MP 1,1-5,1 New Mac Pro NEED HELP

[Appleneub]

I got this Mac Pro 5,1 and am looking to upgrade the ram and get it running Mojave.
This is the EveryMac Specs

Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.4 (2010/Westmere) Specs (Mid-2010, MC561LL/A, MacPro5,1, A1289, 2314-2*): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.4 (2010/Westmere). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

 

[flaubert]

I can't believe 31 people have read your post, and no one has yet suggested the obvious: there is a whole thread dedicated to what you need to do to upgrade to Mojave:

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

As for RAM upgrade, I just go Other World Computing for my RAM:

Apple Mac Upgrades - RAM, SSD Flash, External Drives and More

Upgrade the RAM and storage of nearly any Apple computer at MacSales.com. We also provide refurbished Macs, external storage, docks, accessories, and more!

eshop.macsales.com

They probably have a video on how to do the upgrade still.

 

[Appleneub]

I can't believe 31 people have read your post, and no one has yet suggested the obvious: there is a whole thread dedicated to what you need to do to upgrade to Mojave:

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

As for RAM upgrade, I just go Other World Computing for my RAM:

Apple Mac Upgrades - RAM, SSD Flash, External Drives and More

Upgrade the RAM and storage of nearly any Apple computer at MacSales.com. We also provide refurbished Macs, external storage, docks, accessories, and more!

eshop.macsales.com

They probably have a video on how to do the upgrade still.

Thank you!

 

[flaubert]

Here is the RAM install video:

Upgrade/Install Memory in a Mac Pro (2010-2012)

OWC's step-by-step videos of how to install memory, hard drive, optical drive, and a PCI card in the Apple Mac Pro and Mac Pro Server (Mid 2010/ Mid 2012).

eshop.macsales.com

You'll likely need a Metal-compatible GPU card; most people seem to opt for the Sapphire Pulse RX580 (~$190), which is a low risk choice since it is on Apple's short list of Metal-compatible GPU cards. If you want to get by on the cheap, read the reviews for the BioStar RX560 on Amazon; it seems that several people have had good luck with that card (except now when I check Amazon I don't even see the BioStar RX560 ) You'll likely have to troll through a number of threads by searching brands in this forum to see whether other versions of the RX 560 or RX 580 work in a Mac - not all of them do; I believe XFX is one brand that doesn't work, for example.

 

[Appleneub]

T

Here is the RAM install video:

Upgrade/Install Memory in a Mac Pro (2010-2012)

OWC's step-by-step videos of how to install memory, hard drive, optical drive, and a PCI card in the Apple Mac Pro and Mac Pro Server (Mid 2010/ Mid 2012).

eshop.macsales.com

You'll likely need a Metal-compatible GPU card; most people seem to opt for the Sapphire Pulse RX580 (~$190), which is a low risk choice since it is on Apple's short list of Metal-compatible GPU cards. If you want to get by on the cheap, read the reviews for the BioStar RX560 on Amazon; it seems that several people have had good luck with that card (except now when I check Amazon I don't even see the BioStar RX560 ) You'll likely have to troll through a number of threads by searching brands in this forum to see whether other versions of the RX 560 or RX 580 work in a Mac - not all of them do; I believe XFX is one brand that doesn't work, for example.

Thanks how much ram do you recommend? I have 4x 2gb sticks rn....
I was thinking 16gb in 4x 4gb sticks?

 

[Appleneub]

This card should work?

Sapphire 11265-67-20G Radeon Pulse RX 580 8GB GDDR5 Dual HDMI / Dual DP OC con placa trasera (UEFI) Tarjeta gráfica PCI-E

Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 580 8GB GDDR5 Dual HDMI / Dual DP OC con placa posterior (UEFI) Tarjeta gráfica PCI-E. Sistema operativo Windows 10, Windows 7, sistemas operativos de 64 bits requeridos; Requisito del sistema 500 vatios o mayor fuente de alimentación (recomendado), 1 conector de alimenta...

www.amazon.com

 

[flaubert]

As far as ram, probably depends on what you're doing. I would hold off on a purchase until the rest of your computer is up and running, and then check the memory pressure in Activity Monitor. Many people with light duty workflows are fine with 8GB. But if you want to be sure, then sure, 4 x 4GB will certainly satisfy all but the demanding workflows (rendering, high-res video edits, etc). I think that the video card you found will work, but check through the reviews for people using it successfully in a Mac Pro 5,1; there are always a couple mentions if the card is compatible. Check that your monitor is compatible with either HDMI or DisplayPort (DP), or that you can get an adapter.

 

[Appleneub]

Is there a way to convert my second drive bay into a usb dock?

 

[KeesMacPro]

This card should work?

Sapphire 11265-67-20G Radeon Pulse RX 580 8GB GDDR5 Dual HDMI / Dual DP OC con placa trasera (UEFI) Tarjeta gráfica PCI-E

Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 580 8GB GDDR5 Dual HDMI / Dual DP OC con placa posterior (UEFI) Tarjeta gráfica PCI-E. Sistema operativo Windows 10, Windows 7, sistemas operativos de 64 bits requeridos; Requisito del sistema 500 vatios o mayor fuente de alimentación (recomendado), 1 conector de alimenta...

www.amazon.com

NO.
This is the "Lite" version , and there are several reports of issues/not working in a MP.
This version is easy to recognize : it doesnt have a DVI connector.

The working version got 5 connectors: 2 DP, 2 HDMI , 1 DVI.

This cable is recommended for powering it:

Dual (2x) Mini 6 pin to 8 pin PCIe Adapter Power Connector by LHT Linked | 18AWG (Male-Male) Cable for Graphic Video Card Upgrade in Power Mac G5 and All Mac Pro (2006-2012) Models

Dual (2x) Mini 6 pin to 8 pin PCIe Adapter Power Connector by LHT Linked | 18AWG (Male-Male) Cable for Graphic Video Card Upgrade in Power Mac G5 and All Mac Pro (2006-2012) Models

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[kohlson]

Thanks how much ram do you recommend? I have 4x 2gb sticks rn....
I was thinking 16gb in 4x 4gb sticks?

Really, you should be addressing these questions in the forum that is already in place - the first response to you question. It is quite thorough in these things.

 

[KeesMacPro]

This may be of some help too:

cMP {classicMacPro}{4,1 & 5,1} - Upgrade Guide Sticky Discussion

Hey Folks, Lets start a discussion and collect everything relevant for cMP upgraders out there. Topics to consider: CPU Upgrades Compatibility chart CPU Delid / standoffs 4,1 to 5,1 firmware upgrade Memory Compatibility and Upgrades UDIMM Model Numbers RDIMM Model Numbers RAM...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Appleneub]

NO.
This is the "Lite" version , and there are several reports of issues/not working in a MP.
This version is easy to recognize : it doesnt have a DVI connector.

The working version got 5 connectors: 2 DP, 2 HDMI , 1 DVI.

This cable is recommended for powering it:

Dual (2x) Mini 6 pin to 8 pin PCIe Adapter Power Connector by LHT Linked | 18AWG (Male-Male) Cable for Graphic Video Card Upgrade in Power Mac G5 and All Mac Pro (2006-2012) Models

Dual (2x) Mini 6 pin to 8 pin PCIe Adapter Power Connector by LHT Linked | 18AWG (Male-Male) Cable for Graphic Video Card Upgrade in Power Mac G5 and All Mac Pro (2006-2012) Models

www.amazon.co.uk

This one?

SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Video Card - Newegg.com

Buy Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5 PCI-E Dual HDMI / DVI-D / Dual DP OC w/ Backplate (UEFI), 100411P8GOCL with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[KeesMacPro]

This one?

Yes.

 

[Appleneub]

Yes.

Ok
This cable?

TeamProfitcom Dual Mini 6 Pin to 8 Pin PCI Express Video Card Power Adapter Braided Sleeved Cable for Mac Pro Tower/Power Mac G5 15-inches

Características: El cable PCI-e dual Mini de 6 pines a 8 pines es conectar una tarjeta gráfica de video PCIe con puerto de 8 pines a la placa base Mac con puerto mini de 6 pines; especificación: Longitud del cable: 15 pulgadas Conector 1: GPU estándar macho de 8 pines; Conector 2: 2 mini macho de...

www.amazon.com

 

[KeesMacPro]

Ok
This cable?

yes ?

 

[Appleneub]

Does anyone have a graphics card that will work/ram I could trade for? I have a bunch of old g4 tower stuff.....

 

[DPUser]

You might want to do a cpu upgrade to X5680.

 

[Appleneub]

You might want to do a cpu upgrade to X5680.

What’s the benefit?

 

[kohlson]

What’s the benefit?

More / Faster cores.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I'd just stop at X5675, less noise.

 

[KeesMacPro]

What’s the benefit?

A clearly overall improved performance, + the bonus that with Xeon 6 cores CPUs the RAM will run at 1333MHz vs 1066MHz if supported by the RAM modules (since you'd like to buy new RAM this might be interesting).

BTW: it's recommended to install 3 modules for a single CPU and 6 modules for a DUAL CPU e.g. 6X8 GB RAM
This is the fastest setup called triple channel.

 

[Appleneub]

A clearly overall improved performance, + the bonus that with Xeon 6 cores CPUs the RAM will run at 1333MHz vs 1066MHz if supported by the RAM modules (since you'd like to buy new RAM this might be intertesting).

BTW: it's recommended to install 3 modules for a single CPU and 6 modules for a DUAL CPU e.g. 6X8 GB RAM
This is the fastest setup called triple channel.

How hard is it to upgrade them? Is any other cooling needed?

 

[Appleneub]

I don’t think I will need more than 32gb of ram for light gaming. What’s the best configuration for that?

 

[KeesMacPro]

How hard is it to upgrade them? Is any other cooling needed?

With some preparation and basic technical skills it's not so difficult on a MP5,1 . There are lots of YouTube videos etc to get an idea about how to do it.
For the CPUs replacement you'll need only a long 3mm hex (allen) key and some thermal paste e.g. Arctic mx-4.
You may find e.g. on eBay kits of 2 CPUs with the allen key (in case including thermal paste , dont use it ,its usually cheap crap).
I recommend to download the Technician Guide , very practical for maintenance ,assembling ,how to replace CPUs,etc.etc:

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_mid2010.pdf

I don’t think I will need more than 32gb of ram for light gaming. What’s the best configuration for that?

Unless you're using lots of Apps at the same time, 24GB (6 modules of 4GB) might be sufficient for that purpose, installed in slot 1,2,3 and 5,6,7 (see Technician Guide).
BTW: personally I wouldnt buy OWC RAM :you can get the same quality for a much lower price (e.g.Hynix or Samsung) from a reliable seller on eBay...

an example for the CPU kit:

12 Core X5680 x2 3.33Hz XEON CPUs 2010 2012 Apple Mac Pro 5.1 5,1 upgrade Kit | eBay

12 Core X5680 x2 3.33Hz XEON CPUs 2010 2012 Apple Mac Pro 5.1 5,1 upgrade Kit | Computers/Tablets & Networking, Computer Components & Parts, CPUs/Processors | eBay!

www.ebay.nl

 

[Appleneub]

With some preparation and basic technical skills it's not so difficult on a MP5,1 . There are lots of YouTube videos etc to get an idea about how to do it.
For the CPUs replacement you'll need only a long 3mm hex (allen) key and some thermal paste e.g. Arctic mx-4.
You may find e.g. on eBay kits of 2 CPUs with the allen key (in case including thermal paste , dont use it ,its usually cheap crap).
I recommend to download the Technician Guide , very practical for maintenance ,assembling ,how to replace CPUs,etc.etc:

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_mid2010.pdf

Unless you're using lots of Apps at the same time, 24GB (6 modules of 4GB) might be sufficient for that purpose, installed in slot 1,2,3 and 5,6,7 (see Technician Guide).
BTW: personally I wouldnt buy OWC RAM :you can get the same quality for a much lower price (e.g.Hynix or Samsung) from a reliable seller on eBay...

an example for the CPU kit:

12 Core X5680 x2 3.33Hz XEON CPUs 2010 2012 Apple Mac Pro 5.1 5,1 upgrade Kit | eBay

12 Core X5680 x2 3.33Hz XEON CPUs 2010 2012 Apple Mac Pro 5.1 5,1 upgrade Kit | Computers/Tablets & Networking, Computer Components & Parts, CPUs/Processors | eBay!

www.ebay.nl

This ram should work?

24GB Memory Upgrade for 2009-2012 Mac Pro (6 x Module Kits)

Upgrade your 2009-2012 Mac Pro Tower to 24GB of RAM, and save money by trading in the original memory chips. Includes an OWC lifetime warranty.

eshop.macsales.com

Arctic silver 5 should be ok for thermal paste?

these cpus?

12 Core X5680 x2 3.33Hz XEON CPUs 2010 2012 Apple Mac Pro 5.1 5,1 upgrade Kit | eBay

Only intended for Mac Pro 2010 and 2012 dual CPU model. No Mac Pro 2009 support! This kit has 2 Chem pads (To clean CPU and heatsink).

www.ebay.com