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NVMe with ST-NGFF2013-C; Vega Internal GPU; Mac Pro 2013 (6,1)

Hi all. Just an FYI I installed the developer beta of Catalina on my Mac Pro 6,1, and the BIOS is now reporting as 130.0.0.0.0.

Screen Shot 2019-06-05 at 22.39.51.png
 
Ok guys... after the last keynote it seems that I have to full upgrade my Mac Pro 6.1 for one last time...

It is a 6-Core model with 64GB Ram, 512GB SSD and the D500 graphics (OS 10.14.5)
My everyday work: photoshop PSB files with about 7-15GB size... so filters, smartobjects, objects transforms and save processes let me wait ways to often...

What is the best I can do for the best possible work experience with my good old trash can?
 
These are some massive files right there - Photoshop might well just be struggling with wrangling all that data internally, limited by its own architecture. Some users report that the 2015 versions are more responsive than newer iterations for large data sets.
Unless your computer is stalling because of scratch files or hitting the system memory cap I don't think there is an upgrade available that solves these problems.

I'd look into splitting elements up into multiple files to ease the load. Can't you commit finished elements to 'proxies' and keep a live version in another file for the case that you have to touch them again?
 
BootROM 131.0.0.0.0 for MP6.1 released with 10.14.6 DP2

Code: 
$IBIOSI$ MP61.88Z.F000.B00.1905251553
Copyright (c) 2005-2019 Apple Inc.  All rights reserved.
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP61
  EFI Version:  131.0.0.0.0
  Built by:     root@saumon
  Date:         Sat May 25 15:53:29 PDT 2019
  Revision:     131 (B&I)
  ROM Version:  F000_B00
  Build Type:   Official Build, Release
  Compiler:     Apple clang version 3.0 (tags/Apple/clang-211.10.1) (based on LLVM 3.0svn)


10.14.6 DP2 EFI Version table for non BridgeOS Macs:

(All Macs had firmware upgrades except MP5,1)

Mac:EFI version:
IM13,1286.0.0.0.0
IM14,1138.0.0.0.0
IM14,2138.0.0.0.0
IM14,3138.0.0.0.0
IM14,4198.0.0.0.0
IM15,1229.0.0.0.0
IM16,1228.0.0.0.0
IM16,2228.0.0.0.0
IM17,1168.0.0.0.0
IM18,1173.0.0.0.0
IM18,3173.0.0.0.0
IM19,1220.270.076.0.0
MB10,1176.0.0.0.0
MB8,1182.0.0.0.0
MB9,1182.0.0.0.0
MBA5,1258.0.0.0.0
MBA6,1116.0.0.0.0
MBA7,1187.0.0.0.0
MBP10,1256.0.0.0.0
MBP10,2279.0.0.0.0
MBP11,1155.0.0.0.0
MBP11,2155.0.0.0.0
MBP11,4193.0.0.0.0
MBP12,1185.0.0.0.0
MBP13,1234.0.0.0.0
MBP13,2257.0.0.0.0
MBP13,3257.0.0.0.0
MBP14,1196.0.0.0.0
MBP14,2196.0.0.0.0
MBP14,3196.0.0.0.0
MBP9,1227.0.0.0.0
MM6,1279.0.0.0.0
MM7,1243.0.0.0.0
MP5,1144.0.0.0.0
MP6,1131.0.0.0.0
 
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What are the potential issues with _not_ having the latest boot ROM? I'm using the Angelshark carrier board and have already verified that I don't get an EFI updated with the original SSD installed in this board; removing it and reinstalling the original SSD would be a huge pain.

As is I'm running 10.14.5 with no problem with 127.0.0.0...
 
dramsey said:
What are the potential issues with _not_ having the latest boot ROM? I'm using the Angelshark carrier board and have already verified that I don't get an EFI updated with the original SSD installed in this board; removing it and reinstalling the original SSD would be a huge pain.

As is I'm running 10.14.5 with no problem with 127.0.0.0...
Click to expand...
Without the new microcodes with side channel mitigations, you are vulnerable to all MDS attacks.

127.0.0.0.0 is from October 5 last year, Apple implemented a lot of security corrections in the firmware since then.
 
Hm. Can you provide a link to the description of the security changes in new Mac Pro 6,1 firmware? Apple's own page on MDS attacks only mentions disabling hyper-threading, while noting there are no known exploits using these attack vectors.

It does seem odd that Apple would make the application of firmware updates both invisible-- there's no notification that the update has been applied, or, in my case, not been applied-- as well as putting arbitrary restrictions on it, like "will only work with original Apple SSD."
 
(I tried to update my previous reply, but the board won't let me, insisting that it's spam.)

Well, I went ahead and backed up the original SSD (which wasn't my boot drive), removed the Angelshark board, reinstalled the original SSD, ran the 10.14.5 installer, verified I now had bootrom 130.0.0.0, reinstalled the Angelshark board, restored the original content of the SSD. Nice way to kill a morning...
 
dramsey said:
(I tried to update my previous reply, but the board won't let me, insisting that it's spam.)

Well, I went ahead and backed up the original SSD (which wasn't my boot drive), removed the Angelshark board, reinstalled the original SSD, ran the 10.14.5 installer, verified I now had bootrom 130.0.0.0, reinstalled the Angelshark board, restored the original content of the SSD. Nice way to kill a morning...
Click to expand...
I agree with your previous statement - this is an arbitrary (and absurd) restriction. Is there a good explanation as to why the OEM SSD is necessary?

And guess what? It looks like you'll have to do it all over again once 10.14.6 is released.
 
kfscoll said:
I agree with your previous statement - this is an arbitrary (and absurd) restriction. Is there a good explanation as to why the OEM SSD is necessary?

And guess what? It looks like you'll have to do it all over again once 10.14.6 is released.
Click to expand...

Well, only if I feel a desperate need for the very latest EFI...
 
Has anyone update the firmware of a Samsung 970 PRO, without access to a windows machine?

edit 2:
found actually some useful instructions on this very forum:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/blade-ssds-nvme-ahci.2146725/page-35#post-27385884

edit: it was actually a 970 EVO, sorry for the spam, but it would be cool to actually know how to upgrade the fw without windows.

Has anyone update the firmware of a Samsung 970 PRO, without access to a windows machine?

Also I can't find the firmware on the Samsung website, there is one for the 960 PRO but not 970, I've seen on youtube videos a higher version of firmware that I've on mine tho.
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/
I've this version of fw: 1B2QEXP7
 
Last edited:
vmule said:
As anyone update the firmware of a Samsung 970 PRO, without access to a windows machine?
Also I can't find the firmware on the Samsung website, there is one for the 960 PRO but not 970, I've seen on youtube videos a higher version of firmware that I've on mine tho.
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

I've this version of fw: 1B2QEXP7
Click to expand...
This is what 'bootcamp' is for - those apps that don't exist on Apples but do run on Windows.

Add a Windows root, and install Magician. Like magic, all will be fixed.
 
adonis3k said:
anyone on 10.15 Catalina beta yet?
Click to expand...

I played with it briefly on my laptop. It's going to break a LOT of things: deprecated 32 bit apps aside, the way it bundles a read-only system volume and your data (on a separate volume) inside an APFS container, which the Finder makes appear as a single volume, just like always, is going to create problems with anything that relies on path names.

I'm sure it's all for the best, but the upgrade is going to be sufficiently nasty-- for me, at least-- that I'll wait until a stable release version is out.
 
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Hi there (the following is a cross posting - hope that this is cool):

Wanted to ask the community for a double check on my plan of upgrade.

I have a Mac Pro 2013 (spec down below) and I'm attempting to install:

Intel 660p M.2 2280 2TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPEKNW020T8X1
(Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCLLKDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Sintech NGFF M.2 nVME SSD Adapter Card for Upgrade MacBook Air(2013-2016 Year) and Mac PRO(Late 2013-2015 Year)
(Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FYY3H5F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

My computer is running Mojave and I have a Mojave bootable USB stick in the wings waiting.

Do I need the Kapton tape or not? (My sintech appears Black - not the Green version).

My Computer specs:

Model Identifier: MacPro6,1
Processor Name: 6-Core Intel Xeon E5
Processor Speed: 3.5 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled
Memory: 32 GB
Boot ROM Version: 130.0.0.0.0
SMC Version (system): 2.20f18
Illumination Version: 1.4a6

Thanks in advance for the input.
 
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As far as I know, nobody's tried this SSD-- or any of the new QLC drives-- in a Mac Pro 6,1. I use Samsung Evo SSDs (in an Amfeltec Angelshark board) with no problem, and they provide about twice the sequential performance of the original Apple drive.

Let us know how it works. From the photo of the adapter you're using I don't think Kapton tape will be necessary.
 
Hi there, wanting to report back. The install worked well, knock on wood. It has been a solid 48 hours - and the Mac Pro is fully restored with the new drive without issue....I'm using said computer to write this response.

I don't know why, but I put Kapton tape around the SinTech adaptor....Only when I inserted this into the computer, I realized that this was probably a complete waste as there's nothing to short against.

UPDATE: Was asked if SMART was supported - looking and it is NOT Supported.
 
Last edited:
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10.16 DP3 has a new MP6,1 BootROM:

Code: 
$IBIOSI$ MP61.88Z.F000.B00.1906132222
Copyright (c) 2005-2019 Apple Inc.  All rights reserved.
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP61
  EFI Version:  132.0.0.0.0
  Built by:     root@saumon
  Date:         Thu Jun 13 22:22:30 PDT 2019
  Revision:     132 (B&I)
  ROM Version:  F000_B00
  Build Type:   Official Build, Release
  Compiler:     Apple clang version 3.0 (tags/Apple/clang-211.10.1) (based on LLVM 3.0svn)

10.15 DP3 EFI Version table for non BridgeOS Macs:

(Almost all Catalina supported Macs had firmware upgrades, most got two versions over)

Mac:EFI version:
IM13,1287.0.0.0.0
IM14,1139.0.0.0.0
IM14,2139.0.0.0.0
IM14,3139.0.0.0.0
IM14,4199.0.0.0.0
IM15,1230.0.0.0.0
IM16,1229.0.0.0.0
IM16,2229.0.0.0.0
IM17,1170.0.0.0.0
IM18,1175.0.0.0.0
IM18,3175.0.0.0.0
IM19,11022.0.0.0.0
MB10,1178.0.0.0.0
MB8,1183.0.0.0.0
MB9,1184.0.0.0.0
MBA5,1259.0.0.0.0
MBA6,1117.0.0.0.0
MBA7,1188.0.0.0.0
MBP10,1257.0.0.0.0
MBP10,2280.0.0.0.0
MBP11,1156.0.0.0.0
MBP11,2156.0.0.0.0
MBP11,4194.0.0.0.0
MBP12,1186.0.0.0.0
MBP13,1236.0.0.0.0
MBP13,2259.0.0.0.0
MBP13,3259.0.0.0.0
MBP14,1198.0.0.0.0
MBP14,2198.0.0.0.0
MBP14,3198.0.0.0.0
MBP9,1228.0.0.0.0
MM6,1280.0.0.0.0
MM7,1244.0.0.0.0
MP6,1132.0.0.0.0
 
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tsialex said:
10.16 DP3 has a new MP6,1 BootROM:

10.15 DP3 EFI Version table for non BridgeOS Macs:

(Almost all Catalina supported Macs had firmware upgrades, most got two versions over)
Click to expand...

RE: I'm so sorry to ask, I just couldn't find them myself - could you show the link to these firmware updates. Thanks.
 
jflowers said:
RE: I'm so sorry to ask, I just couldn't find them myself - could you show the link to these firmware updates. Thanks.
Click to expand...
You most likely have to be a registered apple developer to receive the Catalina DP3 that includes the firmware update.
I haven't installed it yet since I'm not home. You can also wait for the public beta.
 
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