MP 1,1-5,1 Dual Processor Board Upgrade Sequence

[Kostask]

Hi,

I will be getting a cast off MPro 4.1 next week. This was a discarded company computer, and I need to get some parts for it, and repair it (it has a startup chime, but no display according to the post it note on the unit, I can't verify it yet). Its also missing its hard drive caddies, but this is not the point of this post. The machine is a 4.1 ( EMC 2314). It has a 2.2GHz single CPU, 6GB RAM, and a GT120 video board.

If I am able to get this up and running (will only find out after I get it), I would really like to upgrade it to a dual CPU. This means that I have to buy a new dual processor board (I assume the tray is just metal work, and is the same between the single and dual processor boards). I also want to upgrade the firmware so that the machine becomes a 5.1.

I know I will need a 4.1 dual processor board. My question is the sequence that I must follow. Is this the right way to go about this?

1. Get the machine, and make sure I can get a display, and then add a drive and load some version of MacOS.
2. As soon as I have MacOS running stable, get the dual processor board, and put that into the system and make sure that the machine is still running stable.
3. Now, flash the 5.1 version of the firmware. This make the machine a 5.1 machine, and should I decide to go that way, upgrade to the X series of Xeon CPUs.

Must I change the CPU Board over before I upgrade the firmware to 5.1, or does it matter?

I am thinking about adding memory, upgrading CPUs, video card, and storage, but there is no use in upgrading anything until I can establish that the machine is working and stable.

 

[ADDvanced]

Probably cheaper to find a deal on a 4.1. People want way too much for just the trays.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Hi,

I will be getting a cast off MPro 4.1 next week. This was a discarded company computer, and I need to get some parts for it, and repair it (it has a startup chime, but no display according to the post it note on the unit, I can't verify it yet). Its also missing its hard drive caddies, but this is not the point of this post. The machine is a 4.1 ( EMC 2314). It has a 2.2GHz single CPU, 6GB RAM, and a GT120 video board.

If I am able to get this up and running (will only find out after I get it), I would really like to upgrade it to a dual CPU. This means that I have to buy a new dual processor board (I assume the tray is just metal work, and is the same between the single and dual processor boards). I also want to upgrade the firmware so that the machine becomes a 5.1.

I know I will need a 4.1 dual processor board. My question is the sequence that I must follow. Is this the right way to go about this?

1. Get the machine, and make sure I can get a display, and then add a drive and load some version of MacOS.
2. As soon as I have MacOS running stable, get the dual processor board, and put that into the system and make sure that the machine is still running stable.
3. Now, flash the 5.1 version of the firmware. This make the machine a 5.1 machine, and should I decide to go that way, upgrade to the X series of Xeon CPUs.

Must I change the CPU Board over before I upgrade the firmware to 5.1, or does it matter?

I am thinking about adding memory, upgrading CPUs, video card, and storage, but there is no use in upgrading anything until I can establish that the machine is working and stable.

As mentioned by @ADDvanced , the costs for a dual tray might get close to the price of a complete (working) dual MP 4,1/5,1.

Personally, I'd get this MP working , test it , sell it and buy a dual MP adding a relatively small amount of money*.

About your sequence:
1.test another GPU and install e.g. El Capitan (4,1 unflashed is incompatible with newer OS releases)
2.see above
3.an upgrade to Xeon Westmere 6-cores is imo a big improvement , but logically 2x costs for a dual...
and 2x the costs for the RAM....

*=Another option is to get this single MP4,1 working, upgraded and keep it.
The advantage of a DUAL is not necessarily worth the extra investment , it depends on the way you'll use it =type of workload (single thread vs multithread CPU load).

Must I change the CPU Board over before I upgrade the firmware to 5.1, or does it matter?

No, it doesnt matter .
What matters is that the SMC version of the LogicBoard and the CPU tray match (important in case of installing another CPU board).
THis SMC version remains the same after flashing 4,1>5,1.
SMC 4,1 :1.39f05
SMC 5,1 1.39f11

 

[tsialex]

What matters is that the SMC version of the LogicBoard and the CPU tray match (important in case of installing another CPU board).
THis SMC version remains the same after flashing 4,1>5,1.
SMC 4,1 :1.39f05
SMC 5,1 1.39f11

The correct way to explain SMC versions related to Mac Pros is using the model year, not the firmware version, since firmware versions change while year model and SMC firmware won't.

Using your example:

• early-2009 = SMC 1.39f05
• mid-2010/mid-2012 = SMC 1.39f11

 

[KeesMacPro]

The correct way to explain SMC versions related to Mac Pros is using the model year, not the firmware version, since firmware versions change while year model and SMC firmware won't.

Using your example:

• early-2009 = SMC 1.39f05
• mid-2010/mid-2012 = SMC 1.39f11

The content of what I wrote is correct.

Dont tell me what to write or not.

 

[Kostask]

Thanks for the information.

The MacPro I am getting is $0 cost. It is a castoff unit. So my investment at this point is zero, as I have stated above. I will need to get hard disk trays (one or two trays should be enough), which will cost some. I have both 4 X 4GB DDR3-1333 RDIMMS, and 2 X 16GB DDDR-1066 RDIMMS from previous PC workstation projects (Lenovo C30) I have worked on. So RAM is essentially free until I want to go past 16 or 32GB. I also have some mechancial drives floating around, so they won't be a problem, at least to get it tested and going.

Getting Mac Pros up here in Calgary is neither easy, nor cheap. I would need to buy one from eBay, and get it shipped up, and knowing the size/weight of the Mac Pro (it is NOT a light weight item), shipping costs can add up really fast.

I am thinking about staying with the single processor board; it eliminates the need to de-lid any upgrade CPUs for the dual processor board, and cuts the upgrade cost in half. Get it up and running, and upgrade the firmware to 5.1, then buy an X5680 or X5690 is the direction I think I am going towards, assuming I can get this up and running in the first place. If I can, I will use it and see if I really do need a dual processor board.

Again, thanks to all, especially for the SMC chip information.

P.S. I do have other Macs around, so MacOS is not unknown. I have an iMac 27", a MacBook Air, and a Mac Mini. This Mac Pro would be nice to get up and running, but nothing essential.

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the information.

The MacPro I am getting is $0 cost. It is a castoff unit. So my investment at this point is zero, as I have stated above. I will need to get hard disk trays (one or two trays should be enough), which will cost some. I have both 4 X 4GB DDR3-1333 RDIMMS, and 2 X 16GB DDDR-1066 RDIMMS from previous PC workstation projects (Lenovo C30) I have worked on. So RAM is essentially free until I want to go past 16 or 32GB. I also have some mechancial drives floating around, so they won't be a problem, at least to get it tested and going.

Getting Mac Pros up here in Calgary is neither easy, nor cheap. I would need to buy one from eBay, and get it shipped up, and knowing the size/weight of the Mac Pro (it is NOT a light weight item), shipping costs can add up really fast.

I am thinking about staying with the single processor board; it eliminates the need to de-lid any upgrade CPUs for the dual processor board, and cuts the upgrade cost in half. Get it up and running, and upgrade the firmware to 5.1, then buy an X5680 or X5690 is the direction I think I am going towards, assuming I can get this up and running in the first place. If I can, I will use it and see if I really do need a dual processor board.

Again, thanks to all, especially for the SMC chip information.

P.S. I do have other Macs around, so MacOS is not unknown. I have an iMac 27", a MacBook Air, and a Mac Mini. This Mac Pro would be nice to get up and running, but nothing essential.

Dual CPU trays only make sense if your main application is highly parallel, like video compression, video rendering with the CPU, compiling or scientific applications - for almost everything else a dual CPU Mac Pro will be a little slower than a single one with the exact same CPU.

Another usage that makes sense with a dual CPU Mac Pro is an application that needs massive RAM quantities, since you can get at least the double of RAM with a dual CPU tray than with a single one.

If you won't use one of the above, upgrading to a W3680/W3690 or X5680/X5690 gives you the best single core performance and 6 cores at the least amount of expenditure. Only buy a dual CPU if really makes sense for the application you want to run.

 

[Kostask]

Well, got the Mac Pro today. As advertised, it has a startup chime, but no display.

I will try to debug this one, but I suspect it is essentially functional. It has a GT120 video card, 3 X 2GB PC3-8500/DDR3-1066 memory modules. Odd thing is that it does send sync signals out to the monitor, but there is no picture.

I think I will stay with the single processor for now. Assuming I can get it going, I will be adding the 4 X 4GB Memory modules (at DDR3-10600/PC3-1333), and eventually, an X5680/X5690. From there, I will see how happy I am with the performance.

 

[DPUser]

note: Digital audio work also benefits from dual cpu. The more cores, the merrier!