APPARENT HEAT RELATED PROBLEM IN G4 DUAL 500

[sbarncar]

I'd like confirmation of this.

I have a TDM HD system running on MAC OS X 10.2.8- a core card + process card. PT 6.1 software, reasonable number of plugs and running at 96k, about 24 track max.

The hardware is a Mac G4 Dual 500. This machine has 3 useable slots.


everything worked perfectly until I added a second process card. All slots were then filled.

At first everything worked fine, but after a while I would get strange freezes that would stop everything - meters frozen in half scale - my only option a forced quit.

It turned out to be heat, or perhaps power supply capacity. On the G4 DP500, the slot power spec is 25 watts for the first two slots and 15 watts for the third!

Opening the case and letting it cool off cleared the symptoms. It's a drag having the cover open though. Does anyone know the power supply requirements of the later Duals, such as the 1 and 1.2 gighz dual proc machines that came later (and have 4 slots!!!)

Will these later machines solve my problem? Has anone out there had the same problems?

thanks,

stephen barncard
[email protected]

[Snitz]

Stephen -

I don't know about your machine in particular, but I do know about the kind of heat related problems you mention. I had similar difficulty with my Magma CB2. Until I switched the power supply (into the same model), and cleaned up the wiring around the supply inside the chassis, nothing made the problem go away. Opening the chassis gave me more time, but eventually I still failed in the way you describe. Good luck.....

Andy

[sbarncar]

Yep. Finally figured it out. GET A FRIKIN' NEW MACHINE!!! Time to let go. of the old.

Don't ever try a CORE and two HD PROCESS cards in a dual/500 - it just won't work.

Being cheap in this area is costly.

Actually, it pays to get the highest speed and newest machine that will do what you want to do - don't skimp. I wasted WEEKS and a deadline with this issue.

[ronwasserman]

Sadly this is a known problem. Had one of those computers myself and decided it would be better to get a G5 and not fry my HD cards.

If it helps I ended up keeping the case open and ran a small air condition unit directly into the back of the computer (separate machine room) until the G5 arrived.

Hope this helps.

Ron