Transplanting The Apple 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard

[semilion]

Hi have a 2009 5,1 mac pro (10.11.6 os) with the upgraded Apple 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard in it. I have a 2012 6-cor 3.33ghz mac pro. I want to take the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard and put it into the 2012 Mac Pro. I had to update the firmware in the 2009 Mac Pro to accept the daughterboard. Do I need to do the same for the 2012? If so, I have questions:

1. Where would I go to get that firmware upgrade?
2. What version of firmware upgrade do I need?
3. Can I place the 6-core 3.33ghz daughterboard into the 2009 Mac Pro?
4. Can I then upgrade the 2012 with the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard to Mojave?
5. Would Catalina work in the 2012 with the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard in it?

Thanks so much

 

[KeesMacPro]

Hi
Unfortunately the Processorboard and logicboard of a 4,1(2009) and 5,1 (2010/2012) are not interchangeable.
All other parts are egual and interchangeable.
The SMC version of the boards (independent of a Firmware upgrade) is:
2009: SMC: 1.39f05
2010/2012: SMC: 1.39f11

If you combine a 4,1 CPU tray with a 5,1 LogicBoard (or a 5,1 CPU Tray with 4,1 LoBo) the fans will go full RPM as a result of failmode.

About your questions:
1- depending on the FW version it is now , for the 4,1 (unflashed) : firmware tool to get the 5,1 FW to be able to upgrade step by step up to Mojave natively.
2- The firmware upgrade ( for 5,1 ) is part of several OS installers e.g. High Sierra and Mojave.
The version you need depends on the OS you'd like to install and in case of e.g. NVMe drives you'd like to install.
3-no, as described above.
4-no , same issue: LoBo and CPU Tray SMC version are different.
5-Yes, with both MPs: 4,1 after flashing the FW to 5,1 , you can natively install up to Mojave on both.
As long as you dont swap the CPU trays between them.

For Catalina /Big Sur you can use the DosDude patcher or install OpenCore.
IN both cases you need to have the latest firmware that comes with the Mojave installer.

EDIT:
Just saw that you evidently already flashed the MP 2009 with 5,1 firmware:

I had to update the firmware in the 2009 Mac Pro to accept the daughterboard

This is not correct: you had to flash the firmware of the LoBo to 5,1 because the CPUs are Westmere (3.46 GHz 6core) which dont work with the 4,1 Firmware , not the daughterboard itself.
Since you got 2 MP 5,1 (one flashed , one original) there's no point at all to swap the CPU trays.

 

[semilion]

Hi
Unfortunately the Processorboard and logicboard of a 4,1(2009) and 5,1 (2010/2012) are not interchangeable.
All other parts are egual and interchangeable.
The SMC version of the boards (independent of a Firmware upgrade) is:
2009: SMC: 1.39f05
2010/2012: SMC: 1.39f11

If you combine a 4,1 CPU tray with a 5,1 LogicBoard (or a 5,1 CPU Tray with 4,1 LoBo) the fans will go full RPM as a result of failmode.

About your questions:
1- depending on the FW version it is now , for the 4,1 (unflashed) : firmware tool to get the 5,1 FW to be able to upgrade step by step up to Mojave natively.
2- The firmware upgrade ( for 5,1 ) is part of several OS installers e.g. High Sierra and Mojave.
The version you need depends on the OS you'd like to install and in case of e.g. NVMe drives you'd like to install.
3-no, as described above.
4-no , same issue: LoBo and CPU Tray SMC version are different.
5-Yes, with both MPs: 4,1 after flashing the FW to 5,1 , you can natively install up to Mojave on both.
As long as you dont swap the CPU trays between them.

For Catalina /Big Sur you can use the DosDude patcher or install OpenCore.
IN both cases you need to have the latest firmware that comes with the Mojave installer.

EDIT:
Just saw that you evidently already flashed the MP 2009 with 5,1 firmware:



This is not correct: you had to flash the firmware of the LoBo to 5,1 because the CPUs are Westmere (3.46 GHz 6core) which dont work with the 4,1 Firmware , not the daughterboard itself.
Since you got 2 MP 5,1 (one flashed , one original) there's no point at all to swap the CPU trays.

Hi I'm so confused now. Because my 2009 was flashed to a 5,1 does this mean I can put the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard into the 2012 Mac Pro?

ON A SIDE NOTE:
I do not have an operating system in the 2012. No Drives at all. I can put a 1tb in there and install mojave BEFORE I put the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard in. Would you recommend that?

Otherwise, I was just going to move the drives from the 2009 into the 2012. My os is 10.11.16. I have 4x 4TB SATA and 1x 1TB SSD via PCI card to transfer over.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Hi I'm so confused now.

I understand its perhaps a lot of information I gave, sorry.

Because my 2009 was flashed to a 5,1 does this mean I can put the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard into the 2012 Mac Pro?

No. As I explained, CPU tray and Logicboard are not swappable, but there's really no reason either.
Both MPs are upgradable egually.

I can put a 1tb in there and install mojave BEFORE I put the 2x 3.46ghz daughterboard in. Would you recommend that?

NO. You seem to fail to understand what I wrote. You could put the 1TB HDD in the 2009 MP or in th other one, but the CPU tray is not swappable.

I'm afraid I can only repeat what I wrote: Both MPs are egual upgradable , so there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to swap the CPU tray between them.

To put it in a few words:
You have 2 Mac Pro 5,1:
1 with 2X3,46 6core (X5690)
1 with 1X 3,33 6 core (X5680)

 

[MacUser2525]

I understand its perhaps a lot of information I gave, sorry.


No. As I explained, CPU tray and Logicboard are not swappable, but there's really no reason either.
Both MPs are upgradable egually.


NO. You seem to fail to understand what I wrote. You could put the 1TB HDD in the 2009 MP or in th other one, but the CPU tray is not swappable.

I'm afraid I can only repeat what I wrote: Both MPs are egual upgradable , so there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to swap the CPU tray between them.

To put it in a few words:
You have 2 Mac Pro 5,1:
1 with 2X3,46 6core (X5690)
1 with 1X 3,33 6 core (X5680)

To drive the point further home, to the OP, once you have upgraded a 4,1 with the 5,1 firmware to run the processors you have, you have converted it to a 5,1 model. With the limitations of only being able to run a 4,1 tray in it. All the processors that work in a 5,1 will now work in the converted 4,1. Either in a single or dual tray. The single being the easiest to put the processors in as it used lidded cpus, the dual tray only uses the delidded cpu unless you do some extra steps to use the lidded. To get Mojave on your machine you will need to upgrade to a metal compatible video card. There is a massive thread here by tsialex on the steps required to do this. You may need to upgrade the bootrom again depending on your version now.

Edit: found the link.

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

 

[semilion]

I understand its perhaps a lot of information I gave, sorry.


No. As I explained, CPU tray and Logicboard are not swappable, but there's really no reason either.
Both MPs are upgradable egually.


NO. You seem to fail to understand what I wrote. You could put the 1TB HDD in the 2009 MP or in th other one, but the CPU tray is not swappable.

I'm afraid I can only repeat what I wrote: Both MPs are egual upgradable , so there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to swap the CPU tray between them.

To put it in a few words:
You have 2 Mac Pro 5,1:
1 with 2X3,46 6core (X5690)
1 with 1X 3,33 6 core (X5680)

oh No, I never meant to transplant the logic board. Just the daughterboard. But thanks so much

 

[KeesMacPro]

Both Logicboard and CPU TRay have a SMC number.
This has to match.

If you combine a 4,1 CPU tray with a 5,1 LogicBoard (or a 5,1 CPU Tray with 4,1 LoBo) the fans will go full RPM as a result of failmode.

As explained by @MacUser2525 and me, there are lots of possible upgrades for both MPs.
I recommend to read the previous posts until you understand the information.
There's no point in going in circles.