New Mac Pro and HD2 HUGE PROBLEMS

[Dolly]

I'm having major trouble trying to install a HD 2 PCIe system on a new mid 2010 Mac Pro (quad 2.8 GHz Nehalem). I actually returned the first Mac Pro they sent me because I thought it was defected, and now I'm experiencing the exact same problem with a new one I received today.

I installed a HD Core, a HD Accel and a Blackmagic Intensity card, 3x4 Gb Dimms and 3 additional HD's, Protools HD 8.0.4 software and bunch of plug-ins. When booting, the computer started to blink the displays every two seconds for maybe 30 seconds or so after loading the desktop. Then it would stop it. When I launched PT, everything opened ok. Then I opened an old session, and playing it back made these weird sounds appearing. Hitting stop would result in couple of those sounds appearing maybe a second after the playback had stopped.

I thought that the session was corrupted, so I made a new session, imported some audio, and it played back fine. Until I added an RTAS plugin. I then discovered that the weird sounds only appear with sessions that have RTAS plugins on any channels. No matter what plug-ins. TDM plug-ins work fine.

I have tried all the following:
-booting in 32 bit kernel
-upgrading to 8.1
-removing all plug-ins (except for stereo mixer) from the plugins-folder.
-run Digitest (it was ok)
-tried different Intensity drivers (3.9.1, 3.7.3, 3.3.2)
-tried all the 3 cards with my G5, they work fine
-tried reducing the number of processors in the playback engine

Also, before I returned the first Mac Pro, I returned it to the state that it had come in (removed the cards, hd's, put the original memory back in), and it still did the blinking when booted.

Os is 10.6.4

What do I do next?
Thanks.

[crizdee]

Hi,

Remove the black magic card!
remove the optional ram! put original back in (screen blinking could be a sign of incompatible hardware!)

remove all third party plugins from the plugins folder! NOW trash prefs to empty the plugins cache!!!!!

re-boot the mac

Install just the core card and test.

don't skip any of the above!!!! very important to establish if the system will run OK with the factory fitted hardware.

Chris

[Dolly]

Thanks,
I try that now, will be back in minutes with a result!

[Dolly]

Didn't help, still blinking, still the weird sounds in PT.
With the first Mac Pro, I returned everything to the original state (hardware-wise), and the blinking was there. It wasn't there when the Mac(s) arrived, so I guess that some hardware I installed has broken something in the Mac(s).

This really sucks. I have to now go and fetch my wife and son to have a weekend holiday, I'll be back here monday morning (still super-stressed). Meanwhile if you have any ideas or suggestions, I would really appreciate the help.

[Dolly]

Ok, problem solved.
I discovered that the flashing screens were caused by my Acer V233H displays connected via DVI. Any other monitor, no problems whatsoever. With vga, no problems.

Wasn't the first place to look at...

Acer support is the worst I've ever seen. No chance to talk to a real person, and any other of their methods of helping doesn't help.

Thanks Crizdee.

[Violet]

Agreed about the Acer support. That company needs to up the ante. I don't see how removing the optional RAM would have helped as he had the exact problem with the first mac....unless he put additional RAM in both computer, but that kind of a no brainier.

[Sean Russell]

Acer sucks. Ever tried calling them? Jerks. They're like 'oh, you're using a MAC?? WELL THAT'S THE PROBLEM!! there are NO MACS HERE'.

I say: don't buy Acer