MP 1,1-5,1 MP 4,1 better OS ?

[JackJames0]

Hello All,

I've got an Mac Pro 4,1 (2,66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 6 Go 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC with a HDD not a SSD) currently in Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 and as it's now really hard to use the web browser (safari and even firefox) i am wanting to upgrade it (the software only not hardware) to El Capitan. But will it be better ?
I am also thinking of a dual boot with linux (which one ?) to have maybe better support and better performance
(i'm using the mac for JDownloader, a web browser and a connection with a server on my network, nothing more)

What are you all thinking ?
Thanks for the help

 

[tsialex]

Current browser support for anything earlier than High Sierra is a problem nowadays.

ElCapitan is the newest macOS release that an early-2009 Mac Pro not yet cross-flashed to MP5,1 firmware will work. With a METAL supported GPU you can get to Mojave officially and Monterey un-officially.

Install ElCapitan and see it helps with your workflow, if you still have browser issues you will have to think about Mojave or even Catalina.

 

[JackJames0]

Current browser support for anything earlier than High Sierra is a problem nowadays.

ElCapitan is the newest macOS release that an early-2009 Mac Pro not yet cross-flashed to MP5,1 firmware will work. With a METAL supported GPU you can get to Mojave officially and Monterey un-officially.

Install ElCapitan and see it helps with your workflow, if you still have browser issues you will have to think about Mojave or even Catalina.

Thanks, that's what i've found on internet, but i don't want to upgrade the hardware
So do you think El Capitan or even High Sierre with a 5,1 firmware will have good performace ?
Or will it be better with linux ?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks, that's what i've found on internet, but i don't want to upgrade the hardware
So do you think El Capitan or even High Sierre with a 5,1 firmware will have good performace ?

Anything newer than Sierra with a HDD as the main disk will have abysmal performance, so at least get a ~$30 240GB SSD. Modern macOS releases are still very fast with a MacPro5,1, performance is real good for most things when you have a SSD, but with the original GPU you are limited to High Sierra.

You can check your current BootROM version with  > AboutThisMac > SystemReport > Hardware > BootROM version. The only way to bypass the required METAL GPU for the firmware upgrades is with a BootROM reconstruction service (and you can go from a MP41.00xx.xxx firmware directly to 144.0.0.0.0).

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

Or will it be better with linux ?

You can always test, but modern Linux distributions (UEFI based) are not exactly easy to install to a Mac Pro with superseded BootROM firmware. At least, you will need to install all the firmware updates to get to 144.0.0.0.0 and you will need to borrow a METAL supported GPU, or pay a BootROM reconstruction service, to do that.

 

[JackJames0]

Anything newer than Sierra with a HDD as the main disk will have abysmal performance, so at least get a ~$30 240GB SSD. Modern macOS releases are still very fast with a MacPro5,1, performance is real good for most things when you have a SSD, but with the original GPU you are limited to High Sierra.

You can check your current BootROM version with  > AboutThisMac > SystemReport > Hardware > BootROM version. The only way to bypass the required METAL GPU for the firmware upgrades is with a BootROM reconstruction service (and you can go from a MP41.00xx.xxx firmware directly to 144.0.0.0.0).

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

I've just upgrade to El Capitan (MP41.0081.B07)
It's weird, safari is 9.1.2 but it isn't the lastest for El Capitan but I don't see any update in the AppStore, do you have an idea ?
You sure it will be that terrible without an SSD ? I only use finder + firefox or safari + JDownloader at the same time on it

You can always test, but modern Linux distributions (UEFI based) are not exactly easy to install to a Mac Pro with superseded BootROM firmware. At least, you will need to install all the firmware updates to get to 144.0.0.0.0 and you will need to borrow a METAL supported GPU, or pay a BootROM reconstruction service, to do that.

You sure ? i've red online that it's not that complicated. Right now El Capitan works fine so i won't try it but maybe I'll try later

 

[tsialex]

Last ever Safari release for ElCapitan is 11.1.2:

You probably need Security Update 2018-004 for El Capitan installed to install it.

 

[JackJames0]

Last ever Safari release for ElCapitan is 11.1.2:

View attachment 1957590

You probably need Security Update 2018-004 for El Capitan installed to install it.

Ok thanks I'll look that !

 

[jscipione]

An inexpensive Westmere xeon (~$10), and an rx 560 ($?) would get you to 10.14 and newer Safari versions. Regular 2.5" ssds can be found cheaply and provide a better experience.

 

[prefuse07]

Why don't you give High Sierra a shot?