MP 1,1-5,1 Upgrade path

[Derek Matarangas]

Hello, new to this forum but have been looking through the threads for months now but still having trouble coming to a decision.

My needs are : DaVinci resolve faster export and smoother playback. Not looking for the best computer on the market but something that will be much faster then my current laptop.

I currently own:
Mac Pro 3,1 with a Gtx 280 , 6gb of ram With an HD Cinema Display


&

Mac Pro laptop 2016 late 6gb ram
Render time 4K 8min file = 1 hour


The 3,1 at the moment is just used to manage files since the operating system is old and I have not messed with it yet.



I have done extensive research on what is needed to make the 5,1 pro the “best”.
In my research it seems I can pick up a Mac Pro 5,1 between 450-850$ with upgraded chip , NVME ssd 32gb ram and a better graphics card, or do this my self at the same price with a cheap 5,1.

For this same price I can pick up a Mac mini ?..... or a 2014ish I Mac. On this forum and others, one person will say the 5,1 can be better then 6,1 and others will say 5,1 can’t even compare to their laptop.


I’m looking to spend $800 max on a machine and just need it for a few more years. What is really the best option in my shoes? Looking for an upgrade to my current laptop.

I do love that I can add 4 large spinning disk and create a raid system internally on the mac towers and not have to buy a $500 external system that can’t ever be opened internally.


Below is a screen shot from a YouTuber that “test” a bunch of Mac computers.

Thank you
Derek

 

[MisterAndrew]

I think it will be tough to make a recommendation for that price range. I personally wouldn't recommend a 5,1 since it's no longer supported. I would use it disconnected from the internet due to the security vulnerability concerns. It might be the best option for you though in that price range. If you can swing it a 6,1 would be a good option since it's still fully supported. I don't think a Mac mini would be a good candidate for video editing. The integrated GPU is too weak and the addition of an eGPU puts it out of that price range. Perhaps you could get an eGPU to use with your current laptop. That would probably cut the render time down.

 

[Derek Matarangas]

I think it will be tough to make a recommendation for that price range. I personally wouldn't recommend a 5,1 since it's no longer supported. I would use it disconnected from the internet due to the security vulnerability concerns. It might be the best option for you though in that price range. If you can swing it a 6,1 would be a good option since it's still fully supported. I don't think a Mac mini would be a good candidate for video editing. The integrated GPU is too weak and the addition of an eGPU puts it out of that price range. Perhaps you could get an eGPU to use with your current laptop. That would probably cut the render time down.

Thank you for the quick reply.
I know $800 is not a realistic number for a computer....
Do you think I can make use out of my current gtx 280?

 

[Snow Tiger]

The GPU is the center of your universe with regards to Resolve rendering .

For under $1000 , you can make a respectable Mac Pro 5,1 video editing machine . It will not be the best .

It will officially run Mojave ( recommended ) and run unofficially Catalina if you are worried about another year's worth of future security updates .

Here is the breakdown . We'll design a configuration that will be easy for a novice to build :

Single Processor Quad Core Mac Pro 4,1 ( 2009 ) = $300 .
You can flash the firmware to make this model a Mac Pro 5,1 .
You can upgrade the boot ROM version to 144.0.0.0.0 .
Six Core 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon X5680 = $030 .
48 GB ( 3 x 16 GB ) 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC memory Samsung M393B2G70BH0-YH9 = $075 .
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 570 8GB Vram graphics card = $160 .
Standard 8 pin PCIe to Dual mini 6 pin PCIe booster power adapter cable = $007 .
Sintech PCIe NVMe M.2 drive adapter , with heatsink = $017 .
1 TB Intel 660p NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD = $125 . This is your boot and working drive .
USB 10 Gbps PCIe peripheral card . This will get you around 750 - 850 MB/s bandwidth = $030 .
macOS 10.14.6 Mojave .

Grand total = $744 .

 

[MisterAndrew]

I don't know if the GTX 280 is supported in Mojave. You'd probably want to go with a GTX 680 if you want to stay with Nvidia. A Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 580 is what I would recommend. It runs about $190 for a new one.

 

[Derek Matarangas]

The GPU is the center of your universe with regards to Resolve rendering .

For under $1000 , you can make a respectable Mac Pro 5,1 video editing machine . It will not be the best .

It will officially run Mojave ( recommended ) and run unofficially Catalina if you are worried about another year's worth of future security updates .

Here is the breakdown . We'll design a configuration that will be easy for a novice to build :

Single Processor Quad Core Mac Pro 4,1 ( 2009 ) = $300 .
You can flash the firmware to make this model a Mac Pro 5,1 .
You can upgrade the boot ROM version to 144.0.0.0.0 .
Six Core 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon X5680 = $030 .
48 GB ( 3 x 16 GB ) 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC memory Samsung M393B2G70BH0-YH9 = $075 .
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 570 8GB Vram graphics card = $160 .
Standard 8 pin PCIe to Dual mini 6 pin PCIe booster power adapter cable = $007 .
Sintech PCIe NVMe M.2 drive adapter , with heatsink = $017 .
1 TB Intel 660p NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD = $125 . This is your boot and working drive .
USB 10 Gbps PCIe peripheral card . This will get you around 750 - 850 MB/s bandwidth = $030 .
macOS 10.14.6 Mojave .

Grand total = $744 .

The GPU is the center of your universe with regards to Resolve rendering .

For under $1000 , you can make a respectable Mac Pro 5,1 video editing machine . It will not be the best .

It will officially run Mojave ( recommended ) and run unofficially Catalina if you are worried about another year's worth of future security updates .

Here is the breakdown . We'll design a configuration that will be easy for a novice to build :

Single Processor Quad Core Mac Pro 4,1 ( 2009 ) = $300 .
You can flash the firmware to make this model a Mac Pro 5,1 .
You can upgrade the boot ROM version to 144.0.0.0.0 .
Six Core 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon X5680 = $030 .
48 GB ( 3 x 16 GB ) 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC memory Samsung M393B2G70BH0-YH9 = $075 .
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 570 8GB Vram graphics card = $160 .
Standard 8 pin PCIe to Dual mini 6 pin PCIe booster power adapter cable = $007 .
Sintech PCIe NVMe M.2 drive adapter , with heatsink = $017 .
1 TB Intel 660p NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD = $125 . This is your boot and working drive .
USB 10 Gbps PCIe peripheral card . This will get you around 750 - 850 MB/s bandwidth = $030 .
macOS 10.14.6 Mojave .

Grand total = $744 .

Thank you very much for the breakdown and reply.
I have read on this forum that the 5,1 is preferable to the 4,1 and others say it’s the same machine besides the heat shield needing to be removed from the processor. ( I’ve seen many videos and post of people installing the processor out the box in the 4,
1)so the info I have found is a bit all over the place.

I’ve also read high Sierra is preferable on the 5,1?
Is the 5,1 a superior machine to a flashed 4,1?

Don’t I want a 12 core? I do have the studio version of resolve.

I don’t think I have the capability to do a flash but also have not looked that much into that “part” of the upgrade. I can definitely install a processor,ram graphics card ect.

Do I need to upgrade the WiFi on the 5,1?
My WiFi works perfectly on my 3,1, I don’t understand that aspect.

Thank you

 

[Snow Tiger]

"Thank you very much for the breakdown and reply.
I have read on this forum that the 5,1 is preferable to the 4,1 and others say it’s the same machine besides the heat shield needing to be removed from the processor. ( I’ve seen many videos and post of people installing the processor out the box in the 4,
1)so the info I have found is a bit all over the place."

The model that is difficult to processor upgrade is the factory Dual Processor Mac Pro 4,1 ( 2009 ) . It uses an unusual thin processor form factor called IHS-less processor . IHS-less = Integrated Heat Spreader-less . Aftermarket processors for upgrades are thicker ( standard heat spreader ) and this must be taken into account or damage will occur to the Mac .

The factory Dual Processor Mac Pro 5,1 ( 2010 or 2012 ) are much easier to upgrade . They use a common form factor processor with a standard heat spreader . This model can use aftermarket processors for upgrades without any issues .

Both the factory Single Processor Mac Pro 4,1 ( 2009 ) and 5,1 ( 2010-12 ) models have the standard heat spreader processors . All these Macs are easy to upgrade with aftermarket processors as they have the same form factor .

You need a Dual Processor Mac Pro if you desire a 12 Core configuration . 2 x Hexacore . The advantage of the second processor is that a larger memory configuration is supported . The second processor might also assist in skimming operations . It probably won't help with rendering , as that is primarily GPU based . These machines cost roughly 250-450 more to build compared to the estimate given earlier by me .

You might not actually need a Dual Processor Mac for Resolve rendering . Video editing doesn't require dual processors . It requires one or two powerful matching GPUs . It does not require a lot of main system memory ( maybe 32 to 64 GB ) . It does require fast , dedicated working drives to write projects live , without latency ( ≈ 1250 MB/s for 4K raw at lower settings ) .


I’ve also read high Sierra is preferable on the 5,1?

Sierra and Mojave are the preferred macOSes for these machines . A lot of users complain about HS . There are purists who prefer Snow Leopard , the last true desktop OS from Apple . You might consider air gapping your System for security reasons .

Is the 5,1 a superior machine to a flashed 4,1?

Should be operationally the same . I only had one person , a tech from a major Mac upgrade manufacturer , claim otherwise . All the upgrades a 5,1 can have a 4,1 > 5,1 can have as well .

Don’t I want a 12 core? I do have the studio version of resolve.

I don’t think I have the capability to do a flash but also have not looked that much into that “part” of the upgrade. I can definitely install a processor,ram graphics card ect.

If you cannot handle flashing model identifier firmware , you might want to buy the more expensive factory Mac Pro 5,1 . The boot ROM upgrades are automatic when performing fresh OS installs . Just make certain your Mac does not have an interrupted firmware update or OS install , as you might brick your Mac .

Do I need to upgrade the WiFi on the 5,1?

Historically , for production machines , wired connections are more secure , fast , reliable and easy to connect . However , with modern wireless systems we get some fast and cool options and Continuity features .

Your Mac Pro 5,1 or 4,1>5,1 can inexpensively be upgraded to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 ( both modern ) and if you use an Apple branded WiFi card in the appropriate interface you will get Continuity features .

You can do this upgrade if you can drop a processor into a socket . Do not be alarmed by the apparent complexity . Just use common sense with ESD concerns and spend some time working on your Mac . You'll like the results and you'll get to know the System architecture better by doing these upgrades . These are fairly easy models to tear down and rebuild .

Classic Mac Pro 802.11 AC and BT 4.0 Wireless Upgrade With External Antenna

Part 1 . Here's the method and bill of materials necessary to nicely upgrade a Mac Pro 5,1 ( 2009-12 ) with a high performance wireless upgrade system . The use of external antennas greatly enhances signal strength and has the advantage of providing semi-directional control for fine tuning a...

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