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stix666

macrumors regular
Nov 13, 2005
229
27
Thanks for the thread philipma - just installed a w3690, with geek bench score over 16000. Only fly in the ointment is the ram still runs at 1066mhz. This upgrade and the fcpx update really makes the machine fly.
 

xav8tor

macrumors 6502a
Mar 30, 2011
533
36
Thanks for the thread philipma - just installed a w3690, with geek bench score over 16000. Only fly in the ointment is the ram still runs at 1066mhz. This upgrade and the fcpx update really makes the machine fly.

Reset PRAM. If you have Apple compatible triple channel 1333 ECC RAM, you'll swat that fly. Worked for me. The 3690 definitely supports 1333 RAM. I have it too. Same GB scores at around 16,400.
 

JimT1701

macrumors member
May 4, 2012
45
0
Massachusetts
Considering this upgrade myself. What are the chances of Apple invalidating this configuration with a patch in the future? I know you need to modify the firmware for this to work. Does software update fully recognize the machine as a 2010 after and all future if any EFI updates for 2010 would work no problem? I like to keep my macs fully software update compliant as possible. Other than that seems like this upgrade is a no-brainer.
 

wonderspark

macrumors 68040
Feb 4, 2010
3,065
111
Oregon
Considering this upgrade myself. What are the chances of Apple invalidating this configuration with a patch in the future? I know you need to modify the firmware for this to work. Does software update fully recognize the machine as a 2010 after and all future if any EFI updates for 2010 would work no problem? I like to keep my macs fully software update compliant as possible. Other than that seems like this upgrade is a no-brainer.
Mine's been recognized as a 2010 for about a year now, with Software Update acting normally. I'm still on 10.6.8, but I think others are on 10.8 and such with the upgrade.
 

Coleman2010

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2010
1,944
173
NYC
I have a stock 3.2GHz Quad-core 5,1 Mac Pro. What are my options as far as processor upgrades? Is it possible to upgrade it to a 2 x 2.66GHz 12-Core like the latest 2012 Mac Pro?

How much would something like that run?
 

Badagri

macrumors 6502a
Aug 9, 2012
500
78
UK
First time I had seen the heatsink of the latest Mac Pro. That is quite a beast!

What temperatures does it supply?


I'm also assuming thats the Northbridge heatsink? the little one.
 

Dr. Stealth

macrumors 6502a
Sep 14, 2004
814
740
SoCal-Surf City USA
Where is that FedEx Truck ?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!??

Currently a 8-core 2.4 - Soon to be 12-core 3.33

:D

mc2me.png
 

qwarkas

macrumors member
Apr 7, 2010
41
0
Vyborg in Russia
Hello! Sorry for very bad english.
I updated a couple of processors to xeon x5690, originally had a pair of quad-core 2400 I sold them. But after 10 minutes, rendering the program CPU processor temperature is increased to 110, and only then fans start a little more noise! Why?! Heatsink is very hot, you can fry scrambled eggs! This is terrible! My poppies explode! It is not fit for a reliable and stable operation! What to do? Establish good thermal paste and clean the dust.





 

All Taken

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2009
780
1
UK
Hello! Sorry for very bad english.
I updated a couple of processors to xeon x5690, originally had a pair of quad-core 2400 I sold them. But after 10 minutes, rendering the program CPU processor temperature is increased to 110, and only then fans start a little more noise! Why?! Heatsink is very hot, you can fry scrambled eggs! This is terrible! My poppies explode! It is not fit for a reliable and stable operation! What to do? Establish good thermal paste and clean the dust.

[url=http://s019.radikal.ru/i629/1212/cf/e890779b9e3c.jpg]Image[/URL]

[url=http://s002.radikal.ru/i200/1212/38/8786f83a3c71.jpg]Image[/URL]

[url=http://s020.radikal.ru/i719/1212/d8/d50d0c0e004b.jpg]Image[/URL]

Your other thread is live and answered, no need to hijack this one.
 

orsidigital

macrumors newbie
Dec 27, 2012
2
0
LA and Toronto
RAM question

I have 16 GB of 1066 ram - by upgrading to the higher Mhz CPU will I also have to upgrade to the 1333 ram? wondering which you have. thank you for a great post.
 

Loa

macrumors 68000
May 5, 2003
1,725
76
Québec
I have 16 GB of 1066 ram - by upgrading to the higher Mhz CPU will I also have to upgrade to the 1333 ram? wondering which you have. thank you for a great post.

You don't *have* to upgrade the RAM, yours will be compatible with your new CPU. Also, getting faster RAM won't make any performance difference.

Loa
 

philipma1957

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
6,402
278
Howell, New Jersey
You don't *have* to upgrade the RAM, yours will be compatible with your new CPU. Also, getting faster RAM won't make any performance difference.

Loa

this .


I just dropped in to look at the thread.

It is amazing that thanks to apples delay this has been one of the best mac pro upgrades ever. Happy new year to all.
 

PowerPCMacMan

macrumors 6502a
Jul 17, 2012
800
1
PowerPC land
Constant repetition - Upgrading Processor = PC 101 Upgrades

Upgrading a processor or processors on a Mac Pro is simple PC 101 stuff and anyone who is not afraid to remove the old processor and apply thermal paste can see that this is not so difficult as its made out to be.

Also, flashing bios, flashing firmware, etc.. is also a large part of keeping up to date on a PC and every PC owner should know this. I just wanted to add that changing the processor in a Mac Pro is no different than changing a processor on a PC motherboard - Its virtually the same idea.

Now, overclocking a Mac Pro processor is pretty much out of the question. While the German ZDNet application is available for 2006 and 2008 Mac Pros, none exists for those with 2009 or 2010(2012 = 2010). It would be nice if it could be possible to really overclock a processor in the Mac Pro under Windows, but since there are no REAL user friendly switches to overclock with, I assume its practically not possible to physically overclock the voltage and or processor's multiplier to obtain higher frequencies.

While I don't condone overclocking, I do believe we should be able to have this ability on our Mac Pros, though.
 

iAmRod

macrumors member
Jul 26, 2006
73
1
Is it me or has the price on the W3680 from Provantage been climbing itty bit by itty bit over the last several weeks?

I would've sworn (the first time I followed the link a whiles back) the price was at ~ $590. Now I see it's up to $596. I know not a big jump up, but a jump up nevertheless (again, assuming my memory isn't fading).
 

tejota1911

macrumors 6502
Nov 10, 2006
283
33
Is it me or has the price on the W3680 from Provantage been climbing itty bit by itty bit over the last several weeks?

I would've sworn (the first time I followed the link a whiles back) the price was at ~ $590. Now I see it's up to $596. I know not a big jump up, but a jump up nevertheless (again, assuming my memory isn't fading).

Yeah, its gone up like $10. No big deal. That being said, its cheaper for me to buy it from Newegg for $615 shipped. Provantage wants to charge me tax & shipping, making it $640 shipped.

eBay has some for about $530 shipped, from Hong Kong. Trying to decide if its worth the risk to save $85.
 

philipma1957

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
6,402
278
Howell, New Jersey
Yeah, its gone up like $10. No big deal. That being said, its cheaper for me to buy it from Newegg for $615 shipped. Provantage wants to charge me tax & shipping, making it $640 shipped.

eBay has some for about $530 shipped, from Hong Kong. Trying to decide if its worth the risk to save $85.

try buy.com


http://www.buy.com/prod/intel-xeon-...-socket-b-lga-1366-hexa-core-6/214873128.html



if you link via a discover card 5% off you also earn rakuten points 1%. some times they have a 10% rakuten point deal.


if you look at the thumbnail you can see sometimes I earned 13,000 points 10% on a 1300 dollar order. you cash the points back at a penny each. lifetime I cashed 87,688 points for $876.88 so if you look at buy.com every day for a month they will have a 10% or a 7% deal combined with the discovercard 5% and you can get the cpu for 615 X .85 or $522.75. It just may take more then a week or 2 for the sale. Maybe a valentines day or presidents day sale.
 

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Jeff Troiano

macrumors member
Dec 28, 2012
46
0
Can someone tell me how thick the thermal pad needs to be, that is added to the heat sink? So It's raising up 2mm, and I guess I bought the wrong stuff, it came and is 0.5mm. Is it suppose to be 5mm thick?

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question. I've read so many forums about this lately, I can't remember where I saw where it talked about the m4 washers and thermal pad.
 
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