MP 1,1-5,1 Matching Pair of CPUs to upgrade 2012 Mac Pro?

[Thom2]

My old 2012 Mac Pro has dual 6-Core Intel Xeon Processors.
I want to upgrade to Dual-X5690s, but I keep hearing the processors need to be a matching pair.
- Does this mean I can't buy a "X5690" from one seller and another "X5690" from a different seller?
- The more I Google about what "Matching Pairs of CPUs" the more confused I get.
There's something about "stepping", which I have No idea how that relates to a CPU.
-- I get many conflicting answers, and all I want to do is upgrade my Old Mac Pro.

.....Thanks Thom

 

[nobullone1964]

Although, I only use one CPU, I ordered it as a complete tray. I recall something about delidding? Is that the right term? They both have to be either delidded or not. Just something else to looked into further.

 

[flowrider]

My reply from another thread:

I'm running X5677s in my 5,1. I bought the CPUs separately, and one of them had a bad memory channel. I returned the bad one and got a replacement. So, of course not a matched set. As long as both CPUs are marked the same, are production and not a prototype version, matching is really of no importance.

Matched CPUs is a myth.

Delidding is not apropos to a 2012 DP 5,1 cMP, or any single CPU cMP 4,1 or 5,1 cMP.

Lou

 

[tsialex]

My reply from another thread:



Matched CPUs is a myth.

Delidding is not apropos to a 2012 DP 5,1 cMP, or any single CPU cMP 4,1 or 5,1 cMP.

Lou

Matched CPUs are needed when there is more than one S-Spec for a processor model, it's the case for MP1,1/2,1/3,1. From the initial Mac Pro 2006 to early-2008 model, matched processors of the same S-Spec are an obligatory requirement.

Since Intel didn't released more than one S-Spec for Nehalem and Westmere Xeons, so, matched processors are not needed, better yet, don't even exist for MP4,1 or MP5,1.

It's just a sales tactic used by sellers trying to obtain more money for the same thing when selling MP4,1 or MP5,1 Xeons.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^You are muddying the waters here. The OP is speaking specifically about a 2012 5,1 DP classic Mac Pro. Your post does not help the OP, but may in fact confuse him!

Lou

 

[tsialex]

^^^^You are muddying the waters here. The OP is speaking specifically about a 2012 5,1 DP classic Mac Pro. Your post does not help the OP, but may in fact confuse him!

Lou

I don't agree, but if you say so, let's be completely clear:

Mac Pro year model:	Mac Pro model identifier:	Matched processors are a requirement?
Mac Pro 2006	MP1,1​	Yes, processors with different S-Specs and the same model were made by Intel. Please note that not all S-Specs that exist are supported by the Mac Pro firmware.
Mac Pro 8-core (2007)	MP2,1​	Yes, processors with different S-Specs and the same model were made by Intel. Please note that not all S-Specs that exist are supported by the Mac Pro firmware.
Mac Pro early-2008	MP3,1​	Yes, processors with different S-Specs and the same model were made by Intel. Please note that only Xeons processors that the S-Spec start with SLA are supported by the early-2008 Mac Pro firmware. SLBxx S-Spec processors are NOT supported.
Mac Pro early-2009	MP4,1​	No, Nehalem/Westmere Xeon models have the same S-Spec.
Mac Pro mid-2010	MP5,1​	No, Nehalem/Westmere Xeon models have the same S-Spec.
Mac Pro mid-2012	MP5,1​	No, Nehalem/Westmere Xeon models have the same S-Spec.
Mac Pro late-2013	MP6,1​	Single processor only.
Mac Pro 2019	MP7,1​	Single processor only.

 

[sanfrancisofont1984]

I didn't know the fact that matched pair isn't really a thing for Nehalem/Westmere. Thanks folks.

 

[JoeStrummer]

this is very helpful thank you!