Mac Pro 3,1 Running Sierra

[defcon8]

@filmak:

Thanks, yes i know the card is outdated. It is scheduled for replacement a.s.a.p

Anyway i did the update to Sierra (using dosdude1 patch), hope this information may be useful for anybody else. I use the mac in a studio environment and can confirm that the following hardware configuration:

- Mac Pro 3.1. Early 2008
- SAS Raid Controller
- 4 GB 800MHz RAM
- Nvideo 8800 GT
- WiFI doesn't work like expected (but i don't care)

Is working flawlessly using Sierra with (at least) the following software & peripherals :

- Avid Pro Tools 12.6.1 + Avid C24
- Reason 9.1
- Renoise 3.1
- UAD-2 (Both PCIe and Firewire Satelite)
- Waves 9
- Altiverb 7
- Rob Papen Explorer 3
- Vienna Ensemble Pro 5
- MOTU 896

Using authentic software, latest versions.

All tested with heavy projects.. running smooth. I don't use any other OS utilities, only audio applications.

Best,

Bastiaan

 

[filmak]

@filmak:

Thanks, yes i know the card is outdated. It is scheduled for replacement a.s.a.p

Anyway i did the update to Sierra (using dosdude1 patch), hope this information may be useful for anybody else. I use the mac in a studio environment and can confirm that the following hardware configuration:

- Mac Pro 3.1. Early 2008
- SAS Raid Controller
- 4 GB 800MHz RAM
- Nvideo 8800 GT
- WiFI doesn't work like expected (but i don't care)

Is working flawlessly using Sierra with (at least) the following software & peripherals :

- Avid Pro Tools 12.6.1 + Avid C24
- Reason 9.1
- Renoise 3.1
- UAD-2 (Both PCIe and Firewire Satelite)
- Waves 9
- Altiverb 7
- Rob Papen Explorer 3
- Vienna Ensemble Pro 5
- MOTU 896

Using authentic software, latest versions.

All tested with heavy projects.. running smooth. I don't use any other OS utilities, only audio applications.

Best,

Bastiaan

Happy for you, it's very nice that you 're satisfied.
A nice upgrade would be some more RAM, and a SSD for the startup disk.
Good that the 8800GT is still working, ours went bad and replaced in 2010. (a common thing for this card).
Cheers!

 

[nigelbb]

Happy for you, it's very nice that you 're satisfied.
A nice upgrade would be some more RAM, and a SSD for the startup disk.

+1 With an SSD 32GB RAM & a GTX680 you will think that you have a new modern system.

 

[nickbatz]

Interesting that you can run Sierra on a 3,1.

Several posts here dissing the Radeon HD 2600. If you're not doing anything that requires graphics acceleration and it's been working fine day in and out since 2008, why is it a problem?

 

[NYC Hack]

Piggybacking on the Batz query, mine has been fine since 2008 as well. I assume it's not a high end unit?

 

[Earl Urley]

Does anyone know if dosdude1's patcher works with the latest 10.12.2 Sierra installer, or if I have to find an original 10.12.0 installer?

 

[rthanh]

Boom - all sorted. Now running my GTX950 card on Sierra MacOS using my 34" DELL monitor at 3440 x 1440. Everything is now operational. Siri is nice on the computer. I've already asked her to perform a number of searches for me in google

Question:
Where is the step by step how to install macOS Sierra on 3.1 machine?

 

[L Caputo]

Question:
Where is the step by step how to install macOS Sierra on 3.1 machine?

You can get it here, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-3-1-installation-guide-for-sierra.1978005/
But frankly you are better off using the method from here, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-10-12-sierra-unsupported-macs-thread.1977128/ scroll down the first page to the section where you can download dosdude1s patch installer and then download the instructions on how to proceed with getting Sierra installed.

 

[hartleymartin]

Interesting that you can run Sierra on a 3,1.

Several posts here dissing the Radeon HD 2600. If you're not doing anything that requires graphics acceleration and it's been working fine day in and out since 2008, why is it a problem?

I found that the 2600XT really puts out a lot of heat. Perhaps it is because back in the day we used lower resolution displays, but now that I have a 30" Dell display, running at 2560x1600, the 2600XT just runs really hot all the time. The 8800GT on the other hand while it does run warm, doesn't run anywhere near as hot at the old 2600XT does.

 

[nickbatz]

I found that the 2600XT really puts out a lot of heat. Perhaps it is because back in the day we used lower resolution displays, but now that I have a 30" Dell display, running at 2560x1600, the 2600XT just runs really hot all the time. The 8800GT on the other hand while it does run warm, doesn't run anywhere near as hot at the old 2600XT does.

I no longer have that computer, but I ran a 30" Apple Cinema Display at 2560x1600 on the stock card for over eight years, day in and out. It may have run hot, but the computer ran perfectly until the day I sold it!

The monitor is still going strong on my "new" machine now.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^You are in the minority. That card is/was a piece of junk that Apple acknowledged by recalls.

Lou

 

[Auggie]

WiFI doesn't work like expected (but i don't care)

For others who do care and want to get WiFi working under Sierra, since I upgraded the WiFi card in my 5,1 to the newer Apple Wifi/Bluetooth combo card, its old WiFi was swapped into my 3,1 and works flawlessly.

A used 5,1 WiFi card can be had for around $10 USD on eBay and is a direct plug-n-play solution.

 

[captaindocsis]

Just updated my 3,1 to Sierra using the patcher. Added a GTX 1060, 512gb SSD, and bumped it to 32gbs ram. It is a Macbeasty.

 

[Trevorfromtx]

Looking for a little help with my 3,1. After doing a little research, it seemed like people were able to get the geforce 10 series up and running in their older Mac pros. I, however, am having issues with my gtx 1050 ti. Here's what I've done so far:

- Installed latest Nvidia driver and Cuda.
- Edited the config.plist for inject Nvidia = no, nvidiaweb = yes
- Disabled the SIP

Is there anything else I'm missing?

When I reboot nothing ever happens on the screen. I'm aware that I'll lose the Apple boot screen, but I've let it sit for quite a while and nothing happens, so it seems like the drivers aren't loading on reboot maybe?

It's also not detecting that something is in the pic slot when I look at the hardware list. When I have my old 8800gt in, it shows it and the slot it's in, and it shows the other 3 slots as empty, even though the 1050 ti is connected.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm kind of a noob at working with these old Mac pros.

My specs are:

Mac Pro 3,1 - running Sierra 12.5
3.0 8 core xeon
32 gb RAM

 

[flowrider]

^^^^Does your card have a secondary power connector? Some do. If it does, have you hooked up the six pin cable? You did not specify the make and model of your card, so just spitballing here.

Lou

 

[Trevorfromtx]

^^^^Does your card have a secondary power connector? Some do. If it does, have you hooked up the six pin cable? You did not specify the make and model of your card, so just spitballing here.

Lou

,

Sorry, forgot to list specifics of the card. Asus GeForce GTX 1050ti 4gb. It's the dual fan version with no secondary power. Says it can be powered from the motherboard. The fans spin when it is connected. The research I did said it pulls about 70w at its peak performance.

 

[0134168]

Anyone updated to 10.12.6?

 

[L Caputo]

Anyone updated to 10.12.6?

Yes, give it a go.

 

[0134168]

Yes, give it a go.

Already did. But no boot after the update. Maybe I have to apply again the macOS Sierra Patcher Tool?

Thnx

 

[L Caputo]

Already did. But no boot after the update. Maybe I have to apply again the macOS Sierra Patcher Tool?

Thnx

How did you do the update, was it via the App Store or did you download from the Support Download pages.

I guess it would do no harm to rerun the Post install patch.

 

[jbarley]

Anyone updated to 10.12.6?

I did the update from the Apple App store, no problems.

 

[0134168]

How did you do the update, was it via the App Store or did you download from the Support Download pages.

I guess it would do no harm to rerun the Post install patch.

Via the Combo Update. As you say, reapplied the Post Install path and now it works like a charm.

Thank you so much.
[doublepost=1500747936][/doublepost]Do you think we will be able to run High Sierra?

 

[jbarley]

Do you think we will be able to run High Sierra?

According to this thread the MacPro 3,1 runs Hi Sierra with no issues.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-high-sierra-10-13-unsupported-macs-thread.2048478/

 

[L Caputo]

Via the Combo Update. As you say, reapplied the Post Install path and now it works like a charm.

Thank you so much.
[doublepost=1500747936][/doublepost]Do you think we will be able to run High Sierra?

Yes running High Sierra Beta on this old warhorse, runs quite nice, but no APFS as yet, awaiting further patches
see thread mentioned in the other post above to get an idea of what needs to be done.

 

[Ben888]

Looks like it should hopefully not be to bad for MacPro 3,1 owners. You mention Nvidia, how about my ATI?

Honestly, If it were me I would ditch that graphics card. Apple recalled a bunch of them that were problematic several years back, and even an Nvidia 8800 GT (which is hardly a graphics powerhouse in this day and age) would be an improvement over that card. A bigger improvement at an inexpensive price point would be an ATI Radeon HD 4870. I personally bought a PC 8800 GT for $20 and flashed it to work on my mac. It is plenty adequate for me. I will NEVER go back to that ATI card. Unless you are doing hardcore 3D work or intense games, you probably don't need some of the high end expensive cards people are throwing into these machines now.