MP 7,1 What are you doing with your old Mac Pro’s?

[machenryr]

I’ve had this problem. I guess I’ve made the assumption (poor?) that old MPs have no good resale value. I had a recording studio that closed so I took my duplicate MP 2010 home. I suped them both up to 1,5 3.46 GHZ, 32 gb ram. Now I bought the new 2019 16 core 4TB. I have one MP completely unused and the other is my back up until everything is with to speed in the 1,7.

If I had an office I could have another editing bay (recording studio). It would make sense to keep both. There used to be a reason to network two before I had one computer that was powerful enough to do it alone.

I looked and I could probably sell them for 1k-$1,200 each? That’s not bad. I could put that back into the 1,7 MP.

Any creative ideas? What are folks doing with their old machines?

 

[Juicy Box]

I am using my Mac Pro 1,1 as a headless Plex media server.

I use two of the internal drive bays with large HDDs in a software RAID0 for all the media storage and I have two of the other drive bays with SSDs in a RAID0 boot drive.

RAID0 is overkill for both, as I could probably get the nearly same performance for what I need with a single drive.

While the computer is pretty old, it still seems pretty fast for many things. It transcodes the video pretty well when I need it to for Plex.

It is headless and I using screen sharing with my main Mac to go into the old MP when I need to. I do have it connected to my main TV in my home, although I never actually use it.

I am thinking about playing some old Mac games and using emulators in the future.

 

[Theophilos]

My children need a computer for their schoolwork, so instead of buying them an iMac or a few cheap Chromebooks, I repurposed my Mac Pro (2013) for them. It still runs very well and will be more than enough for their elementary school needs. I will also use it as a file server on the network.

 

[Snow Tiger]

I’ve had this problem. I guess I’ve made the assumption (poor?) that old MPs have no good resale value. I had a recording studio that closed so I took my duplicate MP 2010 home. I suped them both up to 1,5 3.46 GHZ, 32 gb ram. Now I bought the new 2019 16 core 4TB. I have one MP completely unused and the other is my back up until everything is with to speed in the 1,7.

If I had an office I could have another editing bay (recording studio). It would make sense to keep both. There used to be a reason to network two before I had one computer that was powerful enough to do it alone.

I looked and I could probably sell them for 1k-$1,200 each? That’s not bad. I could put that back into the 1,7 MP.

Any creative ideas? What are folks doing with their old machines?

Old Mac Pros make wicked media servers . I am in the process of turning my MP7,1 into my main Mac , but until I'm ready my single processor MP5,1 is still my everyday desktop .

When I retire my MP5,1 as my main Mac , I will turn it into a media server and gaming machine to store a massive number of music , pictures and movies . I also play games with my Steam account with this Mac . I can connected it to my 1979 analog stereo system via an optical audio ( S/PDIF ) to RCA adapter cable to send audio when I play songs , games or movies . My stereo system pushes two large floor standing speakers , which sound pretty rich .

Each one of her four HDD Bays can mount 16TB mechanical drives , with special carriers from OWC . Basically , there will never be any storage capacity concerns for personal use . I honestly don't think there is an upper limit on drive size . Keep in mind , even PMG5s from 15 years ago can mount 16TB SATA 3.5" mechanical drives .

For gaming , a RX 480 8GB blower type graphics card will play a lot of games at 1080 / 1440 60Hz .

 

[machenryr]

Wow. Well my kids are out of the house. My wife has her own laptop. But maybe I could polp one in her office and network it. Perhaps in the not too distant future I could expand my studio with another audio/editing bay for if I get into high production mode. Yeah, I can dream.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

This was a number of years back but I was originally going to retask my Mac Pro as a server and decided to sell it instead. I decided against it as it didn't suit my needs for that task. I decided to go with a pair on refurb Mac minis instead as…

1. They fit into a rack (Sonnet Rackmac Mini)
2. I get TB2 rather than living with TB1
3. They use significantly less power… it adds up when run 24/7
4. As they use less power the needs on the UPS are greatly reduced
5. I have things like switches and storage that are rack mounted so the space required overall is significantly less
6. In having 2 x Mac minis I have redundancy in both hardware and offer services (DNS, DHCP - just this allows a far simpler network implementation)… I don't currently use them to do the same thing (there's a little crossover) although one can easily be retasked to assume the role of the other
7. It was simply better value to do all this new rather than try to make it work around an aging Mac Pro and the sale price went a long way in paying for it

 

[JeffPerrin]

I thought of the media server route, but seems like a huge, huge waste of energy compared to say, a used mac mini that can serve that role just fine. In this day-and-age, it just doesn't feel right...

So I'll probably slide a board through the handles of my G5 and 2012 (when it's retired) and make a shelf or something. Lol Maybe in a couple decades a working G5 might even be worth something to a collector? Again - LOL!

 

[Snow Tiger]

I thought of the media server route, but seems like a huge, huge waste of energy compared to say, a used mac mini that can serve that role just fine. In this day-and-age, it just doesn't feel right...

So I'll probably slide a board through the handles of my G5 and 2012 (when it's retired) and make a shelf or something. Lol Maybe in a couple decades a working G5 might even be worth something to a collector? Again - LOL!

The ultimate re-purpose of a bunch of old Macs ( Macintosh II series specifically ) .

Adds new meaning to the term benchmark . ?

 

[Snow Tiger]

OK , I think I've figured out the configuration of my single processor Mac Pro 5,1 when she gets retired as a media server . Here goes :

Mac Pro 5,1
boot ROM version 144.0.0.0.0 .
3.46 GHz Six Core Xeon - X5690
48 GB ( 3 x 16 GB ) 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC memory .
AMD RX 480 8GB Blower type cooler with three DP and one HDMI port ( PCIe Slot 1 ) .
1 TB HP EX 920 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD on a Sintech model ST-M2PCE4X Adapter with heatsink ( PCIe Slot 2 ) .
4 TB 3.5" SATA HDD 7200 RPM drive for media storage . ( HDD Bay 1 ) .
1 TB 2.5" SATA SSD with adapter for Win 10 . Samsung 860 QVO model MZ-76Q1T0 ( HDD Bay 2 ) .
Blu-ray burner LG WH14NS40 .
Internal upgraded 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.x , Apple brand wireless , Continuity support and external 5 dBi antennas . This upgrade will take a long time .
Sonnet Solo10G PCIe Card ( PCIe Slot 3 ) - this should connect 10 GbE ethernet to my MP7,1 at around 850 MB/s . This is one darn fast PAN for a hundred bucks .
USB 10 Gbps Gigabyte brand model GC-USB3.1 . With type A and Type C ports . ( PCIe slot 4 ) . This will charge my iPhone 5C and transfer its data , as well .
macOS Mojave 10.14.6 installed on the NVMe drive .
Windows 10 Pro Workstation installed on the 2.5" SATA SSD .

 

[s66]

I'm planning to sell my MP6,1s as soon as the MP7,1 have taken over.
If and when the mac minis we have (one in sonnet rack mount kit; one hooked up to our TV) can't cope anymore, I'll replace them with a newer mac mini (they're all a bit older).
Why not keep and use the MP6,1 ? I'm sure by the time I need a better mac mini that at that time the MP6,1 can't do it either with enough headroom. I'm pretty sure the MP6,1 might be able to do a bit better job of driving the LG OLED TV, but since it can't output HDR, why bother given the value they have on the second hand market? - an AppleTV does that when needed as well.

 

[iluvmacs99]

Where I work right now, the majority of my clients and customers all use older Macs. The middle class by far and large had been decimated. Many of them were able to keep up with the Joneses pretty much for most years before the GFC of 2007 and 2008 and after since then, a lot of them who bought Mac Pros, older Minis, some PowerPC G4 and G5 and older iMacs new then are not in any position now to buy newer Macs. The GFC of 2008 simply had wiped out their savings and the jobs they used to have that supported their means to afford a Mac. So naturally, I own the systems that roughly mirror my clients and customers so I can better diagnose their issues. All being said, my Mac Pro is used mainly for video editing and sound editing, but not really heavy duty. After since I semi-retired from the digital media industry I used to be in, I didn't need to keep up with the fastest macs, so I really don't see the need to buy the latest Mac Pro. For the majority of my internet usage, I use a Windows 10 machine and that works really well and has support up until 2025 and does not cost me an arm and a leg.

 

[AidenShaw]

I thought of the media server route, but seems like a huge, huge waste of energy compared to say, a used mac mini that can serve that role just fine. In this day-and-age, it just doesn't feel right...

Agree with this - you don't need a hulking monster with a 1000 watt power supply as a file server - unless (like one of mine) it has quad 10 Gbps NICs, dual 16 Gbps FC HBAs, dual sockets, and about 300 TB of disk.

 

[Ludacrisvp]

Agree with this - you don't need a hulking monster with a 1000 watt power supply as a file server - unless (like one of mine) it has quad 10 Gbps NICs, dual 16 Gbps FC HBAs, dual sockets, and about 300 TB of disk.

So like just because it has a 1000 watt power supply doesn’t mean it draws that amount of power .... connected to my UPS which shows power draw my dual 3.2ghz with 32gb 3,1 with the pulse 580 typically draws less than 300w usually in the low 200s (around 220w at idle which would still likely remain near idle consumption serving some media files to devices on the home LAN).

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Plex, backups, home automation.

 

[s66]

So like just because it has a 1000 watt power supply doesn’t mean it draws that amount of power .... connected to my UPS which shows power draw my dual 3.2ghz with 32gb 3,1 with the pulse 580 typically draws less than 300w usually in the low 200s (around 220w at idle which would still likely remain near idle consumption serving some media files to devices on the home LAN).

Even at 220W it's going to be a lot: more than 1900 kWh at the end of the year onto your electric bill. That's more than half of what an average family of 2 consumes nowadays!

 

[Infinite Vortex]

Even at 220W it's going to be a lot: more than 1900 kWh at the end of the year onto your electric bill. That's more than half of what an average family of 2 consumes nowadays!

Not only that, if that MP was in a room that has to be cooled in the summer then you need to also add the cost of the additional cooling required to combat that 200W of "heating" in the room.

To be fair though, if you're presuming the 24/7 running of a system rather than not doing anything at all, one has to consider the power usage vs something more power efficient and note the difference.

For instance, my 2 x Mac mini servers with 2 x Samsung 860 EVOs each with an attached Blackmagic Multidock 2 with 4 HDDs in it, each, plus my 16-port gigabit switch plus an AirPort Extreme has a typical combined power usage of less than 60W. This gives the more important 160W difference… which is still a rather chunky 1400kWh!

The typical CPU usage of an internet connected OS X web, mail, file, calendar, contact etc server is comically low so why use an MP?…

This is from the Server app (Mac OS X Server) running on a Mac mini 2GHz quad-core mid-2011 system running El Capitan.

 

[nigelbb]

Not only that, if that MP was in a room that has to be cooled in the summer then you need to also add the cost of the additional cooling required to combat that 200W of "heating" in the room.

This could be balanced out if the room required heating in the winter,

 

[Average Pro]

I fall in line with the power conscious members. The old cheese grater consumed a significant amount of power. I'll take that and the 2013 MPs and put them up for sale. I just don't want them to go into land fill.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

This could be balanced out if the room required heating in the winter,

Yes, and no at the same time. The reason is that in winter that heating is supplemental to what already be happening rather than counteracting it. So if you're needing 1000Wof overall heating that get split rather than overall reduced. You'll still be putting 1000W into the room.

Additionally it assumes a 24/7 heating. I don't heat all the day. In fact I'm typically 8-10 hours a day in the room where my servers are. So while I'll get a marginal "bonus" during those hours for the rest of those hours, the majority and also when it's coldest, there's 200W getting expended to achieve next to nothing. That, at least in my case, wouldn't be a good trade off.

So while a "benefit" I hadn't considered it's still an overall negative... in my case at least.

 

[Onelifenofear]

This with my 2008 and another one I'll buy....

Mac G5 Bench

Description Two Apple Macintosh G5 cases, juxtaposed against American Black Walnut, creating a design led and practical bench. Features American...

www.gtodesigns.com

but I am making it myself! I have a house under massive refurb and this is going in my office.

Best thing is they will still work as render nodes

 

[skizzo]

who in the world is willing to pay that amount now-a-days? I didn't even pay half of that for a dual CPU system almost two years ago! granted it had the lowest spec CPUs, so therefore got a CPU upgrade and RAM added, but even with those costs added I still kept it to under $600.....you think someone will pay $1,200? I don't! Seems like some people are just listing these things at inflated prices, apparently with the 2nd hand Apple tax in the form of an emotional attachment or something

 

[serpico007]

who in the world is willing to pay that amount now-a-days? I didn't even pay half of that for a dual CPU system almost two years ago! granted it had the lowest spec CPUs, so therefore got a CPU upgrade and RAM added, but even with those costs added I still kept it to under $600.....you think someone will pay $1,200? I don't! Seems like some people are just listing these things at inflated prices, apparently with the 2nd hand Apple tax in the form of an emotional attachment or something

Locally people are asking a lot for their 5,1 models between $1000-$2000CAD. Most users maxed out their systems and want some of their investment back in order to help pay for a 7,1. The 6,1 models are going for $2000-$5000CAD still. Reason why I'm sticking with a 3,1 now.

 

[Snow Tiger]

who in the world is willing to pay that amount now-a-days? I didn't even pay half of that for a dual CPU system almost two years ago! granted it had the lowest spec CPUs, so therefore got a CPU upgrade and RAM added, but even with those costs added I still kept it to under $600.....you think someone will pay $1,200? I don't! Seems like some people are just listing these things at inflated prices, apparently with the 2nd hand Apple tax in the form of an emotional attachment or something

I could do all those upgrades at a material cost of $850 , once I had a SP cMP 5,1 barebones in my hands . It's basically turning an old unusable Mac into a pretty nice production grade machine before it gets retired , just as a proof of concept of what it is capable of . The most famous live theatre in my state uses a studio full of Mac Pros in lesser configurations than this for a wide range of editing . They have dollars to stretch and these ten year old silver beasts are still production worthy , after all . MP7,1 and iMac Pro doesn't change that a jot !

 

[Ludacrisvp]

Even at 220W it's going to be a lot: more than 1900 kWh at the end of the year onto your electric bill. That's more than half of what an average family of 2 consumes nowadays!

Not sure where your numbers come from, but anyways family of 4 here.
Those usage numbers will vary drastically based on location of the house and if it is standalone or duplex / apartment building, also depending on heating and cooling tech of the home will make a massive impact on what the avg family of 2 uses, and not to split too many hairs I can't imagine that 2 is the avg family size.

Wake on LAN / wake for network access is a thing. So it can sleep when not being accessed using all of about 20 or 30 watts to power the DIMMs.

Not only that, if that MP was in a room that has to be cooled in the summer then you need to also add the cost of the additional cooling required to combat that 200W of "heating" in the room.

I can certainly feel the heat in the room but its not the only machine going, keeps this corner of the basement warmer as needed which that heat rises into the rest of the house.

This could be balanced out if the room required heating in the winter

Yeah in winter I can always open a window for free AC



One thing to consider here is that you could assume that the old machine was on 24x7 and you also assume the new one is on 24x7. But is that the reality for all? Probably not, I'd suspect some get to sleep.

The old one could always enter a more dominant sleep cycle vs the previous duty cycle it had and you could run the new one 24x7 and potentially use less power on avg vs just having the old one (as the 7,1 should be more power efficient even with a larger PSU). If both of them take advantage of sleep you could very easily use less overall power keeping both machines alive.

 

[s66]

Not sure where your numbers come from,

I was using official government published data from the Netherlands (I don't live there, but was the first hit I found).

but anyways family of 4 here.
Those usage numbers will vary drastically based on location of the house and if it is standalone or duplex / apartment building, also depending on heating and cooling tech of the home will make a massive impact on what the avg family of 2 uses, and not to split too many hairs I can't imagine that 2 is the avg family size.

They had averaged the electrical use for households based on size of the household.
It increases a bit as there are more family members, but it's far less than linear.

Just did try to find the official numbers for where I live, I only found this calculation, but it's not directly from the official source (they claim they got the data from the Federal Government Agency for Economy):

[My translation to English]

An average consumption per household of 3928 kWh per year in 2016

• The total use of electricity in Belgium in 2016: 83,45 TWh
• Total number of households in Belgium: 4.822.301 (in 2016)
• Part of the total Belgian consumption used by households in 2016: 22,7%

FWIW: I know US based households use a LOT more electricity than those of us in Europe.

Also the average household size in Belgium is 2.2 members (same source)