MP 1,1-5,1 cMP tray swap

[CactusMel]

Hi,
My cMP is a 2009 4.1 upgraded to a 5.1 with a 3.33GHz 6 core CPU 16GB of 1333 ram. Firmware/bios? is 144.0.0.0.0. I've had the offer of a dual CPU tray, with 2 x 6 core 3.46GHz CPU's and 64GB of ram but the firmware/bios of that is MP51.0089.b00 is there any chance they would work together?? Can I make them work together fairly simply I'm no expert with Mac's (just electronics in general)..

Any help welcome.

Mel.

 

[JMStearnsX2]

If the CPU tray is from a true 5,1 (2010-2012) it will make the fans on your 2009 run at full blast.

 

[tsialex]

CPU trays/processor tray doesn't have any firmware besides the SMC firmware. BootROM is located on the backplane only.

If the CPU trays/processor tray SMC firmware is 1.39f5, will work with any early-2009 Mac Pro.

If the CPU trays/processor tray SMC firmware is 1.39f11, will work with any mid-2010 or mid-2012 Mac Pro.

 

[CactusMel]

Hi,
Thanks, but I suppose what I'm asking is if my Bootrom is 144.0.0.0.0 and the bootrom of the Mac that this tray is coming from is MP51.0089.B00 will they work together OK. If my fans run at full speed, I think there's a program to control them, will it work. The SMC is the same on both at 1.39f5, is there anything else I should be looking for?? before I buy!

Any help welcome.....
Thanks

Mel.

 

[tsialex]

Hi,
Thanks, but I suppose what I'm asking is if my Bootrom is 144.0.0.0.0 and the bootrom of the Mac that this tray is coming from is MP51.0089.B00 will they work together OK.

I've already explained that CPU trays doesn't have BootROMs, you are asking the exact same thing in a different way.

You are misunderstanding how the Mac Pro BootROM works, only the backplane have BootROMs, CPU trays are essentially dumb and agnostic to the BootROM version, except that you need the BootROM to already be MP51.00xx.B00 or 1xx.0.0.0.0 to have Westmere Xeon support - which both Macs already have and it's not related to the CPU tray in itself.

If my fans run at full speed, I think there's a program to control them, will it work.

When the SMC firmware is mismatched between the backplane SMC firmware and the CPU tray SMC firmware, is impossible to control the fans.

Since both are 1.39f5, there is no mismatch.

The SMC is the same on both at 1.39f5, is there anything else I should be looking for?? before I buy!

No.

 

[tsialex]

If you are buying with the Xeons, ask if the processors are de-lidded. If not, I'd pass or ask for a discount, since you are gonna need to de-lid yourself.

Still lidded Xeons are a source of headache with early-2009 dual CPU trays.