MacPro 5,1 CPU tray upgrade help

[rcovert]

I am receiving a Mac Pro Quad-Core 2.8ghz 2010/Nehalem MC250LL/A
from a friend for free. My question is, can I fully replace the CPU tray with a 2x 2.66ghz Six-Core if the part number is exactly the same without doing any further upgrades? I know it's possible because of the OWC turnkey upgrade program though it doesn't tell me if I need to upgrade the power supply, do a firmware update, etc. Clearly, I would rather do the upgrade myself because OWC wants around $1500 to do it and I can find 8-core and 12-core trays ready to go on eBay for $300-$600 that have a decent amount of memory pre-installed. So is matching the part #639-0460 enough for a plug and play situation?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

 

[bsbeamer]

Fair warning - make sure you’re looking at the right tray listing(s). They may physically look the same between models but 4,1 and 5,1 trays are different and should stick with their original machines to avoid issues. If your machine is a legitimate 5,1 you will need a 5,1 tray.

The eBay market is flooded with 4,1 > 5,1 upgrades and not all are properly labeled or disclosed. It can be hard to find legitimate “2010” listings sometimes. Also can be confusing when you’re looking at cheap barebones machines for parts. Almost all listings will show a picture saying 5,1 and running the latest OS. Find it easier looking for authentic 2012 parts for some reason.

As for power, your current power supply is fine.

For firmware etc - you do not need to flash 4,1 > 5,1 if it’s an authentic 5,1. There may be some Apple updates to install if it hasn’t been updated in awhile. Just make sure you have an EFI GPU available in case.

Just to mention, dual 2.66 CPUs would be a 12 core. Believe they’re X5650 processors. The price difference between those and others (higher performance) is not that drastic if you’re buying the CPUs separately. If you’re looking for a tray with the CPUs included, sometimes it’s cheaper to buy a full barebones machine. Just be sure it’s a legit 5,1 (not a 4,1 > 5,1).

 

[rcovert]

Fair warning - make sure you’re looking at the right tray listing(s). They may physically look the same between models but 4,1 and 5,1 trays are different and should stick with their original machines to avoid issues. If your machine is a legitimate 5,1 you will need a 5,1 tray.

The eBay market is flooded with 4,1 > 5,1 upgrades and not all are properly labeled or disclosed. It can be hard to find legitimate “2010” listings sometimes. Also can be confusing when you’re looking at cheap barebones machines for parts. Almost all listings will show a picture saying 5,1 and running the latest OS. Find it easier looking for authentic 2012 parts for some reason.

As for power, your current power supply is fine.

For firmware etc - you do not need to flash 4,1 > 5,1 if it’s an authentic 5,1. There may be some Apple updates to install if it hasn’t been updated in awhile. Just make sure you have an EFI GPU available in case.

Just to mention, dual 2.66 CPUs would be a 12 core. Believe they’re X5650 processors. The price difference between those and others (higher performance) is not that drastic if you’re buying the CPUs separately. If you’re looking for a tray with the CPUs included, sometimes it’s cheaper to buy a full barebones machine. Just be sure it’s a legit 5,1 (not a 4,1 > 5,1).

Thanks that helps. I’m going to assume that after checking everymac.com that the part # is going to work.

 

[h9826790]

AFAIK, #639-0460 is the correct "manufacture part number" for the 2010 Mac Pro. It should work on your Mac Pro.

For dual processor board, it's very easy to tell if it's the correct one. As long as there is a clip for the CPU, it is correct. The 2009 dual processor board has no clip on the CPU socket.