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Upgrading my 2009 Mac Pro - need advice
- Thread starter Mac Gus
- Start date
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IT'S ALIVE!!!
Just finished my processor install and everything seems to be going well. I just ran Geekbench 3 64bit and it got:
Single Core: 2430 (from 1838)
Multi-Core: 26214 (from 14094)
Also I reset my ram and it's running at 1333!
In about a months time my 2009 mac went from this:
2.26 8 core ---> 2.8 12 core
16gb 1064 ram ---> 32gb 1333 ram
stock Radeon GPU ---> Sapphire 7950 Mac Edition
HDD Boot ---> 480bg SSD Boot
no USB3 ---> USB3.0 PCIe
OS10.6 ---> OS10.9
FCP 7 ---> FCP X
So I basically feel like I have a new computer that will last me several more years for video editing and hopefully will be adequate to start my foray into 4K in the next year or so before I eventually get a second or third gen nMP.
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the thread and helped with this install. I'm very happy to have done this to my computer. Also this website mentioned early in this thread was a great resource: http://pindelski.org/Photography/mac-pro/
I used the washers for my install as an insurance policy. I found counting the turns to be difficult. I just tightened until I felt the same amount of resistance that I felt when I loosened the bolts.
Just finished my processor install and everything seems to be going well. I just ran Geekbench 3 64bit and it got:
Single Core: 2430 (from 1838)
Multi-Core: 26214 (from 14094)
Also I reset my ram and it's running at 1333!
In about a months time my 2009 mac went from this:
2.26 8 core ---> 2.8 12 core
16gb 1064 ram ---> 32gb 1333 ram
stock Radeon GPU ---> Sapphire 7950 Mac Edition
HDD Boot ---> 480bg SSD Boot
no USB3 ---> USB3.0 PCIe
OS10.6 ---> OS10.9
FCP 7 ---> FCP X
So I basically feel like I have a new computer that will last me several more years for video editing and hopefully will be adequate to start my foray into 4K in the next year or so before I eventually get a second or third gen nMP.
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the thread and helped with this install. I'm very happy to have done this to my computer. Also this website mentioned early in this thread was a great resource: http://pindelski.org/Photography/mac-pro/
I used the washers for my install as an insurance policy. I found counting the turns to be difficult. I just tightened until I felt the same amount of resistance that I felt when I loosened the bolts.
Just ran Cinebench R15:
OpenGL: 59.40fps (up from 44.58 fps)
CPU: 1346 cb (up from 756 cb)
OpenGL: 59.40fps (up from 44.58 fps)
CPU: 1346 cb (up from 756 cb)
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MacUser2525
Suspended
Good to hear it went well and yes it certainly does feel like new machine once you have done it.
Fastsavage
macrumors regular
Congratulations - good to hear about the washers - I am still considering if I should uses them or not...
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I would use washers. I really don't see a reason not to use them. Think of it as an insurance policy - will prevent you from crushing the socket.
Fastsavage
macrumors regular
I used metal washers. You can see them in this picture. There are two 1mm washers on each post. Macuser posted a link to them on the first page of this thread.
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Another pic I took during install:
Fastsavage
macrumors regular
Fastsavage
macrumors regular
If you tell me how to check that I can tell you. Is that something I can get from the Activity Monitor?
Fastsavage
macrumors regular
On startup I am sitting at about 93F. With light usage 120F.
Actually, there's a good thread abouth this here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1601231/
And I just re-read Pindelski's Heat section (Part X). I might download smcFanControl to adjust the fan speeds, lowering temps to the Northbridge Chip (Intake & Exhaust) and CPUs (BOOSTA & BOOSTB).
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How did you "reset" your RAM to get it to run at 1333? I also had 1066 RAM in my 4,1 but the speed didn't change after the firmware hack to 5,1 and even a new W3680 processor installed.
I bought new Ram that was 1333. I think you hold down command plus option plus P and R on startup. It's explained in a post by MacUser on the first or second page of this thread.
Thanks for that bit of info, basically resetting the PRAM. I just did it and now my RAM is running at 1333. Originally bought from OWC at 1066. Even though this is probably super minor, my Mac Pro "feels" faster lol
The 7950 GPU uses both of the 6-pin power sockets for the PCIe cards. If I wanted to add a second GPU, how can I run power to the card w/o using an external power supply? I've heard about running power from the second disk drive bay. Is there a detailed walk-through somewhere no how to do this? Has anyone installed two 7950 or 7970s w/o using an external power supply?
Thanks.
Thanks.
You're going to have to see if you can tap power from the unused sata power cable from the optical bay, then use a 6-pin adapter or place an additional PSU in the optical bay.
MacUser2525
Suspended
That seems like a lot of power to be coming off the one connector. I think them 6 pin ports are 75w maximum draw so 150w in total. According to iStat the optical in my machine is a 12v line so 150/12=12.5a for the maximum current drawn on the line with two cables connected. I would be making damn sure that kind of amperage can be drawn from that line before hooking anything up to it that has the potential to draw that much, no sense frying a power supply.