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Upgrading my 2009 Mac Pro - need advice

CrazyNurse said:
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.
Click to expand...

I don't believe you will get enough power from the system to run everything off the system powersupply ,
two 7970's would run with an excess of 550w's , especially since you have a dual CPU system . also the PCI-E slots are only rated 300w's across the entire PCI-E buss . The card just being in the slot will draw up to 75w's .

I have two 7970's running , with a second PS running in the 5.25 bay. This upgrade isn't exactly for the light of heart especially if you need the 3rd PCI-E slot. PCi-E 8/6 pin connectors will not pass though where the sata cable is run, you will need to splice PCI-E extensions to the additional power supply. Easiest way to do this is to use a molex tool to push out the pins of a PCI-E connectors and run the wires and re-insert the pins. The extension cable at minimum needs to be 15 inches. If you do end up needing the 3rd PCI slot the power cable which feeds the 2nd power supply can not be run out though the slot connector ( the power supply comes with a internal cable to run to the PCI slot ) , this is where it gets interesting you will need to CUT your case :p to fit the external connector, at this point you want to use a smaller connector and not what comes with the power supply for the sake of cutting a smaller hole , also the regular 2 prong female is too larger to fit flat over to the top or side of the power supply.
 
MacUser2525 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Has anyone done or tried this? I can install a processor but I'm not much of an electrician.

----------
sxanthony said:
I don't believe you will get enough power from the system to run everything off the system powersupply ,
two 7970's would run with an excess of 550w's , especially since you have a dual CPU system . also the PCI-E slots are only rated 300w's across the entire PCI-E buss . The card just being in the slot will draw up to 75w's .

I have two 7970's running , with a second PS running in the 5.25 bay. This upgrade isn't exactly for the light of heart especially if you need the 3rd PCI-E slot. PCi-E 8/6 pin connectors will not pass though where the sata cable is run, you will need to splice PCI-E extensions to the additional power supply. Easiest way to do this is to use a molex tool to push out the pins of a PCI-E connectors and run the wires and re-insert the pins. The extension cable at minimum needs to be 15 inches. If you do end up needing the 3rd PCI slot the power cable which feeds the 2nd power supply can not be run out though the slot connector ( the power supply comes with a internal cable to run to the PCI slot ) , this is where it gets interesting you will need to CUT your case :p to fit the external connector, at this point you want to use a smaller connector and not what comes with the power supply for the sake of cutting a smaller hole , also the regular 2 prong female is too larger to fit flat over to the top or side of the power supply.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. This sounds pretty complicated and not something that I would attempt to do on my own out of fear of screwing up my computer. It sounds like I might just stick to one GPU.
 
Mac Gus said:
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.
Click to expand...

I know it worked for you , but that's not really accurate it's screwed in with loctite , when you unscrewed it it requires greater pressure to unscrew than to screw back in :p

But congrats on the upgrade
 
I just updated an old 3.0ghz quad from 2007. I have had it since it was new and it had a 500gb RAID0 setup, 4gb ram and a 8800GT video card. For 2007, it was a nice setup… In today's world, my new i7 Mac Mini with 16gb and a 256 SSD is way faster.

The 8800GT died a couple weeks ago, I was worried it was something else but fortunately I had access to another video card and Mac Pro to confirm it. I upgraded by old Mac Pro to a 500gb Samsung 840 EVO, a HD5870 video card and put 16gb of ram into it.

It gave it a new life! I do not do as much video editing as it is just used for basic encoding, format conversions and it is decent. There was a terminal hack to enable SSD Trim support and it gave me a spare hd bay in the process. The only drawback is, legally I can only run 10.7.5 but I know you can hack to run 10.9 but just have not done it yet.

I am happy with the performance but the same thing in a 2009 model would really be fast!
 
vwguy60 said:
The only drawback is, legally I can only run 10.7.5 but I know you can hack to run 10.9 but just have not done it yet.
Click to expand...

Christ just about makes me sick every time I see that. I know you Americans are in love with the corporation but their end user license agreements are not the law of the land yet. Just proves the Nazi theory on propaganda and the big lie tell it long and loud enough the people will believe it.
 
Mac Gus said:
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.
Click to expand...

Check out any of these threads for adding auxuliary PSU in the lower optical bay. The ePower 450w I'm currently using(1.5 years strong) is on sale at newegg for $25. Powers 2 titans no problem. Of course there are a couple other 5.25" PSUs available.

Dr. Stealth's thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1520765/

OrangeSVTguy's thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1472518/

happymac314's thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1684482/

slughead's thread (external) - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1460429/
 
Kierkegaard said:
Hi,

I have a Mac Pro Quad Core 3.2GHz 2010 and I tried, last night, an upgrade with a processor Xeon 5687 3.6GHz and the EFI of my Mac Pro does not recognize it. I guess it's because the Xeon X5687 was not available in the Apple catalog. QPI[/url]
Click to expand...

Your Xeon upgrade options are W3670, W3680 or W3690 (all 6-core).

Your non-Xeon options are i7-970, i7-980X, i7-990.
 
Studio K said:
Your Xeon upgrade options are W3670, W3680 or W3690 (all 6-core).

Your non-Xeon options are i7-970, i7-980X, i7-990.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this information. :)

Did Xeon W3690 works well on Mac Pro 2010 Quad Core 3.2GHz? If I'm asking this question, it because the Xeon W3690 is not available in the Apple catalog and I'm not sure, in this case, if the firmware can recognize it.

Thank's a lot.
 
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Kierkegaard said:
Thank you for this information. :)

Did Xeon W3690 works well on Mac Pro 2010 Quad Core 3.2GHz? If I'm asking this question, it because the Xeon W3690 is not available in the Apple catalog and I'm not sure, in this case, if the firmware can recognize it.
.
Click to expand...

Yes, W3690 (3.46GHz 6-core) does work in the 2010 Mac Pro. It is a simple, drop-in replacement for your quad-core CPU.

Apple used the W3680, but any CPU of that 'family' (W36XX) will work as well. Your 2010 Mac Pro already has the firmware needed to run a 6-core CPU.

Remove the Quad. Install the hex. Reset the NVRAM. Done.
 
Studio K said:
Yes, W3690 (3.46GHz 6-core) does work in the 2010 Mac Pro. It is a simple, drop-in replacement for your quad-core CPU.

Apple used the W3680, but any CPU of that 'family' (W36XX) will work as well. Your 2010 Mac Pro already has the firmware needed to run a 6-core CPU.

Remove the Quad. Install the hex. Reset the NVRAM. Done.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this clear and precise answer.
 
Kierkegaard said:
Hi,

I have a Mac Pro Quad Core 3.2GHz 2010 and I tried, last night, an upgrade with a processor Xeon 5687 3.6GHz and the EFI of my Mac Pro does not recognize it. I guess it's because the Xeon X5687 was not available in the Apple catalog. Fortunately, I can return it for a refund.

http://ark.intel.com/products/52578/Intel-Xeon-Processor-X5687-12M-Cache-3_60-GHz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI
Click to expand...

Soren,
If you haven't figured it out yet, the x5600 series chips are the dual processor Xeon chips. They are installed in pairs.
And you do have choices beyond the CPUs that Apple decided to use in the officially offered trim levels. As stated, even a couple non-Xeons. :)
 
Kierkegaard said:
Thank you for this information. :)

Did Xeon W3690 works well on Mac Pro 2010 Quad Core 3.2GHz? If I'm asking this question, it because the Xeon W3690 is not available in the Apple catalog and I'm not sure, in this case, if the firmware can recognize it.

Thank's a lot.
Click to expand...
3690 works 100% in th Mac Pro. Works in my 4,1 flashed to 5,1 Mac Pro. Even though apple never released a Mac with that CPU.

Did you try and reset the PRAM? I never seen the x5687 before or heard of anyone using it in a Mac Pro.


CrazyNurse said:
Soren,
If you haven't figured it out yet, the x5600 series chips are the dual processor Xeon chips. They are installed in pairs.
And you do have choices beyond the CPUs that Apple decided to use in the officially offered trim levels. As stated, even a couple non-Xeons. :)
Click to expand...
Even though the X series was a dual CPU version, it should still run on a single CPU socket. It's the other way around where the W series will only run on a single CPU system.
 
Xeon W3690 3.46GHz

OrangeSVTguy said:
3690 works 100% in th Mac Pro. Works in my 4,1 flashed to 5,1 Mac Pro. Even though apple never released a Mac with that CPU.
Click to expand...
This is a very good news and I'm glad to hear that.

No, I did not reset the PRAM. Just for curiosity, how does we reset the PRAM when the computer does not start? The Mac Pro is lit, you could hear the power supply and that's it. They don't want to starting with the Xeon X5687.

Anyway, I return this Intel Xeon X5687 to the seller. I have 14 days to return it and money back. I just have to paid the shipping for the return.

Thank you.:)
 
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OrangeSVTguy said:
Even though the X series was a dual CPU version, it should still run on a single CPU socket. It's the other way around where the W series will only run on a single CPU system.
Click to expand...

Oh, cool. I know that the dual CPU MPs will run with one X5600 CPU, as I tested the 1st chip I installed by booting it up, then installed the other one. (as detailed by Thomaspin)

I wonder how long the dual CPU MP would function without having CPU 'B' installed. I know it boots, then the fans ramp up like crazy. But would it function for everyday tasks/usage if you could settle the fans down?

Would there be a way to shut down the CPU 'B' socket?
 
OrangeSVTguy said:
Even though the X series was a dual CPU version, it should still run on a single CPU socket. It's the other way around where the W series will only run on a single CPU system.
Click to expand...

The letter does not identify dual or single cpu use. The letter (x,w etc) identifies TDP. There are both 'X' and 'W' dual core cpus.

The first number is what you need to look for. The '3' cpus are single and will only work on single, the '5' are dual and will work on both single and dual systems. The second number is the core identifier. '5' is quad core and '6' is hex core.
 
Xeon 56XX series

OrangeSVTguy said:
Even though the X series was a dual CPU version, it should still run on a single CPU socket. It's the other way around where the W series will only run on a single CPU system.
Click to expand...
After testing a Xeon X5600 series, like the X5687 3.6GHz, I saw it's not working at all on my Mac Pro Quad Core 3.2GHz 2010.

I would not take the risk of trying again a Xeon X5600 series, such as a the X5680 3.33GHz or a X5690, both with 6 cores, without being sure that it is compatible with my Mac Pro 2010 single CPU socket like the Xeon W36XX series.
 
OrangeSVTguy said:
Even though the X series was a dual CPU version, it should still run on a single CPU socket. It's the other way around where the W series will only run on a single CPU system.
Click to expand...

Actually not correct. The prefix alpha E, X or W have nothing to do with single or dual CPU capability. It is the first numeric after the Alpha that denotes single or dual CPU capability. The 3 is only for single CPU operation only, the 5 is for dual CPU Operation, but will also work in single CPU 5,1 or upgraded 4,1 Mac Pros.

Lou
 
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Kierkegaard said:
After testing a Xeon X5600 series, like the X5687 3.6GHz, I saw it's not working at all on my Mac Pro Quad Core 3.2GHz 2010.

I would not take the risk of trying again a Xeon X5600 series, such as a the X5680 3.33GHz or a X5690, both with 6 cores, without being sure that it is compatible with my Mac Pro 2010 single CPU socket like the Xeon W36XX series.
Click to expand...

I was curious on the idea so put an x5650 2.66mhz 6 core in my 2010 yesterday it works perfectly fine. The interconnect is at the 6.4 it should be and the ram is running at 1333. I am going to flash my nephews 2009 to 2010 firmware and throw the spare one I have in there. Hell of a bang for the buck upgrade on these older single core machines. The 5650 is going dirt cheap at the moment and gives you a good 50% upgrade on the processing power at a lower power consumption than the 45nm chip they replace, a win win.
 
Yippy - did it !!

Upgraded CPU to 2 x 2.8Ghz X5660 and 32Gb RAM

One BIG scary moment when I dropped the CPU onto the socket.... luckily all good though

Thanks to this tread for all the help and advise - BTW I used the washers...
 

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Kierkegaard said:
« Here we have an Intel X5680 CPU with 6 cores clocked at 3.33GHz. This is the CPU that is used in a dual CPU setup with a second X5680 (2 x 6.4 GT/s QuickPath Interconnect) - not to be confused with the W3680 which is for a single CPU setup. »

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Xeon-X5680-3-33-GHz-Six-Core-Processor-SLBV5-Please-Read-/271372467097
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Doesn't matter. Dual processors are compatible with single processor systems.

The issue you mention above is that you are trying a processor (X5687) that isn't compatible at all, nothing to do with whether it's dual or single system. The highest clock speed available for these systems is 3.46 Hex or 3.33 Quad.
 
Xeon X56XX Series

MacUser2525 said:
I was curious on the idea so put an x5650 2.66mhz 6 core in my 2010 yesterday it works perfectly fine. The interconnect is at the 6.4 it should be and the ram is running at 1333. I am going to flash my nephews 2009 to 2010 firmware and throw the spare one I have in there. Hell of a bang for the buck upgrade on these older single core machines. The 5650 is going dirt cheap at the moment and gives you a good 50% upgrade on the processing power at a lower power consumption than the 45nm chip they replace, a win win.
Click to expand...
Your Mac Pro 2010 are just one CPU model and the Xeon 56XX series works well on your MP?

Thanks.
 
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