UPS Causing Disturbance to Mac Pro Power Supply

I have been doing a lot of work on upgrading two Mac Pro's over the last few days. I have one attached to an APC UPS 1300VA 780W rated. Normally this Mac Pro is under my desk, so I do not here it. During the process of one of the upgrades I had the Mac Pro sitting right in front of me on my desk. As soon as I powered it up, I could hear this disturbing "hum" or "buzz" coming from the power supply of the Mac Pro. However the Mac Pro seemed to operate fine.
I decided to unplug the Mac Pro from the APC UPS and into a regular Tripp-Lite wall surege protector with no UPS. The noise was significantly reduced. Therefore my question to you is:
1. Do you think the fact that the APC is creating the problem or introducing a different signal (maybe not true Sine Wave) than what is required by the Mac Pro?
2. For those that have a newer Nehalem Mac Pro and they have access to the back, how would you rate the "hum"? Is it what you would expect? Now that I have it off the APC UPS, it seems more normal (it is audible, but only with my ear close to it).
3. How well are the power supply units in the Mac Pro designed? Enough to handle immediate loss of power? What about cleaning the power coming in? Sometime the voltage drop across my AC outlet is 110V to 120 V.
Mike

RS? XS? something other than those? The linked discussion OP had an XS and went to SMART unit. Before I bought CyberPower to replace one of my two 1500VAs (one XS and other RS) I decided to ditch APC this go around. And, glad I did. Quiet, green, stand-by mode.
The 2008 had bad inrush current, and ever since the G5 Quad with 1kw PSU people have been looking for the best UPS.
One article talked about PSU efficiency, and apparantly Apple's didn't match the 85+.

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Mac Pro power supply failure

Anyone have any luck repairing A 2008 Mac Pro power supply? There are two fried resistors on the board and would like to save the 300 USD for a new supply.

Macitguy.com,
Image was not taken at starting, but to be sure here under are values taken 30 mn after starting with antivirus scanning from the start:
http://peloche.smugmug.com/photos/472815384_tAmam-X3.jpg
My MacPro is 2006 model 4 cores.
AMHA MacPro cooling system is (almost) like this:
http://peloche.smugmug.com/photos/93683908_t22JU-L.jpg
If I were you I'll check that nothing slows airflow around DVD location and I'll install Fan control to increase others fan speed (orange and red airflows on the drawing, mines are running at 1500/1600 rpm) this should help the whole system (AMHA), it doesn't cost to make a test.
Peloche,

Mac Pro power supply replacement?

We're on our yacht in Hobart, Tasmania. No access to Apple Store.
Re: Mac Pro 2006, how do I assess whether the power supply is failing?
I ask because we have experienced several times over the past couple of years the following issue. Typically in the morning I see the Mac Pro has shut down and will not startup. I go through the SMC reset procedure as per Article: HT1806. The straight forward "press the SMC Reset button" never works. Sometimes just pulling the power cord for a few minutes works. Yesterday was one of the "hard cases". None of the usual voodoo worked, so I left the Mac Pro for about 6 hours with power and all cables disconnected.
When I reconnected power the MP began a familiar 17 second cycle, both sets of Memory Riser Card Diagnostic LEDs illuminate for about 3 seconds, fans start, shutdown (repeat).
Pressing down the SMC RST button stops this loop, but still cannot startup.
Yesterday I pulled the top memory riser, left MP off for 30 minutes then when I reconnected power I could startup successfully. Shutdown, reinsert top rise, restart success.
I called Apple support, authorized a case. The tech went off to consult for 10 minutes or so, then came back and said "we think your power supply is probably stuffed".
To obtain a replacement supply here in Hobart is going to be difficult and expensive. So any advice on how to improve our assessment of the true source of this problem would be much appreciated.
The famous and helpful "Hatter" once suggested to another troubled Mac Pro owner to "leave the computer disconnected from power overnight". My experience is that the longer time disconnected is related to success, but I do not understand why. Why is overnight helpful?
PS - I've not done the following procedure yet, and because it is from the 2008 Mac Pro service manual it may not apply to the 2006 exactly as written. I'm including this info for the benefit of searchers who come along in the future:
Power Supply Verification
To power on, the computer’s logic board requires “trickle” power. If the system fails to power on, first reset the SMC as described in this chapter. If the computer still doesn’t power on, follow the procedure outlined below to determine whether the issue is related to the power supply.
Verify trickle power
Diagnostic LED 2 indicates the presence of trickle power required by the logic board to begin the startup process.
LED 2 should be yellow when the DIAG_ LED button is pressed, indicating that trickle voltage is present.
Verify Power Supply Is Providing Power
Diagnostic LED 8 indicates that the main power is OK and within regulation. Plug in AC power cord, and press the power-on button on the front panel.
LED 8 should be green when the DIAG_ LED button is pressed, indicating that the main power is OK and within regulation.
If diagnostic LED 5 and LED 6 are both solidly illuminated at power up, improperly seated power supply cables could be one cause of this behavior. Check all power supply cable connections to ensure they are properly seated.
PSS - I have recently replaced the PRAM battery.

Are you getting a chime?
The chime says the computer passed the first part of the Power-On Self-Test, and if enough working RAM and a boot drive can be found, booting is likely. Lack of a chime says something else is amiss.
The usual procedure in cases of no chime is to pretend that something is loading down the power supply. So you remove all the drives and the graphics card and everything except a minimum of RAM, and look for the chime. If you get to the chime, then you add back the graphics card so you can see what is happening, and boot to the Installer DVD. then bring back an item at a time and see when it craps out.

Mac Pro Power Supply making noise (even when turned off)

Hi everyone,
My Mac Pro Early 2008 (Dual quad core 2,8) began to make noise a while ago and it drives me mad.
The sound is (100% sure) coming from the Power Supply. The sound is not mechanical, but electrical, like an oscillator crackle sort of.
First I thought it was the PSU itself, so I had it replaced with a new one, but that did not change the situation.
The (new) PSU makes excactly the same noise, even when my computer is turned off (but still connected to the power socket in the wall).
I've eliminated all possible factors that could create an interference (other electrical devices). I even completely switched off the power of my office, except for one power socket; the one I used to test the Mac. As soon as I connected the Mac, as soon the noise came back. So, it's got to be inside the Mac.
So my question is: if it's not the PSU, nor the power of my office, what could it be?
PS: I've tried a UPS too... but that did not change a bit.
Thanks for your suggestions!

Hey
I appreciate the attention and help from you guys. I installed hardware monitor and this is what tells me:
Ambient Air 22
CPU A Heatsink 28
CPU B Heatsink 29
CPU Core 1 27
CPU Core 2 30
CPU Core 3 29
CPU Core 4 27
Expansion Slots 32
Hard Drive Bay 1 30
Hard Drive Bay 2 25
Hard Drive Bay 3 24
Hard Drive Bay 4 24
Memory Bank A Point 1 38
Memory Bank A Point 2 44
Memory Bank A Point 3 44
Memory Bank B Point 1 37
Memory Bank B Point 2 44
Memory Bank B Point 3 48
Memory Module A1 65
Memory Module A2 65
Memory Module A3 62
Memory Module A4 54
Memory Module B1 69
Memory Module B2 65
Memory Module B3 59
Memory Module B4 57
Northbridge Heat Sink 63
SMART Disk Maxtor 6V300F0 (V60E4NQG) 41
SMART Disk ST3500630AS P (9QG0H24P) 31
Do you have any suggestions? is it safe to find a program to regulate the fan of the power supply down or can this damage the system?

Mac Pro power supply. Is it possible to change from 110V to 240v

I recently found out that I'll be relocating from New York, USA to London, UK. Does anyone know if it's possible change the input voltage of a mac pro from the 110 volts used in the US to the 240 volts used in the United Kingdom? or should I just rely on a step up/down voltage converter?

Hi and welcome to Discussions,
taken from the MacPro tech specs http://support.apple.com/kb/SP11
*Electrical and environmental requirements*
ENERGY STAR configurations available
Line voltage: 100-120V AC or 200-240V AC (wide-range power supply input voltage)
Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz single phase
Current: Maximum of 12A (low-voltage range) or 6A (high-voltage range)
Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Storage temperature: -40° to 116° F (-40° to 47° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum altitude: 10,000 feet
So no converter needed, just a different power-plug connector.
And a hearty welcome to the 'old-world'
Stefan

13" mac book pro power supply weight?

What does a 13" mac book pro power supply weigh

My 85W adapter weighs 10.45 ounces (296 g) without the "duck head" corner plug inserted and 11.05 ounces (313 g) with the duck head in place. You can probably figure that your 60W adapter weighs (or will weigh) 10-15% less.

Mac Pro power usage (W)

I'm looking for an UPSi for my Mac Pro. Does anyone know how much power (watts) does Mac Pro uses when it's working full CPU load? I have 8-core 3GHz with X1900 XT graphics card.

You could use APC SMART-UPS 1000VA or the RS1500VA. There are lots of threads on UPS needs and demands.
The more RAM and drives, and PCIe cards, the higher.
Power Usage of Mac Pro It requires 410 watts to start up, idles at 300 watts, and peaks at 430 watts when running Doom 3, the most demanding power wise of the ten apps we tried.
The Mac Pro had 16GB of RAM, four internal hard drives, and a Radeon X1900 XT. We're confident the Mac Pro's 980 watt power supply can handle just about everything you can do to upgrade or expand a Mac Pro.
Mac Pro: Power consumption and thermal output (BTU) information
Update: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304378
Mac Pro (Late 2006) Quad Core 2.66 Ghz Mac Pro
Idle and max consumption:
171 W 445 W
854 BTU/hr 1,519 BTU/hr
Notes
*Power consumption data (Watts) is measured from the wall power source and includes all power supply and system losses.
Additional correction is not needed.
*"CPU Max" is defined as running a compute-intensive test application that maximizes processor usage and therefore power consumption.
*These numbers reflect a 23° C (73.4° F) ambient running environment. Increased ambient temperatures will require faster fan speeds which will increase power consumption.
At 35° C (95° F), 50 W should be added to reflect increased power consumption.
*1000W PSU do not deliver more than 500-600W effectively

Can i use my mac on power supply when battery is fully charged??

can i use my mac on power supply when battery is fully charged??

Keep the computer plugged in whenever possible.
If you keep the computer always plugged in, make sure that twice a month
run it on battery until battery level drops to about 50-40%.
Maximize Runtime / Tips for maximizing your battery charge
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446
More about batteries:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Macbook Pro Battery Cycle Count
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1519

Does the macbook pro power supply draw power if the computer isn't plugged in

does the macbook pro power supply draw power if the computer isn't plugged in?

Same thng for your entire house: called "vampire loads" ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power

Unable to Upgrade Flash Player On Mac Pro Power G5 Os X V. 10.5.8

Hi After several try i m unable to migrate flash player on Mac Pro power G5 I m getting the following error Devices With Power PC processor are no longer supported...... Get Flash Player For Power Pc
1- i tried to uninstall and reinstall the flash player and it worked but the version its 10,1,85,3 i still get error message saing Upgrade your flash player ... any luck

You can also use an app called SuperDuper to backup your system.
Allan

Macbook Pro power supply and grounding.

Hey Apple people. I noticed something disconcerting with the power supply on my MacBook Pro 13" (non-retina)
I have a stainless steel metal table in my kitchen. It is the same type of stainless steel table you find in restaurants.
I have my 13" MacBook Pro in a Speck See-thru case.
The MacBook Pro in it's case is sitting on a Rain Design "M Stand".
The Rain Design "M Stand" is sitting on the stainless steel table.
I am wearing a short sleeve shirt.
I am sitting on a fabric covered chair at the table.
The battery was getting low so I got out my power supply, which is the power brick with the two prong plug adapter.
I plugged this into a power strip and the other end into the computer.
While touching the case of the computer with one hand and leaning on the stainless steel table with my other bare arm. I felt a vibration through the fingers that were in contact with the MacBook Pro. I knew what was going on, and I got really concerned.
I tried an experiment.
I got out the extension cord that came with the MacBook Pro power supply and I changed out the two prong plug on the power supply for the extension cord. The extension cord has a grounding post.
When I plugged the power supply back into the power strip and connected the power supply to the MacBook Pro. I no longer felt a vibrating sensation when I was in contact with the stainless steel table and the computer.
I have other MacBook Pro power supplies and I always use the grounded extension cable with them, because it is located at my regular workstation area. This stainless steel table is located in my kitchen, and I was eating dinner and watching YouTube videos.
Just thought you would like to all know that when you don't use the grounded cable on your MacBook Pro. you become the ground.
Never using this power supply anywhere again without the grounded cable.
Thank you for your time.
Matthew Sievert

It depends on what you are doing. Yes, the power supply can get hot. This is normal.

Replacement of Mac Pro Power Cord

How do I purchase a replacement of my desktop Mac Pro power cord?

Go to any computer store or many big box stores have them. It is a standard computer card which is used on PCs and computer peripherals. APlle will also sell you one

First G5 Quad says AppleSMU System Shutdown cause =3, now Mac Pro says -128 as a shutdown cause.

A weird error I can't seem to troubleshoot easily through research has happened to my 2010 Mac Pro. Its called AppleSMU -- Shutdown cause = -128 = Does anyone have an idea what -128 it? I know what -1, -2, -3, -110(Power supply) all mean, but -128?
To further troubleshoot the problem I rebooted in safe mode and everything seems to be working normally. My Mac Pro's temps are within operating range as well as the PSU. Can someone shed some light on what -128 means? Does anyone have a list of Apple shutdown codes with their meanings? I am going to attempt to run ASD and AHT tonight to see what the problem could be though.
Thanks.
Its like my G5 is running without problems, where as my Mac Pro(just by not using it for almost a week) is now giving me a shutdown cause of -128.

Wow... I found the problem, totally unexpected.
It was a misbehaving UPS unit. Not anything with the computer at all !!
It had never happened while I was around to see it before. With the computer plugged directly into the wall, no more recurring rebooting.
I think it's a worn out battery in my UPS. Now, if I could only get all those computer diognostic hours of my life back.

Mysterious Mac Pro Power Issue

Model Name:          Mac Pro
Model Identifier:          MacPro3,1
Processor Name:          Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed:          2.8 GHz
Number Of Processors:          2
Total Number Of Cores:          8
L2 Cache (per processor):          12 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          1.6 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MP31.006C.B05
SMC Version (system):          1.25f4
I recently moved my MacPro to a new building. Almost immediately it started taking a long time to boot. Twice it hung on the blue screen for approximately 10 minutes before continuing to the login screen. Problems were intermittent, sometimes it would boot fine. Then it started having trouble powering on at all. It would click and the light would turn on and off in less than 5 seconds. I took it to a different building: no powering on. I took it twice to the Apple store for the same problem, it turned on both times so I had to take it back with no help. Back at the original building, the computer turns on sometimes after leaving it unplugged overnight. I suspected an issue with the power in the building so I plugged it into a UPS. Initially it was only on a Surge Protector. On one recent occasion I accidentally nudged it with my knee and it powered down and back up. On another occasion I was sitting still watching a video and it powered down and back up with no intervention.
This will not reproduce at the Apple store. Each time it is there it has booted up perfectly using both my power cord and Apple’s power cord. Don’t know what to do next.
Any thoughts on what to try before replacing power supply and power cable? Is it possible this is not a power-related issue?

make sure to use something in 1000VA or better for your UPS and that it can support your system. May seem like $200 is a lot but then they work and give you adequate shutdown or to ride out a 5 minute power issue.
UPS
http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Compatible-1500VA-Tower/dp/B00429N 19W/
you don't need to nor is it that effective to leave unplugged over night or something.
hit the power on for 10 seconds while every cord and device is unplugged though.
Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

Mac Pro Power Up failure - Mac Pro goes on and off

Since few months my Mac Pro first generation (2x 2.66 GHz Dual core 8 GB RAM with ATI Radeon XT1900X 512 Mb video card) frequently does not start up. When pushing the power button it starts up and in few seconds turns off again. I have reset the SMC, done a hardware test for RAM etc. The machine has had a dure test at a service provider but the problem was not found.
Few weeks ago the problem began again and sometimes the Mac Pro starts up normal and sometimes the problem occurs again. And sometimes the Mac Pro goes of spontaniously. Can this be the Video card causing this problem? The RAM seems to be OK, cause I replaced the 4x 2xGB DIMMS with the older 2x 512 MB DIMMS that came with the Mac Pro and the same problem occurs.
Has anyone has this problem and/or knows a solution?

I just starting having this problem today. I turned on my Mac Pro this morning and after a few seconds it shut down and then restarted. It kept doing that so I finally unplugged the computer. Prior to today the computer would sometimes shutdown or restart on it's own but I could usually get it boot back up and was able to use the computer. It's still unplugged and I'll leave it that way until I get home from work today. I did open up the case and blasted out as much of the dust that's built up with a can of compressed air. I've read about resetting the SMC but can I do that if the computer keeps restarting after a few seconds? I have AppleCare for the Mac Pro should I just set up an appointment and take it in? I worried that it may be an issue with the power supply. Any suggestions? I appreciate the assistance!!!
Thanks!!

UPS Causing Disturbance to Mac Pro Power Supply

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