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Bought a Mac Pro...

H

Hooleydog

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 22, 2017
140
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Guys..Since your all Mac experts. I just bought myself a Mac Pro A1186 with a Quad core 2.8MHz (No hard-drive, as it crashed) ..Currently booting to a blank white screen (with mouse cursor). I was told.. What other CPU's can I install in it, as I don't know, and a decent video card..Plus a operating system too...
 
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Welcome to the forums.

A1186 can be aMacPro 1,1 or 2,1 or 3,1 but based on your processor it looks like you have a 3,1 machine.
Verify by going to the following links:
http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth...40c0fa64007a906a7502b4f&path=/&language=US-EN

I suggest before searching out upgrades etc, establish a baseline: Install a good known hard drive and install operating system and run as it is. No sense on purchasing processor upgrades and video adapter upgrades if the parts machine you bought is no good.
 
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If it's a quad core 3,1 you cn put a second CPU in the spare socket but obviously you will need a second heat sink & fan. The maximum speed CPU is 3.2GHz so you could look for a pair of those.
 
adam9c1 said:
Welcome to the forums.

A1186 can be aMacPro 1,1 or 2,1 or 3,1 but based on your processor it looks like you have a 3,1 machine.
Verify by going to the following links:
http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth/signin?appIdKey=d7abc4ccb9b9f72d2f98c8d82fb9948668d09380a40c0fa64007a906a7502b4f&path=/&language=US-EN

I suggest before searching out upgrades etc, establish a baseline: Install a good known hard drive and install operating system and run as it is. No sense on purchasing processor upgrades and video adapter upgrades if the parts machine you bought is no good.
Click to expand...


Well I was told that the hard-drive died, so was removed. But it does boot up to a white screen with the mouse cursor..

Ok..Though what operating system should I install..
 
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Darn Guy's it's a mac 1.1 (ARRR) But Lucky for me I bought a 3.1 logic board, so how hard can it be for me to replace the 1.1 board. I did replace a quad Logic board in a PPC, so I should have better upgrade options with a 3.1 board eh??, and the Mac comes in it's original box too...
 
Hooleydog said:
Darn Guy's it's a mac 1.1 (ARRR) But Lucky for me I bought a 3.1 logic board, so how hard can it be for me to replace the 1.1 board. I did replace a quad Logic board in a PPC, so I should have better upgrade options with a 3.1 board eh??, and the Mac comes in it's original box too...
Click to expand...
The boards aren't the same; you'll need the RAM risers, which are a different size on the 3,1, and won't fit in the existing 1,1 case. There are a lot of other differences too.
 
Hooleydog said:
Darn Guy's it's a mac 1.1 (ARRR) But Lucky for me I bought a 3.1 logic board, so how hard can it be for me to replace the 1.1 board. I did replace a quad Logic board in a PPC, so I should have better upgrade options with a 3.1 board eh??, and the Mac comes in it's original box too...
Click to expand...
Your MacPro 1,1 can - will run El-Capitan 10.11.6 just fine, my OS of choice for my own 1,1 flashed to 2,1.

Screen Shot 2018-01-03 at 6.28.52 PM.png
 
chrfr said:
The boards aren't the same; you'll need the RAM risers, which are a different size on the 3,1, and won't fit in the existing 1,1 case. There are a lot of other differences too.
Click to expand...


I know that.. I'll just shoe horn it in ( I have ordered the RAM risers and the ram cage too)...
[doublepost=1515075932][/doublepost]
jbarley said:
Your MacPro 1,1 can - will run El-Capitan 10.11.6 just fine, my OS of choice for my own 1,1 flashed to 2,1.

View attachment 745143
Click to expand...


How do you flash a 1,1 to 2,1...
 
Hooleydog said:
I know that.. I'll just shoe horn it in...
[doublepost=1515075932][/doublepost]


How do you flash a 1,1 to 2,1...
Click to expand...
jbarley said:
I downloaded and used this app,"Mac Pro 2006-2007 Firmware Tool" from this forum,

http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,1094.0.html

easy to use and worked like a charm.
Click to expand...

Great But where's the firmware itself...
[doublepost=1515087848][/doublepost]
chrfr said:
The boards aren't the same; you'll need the RAM risers, which are a different size on the 3,1, and won't fit in the existing 1,1 case. There are a lot of other differences too.
Click to expand...


so is the 3,1 case wider than the 1,1
 
Hooleydog said:
Thanks so much, as I'll get it done. I've just ordered 2 ram cards and the ram cage too...
Click to expand...

That’s a good start. Read that thread closely, might be some wiring concerns to address. Keep us updated on your progress! Best of luck!
 
Guys, is this the Mac 3,1 wiring harness (2008)....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Ap...659853&hash=item5d7479fa54:g:aagAAOSwUlxaHcQ-

Oh..If I can't get the 2008 harness then I'll go this route..

Last update about 1.1's PSU on 3.1 logic board. To make the PSU starts needs only to cut 2 wires on the ps2 harness. Looking at the plug from behind (wires side) with the clip on top, the second pin on top left and the fourth on bottom (2 and 9 pins). This cause that on the 1.1 board they are ground and on the 3.1 board they are 12V, 12v1 and 12v2 in order, cause of the greater amperes of the 2.8 ghz cpus. For a good work you should to cut the wires on pins 7 and 2 from ps3 (12pins harness near the pci-e power sockets) and connect them on the pins 2 and 9 in order on the ps2 harness. Make this modifies only if you have experiences in electronic, right items, solder etc, and at your own risk. Good luck!
 
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Guys I have a question..You cut the 2 pin wires (7 and 2 from ps3) and solder them to 2 and 9 pin on ps2..However, there are wires on 2 and 9 ... Do you add the 2 wires to those wires, so you end up with 2 wires on the 2 pins (ps2) Oh, you can't cos they are both ground wires...

In other words can someone explain it better IE: Do you cut the wires the 2 wires on pin 2 and 9 and just leave them loose (ps2 loom)..Then cut the ones on pin 2 and 7 (ps3) and solder them to pin 2 and 7 at ps3 connector (From the pins end or the harness end) and leave the cut wires at the loom end (Not at the plug end as they go to ps2 connector) Loose (Not connected at the pins)......

You see, I'll rather go this way than removing the 1,1 harness and fitting a 3,1 harness, as that its a lot of work and its shorter too...
 
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Guys My Mac Pro 1,1 arrived in it's original box. When I pulled it out.I was really surprised to see that the case looks new (No scratches), and it survived the shipping (No damage) I guess that the original box helped.. Anyway some more parts arrived to IE: The 3,1 Logic board. But no rubbers under the board and no wireless card (Oh No!!).. But the Bluetooth card is there, and the memory cage came too. I was thinking on how to screw the cage in, so I decided to make a standoff plate and I'll epoxy it to the inside of the case, (so I can screw the Memory cage to it), I'm just waiting for the standoffs to arrive, so I can re-tap them to m3.5, and cut them down to size, and then screw them to the plate (Before I epoxy the plate to the inside of the case)..

I see inside the case that there's no wireless card or blue tooth card. But will the wires be there, as I can not see them..But I sure am looking forward to getting this build started, so in the end, I'll have a 2008 Mac Pro...
 

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Yep it sure is, and it came with 4GB ram and a 1TB hard-drive..Anyway I got the old board out..However, Can I use the bottom harness on the 3,1 board...

PLEASE advice...
 

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