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2006 mac pro CPU upgrade: where can i get...

bozz2006

bozz2006

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 24, 2007
2,530
0
Minnesota
a magnetic exchangeable head screw driver long enough to reach the torx screws that hold the CPU heatsink onto the logicboard? According to this guy, the shaft needs to be at least 20 centimeters, or about 8 inches. I'm not having much luck. Help me out?

edit: THIS interchangeable head screwdriver looks like it will work, and it has a magnet in it, so that is a good thing. I'm just not thrilled with the $17 shipping.
 
Not sure where you can get one but would like to know what your upgrading from to what your upgrading to? I am planning on upgrading my 2Ghz quad mac pro to an octo but the price for the 3Ghz is outrageous. What did you pay for your chips?
 
I did end up biting the bullet and buying the one i linked to.

I am upgrading a 2.66 4 core (X5150 Woodcrest) to a 2.66 8 core (X5355 Clovertown).

I bought the processors used on ebay. $155 each.
 
Ah Ha!

I was watching those processors on eBay today too...
I curse you!

Not really.

Anyway, thinking of trying to find more x5355s or even considering some E5345s.

But really, can we work out a deal on that screwdriver if it works out okay? I don't feel like hunting for one. I have been looking all over for one too. Xcelite makes a 9" T15 blade, but I can't find it anywhere...

Thanks
 
bozz2006 said:
I did end up biting the bullet and buying the one i linked to.

I am upgrading a 2.66 4 core (X5150 Woodcrest) to a 2.66 8 core (X5355 Clovertown).

I bought the processors used on ebay. $155 each.
Click to expand...

Were these new? I am looking for 3ghz ones. Cheapest I found is around 700 used. If yours were new, will definately keep my eyes open on ebay. Thanks. Keep us posted how things go when you get it done.
 
mlchang said:
Ah Ha!

I was watching those processors on eBay today too...
I curse you!

Not really.

Anyway, thinking of trying to find more x5355s or even considering some E5345s.

But really, can we work out a deal on that screwdriver if it works out okay? I don't feel like hunting for one. I have been looking all over for one too. Xcelite makes a 9" T15 blade, but I can't find it anywhere...

Thanks
Click to expand...

We may be able to work something out:cool:
 
mlchang said:
Ah Ha!

I was watching those processors on eBay today too...
I curse you!

Not really.

Anyway, thinking of trying to find more x5355s or even considering some E5345s.

But really, can we work out a deal on that screwdriver if it works out okay? I don't feel like hunting for one. I have been looking all over for one too. Xcelite makes a 9" T15 blade, but I can't find it anywhere...

Thanks
Click to expand...


You can buy an extension at most tool stores for about $8. All you need is one of those magnetic interchangeable bit screwdrivers. It goes right where the bit would and the bit slides into the end of it just like on the screwdriver. I found them in the drill-bit section.
 
I looked at those too. The problem with every one of them that i saw was that the diameter of the "head" was too large to fit through the tight opening around the heatsinks.
 
instructions?

Is there an easy to follow and comprehensive set of instructions on how to do this anywhere? I have exactly the same model and am thinking of doing the same trick.
 
not exactly. I haven't done the upgrade yet, between these three websites...

Number One

Number Two

Number Three

...I'm pretty sure I can get it done. I've not swapped the processors, but I have done everything up to removing the heat sinks, and it's pretty straight forward.
 
So I did the upgrade this afternoon. Took me a little over an hour, and I took my time. It was pretty straight forward, only hit a couple kinks, and my computer Just went from a Geo Tracker to a Hummer. My I-4 has become a V8!

Just a couple things I wanted to point out:

1. I couldn't get the left track of the memory cage removed, and decided to give it a go without removing it. I got the job done without removing this piece.

2. I bought individual allen wrenches today to remove the heat sinks. I didn't need them. I also paid WAY too much for a 12" interchangeable head screwdriver. Yeah, I didn't need that either. The way I removed the heat sinks was by taking a standard length magnetic screwdriver with an interchangeable head, like:
814906.jpg


and added an extension like:
image.php


and it was plenty long.

The most PITA part of the upgrade was plugging the lower heatsink power lead back in to the logic board. It is near the lower part of the memory cage, and my hands are big, making this part tough. If your wife is willing to help you with the upgrade, this would probably be a task better accomplished by her than you.

Doing some testing right now, and it blows through renderings and encoding tasks like crazy!
 
When you click on about this mac, are the new chips recognized? I'm chompin at the bit to upgrade my 2ghz quad but want the 3ghz octo and these suckers are expensive, even used. Since I will be going to a higher temp chip, wondering if i'll melt the mobo. Hope you did some tests before the change to show the difference. Big time envy!:(
 
'about this mac' just says 2.66 GHz unknown

everything else registers 8 cores. did an appletv encode of Superbad with handbrake averaging 123 fps.

powerfractal went from about 32 gigaflops to over 72 gigaflops!


temps aren't a problem. i set smcfancontrol at 1000rpm for cpu fan and exhaust, and the highest the temp got in 2 hours of hard core crunching was 120 degrees farenheit. during browsing it stays at about 85-90 degrees.

I LOVE it.
 
How much thermal paste did you use? Never done this before but from the different web sites explaining this, looks to put and even coat across the entire chip. Going to keep my eyes on ebay. Might drop to the 2.66 to save some cash. Don't want to drop lower than that.
 
I bought this to prepare the components, and ended up using about 2/3 of the tube. like you said, i did a thin even coating.

I went the ebay route too. went from 2 2.66GHz dual core chips to 2 2.66 GHz quad core chips.

got them for $155 each on ebay.
 
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and don't worry about melting the motherboard. The general belief is that all the internals of every mac pro of that generation is the same, from the 2.0GHz quad core to the 3.0 GHz 8-core.
 
They've been good. Doing regular work with CS3, they go around 100 degrees farenheit. 90 degress when doing itunes, safari, etc. and got no higher than 120 degrees running handbrake
 
Thanks for the info on arcticsilver. From reading the info, am I correct NOT to run continuous for 200 hrs but run for a bit then shut down?
 
Just put in a bid for 2.33 octo's. 80 watt ratings and pretty cheap (if I don't get over bid). I'll use these until the 3ghz one's come down. I'll find out tuesday if I win the bid Still will be an improvement from my 2ghz quad and close to the same thermo ratings.
 
that should be a huge improvement. I thought long and hard before opting for the 2.66's over the 2.33's. hope you win. My aim right now is to figure out if it's possible for "about this mac" to correctly report the processors. I have windows xp running under bootcamp, and windows reports them correctly....
 
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