MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro 5,1 HexCore upgrade question regarding 1066RAM

[JimmyCMPIT]

I'm looking for an inexpensive upgrade path for my MacPro 5,1 from my dual quad 2.4GHz to dual hex 2.9 and up. I have a few

can I use the existing 64GB 1066 MHz RAM or do I need to scrap it and buy 1366 MHz RAM?
ive been up and down this list

The Definitive Classic Mac Pro (2006-2012) Upgrade Guide

The largest/most-complete guide to all possible classic Mac Pro upgrades covering OS, Firmware, GPU, CPU, Storage, USB, THunderbolt and Network upgrades.

blog.greggant.com

it appears there are 2 hexcore Xeons that work in the 5,1 that show they are compatible with 1066MHz RAM
the x5679 which I could only find on Ebay and looked to be sketchy with no money back guarantee and the x3670 also pretty rare.

Has anyone successfully gone from a dual quad 2.4 to a dual hex 2.9 and up with 1066RAM?
do you need to de-lid the CPU on the 5,1?'s

I nearly ordered a matched pair of 5670's but it looks like the base ram has to be 1366 MHz and I don't want to take everyhing apart if it clearly wont work with what I have.

secondly I'm runnning an AMD5670 and a GTX1660ti in Windows 7 for 3D projects most of which benefit from Cuda so the need to make macOS stable is not the imperative.

 

[tsialex]

All Westmere hexacore Xeons can work with 1333 or 1066MHz RAM, some can even work at 800MHz. RAM speed is not a problem and you can use 1066MHz RAM without problems, the memory controller will downgrade to the memory speed.

This post has all the confirmed tested Xeons that work with MP4,1, MP4,1>5,1 and MP5,1 Mac Pros:

Mac Pro CPU Compatibility List

Bokkow and I have created a Mac Pro CPU compatibility list. The intent is to cover all relevant and compatible CPU upgrades for all Mac Pros. These are asked about over and over and over again, so I thought it would be nice to have it all in one place. Constructive criticism, corrections to...

forums.macrumors.com

W3670 is a single socket Xeon and won't work with a dual CPU tray, only with a single CPU one. Please note that a W3670 can be used in socket A with the socket B empty for tests, but you can't use two at the same time.

 

[JimmyCMPIT]

great thanks! this is good because the 5670's I tried to cancel when I panicked appear to have shipped.
and would it be correct to say you don't need to de-lid a Xeon CPU in a 5,1?

 

[tsialex]

great thanks! this is good because the 5670's I tried to cancel when I panicked appear to have shipped.
and would it be correct to say you don't need to de-lid a Xeon CPU in a 5,1?

MP5,1 dual and single CPU trays use normal lidded Xeons. Dual CPU MP4,1 use de-lidded Xeons.

 

[DPUser]

great thanks! this is good because the 5670's I tried to cancel when I panicked appear to have shipped.
and would it be correct to say you don't need to de-lid a Xeon CPU in a 5,1?

As long as your "5,1" is a real 2010- 2012 5,1, not a 2009 that has previously been updated from a 4,1.

Also, you may be surprised to find that, once you install your new 5680s (recommended, best bang for the buck), your 1066 RAM "magically" reports as 1333. A lot of RAM labeled 1066 is actually 1333.

 

[JimmyCMPIT]

No, it's a real 5,1 not a firmware upgrade. the 5670's were $49 for a matched pair. I'm trying to keep this thing running as-long-as possible.
Great info; thanks both!

 

[Macschrauber]

Also you may need a triple-nv-ram-in-a-row-reset to get the box recognized your ram as 1333

 

[bb_mac]

Probably late to the reply here as OP has likely already upgraded, but for the record, two days ago, I upgraded the same spec as OP to 2 x X5675.
I have mixed ram (28gb), at 1066 and 1333 - it all runs fine at 1066.

The upgrade was super easy - 10 minutes tops (with the right tools, cleaning & paste).

Got roughly a 33% speed increase for $60 - not bad!

 

[JimmyCMPIT]

the seller cluster f'd my order and sent the wrong item. I'm working it out with Amazon.
I found a bunch of 5680's but don't know if there is a specific model I need

>5680 at ServerSupply.com

Buy 5680.With Free ground shipping.Same day shipping and great customer service.

www.serversupply.com

I'm going to try and get a refund from the seller and check these guys out.

 

[tsialex]

the seller cluster f'd my order and sent the wrong item. I'm working it out with Amazon.
I found a bunch of 5680's but don't know if there is a specific model I need

>5680 at ServerSupply.com

Buy 5680.With Free ground shipping.Same day shipping and great customer service.

www.serversupply.com

I'm going to try and get a refund from the seller and check these guys out.

X5680 has only one S-Spec, SLBV5. All X5680 are the same, except for engineering and qualification samples. Those have the S-Spec is Q3UV and this is S-Spec that you shouldn't buy.

 

[JimmyCMPIT]

the 5670's order confusion from Amazon was straightened out.
Matching Pair Intel Xeon X5670 Six Core Processor 2.93GH/z 12MB Smart Cache 6.4GT/s QPI TDP 95W SLBV7 BX80614X5670 (Renewed)
took off the syncs with 3MM hex tool, cleaned off the old goop with 99% isopropyl, installed the 5670, shot a dab of thermal grease on them, fired up lux render and assaulted all 12 cores for a few hours. The appear to work. Thanks to everyone who got me sorted, this was greatly appreciated.