MP All Models Mac Pro CPU Compatibility List

h9826790 · Oct 27, 2021

robretoimperdible said:
Hi, I have changed the 2 processors in my Mac Pro 5.1, from the 2 Intel Xeon x5620 at 2.4 GHz, to 2 Intel Xeon x5680 at 3.33 GHz. They work perfectly, what I noticed is that the temperature has risen about 6 ° C on average. Now they are over 50ºC and with the old processors over 40ºC. Is this normal? Is it ok that they are over 50ºC or do I have to put thermal paste on them again? Thank you very much and greetings!

View attachment 1880449 View attachment 1880451

Anything below 85C is normal. Don't worry.

Of course, if 85C during idle still very bad, but you are far from that.

Also, the real important number is the delta temperature between the Diode and Heatsink. This is a good reference if the heat can transfer from the CPU to the heatsink effectively.

In your case, that's just 3C during idle, that's a very good number. It's also a sign that your CPU installation work is doing well. And the cooling system should be working as expected.

VaZ · Oct 28, 2021

robretoimperdible said:
Hi, I have changed the 2 processors in my Mac Pro 5.1, from the 2 Intel Xeon x5620 at 2.4 GHz, to 2 Intel Xeon x5680 at 3.33 GHz. They work perfectly, what I noticed is that the temperature has risen about 6 ° C on average. Now they are over 50ºC and with the old processors over 40ºC. Is this normal? Is it ok that they are over 50ºC or do I have to put thermal paste on them again? Thank you very much and greetings!

View attachment 1880449 View attachment 1880451

Intel® Xeon® Processor X5680 (12M Cache, 3.33 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel® QPI) Product Specifications

Intel® Xeon® Processor X5680 (12M Cache, 3.33 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel® QPI) quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

splifingate · Oct 28, 2021

robretoimperdible said:
Hi, I have changed the 2 processors in my Mac Pro 5.1, from the 2 Intel Xeon x5620 at 2.4 GHz, to 2 Intel Xeon x5680 at 3.33 GHz. They work perfectly, what I noticed is that the temperature has risen about 6 ° C on average. Now they are over 50ºC and with the old processors over 40ºC. Is this normal? Is it ok that they are over 50ºC or do I have to put thermal paste on them again? Thank you very much and greetings!

View attachment 1880449 View attachment 1880451

In addition to the sound wisdom that TomMuc has shared . . . I do hope that you cleaned/prepped your new CPU's, and applied *fresh* thermal paste prior to heatsink installation...your wording leaves me to question the fact

Regards, splifingate

PhantomKast · Oct 28, 2021

I have a question, i know this is an old forum and i might not get a response but here goes. I have a mac pro 4.1, and lets say i want to put 2 X5690's in it. I know that the power supply can handle it (as its 1000 watts) but since its such a big jump form the original 2 processors wich have each an 80 watt tdp (compared to the X5690 which is 130) I was wondering if the power delivery on the motherboard would be safe to handle the jump from 2x80 watts(140 watts) to 2x130 watts (260 watts). Its almost double what the motherboard was originally designed to handle which is why I'm asking. If not, what would be a good option to max out performance?

TomMuc · Oct 28, 2021

PhantomKast said:
I have a question, i know this is an old forum and i might not get a response but here goes. I have a mac pro 4.1, and lets say i want to put 2 X5690's in it. I know that the power supply can handle it (as its 1000 watts) but since its such a big jump form the original 2 processors wich have each an 80 watt tdp (compared to the X5690 which is 130) I was wondering if the power delivery on the motherboard would be safe to handle the jump from 2x80 watts(140 watts) to 2x130 watts (260 watts). Its almost double what the motherboard was originally designed to handle which is why I'm asking. If not, what would be a good option to max out performance?

the 2 x 130W are absolutely no problem for the mainboard of the 4.1. in my opinion the best processor (price/performance/powerconsumption/heatemission) however is the 3.06/3.46GHz X5675 with TDP 95W.

tsialex · Oct 28, 2021

PhantomKast said:
I have a question, i know this is an old forum and i might not get a response but here goes. I have a mac pro 4.1, and lets say i want to put 2 X5690's in it. I know that the power supply can handle it (as its 1000 watts) but since its such a big jump form the original 2 processors wich have each an 80 watt tdp (compared to the X5690 which is 130) I was wondering if the power delivery on the motherboard would be safe to handle the jump from 2x80 watts(140 watts) to 2x130 watts (260 watts). Its almost double what the motherboard was originally designed to handle which is why I'm asking. If not, what would be a good option to max out performance?

People have being installing X5680/X5690 in early-2009 Mac Pros since the the cross-flashing process was available.

Some very early dual CPU trays (rev1) don't work with high clock Westmere Xeons, even X5675 (95W) is problematic with this first revision, but most work.

Since no one knows exactly how to differentiate a rev1 from the subsequent revisions besides the green solder mask PCB for the first batch of rev1 - all other rev1 batches are black solder mask PCB - and the CPU tray serial number with a week after week 23, like J5924xxxxxxxx - example 24th week of 2009 (3rd digit is the year, 4th and 5th are the week number).

Anyway, no green solder mask PCB and Mac Pro build date after May of 2009, you shouldn't have any problems besides needing to use de-lidded Xeons and take a lot of care while installing the heatsinks.

avro707 · Oct 28, 2021

PhantomKast said:
I have a question, i know this is an old forum and i might not get a response but here goes. I have a mac pro 4.1, and lets say i want to put 2 X5690's in it. I know that the power supply can handle it (as its 1000 watts) but since its such a big jump form the original 2 processors wich have each an 80 watt tdp (compared to the X5690 which is 130) I was wondering if the power delivery on the motherboard would be safe to handle the jump from 2x80 watts(140 watts) to 2x130 watts (260 watts). Its almost double what the motherboard was originally designed to handle which is why I'm asking. If not, what would be a good option to max out performance?

I don't have the 4,1, I have the 5,1 and have dual X5690 and 128GB RAM along with the Sonnet card for NVME drives.

What I found is that the Northbridge temperatures run quite hot with this configuration even after putting new thermal grease and new spring-clips. My solution was putting in a small 40mm x 10mm Noctua 12 volt fan to move more air over the northbridge heatsink, connected to the SATA power in the DVD drive bay. Use the Noctua fan speed controller as well. This little fan is quiet and drops the temps by 10ºC. It also means the other related fans run at a lower speed so the whole machine is quieter.

For the single CPU MP4,1 and 5,1 this modification is not necessary.

My CPU temps at normal use are in the region 34-38ºC for both of them. Even flat out they don't go above 60ºC.

robretoimperdible · Oct 28, 2021

splifingate said:
In addition to the sound wisdom that TomMuc has shared . . . I do hope that you cleaned/prepped your new CPU's, and applied *fresh* thermal paste prior to heatsink installation...your wording leaves me to question the fact

Regards, splifingate

Thank you Splifingate. I did put a dot in the center of the thermal paste, but I wasn't sure if I put enough, but it looks like I did.

fethimac · Oct 31, 2021

ActionableMango said:
Bokkow and I have created a Mac Pro CPU compatibility list. The intent is to cover all relevant and compatible CPU upgrades for all Mac Pros. These are asked about over and over and over again, so I thought it would be nice to have it all in one place.

Constructive criticism, corrections to errors, pointing out omissions, etc. are all welcome. My intent is, after the content matures, to turn this first post into a wiki so that anyone can maintain it going forward from there.

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Notes:

Any and all information here may be incorrect. Use at your own risk.

This includes anything offered by Apple (BTO/CTO), third party upgrade guides and commercial services (such as Barefeats, OWC, or xlr8yourmac), or simply individuals claiming personal success in a forum somewhere (such as MacRumors and Netkas). There are probably many unverified CPUs that work, but these are not listed.

Memory speed is included in these charts. This is important because in some cases the CPU choice makes a difference.

Upgrading to a higher TDP (wattage) processor may increase temperatures and/or fan speed at max load. Macs Fan Control is a popular way to control your Mac's fan and it is available for both OS X and Windows, unlike most Mac fan software.

Some used CPUs for sale on Ebay and elsewhere are Intel Engineering Samples. You can read more about these here, but they are basically "beta" versions of the CPU provided to OEMs for testing. These may or may not work in a Mac Pro. In my research at least one person bought an engineering sample that didn't work. Since Intel only loans them out and never sells them, they can also be considered stolen property. People have literally been arrested for selling Intel ES processors on Ebay.

Key Description
- Not compatible
x Compatible
x* Compatible, but see notes about firmware update

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Mac Pro 7,1

1TB or 2TB maximum RAM depending on processor

Architecture Cores Grade CPU-Model GHz Turbo RAM Watt Max RAM
Cascade Lake 28 core Xeon W W-3275M 2.5 4.4 2933 205W 2TB
Cascade Lake 28 core Xeon W W-3275 2.5 4.4 2933 205W 1TB
Cascade Lake 24 core Xeon W W-3265M 2.7 4.4 2933 205W 2TB
Cascade Lake 24 core Xeon W W-3265 2.7 4.4 2933 205W 1TB
Cascade Lake 16 core Xeon W W-3245M 3.2 4.4 2933 205W 2TB
Cascade Lake 16 core Xeon W W-3245 3.2 4.4 2933 205W 1TB
Cascade Lake 12 core Xeon W W-3235 3.3 4.4 2933 180W 1TB
Cascade Lake 8 core Xeon W W-3225 3.7 4.3 2666 160W 1TB
Cascade Lake 8 core Xeon W W-3223 3.5 4.0 2666 160W 1TB

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Mac Pro 6,1

128GB maximum RAM (reduced speed)

64GB maximum RAM (full speed)

Architecture Cores Grade CPU-Model GHz Turbo RAM Watt
Ivy-Bridge 12 core Dual Xeon E5-2697 V2 2.7 3.5 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 12 core Dual Xeon E5-2696 V2 2.5 3.3 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 12 core Dual Xeon E5-2695 V2 2.4 3.2 1866 115W
Ivy-Bridge 10 core Dual Xeon E5-2690 V2 3.0 3.6 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 10 core Dual Xeon E5-2680 V2 2.8 3.6 1866 115W
Ivy-Bridge 8 core Dual Xeon E5-2687W V2 3.4 4.0 1866 150W
Ivy-Bridge 8 core Dual Xeon E5-2667 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 8 core Dual Xeon E5-2673 V2 3.3 4.0 1866 110W
Ivy-Bridge 8 core Xeon E5-1680 V2 3.0 3.9 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 6 core Xeon E5-1660 V2 3.7 4.0 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 6 core Xeon E5-1650 V2 3.5 3.9 1866 130W
Ivy-Bridge 4 core Xeon E5-1620 V2 3.7 3.9 1866 130W

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Mac Pro 5,1 and 4,1
Xserve 3,1

Maximum RAM:

56GB in a single-processor Mac Pro using a single-processor-capable Xeon

64GB in a single-processor Mac Pro using a dual-processor-capable Xeon

160GB in a dual-processor Mac Pro

48GB for a single-processor Xserve

96GB in a dual-processor Xserve

For the 4,1 to use Westmere CPUs and run RAM at 1333, it will need the firmware upgrade to 5,1, found here: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,852.0.html

5,1 Mac Pros shipped with 1333 RAM even when paired with a Nehalem (1066 only) processor. As shipped, the RAM runs at 1066 because of the CPU. However, if you upgrade to a 1333-capable CPU, your RAM will run at 1333 after an NVRAM reset.

Installing a single "Dual Xeon" processor into a single-processor Mac Pro works fine, and actually increases its maximum RAM from 56 to 64GB.

Installing just one single-processor-model CPU into a dual-processor Mac Pro technically works, but this causes an error state with the CPU fan going full blast.

For two CPUs, you must install two "Dual Xeon" processors. You cannot use two i7 or single Xeon processors.

The X#### CPU's tend to have a slightly higher maximum temperature rating than their W#### equivalents.

4,1 dual-processorMac Pro uses a special, "lidless" CPUs (the single-processor models use normal CPUs). This has a different height than the normal CPUs, so if you upgrade a dual-processor 4,1 Mac Pro with different processors, you need to deal with the height difference. There are several ways to do this:

Buy CPUs that someone has already de-lidded.

Buy normal CPUs and de-lid them yourself. Here is thread about delidding yourself and here is a video. (And here is a post warning against delidding yourself.)

Buy normal CPUs and pay for de-lidding service.

Keep the lids on, but be extremely careful about not tightening down the heat sink too much. (If you don't remove the lids it is very easy to tighten down the heat sink screws too much on a CPU that's too large, resulting in damage to the socket, CPU, and/or board.)

Other people have kept the lids on, but added washer stacks (of equivalent height to the lid difference) to where the tightening screws go--this is intended to prevent the heat sink from overtightening and causing damage. Here is an informational washer stack thread, and here is a really good post with pictures and a step-by-step procedure.

If you keep the lids on, the existing heat pad won't reach the heat sink due to the extra height of the lids. You need to make up for this gap by replacing the heat pad with a thicker pad.

The Xserve 3,1 uses lidless CPUs for both single-CPU and double-CPU models. We don't know if the washer-stack trick will work in Xserves as they are physically different than MP, but the other solutions should work.

No, the X5687 (3.6GHz quad-core) and the X5698 (4.4GHz dual-core) do not work in Mac Pros. I don't want to list every CPU that doesn't work with a Mac, but these two are asked about often enough to include here, and they've been verified as not working.

Architecture Cores Grade CPU-Model GHz Turbo RAM Watt MP4,1 MP5,1 XS3,1
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5690 3.46 3.73 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5680 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5679 3.20 3.60 1066 115W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5675 3.06 3.46 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5670 2.93 3.33 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5660 2.80 3.20 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon X5650 2.66 3.06 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon E5649 2.53 2.80 1333 80W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon E5645 2.40 2.67 1333 80W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Dual Xeon L5639 2.13 2.67 1333 60W x* x -
Gulftown 6 core Xeon W3690 3.46 3.73 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Xeon W3680 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 6 core Xeon W3670 3.20 3.46 1066 130W x* x -
Gulftown 6 core Consumer i7 990X 3.46 3.73 1333 130W x* x -
Gulftown 6 core Consumer i7 980X 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x* x -
Gulftown 6 core Consumer i7 970 3.20 3.46 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon X5687 3.60 3.86 1333 130W - - -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon X5677 3.46 3.73 1333 130W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon X5672 3.20 3.60 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon X5667 3.06 3.46 1333 95W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon X5647 2.93 3.20 1066 130W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon E5640 2.66 2.93 1066 80W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon E5630 2.53 2.80 1066 80W x* x -
Westmere 4 core Dual Xeon E5620 2.40 2.66 1066 80W x* x -
Westmere 2 core Dual Xeon X5698 4.40 4.54 1333 130W - - -
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon W5590 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x x x
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon W5580 3.20 3.46 1333 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon X5570 2.93 3.33 1333 95W x x x
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon X5560 2.80 3.20 1333 95W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon X5550 2.66 3.06 1333 95W x x x
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon E5540 2.53 2.80 1066 80W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon E5530 2.40 2.66 1066 80W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Dual Xeon E5520 2.26 2.53 1066 80W x x x
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3580 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3570 3.20 3.46 1333 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3565 3.20 3.46 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3540 2.93 3.20 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3530 2.80 3.06 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Xeon W3520 2.66 2.93 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 975 3.33 3.60 1333 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 965 3.20 3.46 1066 130W x** x** -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 960 3.20 3.46 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 950 3.06 3.33 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 940 2.93 3.20 1066 130W x** x** -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 930 2.80 3.06 1066 130W x x -
Nehalem 4 core Consumer i7 920 2.66 2.93 1066 130W x** x** -

* Requires 4,1 to 5,1 firmware upgrade

** Some or all steppings of these CPUs don't work with certain newer Mac Pro firmware versions applied by High Sierra 10.13.5 updates and newer. See this thread. The thread also has a method for adding the code back to make the CPUs compatible again.

Note: Reports of GAINESTOWN (Xeon 5500-series) processors in Mojave experiencing audio related issues. See this thread for more information.

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Mac Pro 3,1
Xserve 2,1

64GB maximum RAM

The 3,1 MP is not compatible with all steppings. Processors with a 5-digit sSpec starting with "SLB" do not work. Those that start with "SLA" work. The sSpec is marked on the top of the processor. sSpec numbers listed in this table should work.

The 3,1 single-processor Mac Pro can be upgraded to dual-processor by adding a second CPU and appropriate heat sink. The CPUs must match including sSpec, so either get a second CPU that matches your existing CPU, or get two matching CPUs.

Architecture Cores Grade CPU-Model sSpec GHz RAM Watt MP3,1 XS2,1
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5482 SLANZ 3.2 800 150W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5460 SLANP 3.16 667 120W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5472 SLANR 3.0 800 80W x x
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5472 SLASA 3.0 800 120W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5450 SLASB 3.0 667 120W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5450 SLANQ 3.0 667 80W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5440 SLANS 2.83 667 80W x -
Harpertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5462 SLANT 2.8 800 80W x x
Wolfdale 2 core Dual Xeon X5272 SLANH 3.40 800 80W x -
Wolfdale 2 core Dual Xeon X5260 SLANJ 3.33 667 80W x -

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Mac Pro 2,1 and 1,1
Xserve 1,1

32GB maximum RAM for 1,1 (increases to 64GB if flashed with 2,1 firmware)

64GB maximum RAM for 2,1

For the 1,1 to use Clovertown CPUs properly, it needs a firmware flashed to 2,1.

The 1,1 to 2,1 firmware flash requires Snow Leopard (or newer) to run. It can be found here: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,1094.0.html

Architecture Cores Grade CPU-Model sSpec Stepping GHz RAM Watt** (TDP) Watt** (idle) MP1,1 MP2,1 XS1,1
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5365 SLAC3 B3 3.0 667 150W 50W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5365 SLAED G0 3.0 667 120W 25W x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5355 SLAC4 B3 2.66 667 120W 50W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5355 SL9YM B3 2.66 667 120W 50W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon X5355 SLAEG G0 2.66 667 120W 25W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5345 SL9YL B3 2.33 667 80W n/a x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5345 SLAC5 B3 2.33 667 80W n/a x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5345 SLAEJ G0 2.33 667 80W n/a x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5340 SL9MY n/a 2.4 533 80W 30W x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5340 n/a G0 2.4 667 80W 25W x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon L5335 SLAEN G0 2.0 667 50W 24W x* x x
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon L5320 SLA4Q B3 1.86 533 50W 24W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon L5320 SLAC9 B3 1.86 533 50W 24W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon L5320 SLAEP G0 1.86 533 50W 24W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5320 SL9MV B3 1.86 533 80W 30W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5320 SLACB B3 1.86 533 80W 30W x* x -
Clovertown 4 core Dual Xeon E5320 SLAEM G0 1.86 533 80W 30W x* x -
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5160 SL9RT B2 3.0 667 80W n/a x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5160 SLABS B2 3.0 667 80W n/a x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5160 SLAG9 G0 3.0 667 65W 8W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5150 SL9RU B2 2.66 667 65W 24W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5150 SLABM B2 2.66 667 65W 24W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5150 SLAGA G0 2.66 667 65W 8W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5130 SL9RX B2 2.0 667 65W 27W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5130 SLABP B2 2.0 667 65W 27W x x x
Woodcrest 2 core Dual Xeon 5130 SLAGC G0 2.0 667 65W 27W x x x

* 1,1 to 2,1 firmware upgrade recommended for stepping G0, _strongly_ recommended for earlier steppings.

** Values per CPU (-> x2 in a MP). Upgrade from DualCore to QuadCore CPU's usually requires fan control adjustments prior to stepping G0.

Sources used (among others): Techreport.com, Wikipedia.

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Credit

Thanks to Bokkow for helping with this. The information is formatted and presented nicely due to his work with BBCode tables, and he has contributed with a lot of the data as well.

Thanks to MacEFIROM and Netkas for creating and providing the firmware updates for Mac Pro. This has enabled countless people to upgrade to a newer generation of CPUs, which wouldn't be possible without the effort made by these two.

Thanks to everyone who ever upgraded a CPU and took the time to post about it here--there's a chance it was your post I saw that led to a CPU being verified above.

Thanks to those who took the time, money, and risk to shove more memory in their computer than others said was possible.

Thanks to everyone who helps to push the limits and usefulness of our computers.

Thanks to MacRumors and the mods for providing such a great forum for the above to happen in the first place. Especially the mod Arn, for enabling BBCode tables for this.

The 3,1 single-processor Mac Pro can be upgraded to dual-processor by adding a second CPU and appropriate heat sink. The CPUs must match including sSpec, so either get a second CPU that matches your existing CPU, or get two matching CPUs.
can i add to differant cpu X5472 and E5462

tsialex · Oct 31, 2021

fethimac said:
can i add to differant cpu X5472 and E5462

No, early-2008 Xeons need to be matching ones. Like is clearly written on the first post, you can't install different models.

Larsvonhier · Nov 8, 2021

Looking for info on different virtualisation features in real-world usage with i.e. Parallels Desktop...

I´m asking because we noticed a big disadvantage of our Mac Pro (3,1 and 5,1 systems) in comparison to i5 or i7 (even C2D!) machines. The disadvantage means that whenever virtualising a machine with more than 1 core on our Xeons, the virtual OS becomes unbearably sluggish (Win7, Win10, Ubuntu, whatever all the same).
That´s not the case on non-Xeon machines.
Despite what intel claims (VT-x features), there might be some details to the CPUs virt. capabilities that are easy to miss?

So I´d be happy to any clues if replacing the Xeon in a MP with a compatible i7 (on a single CPU tray of course) would
lead to more virtual cores usable?

Melbourne Park · Nov 15, 2021

When I upgrade to M Pro or M Pro Max, probably with a new notebook unless Apple smarten up, I am think of using my 5,1 was a server. I would actually like to connect it to house cameras for security as well, but I fear re-inventing the wheel. But the major disadvantage of a 5,1 etc as a data server, seems to be power consumption. So I'm now thinking a low powered GPU, and using 2.4 Mhz processors would save power. But I guess it would be the idle power consumption that would be the main issue. Being a twin CPU machine, its funny that if it had the single 2.4 Mhz CPU configuration, it would be better at doing the job ....

I'm interested if anyone knows about such issues. Also, the most efficient array configuration with some fault tolerance - I presume the slower the drives, the less power they use.

ericyoshino · Nov 22, 2021

tsialex said:
Some very early dual CPU trays (rev1) don't work with high clock Westmere Xeons, even X5675 (95W) is problematic with this first revision. Since no one knows exactly how to differentiate a rev1 from the subsequent revisions besides the green solder mask PCB for the first batch of rev1 - all other rev1 batches are black solder mask PCB. If you have a very early Mac Pro build date with the original CPU tray, you could have problems.

Anyway, no green solder mask PCB and Mac Pro build date after May of 2009, you shouldn't have any problems besides needing to use de-lidded Xeons and take a lot of care while installing the heatsinks.

There's no way to tell them apart? Rev 1 and later?

coconutBattery gives 2009-05-11. Should I worry?

tsialex · Nov 22, 2021

ericyoshino said:
There's no way to tell them apart? Rev 1 and later?

Nope.

ericyoshino said:
coconutBattery gives 2009-05-11. Should I worry?

Coconut date is based on the Mac Pro SSN week of assembly, not the real BD stored on the BootBlock, your CPU tray could be made earlier.

Anyway, like I wrote, no one found a reliable way to identify the rev 1 CPU tray with the black mask PCB yet.

Melbourne Park · Dec 3, 2021

What thermal paste is recommended for someone who hasn't done it before? Incidentally it seems to me that most CMPs are probably due to have their thermal paste renewed ... it seems to me that the best metallic pastes only promise 8 years ...

I presume one cleans the heat sink with alcohol?

I'm not sure about pressure and what extended tool is best to buy too, for removing and re-tightening the heat sinks (a 5,1).

saulinpa · Dec 3, 2021

Melbourne Park said:
What thermal paste is recommended for someone who hasn't done it before? Incidentally it seems to me that most CMPs are probably due to have their thermal paste renewed ... it seems to me that the best metallic pastes only promise 8 years ...

I presume one cleans the heat sink with alcohol?

I'm not sure about pressure and what extended tool is best to buy too, for removing and re-tightening the heat sinks (a 5,1).

Arctic Silver 5 paste is good.
Use isopropyl alcohol, not the stuff you drink. I use it with a sturdy paper towel. Many say not to as too much lint.
I have this hex driver. Works fairly well for the task.

Melbourne Park · Dec 3, 2021

saulinpa said:
Arctic Silver 5 paste is good.
Use isopropyl alcohol, not the stuff you drink. I use it with a sturdy paper towel. Many say not to as too much lint.
I have this hex driver. Works fairly well for the task.

Thanks.

That hex driver is not available to me in australia. But I've ordered a set of 6 Bondhus Hex drivers which includes a 3mm one, they are 9" long, and were recommended elsewhere.

I am happy to buy a quality driver that is nice and high with central twisting power via an even split hand grip, as the nightmare would be damaging the screws and having removal issues.

KeesMacPro · Dec 4, 2021

Melbourne Park said:
What thermal paste is recommended for someone who hasn't done it before? Incidentally it seems to me that most CMPs are probably due to have their thermal paste renewed ... it seems to me that the best metallic pastes only promise 8 years ...

As long as you choose a decent quality paste , it'll be fine.
Like @saulinpa suggested:
E.g. Arctic Silver, MX-4 , Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut just to name a few all do the job.
Kryonaut is expensive but might be the easiest to apply for an unexperienced person.

Melbourne Park said:
I presume one cleans the heat sink with alcohol?

Isopropyl alcohol is the best. "Normal" alcohol doesnt disolve the old paste as easy and contains water so will not evaporate as fast as IPA.
A cheap and common material for cleaning the CPU/heatsink is a paper coffee filter ( ~ 1,- a pack of 100 ) dipped in IPA.
This paper doesnt leave any fibres when used , which is very important.
No need to buy these expensive wiping towels "special for CPU cleaning".

Melbourne Park said:
I'm not sure about pressure and what extended tool is best to buy too, for removing and re-tightening the heat sinks (a 5,1).

The Technician Guide is a good source for all kinds of info .
You can download it here:

https://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_mid2010.pdf

When you're removing the CPU heatsinks , I would highly recommend to repaste the NorthBridge too and replace the plastic rivets for e.g. M3x16mm nylon or metal screws , nuts and washers with the original springs.
The plastic rivets tend to break over time and can be seen as the Achilles Heel of the MP 4,1 / 5,1.
These parts are easy to obtain at any hardware store.

After a good repaste Delta NB diode- heatsink should be ~12 Celsius or less.
Delta CPU diode - heatsink should be ~ 3-5 Celsius.
Both Delta with the MP running at idle.

Melbourne Park · Dec 7, 2021

KeesMacPro said:
As long as you choose a decent quality paste , it'll be fine.
Like @saulinpa suggested:
E.g. Arctic Silver, MX-4 , Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut just to name a few all do the job.
Kryonaut is expensive but might be the easiest to apply for an unexperienced person.

...

Thanks for the good advise. I'll do the Northbridge first, and if that goes fine, I'll then do the CPUs.

About the heat sink pastes - the cost doesn't matter to me - temperature control means the machine keeps going.

The all metal Conductonaut Thermal Gizzly brand is by far the best - but its conductive and corrosive on aluminium. Although it appears to me that the heat sink contact surface on the CPU heat sinks (from looking at Youtube videos) is copper, which then is attached to alloy heat sink fins. The conductonaut rates at 83 - while almost all the other better pastes, are rated at 7 to 8.4. A very huge difference. The Conductonaut looks like mercury ... with little bits in it as well ... strange stuff.

However Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut works well and is around mid 8. But there is a new product from them out - an extreme Kryonaut - and it is mid 12 for conductivity. Which is 40 to 50% better than previous easy to install choices. I've now bought that one. But - a review claimed that it performed no better and maybe a bit worse than two other brands!!!

The best choice though would have to be Conductonaut, presuming the interface onto the CPUs is indeed copper. I bought a copper heat sink G4 tower - or its GPU. I have not been able to pick up that computer due to Covid. Its copper heat sinks looked fabulous! Conductonout on a copper heat sink - maybe Apple could have stuck with Power PC !!!

ActionableMango · Dec 28, 2021

tsialex said:
People have being installing X5680/X5690 in early-2009 Mac Pros since the the cross-flashing process was available.

Some very early dual CPU trays (rev1) don't work with high clock Westmere Xeons, even X5675 (95W) is problematic with this first revision. Since no one knows exactly how to differentiate a rev1 from the subsequent revisions besides the green solder mask PCB for the first batch of rev1 - all other rev1 batches are black solder mask PCB. If you have a very early Mac Pro build date with the original CPU tray, you could have problems.

Anyway, no green solder mask PCB and Mac Pro build date after May of 2009, you shouldn't have any problems besides needing to use de-lidded Xeons and take a lot of care while installing the heatsinks.

Is there a thread where I can read more about this? I tried a few searches but I can't think of a good keyword and I'm not having any luck finding anything.

tsialex · Dec 28, 2021

ActionableMango said:
Is there a thread where I can read more about this? I tried a few searches but I can't think of a good keyword and I'm not having any luck finding anything.

No one ever did a thread consolidating the knowledge about the rev.A early-2009 dual CPU tray, the info are scattered over dozens of threads. From what I remember the Apple internal GSK revision notes and posts here:

red solder mask PCBs are prototypes and only work with Nehalem Xeons, usually only with the already installed Xeons.
green solder mask PCBs are pre-production and usually can work with 95W Westmere Xeons, some only work with Nehalem Xeons.
black solder mask PCBs that have all the diag buttons installed are qualification and work up to 95W Westmere Xeons.
black solder mask PCBs that have just the main diag button installed and have the build date up to the end of May 2009 are the original CPU tray design and usually only work with 95W Westmere Xeons. Some can work with X5680s, but most won't even POST with X5690s. These are the original design (rev 1) and most autodestruct over time with 130W Westmere Xeons.
The CPU tray production date week is easy to identify, for example, J5929xxxxxxxx was made back in the 29th week of 2009 (3rd digit is the year, 4th and 5th are the week number). This is valid for all 11-digits SSNs.
different factories over the world have different dates for the start of rev. A and B production. I try to buy early-2009 CPU trays only after July to avoid getting a PCB assembled after the 26th week, but with still the older printed circuit. From previous experience with BootROMs, the Cork factory usually is the slowest of all factories to implement any changes, and the Chinese ones the fastest - the printed circuit is usually made in China and then the components soldered elsewhere in the world.
CPU trays that have the 17-digits serial number are factory refurbished CPU trays and is safe to assume that Apple corrected whatever issue caused the autodestruction with Westmere 130W Xeons since there are no known reports of issues with 130W Westmere with 17-digits CPU trays.

There are several posts about these early made dual CPU trays not working correctly with X5680s, or not even completing POST with X5690s installed, but working with X5675. If I remember anything more, I"ll add to this post.

Stex · Dec 30, 2021

tsialex said:
No one ever did a thread consolidating the knowledge about the rev.A early-2009 dual CPU tray, the info are scattered over dozens of threads. From what I remember the Apple internal GSK revision notes and posts here:

red solder mask PCBs are prototypes and only work with Nehalem Xeons, usually only with the already installed Xeons.

green solder mask PCBs are pre-production and usually can work with 95W Westmere Xeons, some only work with Nehalem Xeons.

black solder mask PCBs that have all the diag buttons installed are qualification and work up to 95W Westmere Xeons.

black solder mask PCBs that have just the main diag button installed and have the build date up to the end of April 2009 are rev1 and usually only work with 95W Westmere Xeons. Some can work with X5680s, but most won't even POST with X5690s.

There are several posts about these early made dual CPU trays not working correctly with X5680s, or not even completing POST with X5690s installed, but working with X5675. If I remember anything more, I"ll add to this post.

Thanks for this summary @tsialex, very informative and useful. I recently bought 2 X5690s to be delidded and installed soon, will look at my CPU tray solder masks to see if I can identify it, even though having the X5680s currently installed and working properly must mean that I have one of the "good" trays.

tsialex · Dec 30, 2021

Stex said:
Thanks for this summary @tsialex, very informative and useful. I recently bought 2 X5690s to be delidded and installed soon, will look at my CPU tray solder masks to see if I can identify it, even though having the X5680s currently installed and working properly must mean that I have one of the "good" trays.

Btw, you have to remember that I was talking about whole Mac Pros (the diagnostic button(s) is(are) on the backplane and not on the CPU tray itself) and the CPU tray itself could be already replaced in the past.

Perhaps if people that have early-2009 dual CPU trays that don't work with x5690 post the CPU tray SSN, we could track this and find more data about rev1 CPU trays.

Stex · Dec 30, 2021

tsialex said:
Btw, you have to remember that I was talking about whole Mac Pros (the diagnostic button(s) is(are) on the backplane and not on the CPU tray itself) and the CPU tray itself could be already replaced in the past.

Perhaps if people that have early-2009 dual CPU trays that don't work with x5690 post the CPU tray SSN, we could track this and find more data about rev1 CPU trays.

I see. So PCBs only refer to the backplane? I mistakenly understood it only referred to the CPU trays themselves. In my case, I bought the 4,1 directly from Apple in 2009.

tsialex · Dec 30, 2021

Stex said:
I see. So PCBs only refer to the backplane? I mistakenly understood it only referred to the CPU trays themselves. In my case, I bought the 4,1 directly from Apple in 2009.

Only the part of the diagnostic button(s) and build date refer to the backplane, since both are on or stored in the backplane.

Anyway, I just checked the build date for your H09xxxxx20H Mac Pro, it's stored inside the MLB sector of your Mac Pro BootROM, and it was made back in July. So, you shouldn't have a rev1 dual CPU tray at all.

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