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How macOS Sierra handle Mac Pro 4,1 and 5,1? Interesting!!

rezwits said:
working on my Mac Pro 2009 2.66 GHz 8-core, flashed to 5,1, some time ago to try and get 32GB of 1333 MHz RAM to work but didn't. Thought I did it for nothing.
Click to expand...

You may already know this, but...

Remember that you need to flash the PRAM (Command-Option-P-R until you hear a second chime at startup) to get the system to recognize the 1333MHz RAM, and you'll need a CPU (Westmere) that will recognize it as well. If you were still using the 2.66GHz 8-core CPU arrangement, or if you didn't zap the PRAM, your RAM would still run at 1066MHz.
 
Easiest way for the Firmware I find is to remove your regular disks and get a spare one with an older version of OS X (Think I used 10.8 when I did mine) as it seems more reliable running on older versions of OS X. Also you can try unplugging any third party hardware and keeping your setup very simple whilst doing it.

Sierra install went smoothly here and so far it is looking good - a much smoother update than El Capitan with which I encountered a fair few bugs affecting my usage in the early days after release.
 
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rezwits said:
working on my Mac Pro 2009 2.66 GHz 8-core, flashed to 5,1, some time ago to try and get 32GB of 1333 MHz RAM to work but didn't. Thought I did it for nothing. With an El Capitan installed an backed up just in case, I installed Sierra with not one hiccup, like it was a regular install.

Good Luck Out There!
Click to expand...

Did you upgrade the CPU? If you want the RAM run at 1333MHz, it's a requirement to get a CPU that support 1333MHz RAM.
 
fhturner said:
You may already know this, but...

Remember that you need to flash the PRAM (Command-Option-P-R until you hear a second chime at startup) to get the system to recognize the 1333MHz RAM, and you'll need a CPU (Westmere) that will recognize it as well. If you were still using the 2.66GHz 8-core CPU arrangement, or if you didn't zap the PRAM, your RAM would still run at 1066MHz.
Click to expand...

Yeah it was a reading nightmare over from NETKAS back in the day, I went thru 70 "flashing" pages back and forth many reports said you had to have the CPU upgrade, others said you didn't, and that the RAM would work at 1333 MHz etc. I just wanted my cpu to memory ratio to be 2:1 2666/1333 no dice tho, because YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CPU UPGRADE. Just yelling to make sure my post doesn't CONFUSE, the situation for others who might desire this clean ratio...

I actually bought 32 GBs of 1333 MHz of Apple RAM from a guy off eBay from a 2010 Mac Pro Pull, so yeah even tho, no DICE :p

Thanks tho.
 
goodfidelity said:
Reebot to your recovery disc, start terminal, type "csrutil disable". Reboot and try again.

I hade major problems too. After i swapped in a disk with fresh install it worked just fine.
Click to expand...

Successfully flashed the firmware to 5,1. Installed macOS Sierra with no issues but it is no longer detecting the WiFi card i installed. although not a problem, im just wondering if there's any way to turn it back on. Went to system Preferences>Networks: WiFi status is "OFF". tried clicking on "Turn Wifi On" but it is not doing anything.
 
^^^^My post from another thread:

flowrider said:
I'm not sure flashing a 4,1 cMP to a 5,1 will make the installation of Sierra any easier for you. There have been reports of flashed 4,1s losing wifi and BT support after installing Sierra because the card used in 4,1s is not compatible with Sierra.
Click to expand...

Lou
 
Working on 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 flashed to 5,1
2 x Xeon X5690 3.46 GHz
32GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Stock GPU NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512 MB GDDR3
macOS on Samsung Evo 850 500GB

I have not experienced any issues besides Sierra rendering keyboard drivers useless.
 
Yeah, so far Sierra works better than El Capitan on my 4,1 (flashed 5,1).

No sleeping issue.
No slow shutdown.
No Finder hang.
No USB problem.

Of course, 3rd party software support still on the way. But luckily not an issue for me.
 
carpsafari said:
No sleeping issue.
No slow shutdown.
No Finder hang.
No USB problem

Never had these issues!
But Sierra runs better than expected.
Click to expand...

I have all these in El Capitan. Keep working with Apple engineer (via bug report webpage), but can never resolve the issues (except the USB 3.0 card reader work again after one of the 10.11.x update).
 
Just flashed an Early 2009 to Mid-2010 (4,1 to 5,1) by using the app and a mounted firmware image.

Had to install a base OS X 10.9 Mavericks to the HD/SSD first. Then copied the app and firmware to the desktop, ran the app.

The app created a RAMDisk then rebooted, I held down the power switch until it flashed, saw the flashing thermometer fill up,

Rebooted, then ran the App Store and downloaded Sierra, ran the upgrade, easy as pie! Sierra installed but as others have said it's still identified as an Early 2009 in About This Mac, but System Information says it's a 5,1.

Bummer that nVidia hasn't rewritten CUDA for Sierra, but it looks like it will eventually show up someday.
 
Earl Urley said:
Just flashed an Early 2009 to Mid-2010 (4,1 to 5,1) by using the app and a mounted firmware image.

Had to install a base OS X 10.9 Mavericks to the HD/SSD first. Then copied the app and firmware to the desktop, ran the app.

The app created a RAMDisk then rebooted, I held down the power switch until it flashed, saw the flashing thermometer fill up,

Rebooted, then ran the App Store and downloaded Sierra, ran the upgrade, easy as pie! Sierra installed but as others have said it's still identified as an Early 2009 in About This Mac, but System Information says it's a 5,1.

Bummer that nVidia hasn't rewritten CUDA for Sierra, but it looks like it will eventually show up someday.
Click to expand...

Do you see Sierra in the app store in the purchased section?

I no, I guess we need a hack to receive updates?
 
Synchro3 said:
Do you see Sierra in the app store in the purchased section?

I no, I guess we need a hack to receive updates?
Click to expand...

It's not an "update", it's a new OS, like a new app. You have to download it by yourself. e.g. just click the Sierra banner will lead you to the download page.
Screen Shot 2016-09-24 at 00.07.51.jpg
 
carpsafari said:
No sleeping issue.
No slow shutdown.
No Finder hang.
No USB problem

Never had these issues!
But Sierra runs better than expected.
Click to expand...

"No slow shutdown."

Yeah I had a ridiculously slow, as in never happened or I couldn't wait 15 minutes or more, and that was finally FIXED, I waited since Yosemite, hoping this would get fixed and it did, it did! Re-did the Server installation too and that got cleaned up ahhh... so nice and shiny, with Siri working from my Logitech WebCam too!
 
h9826790 said:
It's not an "update", it's a new OS, like a new app. You have to download it by yourself. e.g. just click the Sierra banner will lead you to the download page.
View attachment 657868
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. After I downloaded Sierra it was not in the purchased section.But problem solved, now it is there.

Update: I can see it in the purchased section of the app store in El Capitan, but not in Sierra.
 
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I have a mid 2010 MacPro, 5,1 with a Sapphire HD 7950 running at 4k, which means during boot I don't get the initial boot-up screen. And this morning after upgrading my MacBook Pros to macOS Sierra, I decided to "trust things" and went ahead and upgraded my MacPro. Everything went well until the first reboot, which after a brief pause of nothing, went to a glowing gray screen. Then panic set in but I calmed myself down and said it just that normal boot-up phase where I see nothing and now it's taking a little longer time because it is finishing the upgrade process. But it took way much longer than I thought it should and I was just about to do very "stupid stuff" when it rebooted a second time and came up to normal login screen. That was close! So for those of you who have a similar graphic adapter arrangement, please be patient. It will actually work!

Screen Shot 2016-09-24 at 12.29.08 PM.png
 
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robinbenjamins said:
I have a mid 2010 MacPro, 5,1 with a Sapphire HD 7950 running at 4k, which means during boot I don't get the initial boot-up screen. And this morning after upgrading my MacBook Pros to macOS Sierra, I decided to "trust things" and went ahead and upgraded my MacPro. Everything went well until the first reboot, which after a brief pause of nothing, went to a glowing gray screen. Then panic set in but I calmed myself down and said it just that normal boot-up phase where I see nothing and now it's taking a little longer time because it is finishing the upgrade process. But it took way much longer than I thought it should and I was just about to do very "stupid stuff" when it rebooted a second time and came up to normal login screen. That was close! So for those of you who have a similar graphic adapter arrangement, please be patient. It will actually work!

View attachment 658643
Click to expand...

If you mean that you have the Sapphire HD7950 Mac Edition card, and the 4K 60Hz make you can't have the boot screen. I think it's better to set the screen to 4k 30Hz (or even 1080P) to get the boot screen during upgrade. I usually leave my 7950 at the PC ROM, because I occasionally boot to Windows, and crossfire will crash if boot with the Mac EFI ROM. However, I alway flip the switch back to Mac EFI before any system upgrade. I don't want to do any stupid stuff because I didn't see the screen (and actually I can, if I do it correctly).
 
h9826790 said:
If you mean that you have the Sapphire HD7950 Mac Edition card, and the 4K 60Hz make you can't have the boot screen. I think it's better to set the screen to 4k 30Hz (or even 1080P) to get the boot screen during upgrade. I usually leave my 7950 at the PC ROM, because I occasionally boot to Windows, and crossfire will crash if boot with the Mac EFI ROM. However, I alway flip the switch back to Mac EFI before any system upgrade. I don't want to do any stupid stuff because I didn't see the screen (and actually I can, if I do it correctly).
Click to expand...
Yeah I am aware of the boot limitation but was not aware that switching it to 30Hz would reveal it. Thanks for that tip and I will keep that in mind next time I do an upgrade. It was a very unpleasant experience being in that uncertain state of doom :)
 
Before I flashed my 4.1 Mac Pro I tested with the first Beta of Sierra using the PlatformSupport.plist trick, then I read that some had issues with USB or WiFI cards, so I installed public release of Sierra again on an external drive with another Mac that its supported, did the PlatformSupport.plist trick again and tested on my Mac Pro with no issues at all, then I flashed to 5.1 and Installed Sierra directly on El Capitan.

Screen Shot 2016-09-24 at 11.10.34 AM.jpg
 
The NewerTech MAXPower eSATA/USB3 card is incompatible with Sierra. The drivers/kexts cause a kernel panic early in the boot cycle. This card works fine in any earlier version of OS X. This sucks because I really liked this card and it wasn't cheap.

I'm using a driverless NewerTech eSATA in it's place, but I intend on shopping around for a USB 3 replacement card that works in Sierra.
 
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