Hey, y'all...a question or two and maybe a reward...?

[The Chuckster]

Hello, all out there in the Interweb! Please bear with me as I spew out some background information before I ask my (probably too simple) questions...but hey, the VA keeps me drugged up so badly I can only just follow instructions some days!!!

Here goes: In 2008 I bought a Mac Pro 1,1 with dual, dual-core processors and 4gb of RAM. Over time, I've upgraded the processors to a pair of 2.66GHz quad-core Xeon processors and 16GB of matched Crucial 667MHz DDR2 FB-RAM (with the Apple heatsinks, of course.) I've also added 2 more Super Drives, a small SSD hybrid drive (recent), and have some 4TB of storage space. Am running OS 10.6.8 for some work in CS3, heavy into Toast and assorted other programs. Am also using SMC Fan Control and ClamXav and surfing in Firefox.

I know that short of adding more SSD drives (and upgrading storage space to three 3TB internal drives to replace the 500GB-1.5TB assortment I'm now using is about as much as I can reasonably do to prolong the life of my Mac short of just buying a newer one. The questions:

* Given the setup I now have, what is a good budget/used PSU I can upgrade to from the base unit I'm still plugging along with? I realize I've been taxing this poor thing like an ole mule these past years, and want to upgrade to something that won't run out of juice when I'm running everything at once.

* While keeping in mind the engineering that went into these superbichin' computers, would I gain anything in terms of cooling power by removing the side cover and putting a large, quiet electric fan (like what you'd use in a car, but quieter) or perhaps drilling additional holes in the side of the removable cover for another smaller pancake fan? What have y'all had best luck with without getting too complex or costly?

* Have I concievably forgotten anything else to get more oomph out of my Mac and keep the SBBOD at bay? That bugger still gives me fits when switching in-between apps!

* Given the above, I realize I might only get another year or two outta FrankenMac, so I'm also researching either getting a last-gen MP with this same silver case and as maxed out as I can afford; with that in mind, a 'down-scale', new-generation MP costs about $500-800 more for the same basic capabilites as the 'built-up' Gen 1 MP. Sheer logic says that I'm 56, not in the best of health, and have days where I couldn't even remember how to plug in a stick of RAM (well, a pair of sticks...), so spending the $ on a silver-case, last-gen MP would be the best way to go; I'm not working reliably from home now, anyway (Who can compete with these talented kids? It's tough!)

-----Anyway, if you have an answer AND I'm lucky enough that you live in Norman, OK (or nearby), I've got a handful of drives, 4GB of old MP1,1 RAM and a few other odds 'n ends I need to get rid of, so helping me upgrade while Frank here is still operational would be greatly appreciated. (I'm anticipating buying in Nov-Dec this year...)

Thanks in advance, and thanks for your forbearance! Cheers!
the Chuckster
cmk59@yahoo.com (for longer emails)
Norman, OK

 

[JesterJJZ]

Eh...as far as I know you can't get a "better" PSU than the one it came with.

But personally I don't think you should have any problems unless you want to add a beefy GPU card that needs more power than the 1,1 can handle, and I don't think there's one available.

I also have my old MP1,1 and fully loaded, I mean 6 hard drives plus optical, 4 PCI cards and maxxed out RAM and it's fine.

 

[thats all folks]

is there a specific reason you think you need a more powerful PS or more cooling? those boxes are already excellent at moving air through. and is your concern about it not lasting that you will want more power or that it will just soon die?

I didn't see any mention of which graphics card you have.

 

[pat500000]

How much did VA drug you? That font size tells me alot....

 

[ActionableMango]

The Mac Pro PSU is custom and cannot be replaced with a different model.

There are exceptions, but generally the cheesegrater Mac Pro tends to run cool. There is no need to improve the cooling unless you are certain there is a problem. You can use hardware monitor software to monitor your temperatures to check. Even if there is a problem, the simplest solution would be to run fan software and increase the RPM of the existing fans.

Airflow in the case is compartmentalized and flows front to back. If you put a fan on the side, it will blow inward and want to flow out the front and back, so it will be partially fighting the existing case fans. Seems like a lot of work and energy only to result in a cosmetically undesirable side plate, increased noise, possibly make the airflow worse, and all to fix a problem that probably doesn't even exist in the first place.

I suspect that you are an enthusiast and enjoy working on tweaking/improving your computer. It sounds like you've made a lot of real improvements but have run out of ideas and are now scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to do for your computer.

 

[jbarley]

I suspect that you are an enthusiast and enjoy working on tweaking/improving your computer. It sounds like you've made a lot of real improvements but have run out of ideas and are now scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to do for your computer.

Much like myself, only I'm an 80yr old sitting around trying to pass the time of day.
My MP1,1 has been upgraded, SSDed, raided and unraided, GPU upgrades and runs all the Operating systems Apple said we couldn't, all in an effort to make it better, last longer, and keep me and what's left of my brain cells active.

 

[ActionableMango]

Much like myself, only I'm an 80yr old sitting around trying to pass the time of day.
My MP1,1 has been upgraded, SSDed, raided and unraided, GPU upgrades and runs all the Operating systems Apple said we couldn't, all in an effort to make it better, last longer, and keep me and what's left of my brain cells active.

Time to buy a base model 4,1 and start the process over!

 

[jbarley]

Time to buy a base model 4,1 and start the process over!

Already thinking about that and have started squirreling cash away, now if I could only remember where I hid it.

 

[thats all folks]

Already thinking about that and have started squirreling cash away, now if I could only remember where I hid it.

I'd start the search by interrogating those squirrels.

 

[The Chuckster]

Eh...as far as I know you can't get a "better" PSU than the one it came with.

But personally I don't think you should have any problems unless you want to add a beefy GPU card that needs more power than the 1,1 can handle, and I don't think there's one available.

I also have my old MP1,1 and fully loaded, I mean 6 hard drives plus optical, 4 PCI cards and maxxed out RAM and it's fine.

Good to know Jester, and thanks. Maybe my unit has a thermal-related problem; you see, it just shut down one day as if it'd been unplugged - with no warning at all. It took hours before it would restart, but seems okay now.
[doublepost=1474470761][/doublepost]

is there a specific reason you think you need a more powerful PS or more cooling? those boxes are already excellent at moving air through. and is your concern about it not lasting that you will want more power or that it will just soon die?

I didn't see any mention of which graphics card you have.

I only have the standard (most basic) graphics card it came with...I've tried to upgrade to a better card, but the only other 'alternative' card for my model seems to be priced more than gold nowadays, and I can't find another which would work without doing mods I'm not able to perform. (If I knew someone who had this card and could deal with them, that's one thing, but the card(s) I bought to upgrade with won't work w/o reflashing, mods to the mobo or worse...so I've let it be.
[doublepost=1474470882][/doublepost]

How much did VA drug you? That font size tells me alot....

'Nuff that my eyesight sux.

 

[pat500000]

Good to know Jester, and thanks. Maybe my unit has a thermal-related problem; you see, it just shut down one day as if it'd been unplugged - with no warning at all. It took hours before it would restart, but seems okay now.
[doublepost=1474470761][/doublepost]

I only have the standard (most basic) graphics card it came with...I've tried to upgrade to a better card, but the only other 'alternative' card for my model seems to be priced more than gold nowadays, and I can't find another which would work without doing mods I'm not able to perform. (If I knew someone who had this card and could deal with them, that's one thing, but the card(s) I bought to upgrade with won't work w/o reflashing, mods to the mobo or worse...so I've let it be.
[doublepost=1474470882][/doublepost]

'Nuff that my eyesight sux.

Meh....don't sweat it. There were people who posted larger font size as well.

 

[thats all folks]

I only have the standard (most basic) graphics card it came with...I've tried to upgrade to a better card, but the only other 'alternative' card for my model seems to be priced more than gold nowadays, and I can't find another which would work without doing mods I'm not able to perform. (If I knew someone who had this card and could deal with them, that's one thing, but the card(s) I bought to upgrade with won't work w/o reflashing, mods to the mobo or worse...so I've let it be.

and that right there is the top reason to let those 1,1 and 2,1 machines go. what is your hobby, using the computer or trying to make the computer usable? those old machines still work, but they have been handily surpassed for years. it's a tweaker's game now, with OS and graphics card hacks.

you should consider getting a basic 4,1 or 5,1 that will absolutely, out of the gate, be more powerful than what you currently have but also give you the opportunity to take it much further if you decide that the cost and effort is worth it to you. look for at a minimum the Apple HD 5770 (and I mean MINIMUM) as a video card in that machine. many will sell with the GT 120, wasn't a good card when it was new, definitely dated now. but at least with the newer machine running the newer OS, your options for upgrade get a lot better.