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MP All Models cheese grater build
- Thread starter bigmac872
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Hello, i am new to this mac desktop world, i am looking for help. i picked this bundle up for $50 bucks lol. looking to get it running and really looking to run windows on it 😱 i havent had a chance to set it up, i will begin on monday when im back at the office. Hopefully you guys can help me get her running and then windows, and maybe a few upgrades along the way. i will update on monday when i set her up to begin troubleshooting. thanks
Madonepro
macrumors 65816
You haven't given us any details on which to work with. I am going to start with assuming, that the computer is not powering up.
- Reset SMC: Unplug the power cord for 15 seconds, plug it back in, wait 5 seconds, and then press the power button.
- Internal SYS_RST Button: Open the side panel, and find the tiny gray SYS_RSTbutton near the RAM modules. With the power on, press this button for a few seconds to force a reset.
- Replace PRAM Battery: The CR2032 coin cell battery on the motherboard may be dead, preventing the system from booting
64-bit Windows 10 or 11 Pro operating system, a quad-core processor (Intel Core i7/Xeon recommended, 3 GHz+), at least 16 GB RAM (32 GB+ and a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro or RTX graphics card supporting OpenGL 3.0 or higher with 4 GB+ VRAM. Fast storage (SSD) is mandatory.
- Quad-Core Intel Core i7 or Xeon 9th Gen or higher (3.0 GHz+). 6+ cores recommended
- Memory (RAM): 16 GB to 64 GB
- Graphics Card: Dedicated NVIDIA Quadro or RTX workstation-class graphics card with 4 GB+ GDDR6 VRAM, supporting OpenGL 3.0+.
- Storage: SSD (Solid State Drive) is required for optimal performance.
- Connectivity: USB 3.0 ports
Looks like a bad OS install, or bad drive. Or no drive. Check if physical drives are present. Then boot from a USB installer, to see that the 3,1 is fully bootable. If it is, it's worth buying a drive. If a built-in drive is good, or you have a spare drive sitting around, go ahead and install something.
I'd start with El Capitan (10.11) and check System Profiler, see what hardware you already have. Drives, GPU, RAM, CPU(s), etc. Then figure an upgrade path to where you want to be.
I'd start with El Capitan (10.11) and check System Profiler, see what hardware you already have. Drives, GPU, RAM, CPU(s), etc. Then figure an upgrade path to where you want to be.
RumoredTone
macrumors member
I just wanted to share a quick observation, as you're trying to get your footing with this project. Looking at your most recent photo, it appears that you actually have a Mac Pro 4,1 (2009) or 5,1 (2010-2012). The reason I believe this is that those later models had two FireWire 800 ports on the front (the bottom two in your photo). The 3,1 (2008) had one FireWire 800 and one FireWire 400. FireWire 400 ports are a different shape, so it's the easiest way to tell the older and newer generations apart at a glance.
You should have a peek at the label on the back, and share the specs so folks here know exactly what you're working with. A photo of the inside might also illuminate things.
Good luck!
You should have a peek at the label on the back, and share the specs so folks here know exactly what you're working with. A photo of the inside might also illuminate things.
Good luck!
Last edited:
Beitie
macrumors member
Just by looking over the pictures you have posted, this is a 4,1 or 5,1 Mac Pro. That's a good start. So it is NOT a 2008 model. It's either 2009 - 2012.
I can tell this by the extra Firewire 800 ports on the front and back.
If your goal is to use the 30" Apple Cinema Display, I recommend looking for a Radeon RX580 8Gig GPU as it's pretty good, and has the Dual DVI output on the card. When I was running my 30" ACD, using the Dual DVI port from the GPU was the only way that I got good quality video to that awesome display.
I can tell this by the extra Firewire 800 ports on the front and back.
If your goal is to use the 30" Apple Cinema Display, I recommend looking for a Radeon RX580 8Gig GPU as it's pretty good, and has the Dual DVI output on the card. When I was running my 30" ACD, using the Dual DVI port from the GPU was the only way that I got good quality video to that awesome display.
i love this cinema display, best looking one they made imo. as far as your gpu recommendation would it meet the specs i listed above? sorry for all the newb questions, i appreciate all you guys for your help and kindness so far thank you
tsialex
Contributor
tsialex
Contributor
Yes, but you need to do all the maintenance (like replace the BR2032 RTC battery and clean everything) then install El Capitan (10.11.6), cross-flash it to MacPro5,1, do all the firmware upgrades, finally you can run Windows 10.
Slix
macrumors 68000
I just got a 2009 Mac Pro recently too! Nice job on the great price for the display too.
If your goal is to run Windows 10/11 with the specs you listed above (SSD, graphics, RAM, USB 3.0, etc.) you honestly might be better off buying a cheap slightly older Windows PC desktop instead, and using the Mac Pro for some other Mac-related things such as video editing or older Mac games. Buying a 5,1 would also set you back a lot more than your initial $50 on this machine since you likely won't find one for as good a deal as quickly as you did this one, and it also wouldn't have USB 3 or a higher spec graphics card unless you spent the money on those upgrades. Just my 2 cents! Either way let us know what you plan on doing so people can assist if you need it.
If your goal is to run Windows 10/11 with the specs you listed above (SSD, graphics, RAM, USB 3.0, etc.) you honestly might be better off buying a cheap slightly older Windows PC desktop instead, and using the Mac Pro for some other Mac-related things such as video editing or older Mac games. Buying a 5,1 would also set you back a lot more than your initial $50 on this machine since you likely won't find one for as good a deal as quickly as you did this one, and it also wouldn't have USB 3 or a higher spec graphics card unless you spent the money on those upgrades. Just my 2 cents! Either way let us know what you plan on doing so people can assist if you need it.
tsialex
Contributor
With a real MacPro5,1, you'll gonna have one step less, the cross-flashing one.
Unless you got a Mac Pro from someone that already did everything, not the case of 2nd hand Mac Pro from Universities/Corporations, you will have to do all the other steps I've listed.
tsialex
Contributor
Mac Pro is not a cheap machine to own, even if you bought it for almost nothing. Maintenance and upgrades will be expensive, money and time wise.
For running Windows only, get a PC.
ScanPro
macrumors member
tsialex has forgotten more info for Mac's than most of us will ever know. Following his advice is recommended.
What should my next steps be to get this thing running, im not concerned with running windows 10 or any of that anymore