MP 6,1 MP61.0120.B00 for MP6,1

[th0masp]

Your system will not catch fire and explode if you cannot install firmware updates, but new firmware often contains security updates and other important fixes. If you can update the firmware somehow, you should do so.

Its mostly a convenience issue - unplugging and pulling the computer out from behind the display - and finding that particular size torx to undo the screw that holds the SSD in place - blech...

Just upgraded from HS and will keep it running for now, lets see if any issues show up over time.

 

[Soba]

Its mostly a convenience issue - unplugging and pulling the computer out from behind the display - and finding that particular size torx to undo the screw that holds the SSD in place - blech...

Just upgraded from HS and will keep it running for now, lets see if any issues show up over time.

I understand completely. This is a very annoying limitation of the 6,1.

 

[tsialex]

Its mostly a convenience issue - unplugging and pulling the computer out from behind the display - and finding that particular size torx to undo the screw that holds the SSD in place - blech...

Just upgraded from HS and will keep it running for now, lets see if any issues show up over time.

You need to upgrade your BootROM to 134.0.0.0.0, MP61.0120.B00 (MP61.88Z.0120.B00.1708080652) is the first High Sierra BootROM from August 2017 and have very old microcodes that are vulnerable to Spectre and Meltdown exploits.

 

[macguru9999]

I understand completely. This is a very annoying limitation of the 6,1.

It might be best to find a 1tb apple ssd on ebay and just use that as your main drive. After spending some time with a customer's 6,1 doing the drive swaps etc i dont think i would buy one (a 2013 mac pro). Certainly not at the inflated prices they are going for on ebay at the moment.

 

[tsialex]

It might be best to find a 1tb apple ssd on ebay and just use that as your main drive. After spending some time with a customer's 6,1 doing the drive swaps etc i dont think i would buy one. Certainly not at the inflated prices they are going for on ebay at the moment.

A long time ago, @CodeJingle asked me about a workaround for the firmware upgrade problem and I prototyped a script to extract the hardwareIDs and inject inside the Apple generic image to be then flashed by flashrom, totally bypassing the Apple OEM SSD check. It's an improved version of my MP5,1 upgrade script to workaround the several MP6,1 firmware differences.

Since I don't have access to a MP6,1 anymore to test and @CodeJingle is not pursuing his project, I never really checked for bugs/extreme cases and I can't release it without knowing that it will work. If someone that have a MP6,1 and is capable of removing the SPI and programming it externally wants to help me debug it, get in contact.

 

[rawweb]

Yes, you will need to get an Apple OEM 12+16 blade, anything will work even 32GB blades from Fusion drives.

No way around it.

Per your advice I picked up a pretty cheap/small drive on eBay. Thank you very kindly for the advice. Now running 134.0.0.0.0.

If anyone else state side ends up in the same boat, I did end up reaching out to OWC support. As usual, they were very helpful and accommodating. They offered to ship me an OEM blade for nothing (with just a simple credit card hold). I opted for the eBay deal because it was so cheap and I'd never have to fuss with it again. It's nice to have around, I suppose.

 

[tsialex]

Per your advice I picked up a pretty cheap/small drive on eBay. Thank you very kindly for the advice. Now running 134.0.0.0.0.

If anyone else state side ends up in the same boat, I did end up reaching out to OWC support. As usual, they were very helpful and accommodating. They offered to ship me an OEM blade for nothing (with just a simple credit card hold). I opted for the eBay deal because it was so cheap and I'd never have to fuss with it again. It's nice to have around, I suppose.

Buying a 32GB 12+16 AHCI blade is the way to go if you have a really old pre-NVMe BootROM version, if you already have a newer than MP61.0120.B00, where NVMe is supported for the first time, a NVMe 12+16 blade like the Apple 12+16 blades based on Samsung SSPHOTON controller will work fine.

Apple will continue to send BootROM upgrades in the near future. While nowhere near BridgeOS Macs cadence, Apple has been sending frequent updates for MP6,1 BootROMs.

Apple made six MP6,1 BootROMs in 2019:

EFI version:	EFI build date (not the release date):
128.0.0.0.0	1812191437
129.0.0.0.0	1902141849
130.0.0.0.0	1904121119
131.0.0.0.0	1905251553
132.0.0.0.0	1906132222
133.0.0.0.0	1907241309
134.0.0.0.0	1912181758

Besides the usual DXE corrections that Apple issued in the last two years, like the frequent APFSJumpStart improvements, Intel will have to correct Ivy Bridge microcodes sooner than later and Apple will follow up with new BootROMs for MP6,1.