so you decided to give up before you diagnose some details? As other failed?

If the original hardware test survived sensors should work. So that could be an overheating problem. I dont think the Apple Hardware Test forces the machine enough to heat up.

To be honest the 3.1 is not worth fiddling with it, I just refused two machines for free. Don't have room for them as I have about 10 Mac Pro 4.1/5.1 in the workshop waiting to get sold or used for parts.

 

[Lasermoon]

My old 3.1 failed because of cracked solder joints on the logic board, not worth fixing, plus it used to use way too much power. I replaced it with a 2019 iMac 27" 5k
Not worth anything either,
I now use mine to keep my hard drive bay off of the floor under my desk.

 

[davebot 0.9]

@Lasermoon - Those are nice cases.

@Macschrauber - Yeah. You make me feel guilty, but I have already invested some late nights and hair-pulling on this system. The configuration I finally achieved allows me to boot to the screen where I can choose the disk (i.e. choose El Capitan, or the disk for Linux Mint) -- but I need to have an unused Mac keyboard plugged into the back of the tower to see the boot screen. So, it's tweaky. That's an accommodation for my graphics card. I will try replacing the graphics card just to rule that out as the source of the problem. But others who have this problem did not solve it by replacing the graphics card.

When I tried the system a couple days ago, it failed within a couple minutes of startup from a cold machine. And it failed when started from either the Mac hard drive, or the Linux hard drive.

I need to consider the probability of success, and what I'm willing to invest in this old system. Others with the same problem reported no joy after replacing graphics, testing RAM, replacing disks, replacing the PSU. I suspect the logic board, but having that replaced fails my cost / benefit / liklihood of success estimation.

So, back to my original question: What do I do with this thing? The Best Buy recycle bin probably will take the tower. I still need to try connecting the monitor to my newish MacBook Pro -- that may work.

 

[m1maverick]

@Macschrauber - Yeah. You make me feel guilty, but I have already invested some late nights and hair-pulling on this system. The configuration I finally achieved allows me to boot to the screen where I can choose the disk (i.e. choose El Capitan, or the disk for Linux Mint) -- but I need to have an unused Mac keyboard plugged into the back of the tower to see the boot screen. So, it's tweaky. That's an accommodation for my graphics card. I will try replacing the graphics card just to rule that out as the source of the problem. But others who have this problem did not solve it by replacing the graphics card.

I think the concern is that you are assuming it's the same problem when it might not be. Thus the recommendation to perform some basic troubleshooting steps to validate (or not) that assumption.

 

[Macschrauber]

so the easiest point is: Check the temperatures.

a fallen off heatsink on the chipset controller, dried thermal paste or even blocked airflow by dust bunnies can be seen.

Typing this on a 3,1 running Mojave.


These are temperatures of my stable running main machine in my 2nd workplace to compare. I don't have touched the paste myself, yet.

TG Pro and Macs Fan Control

 

[davebot 0.9]

Macschrauber, thanks for the suggestion! Cool utility.

I intended to download Fan Control just now. But when I tried starting the computer, it went into black-screen-roaring-fans before ever loading the boot panel. Huh. So I tried again, this time attempting to boot into Safe mode. Same result! This is starting after the computer has been off for over 24 hours, in a room that's at 75 degrees. So I will wager that heat is not an issue.

The only simple thing I might try is to swap out the fancy graphics card for the one I was using before, which was still working.

Are these nice cases good for anything? Are they too specialized to work as PC cases?

Thanks!

 

[davebot 0.9]

Okay. I swapped back the older graphics card (that didn't require any flashing or magic incantations, but it's also a lot slower and has no CUDA features). Supposedly, the spiffy new GEFORCE GTX 980 Ti card I have has been specially flashed with a Mac image and should be fully compatible. And it sure seemed to be so, last year. I wonder if that compatibility is fully stable with aging hardware.

I'm running MacOS. Unfortunately, the most recent version for this hardware is El Capitan -- 10.11.6. Macs Fan Control will not run on this system.

Okay. Now rebooting... from the Linux drive. Linux Mint is back! Nice system. Just not super great for graphic games.

On one of the forums, someone suggested that the fan activity has a memory. They claim my machine's problem may be fixed by disconnecting the fans, booting up, shutting down, and then reconnecting the fans as normal. I have no idea how to even get at the power connection to the fans! Not sure I believe this would work, or if I even want to go there.

Thanks!

 

[davebot 0.9]

I just returned to wake the computer from sleep mode... and before it could even show the desktop, it was into the black screen, full fan failure mode. Had to force quit.

So: the failures seem to occur at random times. They have occurred with two different OS's, on two separate hard drives. They have occurred when the computer was cold, and when it had been running a while. They have occurred with two different graphics cards. I seem to be fighting a losing battle.

 

[Macschrauber]

There is a BR2032 coin battery, replace it if the voltage is below 3,0 volts.

 

[davebot 0.9]

Hmmm. Why would you suspect this is connected to my problem?

I thought this would mean removing the motherboard. But I just found a YouTube video showing me that I just need to remove the graphics card again, and the battery is right there. Looks like an easy experiment.

Gee, no one has bothered to answer my original question, except for the idea of using the old Mac Pro as a support for some other computer component.

 

[Macschrauber]

Hmmm. Why would you suspect this is connected to my problem?

Because a drain clock battery can cause timers run mad. Especially as you had the problem after waking from sleep. The battery has to support the clock processor when shut down or in deep sleep mode.

 

[m1maverick]

Gee, no one has bothered to answer my original question, except for the idea of using the old Mac Pro as a support for some other computer component.

Is that the question about if the case would be good for a PC build? I think no one has answered because it's a subjective answer.

I don't feel that it is. It's none standard and I don't believe it's worth the headache of trying to fit standard PC parts into it. Others may feel differently.

 

[davebot 0.9]

Okay. I went to the store, looking for a BR2032. Lots and lots of packages of the CR type, but no BR's. Nuts. When I got home, I decided to take out the battery and measure it anyway. My little Radio Shack voltmeter was dead, so I had to hunt down my TINY screwdriver to open it up. Luckily, I had the replacement batteries.

I was surprised that when I finally got the battery out to test, it was a CR2032. Untouched since I bought the computer in 2008. It measured 3.25 V. Not bad! And... I was in luck! I had a new CR2032, same as the battery I removed from the Mac Pro. The new one measured 3.30V. For kicks, I put the new one in the case and put everything back together. I heard a relay click when I inserted the battery, and another click when I plugged in the power. I was able to select the Mac disk at the boot screen., and the boot was successful. But within a minute, the familiar black screen and roaring fans had returned, to be silenced only by a force quit.

Is this thing of value to anyone these days for parts? The 30" Cinema Display works great, although I can't connect it to any of my modern computers. I tried a fancy patchwork of cables that worked with *some* laptops, on my 2021 MacBook Pro last night, but no joy.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Okay. I went to the store, looking for a BR2032. Lots and lots of packages of the CR type, but no BR's. Nuts. When I got home, I decided to take out the battery and measure it anyway. My little Radio Shack voltmeter was dead, so I had to hunt down my TINY screwdriver to open it up. Luckily, I had the replacement batteries.

I was surprised that when I finally got the battery out to test, it was a CR2032. Untouched since I bought the computer in 2008. It measured 3.25 V. Not bad! And... I was in luck! I had a new CR2032, same as the battery I removed from the Mac Pro. The new one measured 3.30V. For kicks, I put the new one in the case and put everything back together. I heard a relay click when I inserted the battery, and another click when I plugged in the power. I was able to select the Mac disk at the boot screen., and the boot was successful. But within a minute, the familiar black screen and roaring fans had returned, to be silenced only by a force quit.

Is this thing of value to anyone these days for parts? The 30" Cinema Display works great, although I can't connect it to any of my modern computers. I tried a fancy patchwork of cables that worked with *some* laptops, on my 2021 MacBook Pro last night, but no joy.

Your 30" Cinema Display use MiniDisplay Port, correct?
Resale value is about 200$ here where I live.
A cMP 3.1 case worth about 10$ (sold by kilograms of aluminum)
22GB of FCB DIMM is 4$, perhaps.
The PSU may worth some money, but finding a buyer for it would take forever.
The dead logicboard can be sold for parts or precious metal recyclers. 3~4$ perhaps.

 

[paronga]

Ive got this issue.
I’m under the impressions it’s the power supply! I have no way to test that, I bought another 3,1 to test it the theory but I can’t find the time to do it.

Sad

 

[davebot 0.9]

Hi paronga, I wish you luck! But swapping the PSU didn't help the folks in the first discussion I linked to (in my original post).

 

[davebot 0.9]

Is eBay the default place for selling Mac components like my 30" Cinema Display (working and original box), or Mac-flashed GTX 980 Ti graphics card?

I'm thinking of buying a custom PC to run linux for machine learning development. But I'm still a Mac fan; my 27" iMac is still my home base.

 

[freqrider]

Classic example of cpus not tight. I had this issue and tightened the heatsink screws and problem went away. 1/8-1/4 turn. They were all pretty loose. 3mm allen tee handle key. (Long) I was able to do it with a T15 torx on a long T handle driver.

 

[paronga]

Very interested in the assessment!
I might see If I can tighten the headwinds on my Mac Pro and report back!

 

[freqrider]

Very interested in the assessment!
I might see If I can tighten the headwinds on my Mac Pro and report back!

This may help. Front fan was tricky.

https://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_early2008.pdf

 

[davebot 0.9]

Why does this help? Is it because the loose heatsink allows the CPU to overheat, resulting in the fans going full-bore and a shut-down?

Unfortunately, I think I have a different problem, since my Mac Pro was beginning to shut down within a minute after booting from a cold start.

 

[freqrider]

Why does this help? Is it because the loose heatsink allows the CPU to overheat, resulting in the fans going full-bore and a shut-down?

Unfortunately, I think I have a different problem, since my Mac Pro was beginning to shut down within a minute after booting from a cold start.

Has more to do with pin connections than overheating. It would happen within seconds of booting on mine. Fans go full bore. Black screen.