Ok, where to to begin?
Have you ever built your own PC? Of course you have, or maybe you delved into it and had questions about what to do if something faster and better comes out? You knew the hardware you got can support faster chips, but were afraid to take the "plunge" to upgrade the cpu yourself.. Its rather easy.. but easy isn't the actual word for it.. Here is what you do..
In the case of the 2009 mac pro single-quad... get yourself the processor upgrade of your choice.. you having a 2.66, consider the w3570 which is the 3.2 or w3580 which is the same chip apple uses in their 3500.00 3.33 single-quad core mac pro. Don't quote me on price.. just off the wall as apple is with their prices..
Step one: Buy your favorite heat sink paste.. I use arctic silver, but you can also use the stuff they sell in Radio shack or any computer shop.. heatsink paste is essential for this.
Step two: The heatsink of the quad-core single uses a 3mm hex screwdriver(this is what i mean about non-oem parts).. I assume you know how to use a 3mm hex screw driver.
Step three: Once you unscrew all the hex screws(notice they won't come out, as they are spring loaded), CAREFULLY AND I MEAN CAREFULLY, take off the heatsink, and pay attention to the fan connector. I believe its a 4 pin plug on the processor tray.
Step four: Take a piece of cloth, can also be paper towel and rub some isophryal(sp??) alcohol on the cloth and wipe clean the heatsink residue on the bottom of the heatsink - you will do the same thing for the processor which is in the next step.
Step five: You will notice that unlike the duals, the processor is a standard oem intel chip with the integrated heat spreader on it. You will also see the latch and the lid which locks the processor in place.. Lift the latch and open the lid to remove the processor.
Step six: Wipe away the paste from the surface of the processor(integrated heat spreader), and once you finish that, apply a thin coating(no more than the size of a beebee or a little bigger than a beebee) in the middle of the processor's integrated heat spreader.
Step seven: Take your finger, or a credit card with ragged edge and spread the heatsink paste all over, covering the entire surface of the processor's integrated heat spreader. Make sure you cover it COMPLETLY.. Don't leave any gaps at all.. You want to apply enough so that its going to cover the whole surface. ENsure you don't use too much, as it might seep onto the contacts and possibly cause a problem.
Step eight: Once you have applied the heatsink paste to the processor, gently put in back in the socket the way the other one was - same direction. Close the lid and lock the latch.
Step nine: Finally, put the heatsink cover back on the processor, making sure the side with the pins line up with the fan connector. Press firmly, but not too much pressure.. Take the 3mm hex screw driver and tighten the screws. You will know when they are tight as when they are tight you won't be able to turn them as easily.
BOOT UP your mac pro and enjoy your new processor upgrade! Simple, and easy.. if you can replace and or upgrade processors on a PC, this is like a PC in a way, except you are dealing with special parts like the: hex screws.. I think the processor latch and lid are the same as on a pc, so thats old school right there.
You have the option of using either core i7 9xx series, or xeon w35xx processors. If you are getting the 2.66, then go for the w3570 or w3580.. if you are going for the 2.93, then go with the w3580.. the w3570 even with turbo boost isn't enough of a mark to really see improvement very much, but from 2.66, it is.
PLEASE NOTE: Although the i7-980x and its xeon brother w3650 i think? are the same pin size and take the same socket, they won't work. Gulftown and westmere require B1 stepping and the Mac Pro only supports D0 stepping.. but, also you need the microcode from a 2010 mac pro(if and when they come out) and flash it to the 2009 firmware.. I am still developing a way of how to do this.. I think I found it but need help designing it:
Remember award bios program: AWDFLASH.EXE? Thats the hint.
Roman23, I am glad to read about your success in upgrading your Mac Pro single core processor to an i7 975 3.33GHz chip. I have read the Anandtech article on the dual upgrade (how he fried his board/messed the socket) and I have read the articles on here about users performing the dual upgrade and finding the upgrade to be quite a challenge with the heat sensor cables and such due to the IHS height difference. This leads me to think if I do make the spring for a new Mac Pro I might get the 2.66GHz one and try the W3580 upgrade (keep the Xeon and the ECC Memory). I have never done a processor upgrade in my life and I am a little (really) nervous about it. I don't know anything about applying thermal paste to the processor, and the last thing I want to do is fry my processor or board from using careless, novice installation practices (what if my thermal grease is not applied correctly or if I don't tighten my heatsink right (too little or too much). So these are my concerns...if it was an easy upgrade like an 8500 or 9500 PowerMac which was just a daughtercard pop-in, it would be no problem...but this upgrade requires a little more skill and patience. It does seem appealing to save anywhere between $600 and $900 by doing the upgrade myself, instead of buying a 3.33GHz chip from Apple.
