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MP 6,1 Mac Pro (Late) 2013 advice for SSD and OS

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ful66

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 15, 2023
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Hi all
I have just acquired a Mac Pro 2013 and want to configure it as best as possible so I'm getting the most from it for performance and need some advice from the MP6,1 owners out there that have configured theirs to run with an optimum configuration. I will be using it for Logic Pro and Photoshop, and other software to process and render RAW files. At present the spec is 8 core, 32GB (1866mhz) and 256gb storage with Catalina as the OS. So I have two questions if you people out there could kindly help out.... More than anything I want to update my storage to a 1TB Nvme SSD and wanted to ask what make model would you recommend in getting, bearing in mind speed and reliability are important? The other important question was, is it better to stick with Catalina OS or update to Monterrey OS? Last but not least is it worth upgrading to 64GB ram, will it make much of a difference?
Many thanks in advance for any advice its truly appreciated

Foy

p.s. I'm going to need an adapter arent I for the NVme ssd??
 
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For 1TB SSD, I got an official Apple one (SSUBX) salvaged from a 2015 MBP and it has worked flawlessly.

Some trivia: The metal plate on the 6,1's stock SSD is apparently not for heatsinking purposes but rather just a stiffener to contribute towards drop-protection if the whole computer takes a tumble.
 
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Thank you all so much all for the info and replies its very much appreciated. I have had a little read of the guide that Bigwaff linked to their message, and its been really helpful in guiding me in the direction I want to go in but it is still not clear on whether its a good idea to upgrade to Monterrey, i presume its stable enough? As for the NVMEs any people that can throw some light on which make/model (WD, Kingston, Samsung etc...) gives the best read/write results in lets say for now Monterrey OS? It would also be great to hear from people who reckon 64GB is the way to go and in their experience explain why?? Always better for the info to come straight from the horses mouth so to speak, from people that have tried and tested their own MP 2013s out. I just want to try and max out the true potential of this MP! Thanks again for any more input :)
 
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Regulus67 said:
OWC offers up to 4TB internal storage SSD

eshop.macsales.com

OWC 4.0TB Aura Pro X2 Gen4 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD... at MacSales.com

SP4P1T1MP40P 4.0TB OWC Aura Pro X2 Gen4 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Upgrade Solution for Mac Pro (Late 2013 - 2019). Upgrade the internal storage in your Mac Pro to a high performance NVMe flash SSD. Includes SSD, heat sink & tools.
eshop.macsales.com eshop.macsales.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info and link its appreciated will look into it, though I wasnt initially looking into getting a 4TB and spending that much on one as I'm on a budget, 1 TB is perfect for me as I use external drive to save big projects.
 
Bigwaff said:
Good stuff..
blog.greggant.com

The Definitive Trashcan Mac Pro 6.1 (Late 2013) Upgrade Guide

A guide with every conceivable Mac Pro 2013 upgrade, from SSD hacks, CPU upgrades, to eGPUs.
blog.greggant.com blog.greggant.com
Click to expand...
Hi Big Waff, thanks again for all your help especially the link for the Definitive Guide its helped out loads! I am struggling a little with expanding my storage options, namely due to the lack of Gen 3 NVMEs on the market, everything I come across is either second hand PCIE3 or brand news Gen 4 PCIE 4 ones. I've tried to find new WD Black/Samsung 970 EVO PCIE 3 nvmes but there arent any! There are some Crucial P3s though that are Gen 3 (PCIE3) so my question is can i hook one of these up with the 6.1 , I know its not on the list but anyone out there that has experience with these ssds in a 6.1? Bear in mind I live in the UK before sending any links to purchase ! Thanks in advance to one and all again

www.amazon.co.uk

Crucial P3 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen3 NVMe Internal SSD - Up to 3500MB/s - CT1000P3SSD801 (Acronis Edition)

Basic bootup speeds won’t cut it — not at work, on the go, or in the game. But the Crucial P3 SSD is anything but basic. With NVMe performance that’s nearly 5x faster than SATA and nearly 20x faster than HDD2, the P3 leaves older storage technology in the dust. With sequential read/write speeds u...
www.amazon.co.uk

 
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ful66 said:
cheers for the info its really appreciated, but do the speeds slow down with it? If so what read/write speeds do you get?
Click to expand...

You are bottlenecked by the MacPro6,1 PCIe v2.0 x4 connection, so, the best you can get is ~1450MB/s.
 
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tsialex said:
You are bottlenecked by the MacPro6,1 PCIe v2.0 x4 connection, so, the best you can get is ~1450MB/s.
Click to expand...
Many thanks the info is much appreciated, its helps me figure the options for sure
 
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