can you upgrade macpro with Q6600 processors?

[skasol]

Hi team,
I am interested in buying a macpro, I use it mainly for small things right now as I just got into apple, I got a macbook pro and I love the os much better, so I am selling my gaming pc (Q6600, 4gb ram, 8800GTX SLI, etc) and I want to buy a macpro, my question is can I save money and select the cheap 2.0 dual core and upgrade on my own to the Q6600? thank you.

 

[Cromulent]

Hi team,
I am interested in buying a macpro, I use it mainly for small things right now as I just got into apple, I got a macbook pro and I love the os much better, so I am selling my gaming pc (Q6600, 4gb ram, 8800GTX SLI, etc) and I want to buy a macpro, my question is can I save money and select the cheap 2.0 dual core and upgrade on my own to the Q6600? thank you.

Simple answer is no. You would need a new motherboard in order to accommodate the Q6600.

You can upgrade to the quad core Xeons though.

 

[skasol]

thank you for your reply, that helps me make a better decision when ordering my new macpro. thanks again. as far as memory and HD it should be as easy as a pc correct? I upgraded the ram on my macbook pro. so I am assuming it is. thank you for your time.

 

[Cromulent]

thank you for your reply, that helps me make a better decision when ordering my new macpro. thanks again. as far as memory and HD it should be as easy as a pc correct? I upgraded the ram on my macbook pro. so I am assuming it is. thank you for your time.

Upgrading the RAM and hard drives on a Mac Pro is much easier than it is on a standard PC. Much much easier.

 

[contoursvt]

Isnt it the same to do either? Just open the cover and add a couple sticks or ram no? Pull out the HD add the new one and push the restore disc or image the existing drive to the new drive.

Or do you mean easier meaning no screws - like less work with the parts/

Upgrading the RAM and hard drives on a Mac Pro is much easier than it is on a standard PC. Much much easier.

 

[Cromulent]

Isnt it the same to do either? Just open the cover and add a couple sticks or ram no? Pull out the HD add the new one and push the restore disc or image the existing drive to the new drive.

Or do you mean easier meaning no screws - like less work with the parts/

The Mac Pro has the best designed case of any PC I have seen in the last 15 years. No cables needed when installing a hard drive and the slots for the RAM can actually be pulled out so that you don't need to work inside the machine itself.

 

[newtech]

Q6XXX processors are the same core(s) with a slower FSB and less L2 cache and a slightly differant packaging ( LGA 775 vs LGA 771 )

Overclocked Xeon ES5340's ( engineering sample quad core 2.4GHz overclockable to 3.0GHz ) would be the way to go if you can justify $300 a piece for upgraded processors

 

[fredd500]

RAM chips, although ostensibly are the same as any other PC, are unusual in that they are server chips (i.e. they are usually used in servers rather than low end desktop PC's) - PC5300 Fully Buffered ECC registered DIMMS. They are hard to get, or rather hard to get cheaply. You can either buy them from Apple for megabucks, or Crucial do matched ones for half the price. Importantly, they all have heat sinks on them.

Installation is a snap, you don't even need to delve around inside the case, the DIMMS are installed on one of two daughter boards which plug into the mainboard. Just pop one of those out, insert the DIMMS just like any PC and reinsert the daughter board.

HDD's are lovely - no cables. You need to screw on a small frame (supplied) which then just slides right in and the HDD locks straight onto the socket on the mainboard. The engineering is lovely, more akin to German (Audi) or Japanese (Honda) than Amercian (Ford) - sorry Americans, you would probably be the first to admit you are not great engineers are you (your cars don't go round corners for a start!)

 

[JesterJJZ]

RAM chips, although ostensibly are the same as any other PC, are unusual in that they are server chips (i.e. they are usually used in servers rather than low end desktop PC's) - PC5300 Fully Buffered ECC registered DIMMS. They are hard to get, or rather hard to get cheaply. You can either buy them from Apple for megabucks, or Crucial do matched ones for half the price. Importantly, they all have heat sinks on them.

Installation is a snap, you don't even need to delve around inside the case, the DIMMS are installed on one of two daughter boards which plug into the mainboard. Just pop one of those out, insert the DIMMS just like any PC and reinsert the daughter board.

HDD's are lovely - no cables. You need to screw on a small frame (supplied) which then just slides right in and the HDD locks straight onto the socket on the mainboard. The engineering is lovely, more akin to German (Audi) or Japanese (Honda) than Amercian (Ford) - sorry Americans, you would probably be the first to admit you are not great engineers are you (your cars don't go round corners for a start!)

My Grand Prix grips around corners very well thank you.

 

[skasol]

Q6XXX processors are the same core(s) with a slower FSB and less L2 cache and a slightly differant packaging ( LGA 775 vs LGA 771 )

Overclocked Xeon ES5340's ( engineering sample quad core 2.4GHz overclockable to 3.0GHz ) would be the way to go if you can justify $300 a piece for upgraded processors

thank you for your reply, I will wait for the new macpro that everyone is talking about.