Mac Pro Tower Forensic Technical Intake: Mac Pro Tower Architecture Service Protocol: MPX Expansion & Logic Board Modular Validation 1. Primary Fault Classification Fault Group (A-Z) — Select Group — Compute (CPU / ECC RAM / SoC Interconnect) Expansion (PCIe Slots / MPX Modules / Bridges) Graphics (AMD Radeon Pro / GPGPU Stability) Logic Board (Thunderbolt Bus / I/O Controller) Power (1.4kW PSU / Voltage Rail Stability) Storage (Apple Silicon Flash / RAID Modules) Thermal (Intake Fans / Passive Heatsink Flow) Specific Fault — Select Group First — Describe the specific forensic failure: 2. Security & Handshake Forensics Forensic Insight: Mac Pro towers utilize the **Secure Enclave**. The internal SSD modules are cryptographically paired to the Logic Board. If a modular board swap is required, the flash modules cannot be migrated without a **DFU Restore**. **Activation Lock** must be verified as ‘OFF’ to allow for low-level modular diagnostics. Is ‘Find My Mac’ disabled? (Required for storage/board testing) YesNo Storage Architecture Apple Flash Modules (Serialized) MPX RAID / NVMe PCIe Expansion Mixed Factory & Third-Party Storage 3. Expansion & Signal Integrity AI Technical Insight: The Mac Pro uses an **Expansion Hub** to manage PCIe lanes. If you experience “Kernel Panics” when adding cards, there may be a **PCIe Lane Bifurcation** error. We also check the **MPX (Mac Pro Expansion)** power connector; if the pins show micro-arcing, the modular GPU is pulling irregular current. PCIe Behavior (A-Z) All slots recognized Expansion card drops out under load System won’t boot with card installed Visible damage to PCIe/MPX socket List all modules currently installed in the 8 expansion slots: 4. Power Infrastructure & Thermal Zones Forensic Note: These towers pull massive wattage. If the status light flashes **Amber**, the **Power Distribution Board** has detected a modular voltage leak. We check for **Thermal Pocketing**; if the front intake fan array is obstructed, the passive CPU heatsink will heat-soak, causing a permanent drop in compute performance. Power Status Light Solid White (Normal) Flashing Amber (Hardware Error) No Light / No Power Describe any mechanical noise (e.g., ‘Fan 2 grinding’, ‘PSU Coil Whine’): 5. Previous Repair & Modification History Why we need this: The Mac Pro is designed for modular upgrades. If **Non-ECC RAM** was installed in an Intel model, it can cause “silent data corruption.” If the **DIMM covers** were removed and never replaced, the thermal airflow zone is compromised, leading to premature modular failure of the memory controller. Has this Tower ever been opened or modified? No – Factory Sealed Yes – Upgraded/Repaired Previously Describe modifications (e.g., ‘Added Afterburner card’, ‘RAM upgrade’): 6. Mandatory Packaging Compliance IMPORTANT: These units weigh up to 18kg. The responsibility for secure packing remains entirely with the customer. Use the original Apple shipping crate if possible. If using a third-party box, it MUST be double-walled with 4 inches of high-density foam. BRACE the internal MPX modules; if the tower is dropped, the weight of the GPU will snap the modular PCIe slot. Confirm the unit is OFF and explain your bracing method: