Ok, thanks for the info! Do you know what the fastest BGA chip I could get put in a 5,2 would be?
Also I guess now would be a good time to ask about your pricing for such a procedure.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Early Intel - Trash or treasure? MacBook Pro 2008
- Thread starter AphoticD
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Also I guess now would be a good time to ask about your pricing for such a procedure.
The fastest you can install is a T9900, which clocks at 3.06 GHz. I normally charge $150 to do this (assuming the cost of the chip/chip donor board is about $50). It'd be more if the chip itself ends up being more expensive.Ok, thanks for the info! Do you know what the fastest BGA chip I could get put in a 5,2 would be?
Also I guess now would be a good time to ask about your pricing for such a procedure.
Ok, thank you very much! If I provide the donor board, would the price change? I have some mobos laying around that I have no other parts for, and it would be cool if I could use one of those. Also, what chip would you likely put in the machine?
Thanks!
A T9900 would be optimal. If you have a donor board with one, that will work. I charge $100 for the labor if you provide the chip/donor board, plus the cost of return shipping.Ok, thank you very much! If I provide the donor board, would the price change? I have some mobos laying around that I have no other parts for, and it would be cool if I could use one of those. Also, what chip would you likely put in the machine?
Thanks!
Ok, thank you! I don't know if the CPUs are functional, so unless I can easily get the CPUs tested I'll probably forgo sending a donor board.
I tried a T9300 in a MBP3,1, and it didn't work. May have been a soldering issue, but not sure. If those boards do indeed work with Penryn CPUs though, then yes, those CPUs should work.
[automerge]1589059632[/automerge]
There's a very high chance they're perfectly fine. It's extremely rare that Intel CPUs, especially old Core 2 Duos, fail.
Thanks for the Info! The X7900 is actually a Merom.
Edit: Just thinking loudly - could flashing the MBP4,1's firmware on a 3,1 possibly make Penryns work?
Last edited:
Ok, thanks! Would it change anything if I said that the MBP board was baked by a previous owner?
Unless it is well and truly toasted, it's probably fine.
[automerge]1589073739[/automerge]
Just resurrected two more machines! One 2007 and one 2008. Both 17".
Ok, thanks! You might be hearing from me sometime in the next few months if I get the time to do some upgrades to my MacBook like I'd like to.
Not sure how realistic it will be to try to do anything big this summer, as I am preparing for my first year of architecture school, but you never know
Anything intel, chuck. Soon, Intel will be replaced by ARM - I hope Steve is hearing this.. PowerPC won through its cousin, ARM.
Ok, thanks! You might be hearing from me sometime in the next few months if I get the time to do some upgrades to my MacBook like I'd like to.
Not sure how realistic it will be to try to do anything big this summer, as I am preparing for my first year of architecture school, but you never know
Just a heads-up since the CPU upgrade will be at least $100 afaics, possibly more... A 2011 13" MBP can be had for less than $200 if you're lucky, its i5 is substantially faster than a T9900, it can take 16GB RAM, has a much better display, sturdier case etc. etc. etc.
That's true, but I am really just looking to get the most out of my 5,2 and, seeing as I'm likely not going to use it as my daily for much longer (relegated to music production likely), I don't need anything newer than what it can offer.
2011 MacBook Pro 15 inch (I own one) can do 1600mhz memory - 16GB, thoigh DosDude is investigating whether the memory controller can be re-written to accept 32GB per intel’s say about the i7 on their website. Normally, I don’t talk about intel Macs because they have no interest to me, but I need to realize that, for now they are here to stay until PowerPC’s cousin ARM takes over.
Don't take this as an offense, please ...
If you have a 2011 MacBook Pro, why are you complaining about being cut off internet etc,
only because the old PPCs do not perform like hell ... This is weird.
You know, it all comes down not to be a problem of hard&software.
The batt swelled and I can’t use it, but yes I have one. Of course before that I was running Catalina and Mojave. I think the trackpad on it is broken because the battery swelled.
Oh, sorry - you seem to have no luck with computers recently.
And those 2011 15" MBP unfortunately are prone to suffer from a bad GPU failure too.
I would get a cheap 13" core2duo MBP (Unibody 2,53GHz or more) or a 15" core2duo MPB (Unibody, late 2008 to 2009), add an SSD (120-240GB) and install ElCap or Sierra/HighSierra/Mojave-Patch. That's what I did for my current daily drivers (I favorite the late 2008 13" Unibody MacBook or the late 15" MBP, both with the large battery-door and easy-accessible battery and hard drive. Both can be upgraded to 8GB RAM and Mojave/Catalina-Patch, but I prefer to stay with Mojave and the 32-bit option)
After things have settled, there will be time and ease that you sort out your problems of your favorite PPC-hardware.
Attachments
You can also disable the faulty GPU and run on the integrated HD3000. You lose the ability to connect an external monitor but... my point is - the 15" 2011 MBP's quad-core i7 runs circles around any Core 2 Duo. No need to
Edit: When did you get an aluminum iMac? I thought you were into the white ones
Last edited:
Hi,
Actually on the 2011 the Radeon chip has never failed at all. Whoever owned this machine did a lot of video rendering and I too tested the Radeon chip a year ago and it still runs very well. I am not sure if it’s worth fixing the battery and assuming the trackpad isn’t busted (it is sticking up) due to the battery, it may/may not be worth fixing. Assuming the track pad will bend back into place, then, I may just get a new battery and fix it, but as it stands it looks like the trackpad is broken though - I can send a pic of 2 and you can tell me.
Well, the price range for a 15" MBP core2duo is lower, than for that for a i7-model from 2011 - and if you go for a used one, you don't know, what you actually buy with the model from 2011.You can also disable the faulty GPU and run on the integrated HD3000. You lose the ability to connect an external monitor but... my point is - the 15" 2011 MBP's quad-core i7 runs circles around any Core 2 Duo. No need towastespend money on a C2D MBP if there's a much faster one around already - assuming that one is working or can be repaired.
Edit: When did you get an aluminum iMac? I thought you were into the white ones
I have a 15" mid-2012 i7-quad for heavy duty tasks (batch-scan/OCR; video-editing) - but nearly all of my regular tasks can be done on a Core2Duo. The late2008 13" MacBook Unibody is meant for a mission critical home-office job, where I don't dare to have an A1260 suddenly fail.
Unfortunately two 24" white iMacs failed during the last 12 months and need service. They were on duty nearly 24/7 for about 3 years ...
I hope, I'm able to fix them, but if the job needs soldering, replacing bad caps etc. they'll have to wait, until I have more time and finally skills and equipment.
So that cheap late-2008 24" 2,66GHz c2duo iMac (8GB RAM/250GB SSD) is filling the gap as my main workstation in the office. It carries a few DEVONthink databases, that are shared within the network through Bonjour/Safari.
There are still four white iMacs (20"/17") left in service, and I do enjoy working on them.
Last edited:
That's right, of course. Given those GPU failures, I don't understand why the 2011 15"/17"s are still so expensive secondhand (at least in Germany).
If I already had a 15" 2011 like @Macbookprodude, I'd try to repair/have it repaired first.
[automerge]1589217447[/automerge]
That's a shame. Failed GPU I assume?
Why, oh why, do we "always" have to deal with GPU issues?
Those education-only 17" iMacs with the GMA950 were lackluster but, at least, no GPU failures to worry about.
[automerge]1589218010[/automerge]
I see - thanks for satisfying my curiosity.
Last edited:
I'd really like to know how the stock cooling system holds up for CPU swaps. I'd always thought that you'd have to find some way to account for the higher TDP load...
If anything, the lackluster GPU performance of the GMA950/X3100 meant that they never had the seemingly-endless reliability issues of the post-Radeon X1600 MacBook Pros. I always see quite a few of them listed on the community used goods sites like Craigslist for ~$100-150 (often dead or dying). I love collecting cheap old Intel MacBooks but I stay far, far away from those.
Why, oh why, do we "always" have to deal with GPU issues?
Those education-only 17" iMacs with the GMA950 were lackluster but, at least, no GPU failures to worry about.
If anything, the lackluster GPU performance of the GMA950/X3100 meant that they never had the seemingly-endless reliability issues of the post-Radeon X1600 MacBook Pros. I always see quite a few of them listed on the community used goods sites like Craigslist for ~$100-150 (often dead or dying). I love collecting cheap old Intel MacBooks but I stay far, far away from those.
Last edited:
Ahh man the GPUs on those 24" white imacs are pricey. The repair takes some time and space but overall is straight forward. Once I repaired my well loved 24, I have been gun shy about bringing it back to DD duties because of the GPUs fragility. I like the intel AIOs but man they all seem to fry themselves eventually regardless of maintenance. I also had a PSU fail on another but that was an easy and cheap[er] fix as I didn't have to remove the logic board to get to it. I've slowly shifted back to towers anymore - if for no other reason, they're dead simple to work on and parts seem to be cheaper. I wish you the best of luck resurrecting your 24" white imac @bobesch.
With all of the GPU related issues we see with early intel stuff, my aluminum 2008 MacBook is still chugging along like a champ (lol knock on wood). I have been very happy with that machine as I got it for $500 in 2009 from my wife's friend @ Uni. Aside from munching batteries like no one's business, it has been a very stout design.
With all of the GPU related issues we see with early intel stuff, my aluminum 2008 MacBook is still chugging along like a champ (lol knock on wood). I have been very happy with that machine as I got it for $500 in 2009 from my wife's friend @ Uni. Aside from munching batteries like no one's business, it has been a very stout design.