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macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 5, 2014
21
2
I have a 5,1 Mac Pro Twelve Core 2.4 (2012/Westmere) and an extra 5,1 single processor tray with a single 3.33 GHz Six Core Xeon W3680. I wanted to swap in the single processor tray while I procure two matching Xeon X5690s to upgrade the dual tray. But the single processor tray doesn't go all the way in. They are both 5,1s, not a 4,1. Is there a trick to getting the single tray to seat correctly? What might I be missing?

Thanks!
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,455
13,601
The trays are completely interchangeable, something bent on the single CPU tray?
 

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macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 5, 2014
21
2
The single processor tray was swapped out of my other 5,1 when I upgraded a tray to a single X5690. Both single processor trays slide in and out interchangeably. In the morning I'll try the other single in place of the dual and see what happens.

Thanks for the quick reply, I've always appreciated your comments here!
 

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macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 5, 2014
21
2
I determined that on the single processor tray, the guide path on the lower right was lightly warped/bent, and so was the case itself. Both trays worked fine in another 5,1. But in this case, the tolerances were just off enough to interfere. I bent the lip bottom of the tray slightly and it connected correctly.
 

JuanPC2021

macrumors newbie
Dec 6, 2021
5
2
i swap exchange trays, No problem...

some MacPro4,1 can be flashed to be 5,1
the Tray in the MP4,1 has CPU delid,
the Tray in the MP5,1 has CPU standard, with aluminum cover / helmet.

in theory, 4,1 and 5,1 main board, should be the same...
tray board also should be very similar...
the only difference i know is the CPU heatsinks.
maybe 4,1 case stand offs are Not compatible.
maybe your front or rear fans are miss aligned, that can also affect, the fans have a plastic rail on each side.
 

KeesMacPro

macrumors 65816
Nov 7, 2019
1,453
596
the Tray in the MP4,1 has CPU delid,
the Tray in the MP5,1 has CPU standard, with aluminum cover / helmet.
in theory, 4,1 and 5,1 main board, should be the same...
tray board also should be very similar...
the only difference i know is the CPU heatsinks.
Sorry, but this is not correct.

The only cMP model with delidded CPUs is the DUAL CPU 4,1.
The single CPU 4,1 or 5,1 and the DUAL CPU 5,1 all use "normal" lidded CPUs.

The Backplane and CPU tray of a 4,1 have SMC number 1.39f5
The Backplane and CPU tray of a 5,1 have SMC number 1.39f11
These SMC numbers have to match , so you cant combine a 4,1 Backplane with a 5,1 CPU tray or a 5,1 Backplane with a 4,1 CPU tray.
If the SMC numbers dont match, the MP enters in failsafe mode and all fans will run at max rpm.
 
Last edited:

JuanPC2021

macrumors newbie
Dec 6, 2021
5
2
Sorry, but this is not correct.

The only cMP model with delidded CPUs is the DUAL CPU 4,1.
The single CPU 4,1 or 5,1 and the DUAL CPU 5,1 all use "normal" lidded CPUs.

The Backplane and CPU tray of a 4,1 have SMC number 1.39f5
The Backplane and CPU tray of a 5,1 have SMC number 1.39f11
These SMC numbers have to match , so you cant combine a 4,1 Backplane with a 5,1 CPU tray or a 5,1 Backplane with a 4,1 CPU tray.
If the SMC numbers dont match, the MP enters in failsafe mode and all fans will run at max rpm.
The reason i thought boards are the same, even i dont have a 4,1
It's because both my MacPro5,1 2010 were manufactured in 2011 and 2012,
According to serial number on the back.
In macserialnumber info website.
but chasis board say 2009 on both, printed on the pcb as gold coated copper trace.
Also the fact that 4,1 can be flashed to become 5,1 and both have same chipset: X58 in single CPU tray, 5520 in dual CPU tray.
Same ich10 SATA-II 3Gbps controller on the PCIe board.
Same aluminum case, different than 1,1 2,1 3,1 2008
And also because 5,1 2012 is also the same as 5,1 2010, the only difference is the 2012 SMBios does Not allow to boot OSX SnowLeopard, like 5,1 2010 and 4,1 2009 do,
5,1 2012 can be flashed to become 5,1 2010.

Anyway... I stand true when i say:
i swap trays from 5,1 2010 to another 5,1 2010 and work ok,
dual CPU tray to single CPU tray and back, No problem.
The Bios Firmare is on the chasis board. Not on the tray board.
If one MacPro5,1 case has FW 138.0.0.0
And the other has FW 144.0.0.0
Swapping trays does Not change the FW.
FW 144.0.0.0 is very important, has support for NVMe Boot in OSX HighSierra, and better USB Keyboard support.
Some wireless usb keyboards do Not Alt/Option Boot with older FW, required wired usb keyboard.
 
Last edited:

KeesMacPro

macrumors 65816
Nov 7, 2019
1,453
596
The reason i thought boards are the same, even i dont have a 4,1
It's because both my MacPro5,1 2010 were manufactured in 2011 and 2012,
According to serial number on the back.
In macserialnumber info website.
but chasis board say 2009 on both, printed on the pcb as gold coated copper trace.
Also the fact that 4,1 can be flashed to become 5,1 and both have same chipset: X58 in single CPU tray, 5520 in dual CPU tray.
Same ich10 SATA-II 3Gbps controller on the PCIe board.
Same aluminum case, different than 1,1 2,1 3,1 2008
And also because 5,1 2012 is also the same as 5,1 2010, the only difference is the 2012 SMBios does Not allow to boot OSX SnowLeopard, like 5,1 2010 and 4,1 2009 do,
5,1 2012 can be flashed to become 5,1 2010.

Anyway... I stand true when i say:
i swap trays from 5,1 2010 to another 5,1 2010 and work ok,
dual CPU tray to single CPU tray and back, No problem.
The Bios Firmare is on the chasis board. Not on the tray board.
If one MacPro5,1 case has FW 138.0.0.0
And the other has FW 144.0.0.0
Swapping trays does Not change the FW.
FW 144.0.0.0 is very important, has support for NVMe Boot, and better USB Keyboard support.
Some wireless usb keyboards do Not Alt/Option Boot with older FW, required wired usb keyboard.
I never referred to serial numbers or Firmware versions.
I dont think you understood my post...
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,455
13,601
Lot's of wrong info here.
The reason i thought boards are the same, even i dont have a 4,1
It's because both my MacPro5,1 2010 were manufactured in 2011 and 2012,
According to serial number on the back.
In macserialnumber info website.
but chasis board say 2009 on both, printed on the pcb as gold coated copper trace.
This is year when the copyright of the design was registered with the US Patent Office.
Also the fact that 4,1 can be flashed to become 5.1
Nope. You can cross-flash an early-2009 to MP5,1 firmware, but it won't become a MacPro5,1.

You just changed the EFI, the SMC is immutable and lot's of other components of the BootROM image continue to be MacPro4,1, like the NVRAM or the BootBlock.
And also because 5,1 2012 is the same as 5,1 2010, the only difference is that the 2012 SMBios is locked and does Not allow to boot OSX SnowLeopard, like 5,1 2010 and 4,1 2009 do,
but can also be flashed to become 5,1 2010.
Another wrong info, mid-2012 Mac Pro was released with 10.7.3 but can boot and install 10.6.4 (10F2521, 10F2554 booth special builds released for the Mac Pro mid-2010 launch) and newer Snow Leopard releases.

What it can't do is to boot the common 10.6.3 Snow Leopard DVD. This has absolutely nothing to do with SMBIOS, but with OS X list of supported Macs inside the distribution file located at InstallESD.DMG/OSInstall.mpkg/Distribution - the 10.6.3 Snow Leopard DVD don't know anything about MacPro5,1 and rejects it.
Anyway... I stand true when i say:
i swap trays from 5,1 2010 to another 5,1 2010 and work ok, dual CPU tray to single CPU tray and back.
The Bios Firmare is on the chasis board. Not on the tray board.
Nitpicking, Mac Pros don't have chassis, the correct denomination is backplane.
If one MacPro5,1 has FW 138.0.0.0
And the other has FW 144.0.0.0
Swapping trays does Not change the FW.
CPU trays only have the SMC firmware, backplanes have both the SMC and BootROM and other minor firmwares like the the frequent overlooked firmwares for the two ethernet controllers (yes firmwares, each Intel Ethernet controller have it's own SPI flash memory, both located on the underside of the backplane).

FW 144 is very important, has support for NVMe Boot, and better USB Keyboard support.
Some wireless usb keyboards do Not Alt/Option Boot with older FW, required wired usb keyboard.
NVMe support starts with 140.0.0.0.0. The main improvement of 144.0.0.0.0 is a very improved BootBlock for booting via PCIe switched controllers and several other minor improvements like the support for W36xx Xeons again.

You can learn more here:


BTW, USB or BT keyboard support still have issues to this day depending on the situation and it was Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 (MP51.007F.B03) that brought better support for BootPicker.
 
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