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Xs 1,1-3,1 time for a sticky: Xserve upgrade guide

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reukiodo said:
Does just 1 work? Which brand/model are they?
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I was wondering,
When you flash a MacPro5,1 rom the the Xserve3,1 it shows up as a 2012 Mac Pro, but if you replace the serial number in your dump by the one of your Xserve, it should appear as an Xserve right ?
 
I was wondering, i want to do some firmware test on my xserve3,1. Does anybody knows where is the firmware flash on the logic board ? What kind of flash it is ? Thanks you !
 
I upgraded my xserve to 3.3Ghz 12 Core via 5,1 using multiple Bios versions - latest 144.0.0.0. One thing annoying, the additional memory slots can't be used. 128GB max in Mac OS. But great booting with NVMe, USB-C, and even MXM GPU. Geekbench shows comparable and faster speed than 12 core cMP.
 

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mac_user_1982 said:
I upgraded my xserve to 3.3Ghz 12 Core via 5,1 using multiple Bios versions - latest 144.0.0.0. One thing annoying, the additional memory slots can't be used. 128GB max in Mac OS. But great booting with NVMe, USB-C, and even MXM GPU. Geekbench shows comparable and faster speed than 12 core cMP.
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How did you go about installing mojave? Im just going through the process now and it wont let me update via the app store and im still running el capitan, i have installed mojave on another ssd via my MP but when i put it in the xserve i cant get it to boot. My xserve and MP are running the same gpus and firmware so i don’t understand why it wont work.

Also you have a great build and that is what i am looking to setup!
 
P1ratz said:
How did you go about installing mojave? Im just going through the process now and it wont let me update via the app store and im still running el capitan, i have installed mojave on another ssd via my MP but when i put it in the xserve i cant get it to boot. My xserve and MP are running the same gpus and firmware so i don’t understand why it wont work.

Also you have a great build and that is what i am looking to setup!
Click to expand...

boot with -no_compat_check added to your boot args.
 
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So i added -no_compact_check and rebooted, now stuck in boot loop. I also reset nvram and still in loop. I am running a gt710 in it though so no boot screen. Do i need to use the gt120 to boot verbose or should my pcie card state not have changed?
 
mac_user_1982 said:
see here:
macOS 10.12 Sierra Unsupported Macs Thread

and yes I usually test with a boot screen - gt120 or other
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I had a look at that thread u linked but couldn’t find what i need to do. I added no compact check to my el captain installation and it resulted in me needing to re install. Am I supposed to add it to the installer? What steps did u take to get it installed. Sorry if i am a bit of a noob and I really appreciate your help.

Thanks.
 
Hi,

I own an Xserve3,1 single CPU and i want to do some firmware tweeking. Before i do so, i am looking for a way to recover my Xserve in case of bricking... Does anybody knows what type of eeprom is used to store the firmware and where it is located on the logic board ?

Also, i have purchased a 50$ dual CPU brend new logic board for it. This way if the first one is dead i can still use my Xserve.
 
Yojx21 said:
Hi,

I own an Xserve3,1 single CPU and i want to do some firmware tweeking. Before i do so, i am looking for a way to recover my Xserve in case of bricking... Does anybody knows what type of eeprom is used to store the firmware and where it is located on the logic board ?

Also, i have purchased a 50$ dual CPU brend new logic board for it. This way if the first one is dead i can still use my Xserve.
Click to expand...
What firmware tweaking do you intend on doing? And what do you wish to achieve?
 
Yojx21 said:
As some enthusiast member, i am trying to run 6 core Xeon on the original Xserve ROM. :)
Click to expand...
I like your ambition! But if i may ask, what does the original rom give you vs using the cMp5,1 aside from properly configured ram slots?

I to bought a 3,1 Xserve with a single cpu board. Now updated to a dual cpu board that i have flashed and installed two x5690 cpus in alongside mojave. Only downside so far is not being able to use 4/12 ram slots. But i think its a fair tradeoff considering i can boot from nvme and use apfs as well as run 6 core cpus.
 
Have you checked if LOM still works on the MP firmware? It's already been reported that all the front CPU/network lights don't work after flash to MP firmware.
 
No LOM with cMp firmware. But unless you plan on running el capitan,support for that feature has been removed from any further mac os to my knowledge. It would be nice to enable it but im sure there is a way around it somehow.
 
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