So I just purchased a mac pro from ebay but unfortunately don't know what model it is, it's in the mail currently but I'm hoping to find out before so I can order graphics card for it. It's a Quad 2.66GHz Intel Xeon dual. I checked the wikipedia and it could possible be the 2006 mac pro 1,1 or the 4,1 from 2009 possibly? As of right now I just need to get some ram and a graphics card to get it running. I'd like to order it before it arrives if possible so I'm not stuck waiting for everything.
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What model Mac Pro did I just buy?
- Thread starter ggoerl
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Doesn't the eBay article page state a year of release or purchase or a model identifier?
Maybe you can deduct the year by the price you paid for the machine?
Maybe you can deduct the year by the price you paid for the machine?
No it doesn't. But by judging by the case now I saw the 2009s have two FW8000 ports on the front meaning they got rid of the old 400 port on the front so it's a 2006 1,1.
QUESTION IS. What graphics card would be compatible with it? Obviously an apple one or windows based that has been flashed other than that is it real picky? Currently looking at an ati x1900xt.
QUESTION IS. What graphics card would be compatible with it? Obviously an apple one or windows based that has been flashed other than that is it real picky? Currently looking at an ati x1900xt.
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Running 10.6.8 or higher you have support for unflashed PC cards out of the box. Iirc the Radeon 6850/6870 have been considered the sweet spot between cost, compatibility and performance - you only have to accept that you have no Mac boot screen (unless you have a second card installed that supports it, like e.g. the 7300GT originally found in the 1,1).
Perhaps nowadays nVidia support has matured so that you can also install something like a GT5x0 or GT6x0...
Why would you bid without knowing this? Usually jerks just list the 2.66 hoping to fool people into paying too much for a 1,1.
If you have a link to the ebay auction somebody on here could probably answer this for you in seconds.
Also, maybe do some research before bidding next time?
not a bad deal if it has at least 4gb ram in it.
you can probably find period-correct 7300GT for it dirt cheap.
you can probably find period-correct 7300GT for it dirt cheap.
not a bad deal if it has at least 4gb ram in it.
you can probably find period-correct 7300GT for it dirt cheap.
Define dirt cheap. Because everyone on ebay want's 100-150. Do you know any other sources?
If it's a dual-processor quad, you definitely got a 1,1.
3,1s all used quad-core Harpertown (5400 series) CPUs, in single or dual configuration.
A Radeon 5770 is probably your best bet as a GPU for a 1,1. Beyond that, you'll run into PCIe performance bottlenecks on that machine.
You can also upgrade the CPUs to Clovertown (5300 series) quads pretty cheap these days, and that would give you a reasonably fast machine for being over 6 years old.
3,1s all used quad-core Harpertown (5400 series) CPUs, in single or dual configuration.
A Radeon 5770 is probably your best bet as a GPU for a 1,1. Beyond that, you'll run into PCIe performance bottlenecks on that machine.
You can also upgrade the CPUs to Clovertown (5300 series) quads pretty cheap these days, and that would give you a reasonably fast machine for being over 6 years old.
is there certain cards that I need to look out for? the macpro's version looks different. Would this one be compatible?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nvidia-Gefo...750?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item3a6ddb48de
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nvidia-Gefo...750?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item3a6ddb48de
I agree.. I see tons of "2.66 ghz" Mac Pros on ebay.. and almost none state what generation it is. For all we know they are mostly 1,1.. Yes, there is and was a 2.66 4,1 Mac Pro.. but Ebay sellers won't mention what they are.
Sad. I hope you didn't get ripped off by the seller, op.
Sad. I hope you didn't get ripped off by the seller, op.
The OP stated that he only paid $250, so it's not that bad. I just hate that some of them are intentionally ambiguous in their descriptions. Describing a machine solely by Ghz should have ended a decade ago.
Specs and cosmetics-wise both versions are exactly the same.
Product numbers and ROM versions are different, though.
EFI32, ROM version 62.92.20.00.16
EFI64, ROM version 62.92.20.00.00
8800 are plagued with failures, there are few better and more reliable cards to flash, such as 4870.