MP 1,1-5,1 Turn My Old Mac Pro into a New One

[Super-Upgrade]

Dear all,
I have an aged and beloved 2010 (mid) Mac Pro. It’s the single processor version.

Processor 2.8 GHz Quad core Nehalem Xeon W3530
RAM 10GB 1066 MHz DDR3
SSD 500
Graphics ATI RADEON HD 5570 1024

I want to upgrade to most powerful spec possible, everything, a complete overhaul, whatever is necessary to bring up to date.

I intend to use the machine primarily for Logic and Final Cut.

As the machine is only a single processor, I wonder if I would be better buying an old Dual processor Mac Pro that can be upgraded to 12 cores? I wonder how deficient my maxed-out single processor machine would be in comparison to a dual processor unit, especially as Logic and Final cut are optimised. (The motherboard etc with my exsisting unit is all good so I have some piece of mind in relation to future longevity)

My questions are:

• What’s the best spec you would recommend for the single processor system?
• Your views on buying the dual core unit instead.

I’d be hugely grateful any guidance you could offer.

Thanks.

 

[r6mile]

Dear all,
I have an aged and beloved 2010 (mid) Mac Pro. It’s the single processor version.

Processor 2.8 GHz Quad core Nehalem Xeon W3530
RAM 10GB 1066 MHz DDR3
SSD 500
Graphics ATI RADEON HD 5570 1024

I want to upgrade to most powerful spec possible, everything, a complete overhaul, whatever is necessary to bring up to date.

I intend to use the machine primarily for Logic and Final Cut.

As the machine is only a single processor, I wonder if I would be better buying an old Dual processor Mac Pro that can be upgraded to 12 cores? I wonder how deficient my maxed-out single processor machine would be in comparison to a dual processor unit, especially as Logic and Final cut are optimised. (The motherboard etc with my exsisting unit is all good so I have some piece of mind in relation to future longevity)

My questions are:

• What’s the best spec you would recommend for the single processor system?
• Your views on buying the dual core unit instead.

I’d be hugely grateful any guidance you could offer.

Thanks.

Plenty of people have gone through the same thing here, and I haven't done this myself on a 5,1 (I have a 3,1 Mac Pro), but have stalked these forums long enough to know enough. I would recommend you read the various threads on the different components (CPU/GPU)

- CPU: The 3.46Ghz six-core Xeon (X5690) is the fastest CPU for it. To upgrade to a dual-CPU system you need to get a dual-CPU tray from a 5,1 Mac Pro - these often cost as much as a new machine. Up to you whether you'd want to go through the expense and trouble of that - I don't personally know if Logic and Final Cut would make use of all the extra cores.
- RAM: You can go up to 48GB of DDR-1066 RAM.
- GPU: Highly recommend checking out the thread on this, but the Radeon RX580 seems a popular choice.
- Storage: Get a nVME SSD - again, there is a whole thread on this.

 

[macguru9999]

Plenty of people have gone through the same thing here, and I haven't done this myself on a 5,1 (I have a 3,1 Mac Pro), but have stalked these forums long enough to know enough. I would recommend you read the various threads on the different components (CPU/GPU)

- CPU: The 3.46Ghz six-core Xeon (X5690) is the fastest CPU for it. To upgrade to a dual-CPU system you need to get a dual-CPU tray from a 5,1 Mac Pro - these often cost as much as a new machine. Up to you whether you'd want to go through the expense and trouble of that - I don't personally know if Logic and Final Cut would make use of all the extra cores.
- RAM: You can go up to 48GB of DDR-1066 RAM.
- GPU: Highly recommend checking out the thread on this, but the Radeon RX580 seems a popular choice.
- Storage: Get a nVME SSD - again, there is a whole thread on this.

If you read the spec below my post thats a pretty maxxed out single core .....

 

[KeesMacPro]

• What’s the best spec you would recommend for the single processor system?

I'd recommend the following:
-X5690 6core processor(fastest)
-(3X) 16GB 1333mHz Ram
triple channel is the fastest, in combination with a 6core CPU, the RAM runs at 1333mHz instaed of 1066mHz.
-NVMe blade(s) with adapter e.g. KRYO m.2 (EVO) or I/O CREST SI-PEX 40129 or HIGHPOINT 7101.
depending on your budget, with a adapter speed I/O is limited to ~1500mb/s with a I/O Crest or HP speed ~ 3500mb/s

Since you work with FCPX , I think a VEGA 56/64 or a RADEON VII might be the best choice.
Note that you'll have to do the PIXLAS mod to power these GPUs properly.

• Your views on buying the dual core unit instead.

From my experience with Logic, I 'd recommend to install a dual CPU tray, especially if you work with lots of plugins etc.
I dont work with video but AFAIK for FCPX the GPU is more relevant and lots of applications are working on single core , so there would be no advantage by installing 2 CPUs...

Note that the CPU tray SMC version has to match with the LogicBoard number:
MP 4,1(2009): 1f39.5
MP 5,1(2010/2012): 1f39.11

 

[ADDvanced]

Just my POV but fully upgrading isn’t a great value. You have to spend a lot to get it to out perform a Mac mini i7.

That being said cpu upgrades are cheap, you could swap to a hex core and gain a lot, also, nvme doesn’t have to cost that much. The raid nvme is expensive and gets you 3000mb/sec but for really cheap you can get 1400-1500mb/sec. I ordered a $13 pcie card of amazon and a $40 256 gig nvme drives. Super fast. To go faster it would cost MUCH more than $55

 

[Super-Upgrade]

r6mile, macguru9999 My huge thanks for your help with this.

KeesMacPro thank you. Yes I primarily intended to use the machine for Logic. You've made me err towards buying the dual core tray and maxing that out. But … ADDvanced thank you, you have doubting my plan
I was prepared to pay around a £1300ish for a maxed out tray; but if I was spending that kind of money I’d want it to be around current modern pro benchmarks (not new mac pro benchmarks, just a solid pro workstation) I've seen Youtube vids where maxed dual cores deliver great geekbench scores. But, we're saying a maxed out dual core would only be marginally better than a Mac Mini i7 and not really economical. ? I thought I'd found my solution!
Again, my great thanks for your advice guys.

 

[DPUser]

A lot depends on where you live and if you get lucky and stumble across a great deal from something like Craigslist. I bought my last 2010 8 Core for $150; total cost to build it into a 12 core 3.33gHz machine was so low as to be simply unbeatable. I purchased another 8 Core 2010 a few years back for $500 and upgraded it to 12 cores as well. Since I do tons of audio and don't mess much with video, I went with RX460 GPUs in both, and didn't bother with PCIe SSDs, just a bunch of SATA SSDs. I've got one machine running my studio; the second is a backup, ready to roll at a moment's notice.

I'd recommend you try to find a great deal on a complete 2010 Dual; that way, you'll have spare parts, and you can build out your current Single CPU Mac Pro with a single X5680 for virtually nothing, maybe even sell it and recoup your investment in the Dual. That's what I did... each time I bought a Dual CPU, I sold a Single Hex for about what I paid for the Dual and its upgrades. The knowledge you possess, combined with the courage to perform the upgrades has value in the market... many are simply afraid to try!

If you will be keeping the single core, you may want to go all the way to the X5690, but you'll pay about double for the 4% it gets you over a 5680.

 

[Grumply]

I've not worked with Logic myself, but Final Cut will work like a dream if you max out the computer (12-core 3.46Ghz, 6x 16GB of RAM - the fastest RAM config, plonk in three SSDs - one for OSX, one for cache, a big one for media, and then shove a Radeon VII in there and add Hardware Acceleration through Martin Lo's Open Core setup).

I can literally edit 8k Redcode footage like butter in FCPX on mine (I do have two Radeon VIIs in mine, but one should still go a long way). It's crazy for a 10 year old computer.

 

[r6mile]

r6mile, macguru9999 My huge thanks for your help with this.

KeesMacPro thank you. Yes I primarily intended to use the machine for Logic. You've made me err towards buying the dual core tray and maxing that out. But … ADDvanced thank you, you have doubting my plan
I was prepared to pay around a £1300ish for a maxed out tray; but if I was spending that kind of money I’d want it to be around current modern pro benchmarks (not new mac pro benchmarks, just a solid pro workstation) I've seen Youtube vids where maxed dual cores deliver great geekbench scores. But, we're saying a maxed out dual core would only be marginally better than a Mac Mini i7 and not really economical. ? I thought I'd found my solution!
Again, my great thanks for your advice guys.

There are some cost-effective upgrades that will cost a lot less than that though. As @DPUser has pointed out, a Xeon X5680 (seen on eBay for £35-40) will cost half the price of a X5690, RAM is cheap so you can easily go to 48GB, a RX580 is 'only' about £150, and an nVMe SSD will also not cost very much. Worth a try in my view.

 

[KeesMacPro]

I primarily intended to use the machine for Logic. You've made me err towards buying the dual core tray and maxing that out. But … @ADDvanced thank you, you have doubting my plan

Since this is the case, I highly doubt that this is true:

You have to spend a lot to get it to out perform a Mac mini i7.

The improvement working with Logic upgrading from e.g. 2,66gHz 4core to 3,46gHZ 6core is substantial.
Logic is a multi core application.
So a cMP 2X3,46gHz 6 core will outperform a MacMini I7 without twinking an eye..
Benchmarks only show results for specific tasks, if the workload in real life is another cookie, the benchmark result is irrelevant..

I think the advice given by @DPUser is a smart move to keep costs low:

I'd recommend you try to find a great deal on a complete 2010 Dual; that way, you'll have spare parts, and you can build out your current Single CPU Mac Pro with a single X5680 for virtually nothing, maybe even sell it and recoup your investment in the Dual.

EDIT: to get optimum performance with a dual CPU, I'd recommend to install 6 RAM modules e.g. 6X8GB or 6X16GB

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I would recommend X5675 over X5690 because:
- Much lower TPD
- Little decrease in performance
- Much cheaper

But if you can use it as a heater, why not go for the highest setting possible?
He he he....