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Mac Pro 3,1 question
- Thread starter crazyeyes
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That was the decision I arrived at when upgrading. The heatsink labeling is odd, I know the one I purchased said it was for 1,1 - 3,1 but I had to swap the heatsinks when I did my upgrade because of the notch difference in the heatsink I received. The fan relay wouldn't go back into place. Regardless, it should be fine if you don't mind potentially swapping the heatsinks. Just make sure you have spare thermal paste.
So my Mac Pro 3,1 currently is a quad core 2.8, 8gb ram (2x2gb, 4x1gb), 1TB, 500gb, 320gb HDD's, GeForce 8800GT 512mb card.
Since I just added the 4gb of ram the computer already seems speedier, I decided to order the second processor and heatsink from ebay, after that what would you say is the next course of action, more ram, SSD, gpu? I notice that flash based streaming video online seems a bit choppy not sure if that is gpu, ram, ssd. I doubt its my connection at 21 mbps down.
Since I just added the 4gb of ram the computer already seems speedier, I decided to order the second processor and heatsink from ebay, after that what would you say is the next course of action, more ram, SSD, gpu? I notice that flash based streaming video online seems a bit choppy not sure if that is gpu, ram, ssd. I doubt its my connection at 21 mbps down.
For SURE it's the GPU. Last week I ran a 1080p monitor off my Radeon 2600 XT and it offloads a lot of the work it can't handle onto the CPU. My GTX 660 drives two 1080p monitors and the performance in watching 1080p video has increased incredibly. Grab a graphics card as the next upgrade, a 600 series PC NVIDIA card is for sure your best bet. Keep your 8800 for a boot screen should you ever need it.
3,1 still rocks for 'shops.
I have a 3,1 2.8 Ghz octo with 16 GB RAM, SSD boot drive and a 5870 Sapphire Vapor-X card flashed to OS X. I can heartily recommend fitting a 2nd CPU, SSD, better GFX card and bumping the RAM to 16 GB. The performance is still awesome for photography and video, only 4k will make it look significantly outdated by newer tackle.
If you want new RAM with a lifetime warranty Memory America do 2 x 4GB for reasonable prices ($150):
http://www.memoryamerica.com/fk251272800a.html
I have a 3,1 2.8 Ghz octo with 16 GB RAM, SSD boot drive and a 5870 Sapphire Vapor-X card flashed to OS X. I can heartily recommend fitting a 2nd CPU, SSD, better GFX card and bumping the RAM to 16 GB. The performance is still awesome for photography and video, only 4k will make it look significantly outdated by newer tackle.
If you want new RAM with a lifetime warranty Memory America do 2 x 4GB for reasonable prices ($150):
http://www.memoryamerica.com/fk251272800a.html
Yes the card is worth double if you need the additional power. You can also use it if you upgrade in near future.
Boot screen on a GTX 680 is very easy. Since there is an offical EFI 680 ROM, it's just a simple flash in Windows to get a boot screen. On the 660, I don't believe so, or at least I haven't come across a ROM for it. I use a 660 in my 3,1 though, and it's great.
You should be able to flash it from any PC, though it needs to be done in Windows, as Killerbob stated. There are several tutorials on how to do it scattered through the forums, as well as on the netkas forums.
So how do you know if your CPU is taking up your graphics cards slack! Is there something I can look into? Also why am I getting poor streaming flash video performance? I wouldn't think the gpu has anything to do with that? It's not really the video it's audio that cuts in and out!
So I got the second processor and heat sink installed! I am debating on selling the computer as is now with 8gb of ram and getting around $700 or so for it and buying a newer 2010 quad core 2.8 Mac Pro. Not sure if I want to hold off for an 8 core for more memory capacity or just get the quad and eventually upgrade it to the 6 core? Or I could just throw an ssd and graphics card in mine and wait for the 5,1's to get cheaper or just get a nMP
It's completely up to you, honestly. For sure the graphics card is what's blowing you on the flash performance, I promise. If you go for the 4,1 or 5,1 route, I would get a dual socket computer, because they will be the most upgradable. Get an 8 core 4,1 and then when the time comes, flash it to a 5,1 and upgrade the processors to 12 core if you ever need it. That being said, I personally believe the 3,1 will do what you need it to with a couple more upgrades, but it depends on how long you want to keep it. I plan on keeping my 3,1 for at LEAST another 3+ years, but I have it upgraded basically to the max. It's for sure your call, but it depends on how much money you want to spend, and how long you want the computer to last.
I would give the 3,1s about 3-5 years before you'll need to get a new computer. However, in 3-5 years, the 3,1s won't be worth nearly as much as they are now, but hardware advances are still coming.
I would give the 4,1/5,1 a minimum of 5 year lifespan from now, since they are basically the same machine. Especially the dual socket computers, they will go from 8-12 cores with upgrades down the line.
nMP is obviously the new machine at the moment. I know many people that are very happy with their nMP, and many that are dissatisfied and want more features. However, 3+ years from now, the future Mac Pros might be exactly what you're looking for.
Hope I could provide a bit of guidance, good luck in whichever route you take. Always glad to help.
-N
Thanks, that was a help, I think I am just going to hold on to my mac pro then, I really only need it to last another year or two max. I just got a new job and will be making more money so hope to be able to save up some money and get in a better situation and buy a mbp down the road for portable stuff with my photography and then get a better mac pro for the house. So I think I am going to throw a graphics card and an ssd in my computer and be happy with it.
I played with one of the nMP tonight at the apple store and launching programs was quick, but not much quicker than my computer now, I think an SSD would close that gap. Now I know for intensive stuff which I couldn't do much with there it would be faster, but is it $4000 worth faster I don't think so.
You should really post a new thread over in the Buying Advice Forum, however I'll give you my input. I wouldn't buy a 3,1 at this point unless it's a CRAZY deal. $650 for that machine is a fair price, but the difference in performance between the 2008 and 2009 Mac Pros is far too great to justify paying that much, in my opinion. If you were going to buy a new machine, I would get at LEAST a 4,1. I got my 3,1 for $200, and put roughly $400 into upgrades. Not sure if you read my earlier post, but I really think the machine is only good for tops another 5 or so years. The 4,1 has HyperThreading, and the overall architecture change in the processors is significantly better than the Harpertowns in the 3,1. That being said, your 1,1 has a whole lot of upgrade potential.
Long story short, I wouldn't buy it. Your 2006 can be flashed, modded, and upgraded for about that price to run just as well as the 3,1 would. Check out THIS thread. They can help you flash your EFI to 2,1 so you can turn that '06 into an 8 Core beast. Hunt Ebay for a pair of matched Xeon X5365s and replace your processors. Next, check out THIS thread and get that machine running Mavericks. With the Mavericks upgrade, you can throw a Keppler GPU in there for a great performance boost at a low price. (I got a GTX 660 for just over $100.) Finally, hunt around Ebay for some FB-DIMMs at a non-outrageous price. I threw a PCIe SSD in my machine and a 1TB hard drive PLUS did most of these upgrades for just under $400. That 1,1 isn't dead yet!
-N
Used memory for the 3,1 (with a return option) off eBay is the only sane route to go for ram upgrades. They are out of mainstream production so the price is even more insane than the unacceptable it was a year or two ago.
Like used CPU's they can be easily tested for errors. I know of 4 2008's that have been maxed out with used parts for a fraction of the cost cos I sourced their parts on eBay with custom searches :d
I understand, but if the seller has a return option long enough for me to test them out properly and has good feedback I don't have a problem buying worldwide.
For Mac Pro towers alone over the past three years on eBay I've got
PSU's
Front audio panels
Ram for 3,1 systems
4/5,1 - about 15 units upgraded with quad/hex cores, all used dual and single socket configurations. Done 4 or 5 1/2,1 units too. From China, Japan, Taiwan, USA, Germany!
Leeched all the instructions for upgrades here (thanks all). I only started posting in this forum when I got my own 3,1 cos it's my toy to play with and not a clients.
With a 3,1 it's simply not economical to upgrade the ram without taking the used option, just too expensive. May as well sell it and get a 4/5,1.