2010 Mac Pro 5.1, is it still worth buying?

[h9826790]

I tried for fun dosdude mod to install Catalina on my Mac Pro 5.1 on a clean Samsung SSD with only a fresh copy of the latest Mojave on it and it simply hangs at the END of the install after I press the start (install) button.
Is it normal or am I missing something?
Everything went normal up to that point....right at the end.....

With a USB thumb drive bootable installer?

 

[Flocarino]

No, I just click INSTALL ON THIS MACHINE.
Afterall, it is one of the 3 choices given by the patch.

 

[h9826790]

No, I just click INSTALL ON THIS MACHINE.
Afterall, it is one of the 3 choices given by the patch.

Please try the USB thumb drive method, more reliable.

 

[belfong]

A couple of thoughts:

Many of the so-called "5,1" Mc Pros for sale are 4,1s with EFI updated to 5,1 status. Not that such machines work any less well than "true" 5,1s, they just have an extra year or more of mileage.

How can I tell a 2010 Mac Pro is real 5,1 or 4,1 updated to 5,1? There’s another Mac Pro 5,1 put up for sale at just $250, which is something I can afford for hobby purpose. It’s a quad core Xeon with 10GB RAM but not hard disk. If it’s a real 5,1 then I don’t mind buying it, just to play around with it.

 

[majus]

How can I tell a 2010 Mac Pro is real 5,1 or 4,1 updated to 5,1?

The best way I know of is to check the images for an EMC number on the back label. If there isn't one showing, ask the seller for it. For a 2009 it is 2314; for a 2010 it is 2314-2.

 

[tsialex]

The best way I know of is to check the images for an EMC number on the back label. If there isn't one showing, ask the seller for it. For a 2009 it is 2314; for a 2010 it is 2314-2.

A lot of EMC labels of real MP5,1s don't have the -2, so, this is not a reliable way for differentiating a MP4,1 from a MP5,1.

Below are two examples, I have lots more, you can confirm that both are real MP5,1 easily just looking at the GPU.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^But, GPUs are replaceable. When I bought my 5,1, the first thing I did was replace the GPU.

Lou

 

[deconstruct60]

^^^^But, GPUs are replaceable. When I bought my 5,1, the first thing I did was replace the GPU.

Lou

It isn't the GPU itself. The GPU version number is etched in those plates. There is a 5770 and 5870 in the examples above. ( some system specs are etched there too. )

Won't be able to tell if 2012 or 2010 since those didn't change, but there isn't much of a difference there at the firmware level.

Checking the serial number is a good additional sanity check. https://checkcoverage.apple.com
( Folks can go through significant efforts to fake that but the more work to do fake the more likely will run into someone a bit lazy. It is not perfectly effective but incrementally better. Some forgers work harder. ). If two checks line up there pretty good chance it is 'real'.

 

[MisterAndrew]

It isn't the GPU itself. The GPU version number is etched in those plates. There is a 5770 and 5870 in the examples above. ( some system specs are etched there too. )

Won't be able to tell if 2012 or 2010 since those didn't change, but there isn't much of a difference there at the firmware level.

Checking the serial number is a good additional sanity check. https://checkcoverage.apple.com
( Folks can go through significant efforts to fake that but the more work to do fake the more likely will run into someone a bit lazy. It is not perfectly effective but incrementally better. Some forgers work harder. ). If two checks line up there pretty good chance it is 'real'.

You can tell 2012 apart because they're EMC 2629.

 

[flowrider]

It isn't the GPU itself. The GPU version number is etched in those plates. There is a 5770 and 5870 in the examples above. ( some system specs are etched there too. )

Ah, thanks for clearing that up

Lou