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MP All Models Mac Pro CPU Compatibility List
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I can personally attest that a pair of six core L5639 Xeons with B1 SLBZJ steppings / S-spec (total of 12 cores at 2.13 GHz) is a compatible configuration with a Mac Pro 5,1 or upgraded 4,1 > 5,1 .
I built this custom Mac for a web site developer that needed to run a lot of concurrent virtual machines and the configuration was thermally very cool, energy efficient and rock stable . Not everyone needs fast chips .
As far as I know , I am the only technician that built this configuration in the Mac community . It was built about two years ago and had a Geekbench2 64bit multicore score of 18129 running Mountain Lion . 1066 MHz memory was supported , but I did not even try 1333 MHz .
Client was overjoyed as at the time it was the least expensive 12 Core Mac for sale in the country . He actually sent a rep all the way from Texas to pick up the machine since I was too much of a fraidy-cat to ship it without using perfect packaging materials . Today , I have the same shipping boxes OWC uses so I can ship all my Macs safely .
I built this custom Mac for a web site developer that needed to run a lot of concurrent virtual machines and the configuration was thermally very cool, energy efficient and rock stable . Not everyone needs fast chips .
As far as I know , I am the only technician that built this configuration in the Mac community . It was built about two years ago and had a Geekbench2 64bit multicore score of 18129 running Mountain Lion . 1066 MHz memory was supported , but I did not even try 1333 MHz .
Client was overjoyed as at the time it was the least expensive 12 Core Mac for sale in the country . He actually sent a rep all the way from Texas to pick up the machine since I was too much of a fraidy-cat to ship it without using perfect packaging materials . Today , I have the same shipping boxes OWC uses so I can ship all my Macs safely .
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I just figured out that the RAM was still running at 1066MH, reset the NVRAM and now it is running at 1333MHz, so I ran another Geek Bench to see if there are any differences.
Just a little bump (realistically negligible).
Single-Core Score
2790
Multi-Core Score
20900
There is no thermal conductive advantage of having a Nehalem Mac Pro's heatsink directly contacting the die of an integrated-heat-spreader-less CPU , so going with lidless processors in the upgrade is just an installation convenience . (Or a nightmare if somebody removed the lid incorrectly) . Best to go with the washer method for upgrading Dual CPU 2009 cMPs and use unmodified processors .
The X5677 is an unsung hero in the Xeon Universe for those that don't need all the cores in a X5690 . The X5677 was once king of the hill , briefly .
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It's great to see people still modifying tower Mac Pros, not that there is a chance in Hell that Apple will notice. The 3.46GHz six-core I upgraded my 2012 3.2 quad to almost a year ago is running wonderfully. I expect to get several more years of use from it as I don't use it all that much.
Apple is making so much dough from iPhones that the Mac Pro Dev Team is sequestered in the unfinished crawl space of the Spaceship . Rumor has it they'll get running water and electricity allocated to them someday and I don't mean rainwater and fireflies .
Updated first post. Added Intel Engineering Sample information and a stepping compatibility column for MP3,1. Also fixed some minor typos.
I surmised that much.
Compatibility problems like what? Not booting anymore? Or crashing? Or performance problems?
As far as I can tell from reports, it doesn't work at all. SLAxx are the older processors and SLBxx are the newer processors. Apple never updated the MP3,1 firmware to support the newer stepping, and the computer won't even start up.
I did not see any similar issues for any other model MP.
Does not work at all , according to other knowledgeable installers . I never verified this , but accepted it as fact .
Well, then I got lucky. The ebay seller sells both steppings for X5482, but I got the SLANZ one.
Is there anyone who can confirm that a MP 2,1 can support 64 GB of RAM? Or a MP 1,1 with the 1,1 --> 2,1 firmware upgrade? This is the only place I've seen it, but I have a ton of respect for this board. And I want it to be true.
I won't promise you anything, but I can say that it's not a typo on my part. The source for "64GB in a MP 2,1" is here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/64gb-ram-in-2006-mac-pro-2-1.1939624/
On more than one occasion people here have successfully exceeded what other sources say is the maximum. I believe the other sources are old information that was correct at the time but that nobody cares to update when higher capacity RAM becomes available.
You're welcome. Hey, if you end up doing this upgrade, please confirm if it works or not. As far as I know, only the original poster of that thread has done 64GB on a MP 2,1. So it would be good to have corroboration.
I don't know that I can spring for the entire 64 GB right now, but I think I am going to invest in a couple of 8GB men cards. That would support the OPs statement.
Thank you very much,
I want to upgrade my 2,26 8-core soon using the "washer-method".
Is there anything else to look for when upgrading the cpu´s of a 4,1 machine (aside from 5,1 firmware)?
I heard about a thermal sensor of the PSU to look for because the distance gets more than in the original system.. is this correct?
Would thermal pads be better than the "classic" paste-method and what thickness would be best? I read 2-3 mm would be fine?
Thank you in advance...
Just wanted to report that the upgrade from 4.1 to 5.1 worked flawlessly. Simply had to download the firmware from Apple's website manually as Apple changed the location of the firmware after this utility came out.
I will be upgrading CPUs to X5670 2.93Ghz and RAM soon. I will also be delidding CPUs myself as I do not intend on modifying my MP heatsink fan connectors to accommodate lidded CPUs.
I will be upgrading CPUs to X5670 2.93Ghz and RAM soon. I will also be delidding CPUs myself as I do not intend on modifying my MP heatsink fan connectors to accommodate lidded CPUs.
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Before you attempt a delid, you should read these threads if you haven't already:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/4-1-dual-cpu-delid-or-leave-the-lid-down.1959772/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/so-you-want-to-update-your-2009-mac-pro.1959959/#post-22643059
I don't want to discourage you from trying a self-delidding, because DIY is fantastic. But if it were me I would want to make an informed decision.
THANK YOU (and the author at netkas) a lot!
This instruction is excellent indeed.
cheers
Thanks for your concern. Not only have I already read extensively what there is to read about this subject but I am also very much aware of the risks involved. I am also lucky enough to have the detailed guidance of a member of this forum with years of experience in delidding soldered cpus. Honestly, I don't like wasting money. This said not delidding the cpu also involves some risk and there are many forums and sites which have demonstrated what the consequences can be when done wrong.
With all due respect, I'm a bit tired to hear and read about how risky it is to delid a cpu. This excessive fear seems pretty irrational in my opinion. Delidding involves similar risks as tinkering with the heatsink clips, adding washers, changing thermal pads and screwing the heatsink back with x amount of turns not to crush anything. Falling to do this method properly can cost you more than the cpu alone. I believe that whatever people decide to do with a machine that cost them thousands of dollars usually know what they are doing or at least understand the risk involved and are ready to accept the consequences if things go wrong.
This said, great job in creating this compatibility thread. I am sure it is of great benefit to the community.
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