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MP All Models Mac Pro CPU Compatibility List
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Just add a note that early-2009 dual CPU trays made before May 2009 are problematic with 130W Xeons, no need to include anything else since green/red/black with all buttons are extremely rare.
I just started a thread about a Pro project. Long story short, I want a machine that is isolated from the internet and intended to essentially exist as it did in 2008. Old software, old peripherals, that good old “It Just Works” performance.
Sometimes I feel like “unplugging” and going back to the good old days. It sounds crazy to some now, but how many of us have a Mac that only runs Classic?
Leopard is going on 15-years old. It’s a classic now.
So, how do I go about choosing a Mac Pro and set of CPU’s to both support Leopard and give me basically the best performance in the apps of the time, such as Adobe suite, Final Cut, Resolve etc?
Can a 5,1 accept Leopard? If I get a 4,1, install Leopard, then swap in a 5,1 board...?
Are there Intel processors that would either not boot Leopard, or would boot but wouldn’t allow me to take advantage of the tech such as HT, the full battery of Cores, in-built overclocking...?
I’d like the best performing chip, not just the highest benchmarks or server performance. This is going to be a machine where I’m messing around with music and video production as a hobby. I tend to shoot stuff with a DV cam or VHS camcorder, so I have realistic expectations.
Sometimes I feel like “unplugging” and going back to the good old days. It sounds crazy to some now, but how many of us have a Mac that only runs Classic?
Leopard is going on 15-years old. It’s a classic now.
So, how do I go about choosing a Mac Pro and set of CPU’s to both support Leopard and give me basically the best performance in the apps of the time, such as Adobe suite, Final Cut, Resolve etc?
Can a 5,1 accept Leopard? If I get a 4,1, install Leopard, then swap in a 5,1 board...?
Are there Intel processors that would either not boot Leopard, or would boot but wouldn’t allow me to take advantage of the tech such as HT, the full battery of Cores, in-built overclocking...?
I’d like the best performing chip, not just the highest benchmarks or server performance. This is going to be a machine where I’m messing around with music and video production as a hobby. I tend to shoot stuff with a DV cam or VHS camcorder, so I have realistic expectations.
MacPro5,1 macOS support starts with a special build of 10.6.4, maybe you can boot Leopard with an early-2009 GPU and -no_compat_check added to the boot-args.
Changing boards won’t help, first it’s the GPU support that Leopard and up to 10.6.4 normal update don’t have. macOS installers check the board-ID.
Also, a cross-flashed early-2009 is a MacPro5,1 for the installer.
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Leopard does not have any sort of board ID checks, that started with Lion
Leopard will happily boot on a MacPro5,1 so long as you have Nehalem CPUs
(although you will need a MacPro4,1 era GPU if you want graphics acceleration)
If I recall, on 4,1 Leopard didn't come with the 2009 Mac Pro, as it was early Snow Leopard or was that 10.6.4 with 2010? I never really used 2009 as I got rid of the boards long ago for the 2010/2012 boards. Also, is possible to install Monterey with 2010/2012 boards 5,1 ?
Early-2009 Mac Pro was announced in January 2009 to be released in March with 10.5.6.
Snow Leopard was released only in late August 2009. It was mid-2010 Mac Pro that came with the special build of 10.6.4.
Not officially, Mojave is the last officially supported macOS release for a MacPro5,1.
If you have a METAL GPU and upgraded AirPortExtreme you can easily install OpenCore and run Monterey with a MacPro5,1.
A few years ago I purchased a base model Mac Pro 4,1 in great condition (for $295.00 CDN) mainly as a parts machine for my everyday upgraded Mac Pro.
It's not yet been needed for parts, so I installed a Snow leopard volume in it and use it to play a myriad of old nostalgic Mac games. Medal of Honour, Max Payne, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, CoD, and many more from 20 years ago.
It has an ATI Radeon HD 4870 so the games all play exactly the way they did originally. No hiccups at all.
It's fun to revisit the classic Mac games from days gone by, and most of them stand up quite nicely, even today.
Sadly, it also reminded me just how much computer related money I've spent over the years.
It's not yet been needed for parts, so I installed a Snow leopard volume in it and use it to play a myriad of old nostalgic Mac games. Medal of Honour, Max Payne, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, CoD, and many more from 20 years ago.
It has an ATI Radeon HD 4870 so the games all play exactly the way they did originally. No hiccups at all.
It's fun to revisit the classic Mac games from days gone by, and most of them stand up quite nicely, even today.
Sadly, it also reminded me just how much computer related money I've spent over the years.
Hi,
I had to move my computers and so do not have available an ethernet cable connection.
I thought I would have to buy a WiFi card for my Mac Pro 5,1 running Mojave 10.14.6.
But the Mac Pro 5,1 does have WiFi ... I thought it did not.
I am wondering when I further upgrade the OS, whether I will loose the WiFi?
It sounds like I have an airport extreme card in the 5,1 ....
The report describes the WiFi:
So can if I use Opencore and upgrade the OS, will I still have WiFi?
It's possible to hack Catalina/BigSur/Monterey and re-install Mojave kexts via manual root patching or OCLP.
I personally have a extreme dislike for this type of hack, since you have to re-install again at each software update Apple releases and Apple is releasing sometimes 3 or 4 updates in a month. A lot of people don't think that is a hassle doing it, but it's a big one for me and I like to upgrade everything that I can just to not have to hack it again at the next software update.
I prefer to install a fully supported AirPort Extreme 802.11ac, the BCM94360 (or BCM94362, but the BCM94360 model works better with MacPro5,1 NVRAM) and also have BT4.0 instead of the extremely old, and with poor reception, factory BT2.1 of the MacPro5,1. Fenvi FV-T919 PCIe card based on BCM94360 is also a very good solution, if you have an empty PCIe slot.
Anyway, upgrading or not, this is topic already covered multiple times and you will find everything that needs to be done for both solutions using the search.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to compile this, you buddy deserve a medal
Which CPU is the one that Apple is including in the Mac Pro 7,1 as the 3.2ghz 16 core? Will it handle 1TB or 2TB? Is it the W3245M?
Not that I need this much, but I am about to buy a 7,1 new. My attempt at buying through eBay failed (refunded).
Not that I need this much, but I am about to buy a 7,1 new. My attempt at buying through eBay failed (refunded).
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Just buy the cheapest 7,1 you can get and upgrade it with a non-M CPU bought from a reliable seller.
The 2tb ram are ridiculous, even for the heaviest 3D render jobs 128gb of ram is enough, 256gb at most.
No idea why Apple uses the M series.. probably to rip off more money from their customers.
This will cut your cost in half or give you a way faster CPU.
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So far I can only see a lot of QS CPUs and having had a bad situation with an eBay seller recently who wasted my time with a dodgy listing and nothing else I can see listed at the moment, I've resorted to buying new.
I can get slightly reduced prices from Apple, but there are no refurb computers in Australia, never are. Buying from overseas would still see me hit with import duties too.
My spec is going to be:
3.2ghz 16 Core
48GB RAM
Radeon Pro W6800X
1TB SSD
I would prefer more ram but I can upgrade that later at cheaper prices than what Apple offers. I will use the Sonnet card out of my existing MP5,1 (which failed) to get me more storage.
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^^^^Apple uses the W3245 for the 16 Core CPU. I bought my machine as an 8 core unit and upgraded it to a 16 core later. I bought my CPU from a forum member who was upgrading to a 28 core CPU. Also, I have upgraded my RAM to 96GB using all 8GB sticks. I also bought my RAM from forum members.
Lou
Lou
^^^^QS=Engineering Samples. Looks like you haven't been paying attention.
Lou
Lou
I haven't used the W series second hand yet, just the older X5690. The first one I got is okay, one of the second pair of X5690s did fail, or appears to have done so. I just ordered another two of them since X5690 is so cheap.
I wouldn't use the QS version Xeons. On eBay one seller is retailing many 7,1s upgraded with QS version CPUs at huge prices, I wouldn't go near those personally.
I have a client with a Mac Pro 1,1.. I see the CPU upgrades possible.. but is that going to allow him to run any newer OS? I see that even Catalina Patcher doesnt list teh Mac Pro 1,1 as compatible.
Nope, both MacPro1,1 and MacPro2,1 can't run anything after ElCapitan. After ElCapitan, macOS requires SSE4.1 and no Xeon processor that works with MacPro1,1 and MacPro2,1 have it.
I'm ready to pull the trigger on a Mac Pro 4,1 pre-revision dual CPU.
As I understand, these will basically melt with a 130W chip.
The X5679 3.20ghz claims 115W, so is this in the clear or is that too close to be safe?
To stay under 130W, the next fastest (benchmarks) option would be the X5675 3.07ghz. How do these two chips compare?
To be clear, I want to run Leopard. If I absolutely have to, I will settle for Snow Leopard but NO FURTHER. Is there anything that would pose an issue for Leopard with either of these options? How about Snow Leopard?
As I understand, these will basically melt with a 130W chip.
The X5679 3.20ghz claims 115W, so is this in the clear or is that too close to be safe?
To stay under 130W, the next fastest (benchmarks) option would be the X5675 3.07ghz. How do these two chips compare?
To be clear, I want to run Leopard. If I absolutely have to, I will settle for Snow Leopard but NO FURTHER. Is there anything that would pose an issue for Leopard with either of these options? How about Snow Leopard?
Almost the same, less than 3% diff. You can search geekbench results to see yourself.
You can't run earlier than 10.6.4 with a Westmere Xeon, support starts with the 10.6.4 special build released with mid-2010 Mac Pros. So, forget Leopard.
Also, to run a Westmere, you'll need to cross-flash from MP4,1 firmware to the MP5,1 one.