I am not understanding.. so, the boards i have aren't 5,1 boards ?
It's the SMC that defines if a backplane and CPU tray are from a 2009 or 2010/2012 Mac Pro:
- SMC version 1.39f5 = 2009 Mac Pro
- SMC version 1.39f11 = 2010/2012 Mac Pro
Since your backplane and CPU tray have SMC 1.39f11, they are 2010/2012.
I may just sell this then and get a true 5,1.. maybe that is the solution.. I am sure i can get a base model and just swap my memory and processor. Sounds like this was a total mistake from the beginning, but how was i supposed to know Apple would do something like this from 10 YEARS AGO ?
Apple did nothing. You have a non-standard Mac Pro, that's the problem you are having, and you never updated firmware with it past MP51.0084.B00 - there are 6 firmware updates after that. All done manually, like all Mac Pros 2009/2010/2012.
It's more or less the reverse problem that most people have, 2009 boards with hacked MP5,1 firmware. You have a MP5,1 firmware but with hacked MP4,1 hardwareIDs.
Firmware updates are very complex with a Mac Pro 5.1. For start, it's the only supported Mac that has to bootstrap it manually and the update file, MP51.fd, it's made for ALL Mac Pros 5,1 - without any hardware identifications, the hardwareIDs. So, when updating, the updater have to update everything but the NVRAM volume and the LBSN sector, since these areas store the various hardwareIDs that need to be preserved.
If you flash a generic MP51.fd with flashrom/ROMTool into a Mac Pro you will lose every hardware identification, since these areas are blank into the generic firmware file.
Mac Pro 5,1 hardwareIDs are:
Stored into the NVRAM volume (filled by Apple, at Mac Pro assembly time):
- Hardware descriptor
- Base_XX
- SSN
- HWC
- SON
- Gaid
Stored into the LBSN sector (filled by the OEM, at backplane manufacture time):
- LBSN
- BD
Other Macs have different hardwareIDs. More recent Macs, with Intel ME/T2/T3 have different ways to store the hardwareIDs.
OR... Maybe I should just get new boards(they are even cheaper now) and just install them.. and not copy over the 2009 serial to them. Would this work ? I am trying to save money here... really, I don't need Mojave as a metal card is too expensive for me anyway. But just to update the firmware - maybe I just need to get new boards from a 5,1 and not even copy over the 2009 serial ?
Just follow the instructions that I sent you by PM, get everything done as I wrote and I'll reconstruct your BootROM with 140.0.0.0.0, the current one.