MP 6,1 Should I buy a Mac Pro 2013?

[mikas]

Bought my third one. Price was the driving force and made me do an impulse decision. 850€ for a 6-core D500.

Next test step is that RX6800XT w TB2toTB3 eGPU.
But they still are beautifull aren't they.

 

[avro707]

I impulsively bought one last week (12-core, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, D700 GPUS's) for around AUD1900 (around 1000EUR). Seemed like a good deal and at about half the price of other equivalent machines (plus postage) on eBay. The former owner lives close by and is a developer i.e. Xcode, VM's, etc.. The machine is in perfect condition; they are beautiful pieces of technology. I toyed with the idea of waiting to see what the next Mac-mini's looked like but in the end went for something with more presence! I'm hoping the GPU's don't go up in smoke for at least 12 months. If I spot another machine with D300's going cheap I might get it for spares. I've got TG Pro monitoring temperature, generally runs around 60C. Not sure if I should redo the thermal paste or just leave it alone.

The one I have here 12 core 2.4ghz and D700 GPUs and 1TB SSD with 64GB generally sits around 50-55ºC. The former owner reckons he changed the thermal paste on it which is an involved process.

It's a quick machine and appears to have been beautifully looked after but I don't trust it as much as I do the old 5,1. And the GPUs worry me too. I'll check out all of that when the Xeon E5 2697 2.7ghz CPU arrives.

 

[tsialex]

The one I have here 12 core 2.4ghz and D700 GPUs and 1TB SSD with 64GB generally sits around 50-55ºC. The former owner reckons he changed the thermal paste on it which is an involved process.

It's a quick machine and appears to have been beautifully looked after but I don't trust it as much as I do the old 5,1. And the GPUs worry me too. I'll check out all of that when the Xeon E5 2697 2.7ghz CPU arrives.

Don't forget to replace the BR2032 RTC battery when you change the processor, even if it's 3.00V, it's too complicated to tear it down to change the RTC battery later and when the voltage drops, you Mac Pro will start to have kernel panics when waking from sleep.

Never ever install a CR2032 in a MacPro6,1. You can replace a CR2032 every 6 months with a MacPro5,1, but you can't do the same with a late-2013.

You can buy BR2032 batteries from Mouser/Digikey/Farnel/Richelt/etc.

 

[avro707]

Don't forget to replace the BR2032 RTC battery when you change the processor, even if it's 3.00V, it's too complicated to tear it down to change the RTC battery later and when the voltage drops, you Mac Pro will start to have kernel panics when waking from sleep.

Never ever install a CR2032 in a MacPro6,1. You can replace a CR2032 every 6 months with a MacPro5,1, but you can't do the same with a late-2013.

You can buy BR2032 batteries from Mouser/Digikey/Farnel/Richelt/etc.

Thanks for the tip. I must say you are a massive source of knowledge on these computers!

My old 5,1 has never had that battery replaced in all the time I've had it. So maybe I should do so. It's a Panasonic BR2032 battery in that machine as well, I looked at it the other night when I upgraded the wifi and bluetooth:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zKmWrwd/1/e89473c0/O/i-zKmWrwd-O.jpg

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the tip. I must say you are a massive source of knowledge on these computers!

My old 5,1 has never had that battery replaced in all the time I've had it. So maybe I should do so. It's a Panasonic BR2032 battery in that machine as well, I looked at it the other night when I upgraded the wifi and bluetooth:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zKmWrwd/1/e89473c0/O/i-zKmWrwd-O.jpg

Whenever I buy a used MacPro, I'll always replace the RTC battery, the SPI flash memory and the northbridge heatsink push pins plus repaste all heatsinks. Doing this preventive maintenance takes time and some money, but I'll solve from the start 3/4 of the problems that usually kill an early-2009 to mid-2012 Mac Pro.

 

[avro707]

Whenever I buy a used MacPro, I'll always replace the RTC battery, the SPI flash memory and the northbridge heatsink push pins plus repaste all heatsinks. Doing this preventive maintenance takes time and some money, but I'll solve from the start 3/4 of the problems that usually kill an early-2009 to mid-2012 Mac Pro.

Batteries are on order. The plastic northbridge heatsink push pins should arrive today.

 

[plunger]

The one I have here 12 core 2.4ghz and D700 GPUs and 1TB SSD with 64GB generally sits around 50-55ºC. The former owner reckons he changed the thermal paste on it which is an involved process.

It's a quick machine and appears to have been beautifully looked after but I don't trust it as much as I do the old 5,1. And the GPUs worry me too. I'll check out all of that when the Xeon E5 2697 2.7ghz CPU arrives.

Apple ran a GPU replacement program for machines manufactured between February 8, 2015 and April 11, 2015 with D500 and D700 cards. My machine was built during 2014 so maybe I'm OK.

 

[MisterAndrew]

It's better not to take apart the 6,1 if you don't have to. If it really needs something take it to the Apple store and have them do it. Too many people have destroyed their CPU riser card by twisting the standoff nuts without realizing it.

 

[avro707]

Apple ran a GPU replacement program for machines manufactured between February 8, 2015 and April 11, 2015 with D500 and D700 cards. My machine was built during 2014 so maybe I'm OK.

Mine is November 2014 so fingers crossed. I was able to track down the actual build date of it.

I haven't decided if I'll do the CPU upgrade myself yet. Apple Stores here are not yet re-opened because of the lockdown due to Covid-delta strain. I'm not in a hurry but I've got the processor on the way.

The most I've done so far is just take the cooling fan off and the base of it to clear dust out of them.

 

[Mac3Duser]

I changed the cpu myself. I had a six-core and bought a true 12-core xeon for $ 100 on ebay. Disassembly is not easy, but if you proceed meticulously as in the tutorials available on the web, we can't go wrong. Dusting off all parts is a good thing. On the other hand, the 12-core seems to be slower on some tasks, and with a lot of apps, and faster when you really have apps that take all cores. Think carefully about your use, the upgrade is not always necessary. And the benchmarks mean nothing.
(The most difficult moment is when replacing the CPU bracket, you have to screw gradually, and not to be be afraid to screw.)

 

[mikas]

RX6800 XT tested as an eGPU with Mac Pro 2013. LuxBall is allmost the same as with Radeon VII.
OpenCL and Metall are pretty ok too, remembering that this is all through TB2-TB3 adapter.
Razor Core X is the eGPU HW with this one too. Apple TB2 to TB3 adapter and Apple TB2 cable.

Next I'll dive into some daily work pretty soon with this. My Dual 2010 will stand by me though. You never know.

HTH TECK

 

[iAssimilated]

RX6800 XT tested as an eGPU with Mac Pro 2013. LuxBall is allmost the same as with Radeon VII.
OpenCL and Metall are pretty ok too, remembering that this is all through TB2-TB3 adapter.
Razor Core X is the eGPU HW with this one too. Apple TB2 to TB3 adapter and Apple TB2 cable.

Next I'll dive into some daily work pretty soon with this. My Dual 2010 will stand by me though. You never know.
View attachment 1830972 View attachment 1830973 View attachment 1830974

HTH TECK

Is this the adapter you are referring to?

Thunderbolt 3 USB C to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - Apple

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

 

[mikas]

^ Yes it is, + a thunderbolt cable (0,5m version).

This setup sure looks like snakes nest or something with all the necessary cabling. Needs some thinking with cable management and routings.

 

[avro707]

I upgraded my Mac Pro 6,1 today with the 2.7ghz 12-core E5-2697V2:

I was totally shocked to see what this machine would cost new! Or even refurbished from Apple there was one at over 5000 pounds recently. That's $9800 Australian dollars or so.

This isn't a terrible upgrade to do, just follow the OWC video on Youtube and go very slowly and carefully. Don't rush anything, be methodical. Each set of screws goes in a labelled zip-lock bag so they don't go missing and you know what belongs where. I used Noctua thermal paste NT-H2.

 

[AngryRedTicTac]

I just found a 6,1 3.5 with D300s, 12GB and a 1TB drive for $600 across town. It's obviously an old machine, since the six core could apparently only be configured with the D300s for a short time. I have been holding out for a beefed up Mini, but this seems like a somewhat reasonable upgrade from my old 4,1. I hadn't really looked at them much, because the pricing was so high, but this seems entirely more reasonable. The D300s are obviously pathetic, even more so than my dinosaur 7950, but they can be run together in windows, can't they? I just looked for external GPUs, with predictably hopeless results, are the D300s that much worse than an M1, especially in Win?

 

[MarkC426]

eGPU's are not officially supported on 2013 macpro, although it is possible.

You could take a chance, but who knows the life left in it, it could die after a week.

You could use the $600 to upgrade your 5.1 instead.

 

[AngryRedTicTac]

eGPU's are not officially supported on 2013 macpro, although it is possible.

You could take a chance, but who knows the life left in it, it could die after a week.

You could use the $600 to upgrade your 5.1 instead.

That's the other pondering, there is actually a real 5,1 3.2 Quad 5870 for $375 on CL as well, betting I could walk with it for maybe $325. Super clean tower too, way nicer than my scratched up, tweaked case. X5690s are stupid cheap now, that would be a decent little bump all by itself. Now if only I could actually get ahold of a 580X or the like....

I didn't realize the eGPU thing wasn't actually supported, that's a big strike against it. Even a i7 Mini is better in that case.

 

[MarkC426]

At least with a cMP it is mega easy to fix/upgrade things (unlike a 6.1).

 

[richmlow]

I just found a 6,1 3.5 with D300s, 12GB and a 1TB drive for $600 across town. It's obviously an old machine, since the six core could apparently only be configured with the D300s for a short time. I have been holding out for a beefed up Mini, but this seems like a somewhat reasonable upgrade from my old 4,1. I hadn't really looked at them much, because the pricing was so high, but this seems entirely more reasonable. The D300s are obviously pathetic, even more so than my dinosaur 7950, but they can be run together in windows, can't they? I just looked for external GPUs, with predictably hopeless results, are the D300s that much worse than an M1, especially in Win?

That is an excellent price for the setup that you got!

Despite all the complaining and gnashing of teeth that people express (regarding the Mac Pro 6.1), I think that it's an awesome computer. Out of all the Macs that I have owned, my 6.1 has been the most reliable. It's a solid workhorse and I expect to use mine for many more years to come.


richmlow

 

[caner0]

I am using a base-model (4 core, D300, 256 GB stock SSD, upgraded to 96 GB OWC RAM) trashcan Mac Pro since 2017. It is running 7&24 as it is acting as a server on my homelab. Constantly running VM's VMware ESXi under Fusion, and doing some office stuff, and on top of that I can spend time on my video-editing hobby. It does not have any single problems *knocks wood*.

I only have several complaints about that:
1) If you are into video editing, it does not support hardware HEVC transcoding - so it is painful to watch and edit HEVC. On FCPX I am converting everything to ProRes.
2) It has limited USB ports, yes.
3) Spare parts are **exotic**. If your processor is broken - no problem you can replace it with a supported one from Intel. But when your D300/D500/D700 is faulty - then you are screwed. Also, any other parts will cost a fortune to get from Apple.

Performance-wise, 12 core version is still 17th fastest machine Apple is producing. If we ignore 2019 Mac Pro which is extremely expensive, we can say it is 12th fastest machine. I believe Mac Mini M1 really provides a better value for the money, and it comes with a warranty as well, but I am not sure how reliable it is on long term as "Mac Pro" type of workloads are pretty heavy and taxing for all components.

I am planning to keep mine until newer Mac Pro gets cheaper, but any unexpected graphic card failure may lose my sleep.

 

[vett93]

I changed the cpu myself. I had a six-core and bought a true 12-core xeon for $ 100 on ebay. Disassembly is not easy, but if you proceed meticulously as in the tutorials available on the web, we can't go wrong. Dusting off all parts is a good thing. On the other hand, the 12-core seems to be slower on some tasks, and with a lot of apps, and faster when you really have apps that take all cores. Think carefully about your use, the upgrade is not always necessary. And the benchmarks mean nothing.
(The most difficult moment is when replacing the CPU bracket, you have to screw gradually, and not to be be afraid to screw.)

The 12-core CPU has a slower clock speed and lower single-core performance. I did some research when I was upgrading 2 years ago, and decided to go with a 10-core Xeon CPU. It is not an official MP 6,1 CPU but it works just fine. Comparing to the the average performance published on Geekbench website, it has the single-core performance of 4/6-core CPU and the multi-core performance of 12-core CPU, which is the best of both worlds!

 

[avro707]

My 6,1 does a multi-core score of 7798 on Geekbench 5. It's very close to your 10 core one in single core.

I'm very interested to see how my 6,1 will compare with the 5,1 when it is also upgraded shortly.

My 5,1 will have these specs when the upgrade is done next week assuming nothing unexpected happens:

Dual 6 core Xeon X5690 3.46ghz
Sapphire Radeon RX580 8GB
Samsung 870 Evo SSD 2.5"
96GB 1333mhz RAM
macOS 11.5.2

 

[AngryRedTicTac]

I ended up trading my Carvin BelAir 212 combo amp for the 3.5 6-core D300 unit, pretty much a straight up trade at $600. I felt like I did pretty well, it was super clean, and I’m very impressed at how cool it stays with multiple benchmarks running at the same time. Looking forward to loading it up with some heavier lifting…

 

[avro707]

I bench tested my 5,1 against the 6,1 in Geekbench 5, I know, not realistic, but the 5,1 did 6665 on the multicore with 4x16GB 1333mhz ram in the machine. The 6,1 is certainly better (7798) despite being just a 2.7ghz against the dual 3.46ghz 6 core 5,1. I didn't run the 5,1 since after upgrading to 8x16GB RAM.

So they are definitely quick machines! ? The 5,1 certainly runs a lot cooler though as you'd expect even despite being stuffed with 8 ram chips and 2 processors.

 

[PhiloII]

First post

I'm currently running a 5,1 with some upgrades internal and external so I can run Monterey or Catalina with open core. I have an internal card for USB 3.1 and a Radeon RX 590. On a whim I picked up a 6,1 - unopened box found in storage D500 video perfect condition - great price.. Figure I can upgrade the memory and storage.
Logic, and everyone on this board tells me this will be no faster than my 5,1, and will likely have fewer upgrade options - but you have to admit it looks pretty sharp on the desktop. [Assuming I keep the plugs for external devices to a minimum]. Isn't that why most people buy Macs anyway - design and attention to detail?

So now I'm shopping for some NVMe memory.