MP 1,1-5,1 Seeking OpenCore for 5,1 Guidance, Please

[5comma1]

• Mac Pro 5,1 Mid 2010
• 2 x 3.33 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon
• Sapphire RX 580 Pulse 8GB
• Memory 48GB • 6 x 8GB • 1333 MHz DDR3
• Boot Disk: 1TB NVMe M.2 mounted on Sonnet M.2 4x4 PCIe Storage Card (Silent) • OS X 10.14.6 Mojave
• Firmware Version: 144.0.0.0.0
• Lower Optical Bay > 500GB Crucial SSD > bootable 10.14.6 Mojave OS for troubleshooting


I’m grateful to the folks who have made OpenCore possible. I haven’t yet tried it because I’ve been afraid something will break that I wouldn’t be able to recover from. It’s probably much easier than I think, but without having been through it once it appears daunting. For example, even after reading about what an ESP is, I still don’t really get it.

With OpenCore evolving and becoming more user-friendly by the day, I thought I’d ask some questions to try and get myself grounded as to which approach to take… as of this writing on 080622.


1) are there multiple OpenCore options? I see offerings called Dortania, OpenCore Legacy Patcher, and the names DosDude and Martin Lo come up a lot, for example. Are there others? Which should I use and why?


2) as of today, 080622, which operating system should I choose to achieve the greatest blend of performance and stability?


3) when considering my 5,1 system specs above, what might break after installing OpenCore and how would I fix it? For example… loss of sleep function, Bluetooth, USB, etc?


4) from anyone who may have had a bad experience using OpenCore, why should I avoid OpenCore and stay with Mojave 10.14.6?


5) if I should need it… do you know anyone who could walk me through the OpenCore installation process via screen sharing using my Macbook Pro? I’d be willing to pay a reasonable amount, of course.


Huge THANKS in advance to anyone sharing their knowledge here!!

 

[theMarble]

1. Dortania is one of the people that made the original OpenCore (meant for Hackintosh); OCLP is the version of OpenCore for old Macs in general; Martin Lo's OpenCore package is the one meant specifically for the Mac Pro (4,1 and 5,1) and Dosdude1 makes the non-OpenCore patches, however, he hasn't made any since Catalina.

2. Big Sur or Monterey are your best options. In my opinion, Big Sur (especially 11.6.x) is exceptionally reliable while Monterey still seems to have quite a few little bugs however if you want to run a Radeon RX 6600 (XT) in the future you need Monterey.

3. Honestly not much should break depending on some factors. WiFi and Bluetooth will break unless you upgrade to AC and BT 5.0. Since you already have an RX 580 graphics is not a problem.

4. I personally haven't had any bad experiences with OpenCore, as long as you follow the instructions properly you'll be fine!

5. There is a guide "OpenCore on the Mac Pro" which goes in-depth into installing OpenCore.

 

[5comma1]

1. Dortania is one of the people that made the original OpenCore (meant for Hackintosh); OCLP is the version of OpenCore for old Macs in general; Martin Lo's OpenCore package is the one meant specifically for the Mac Pro (4,1 and 5,1) and Dosdude1 makes the non-OpenCore patches, however, he hasn't made any since Catalina.

2. Big Sur or Monterey are your best options. In my opinion, Big Sur (especially 11.6.x) is exceptionally reliable while Monterey still seems to have quite a few little bugs however if you want to run a Radeon RX 6600 (XT) in the future you need Monterey.

3. Honestly not much should break depending on some factors. WiFi and Bluetooth will break unless you upgrade to AC and BT 5.0. Since you already have an RX 580 graphics is not a problem.

4. I personally haven't had any bad experiences with OpenCore, as long as you follow the instructions properly you'll be fine!

5. There is a guide "OpenCore on the Mac Pro" which goes in-depth into installing OpenCore.

theMarble... thank you for your thorough and helpful reply!

1. I like the teaching style and supporting documents Mr. Macintosh provides on YouTube... are you familiar with his channel? Here's an example of one of his Big Sur videos:

Given the distinctions you helped me understand between OpenCore options, I'm thinking I might start at this OCLP page, https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/, and I could then also install OCLP on my Early 2013 MacBook Pro if all goes well with the 5,1. Does this sound like a good approach?

2. Ok, cool... I'll go with Big Sur 11.6.x, then. Very helpful to know. I have no intention of running a Radeon RX 6600 (XT).

3. Regarding WiFi and Bluetooth breaking... what does "upgrade to AC" mean, please... and do you have a suggestion around what I'd need to purchase in order to upgrade to Bluetooth 5.0?

5. Thank you... good tip... I looked through the guide "OpenCore on the Mac Pro" prior to my initial post. 👍

 

[theMarble]

1. That sounds like a good idea, though I would use Martin Lo's on the 5,1 and OCLP on the MacBook. Lo's has a few optimisations specific to running a Mac Pro

2. 11.6.8 is the latest release of Big Sur, use that.

3. The 2009-2012 Mac Pro comes with "802.11n" WiFi, this was good back then however newer and much faster standards have come since then (All routers made in the last 4-5 years have them) including 802.11ac (WiFi 5) and 802.11ax (WiFi 6). I'm not sure about AX support however you can replace the whole WiFi/Bluetooth card in your Mac Pro with a new one that upgrades you from 802.11n WiFi and BT 2.1 to 802.11ac and BT 5.0 BT 4.0/4.2.
4.2 is more important as most Bluetooth devices (keyboards, mice...) won't function at all on Bluetooth 2.1. You can get new cards from osxwifi. There are other models available however I'm not sure about compatibility with OpenCore.

 

[tsialex]

1. That sounds like a good idea, though I would use Martin Lo's on the 5,1 and OCLP on the MacBook. Lo's has a few optimisations specific to running a Mac Pro

2. 11.6.8 is the latest release of Big Sur, use that.

3. The 2009-2012 Mac Pro comes with "802.11n" WiFi, this was good back then however newer and much faster standards have come since then (All routers made in the last 4-5 years have them) including 802.11ac (WiFi 5) and 802.11ax (WiFi 6). I'm not sure about AX support however you can replace the whole WiFi/Bluetooth card in your Mac Pro with a new one that upgrades you from 802.11n WiFi and BT 2.1 to 802.11ac and BT 5.0.
5.0 is more important as most Bluetooth devices (keyboards, mice...) won't function at all on Bluetooth 2.1. You can get new cards from osxwifi. There are other models available however I'm not sure about compatibility with OpenCore.

MacPro compatible AirPort Extreme cards are originally from iMacs, year model 2013 to 2015:

BCM94360CD - 802.11ac + BT4.0 (This is the card that you should buy)
BCM943602CDP - 802.11ac + BT4.2 (This card also works, but you shouldn't buy since it makes a mess with the NVRAM and have issues when booting Windows/older macOS releases - do not buy it)

There are other cards from MacBooks Pro and Air that also could be used, but need antenna connectors adapters or have less antenna connectors, like BCM94360CS (do not buy it), but you should stick to BCM94360CD.

There is no Apple AirPort Extreme card or module that can be installed to a MacPro5,1 that have BT5.0.

 

[theMarble]

There is no Apple AirPort Extreme card or module that can be installed to a MacPro5,1 that have BT5.0.

Ah ok, swear I saw one at some point in time. Makes sense that you'd be limited to BT 4 considering you have to use modules from older Macs.

Would the BCM943602CDP work if you were only running OpenCore w/ Big Sur/Monterey and nothing else. No NVRAM issues?

 

[tsialex]

Ah ok, swear I saw one at some point in time. Makes sense that you'd be limited to BT 4 considering you have to use modules from older Macs.

The only iMac that have BT5.0 is the 2020 iMac and everything is on-board, no modules at all.

 

[5comma1]

1. That sounds like a good idea, though I would use Martin Lo's on the 5,1 and OCLP on the MacBook. Lo's has a few optimisations specific to running a Mac Pro

2. 11.6.8 is the latest release of Big Sur, use that.

3. The 2009-2012 Mac Pro comes with "802.11n" WiFi, this was good back then however newer and much faster standards have come since then (All routers made in the last 4-5 years have them) including 802.11ac (WiFi 5) and 802.11ax (WiFi 6). I'm not sure about AX support however you can replace the whole WiFi/Bluetooth card in your Mac Pro with a new one that upgrades you from 802.11n WiFi and BT 2.1 to 802.11ac and BT 5.0 BT 4.0/4.2.
4.2 is more important as most Bluetooth devices (keyboards, mice...) won't function at all on Bluetooth 2.1. You can get new cards from osxwifi. There are other models available however I'm not sure about compatibility with OpenCore.

Hey theMarble, thanks for all the info, including the osxwifi referral. Very helpful.

Go with Big Sur 11.6.8 > got it.

Use Martin Lo's OpenCore on the 5,1 and OCLP on the MacBook Pro > got it.

BCM94360CD - 802.11ac + BT4.0 module > got it. Thanks for the specific recommendation on that, tsialex.

I have written the osxwifi folks asking specifically which product I need... they have a few different offerings.

Is this where I should look for Martin Lo's OpenCore instructions and downloads? https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/activate-amd-hardware-acceleration.2180095/post-28255048

 

[theMarble]

Is this where I should look for Martin Lo's OpenCore instructions and downloads? https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/activate-amd-hardware-acceleration.2180095/post-28255048

Yes, that sounds like a good place to go!

 

[5comma1]

Yes, that sounds like a good place to go!

Thanks much!

 

[MacAttack5.1]

Yes, that sounds like a good place to go!

I am on Mojave and have a x580 plugged in and working. I wish to instal opener, when and where do I install Martic los stuff?

 

[5comma1]

Hey MacAttack5,1... I'm the OP and unable to answer your questions accurately. I did try my best to install OC back in August with the coaching found in this thread, but it didn't work out for me. I reverted to Mojave 10.14.6. I don't recall which issues arose but they were enough of a head-scratcher that I aborted. Maybe someone else will chime-in and offer some guidance? Good luck.

 

[prefuse07]

@MacAttack5.1 If you want Martin Lo's package, look at the first page of the AMD hardware acceleration thread -- he has a link to his post (I believe it is #1314 of that same thread) detailing how to install it with even some Youtube videos he made as an added benefit.

Now, to OP -- for all your OpenCore questions, you REALLY should just read the OpenCore thread, stickied at the very top of the main Mac Pro forum. Read the first post on page 1 a couple of times and then ask any questions IN THAT THREAD.

There is a reason why we have that one thread stickied at the top, so as to avoid having multiple threads like this scattered throughout the forums, as this question comes up almost every day.

Good luck!

 

[MacAttack5.1]

Hey MacAttack5,1... I'm the OP and unable to answer your questions accurately. I did try my best to install OC back in August with the coaching found in this thread, but it didn't work out for me. I reverted to Mojave 10.14.6. I don't recall which issues arose but they were enough of a head-scratcher that I aborted. Maybe someone else will chime-in and offer some guidance? Good luck.

Thank you. I have the greggant definitive guide. Makes sense but I hear Martin lo’s package is important and the best as it’s for the 5,1 but I can’t for the life of me find where and how to add his package to the open core. Then there is dosdude1 and that seems straight forward. I’m clever but don’t see a Mojave with metal to open core and with Martin Lo’s most recent updates on the FB group Mac Pro upgrade guide in a comprehensive and easy to follow video. I used Apples support to get to Mojave. So…. Yeah, why not start there rather than sierra where our machines came with.

 

[splifingate]

BCM943602CDP - 802.11ac + BT4.2 (This card also works, but you shouldn't buy since it makes a mess with the NVRAM and have issues when booting Windows/older macOS releases - do not buy it)

Hi Alex.

Sourced a 3602CDP early this year for my 2011 iMac (APN: 653-00011), and have been thinking of switching my performant 360CD in the 5,1 with it...

...would you be wiling to point me to a few resources about the NVRAM/boot issues? I can't find examples of such issues with the 3602CDP....

Regards

 

[splifingate]

4)

I really haven't had irreconcilable problems with the process, but it does take a fair bit of time and concentration initially, then some not-so-insignificant maintenance along the way. Very do-able.

If you enjoy learning, and the tangible rewards of understanding (+ having a current modern Mac OS on your 5,1) you will be most gratified!

You certainly have a lot of reading and typing ahead of you, but don't get discouraged

 

[tsialex]

Hi Alex.

Sourced a 3602CDP early this year for my 2011 iMac (APN: 653-00011), and have been thinking of switching my performant 360CD in the 5,1 with it...

...would you be wiling to point me to a few resources about the NVRAM/boot issues? I can't find examples of such issues with the 3602CDP....

Regards

You need better search-fu

https://forums.macrumors.com/search/3751290/?q=bcm943602cdp&c[users]=tsialex&o=relevance

My recommendation is not use BCM943602CDP models with MacPro5,1. Every time you boot past macOS releases/Windows/Linux, the NVRAM BT relates variables are marked for deletion and new ones created, this can make a real mess with the main VSS store.

 

[splifingate]

You need better search-fu

Yes; I certainly do thx

https://forums.macrumors.com/search/3751290/?q=bcm943602cdp&c[users]=tsialex&o=relevance

My recommendation is not use BCM943602CDP models with MacPro5,1. Every time you boot past macOS releases/Windows/Linux, the NVRAM BT relates variables are marked for deletion and new ones created, this can make a real mess with the main VSS store.

 

[icelectronics]

hello everyone, How would I make the bcm94360CS2 card work with macbook air 13 a”A1466 on mac pro 4.1>5.1 monstery OC @tsialex

 

[tsialex]

hello everyone, How would I make the bcm94360CS2 card work with macbook air 13 a”A1466 on mac pro 4.1>5.1 monstery OC @tsialex

Same issues with format adapter and antennas as I wrote here:

MacBook Pro 2013 WI-FI card on MacPro 5.1

Form the start, the early-MBP 2013 cards are not much better than the original MacPro5,1 one, also are 802.11n. The main issue are the different antennas connector size (Mac Pro have IPX/U-FL.1 antennas while the MacBookPro have IPX/U-FL.4), antennas won't fit. There is a cable that adapts one...

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