Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

rolltide4life

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 19, 2010
35
3
Is there any reason for me to upgrade from my current 2012 Mac Pro setup, which includes a 2x 3.46 Xeon processor, NVMe PCIe, and 2090RX, to a base model 2019 Mac Pro? I'm strictly using a native Windows 10 installation, without any use of Bootcamp or macOS, mainly for gaming.

Is the 2019 Mac Pro as easily upgradable in terms of processors, NVMe, etc. as the 2012 Mac Pro? If so, I'm considering purchasing one from eBay, or if you know of any other safe and reliable places to purchase from, that would be appreciated.

The Mac Pro is renowned for its stability with Windows and gaming, functioning flawlessly over the years. I'm just curious if anyone has transitioned from a 2012 Mac Pro to a 2019 Mac Pro to run Windows 10/11 natively?

Thanks!
 

impulse462

macrumors 68020
Jun 3, 2009
2,086
2,872
processor isn't technically supported for upgrade in the 7,1 and even if you can you are limited to CPUs from that 2019 intel generation on 14++nm. upgrading to the 28-core cpu will do absolutely nothing for gaming performance and in-fact may inhibit performance gains because as a general rule, more CPU cores running simultaneously will run a slower clock speed. and after 4 cores for gaming, additional cores won't matter, only clock speed.

All other components can be upgraded and the build of the computer is supportive of it which is nice.

IMO buying one for gaming is extremely ill advised since it will be using a xeon cpu and CPI is limited due to age compared to newer desktop CPUs on the market now.

My suggestion is getting only if:
1) you really really really enjoy the look of the mac pro and feel its worth spending an extra ~2-3k premium for worse gaming performance (relative to the money youll spend)

2) your workload is GPU intensive (which gaming isn't imo) but not as intensive to be bottlenecked by the older cpu

3) you think just having a cheesegrater mac pro is worth the exorbitant price. because you can get a much faster/better performing computer for gaming for way less.

i realize this line has been the MO for a lot of anti-apple stuff before. I think its more applicable to laptops, phones, and other smaller computers/devices that are not a desktop computer.
 

blackquartz

macrumors regular
Oct 22, 2009
116
157
Is there any reason for me to upgrade from my current 2012 Mac Pro setup, which includes a 2x 3.46 Xeon processor, NVMe PCIe, and 2090RX, to a base model 2019 Mac Pro? I'm strictly using a native Windows 10 installation, without any use of Bootcamp or macOS, mainly for gaming.

Is the 2019 Mac Pro as easily upgradable in terms of processors, NVMe, etc. as the 2012 Mac Pro? If so, I'm considering purchasing one from eBay, or if you know of any other safe and reliable places to purchase from, that would be appreciated.

The Mac Pro is renowned for its stability with Windows and gaming, functioning flawlessly over the years. I'm just curious if anyone has transitioned from a 2012 Mac Pro to a 2019 Mac Pro to run Windows 10/11 natively?

Thanks!
I went from the 5,1 to the 7,1 back then in 2020, and it's an amazing Mac Pro. I havent look back or elsewhere since then. Consistent with the original cheese grater Its a solid, well built computer and while it was polarising for its outrageous pricing, it feels lightyears ahead from the 5,1 while in use and for its capabilities.

IMO, the 7,1 is still the best mac out there, If you do care about GPUs, ram and processor upgrades. Still the sun is starting to set on the horizon, and while its an amazing computer it came out almost 4 years ago. Thats a lot in computer years. So my advice would be to aim for a cheap basic model and upgrade stuff yourself. In my experience, a couple of weeks ago I found a W6800x duo, which is a $5k MPX, for roughly the 30% of its msrp on ebay.

Good Luck!
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,655
6,939
Question. Is there anything the architecture of the Intel version will do/allow that the M1/2 versions will not?
 

DrEGPU

macrumors regular
Apr 17, 2020
191
80
I see. I'm assuming then that I can still use an NVidia GPU under Windows on both?
No. Only Intel macs will be able to use GPU’s. M1/M2 cannot use use dedicated GPU’s of any kind, including nvidia, amd, and Intel. Not even eGPUs
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,655
6,939
No. Only Intel macs will be able to use GPU’s. M1/M2 cannot use use dedicated GPU’s of any kind, including nvidia, amd, and Intel. Not even eGPUs
Ooh, that's a bit of a show stopper for some then.
 

Darren.h

macrumors 6502
Apr 15, 2023
336
578
you can get a base 2019 Mac Pro for around $3500 on eBay.
Thats half the cost of new.
I say go for it.
I may get one over the Mac Studio and hold out for Apple silicon for a few more years.
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,655
6,939
you can get a base 2019 Mac Pro for around $3500 on eBay.
Thats half the cost of new.
I say go for it.
I may get one over the Mac Studio and hold out for Apple silicon for a few more years.
I am wondering about it as I want the best/last Intel machine that Apple makes as I don't like the direction in whcih they are going.
It's not half though?
 

mcnallym

macrumors 65816
Oct 28, 2008
1,181
911
I am wondering about it as I want the best/last Intel machine that Apple makes as I don't like the direction in whcih they are going.
It's not half though?
If you don’t like the way Apple is going or it doesn’t work for your Workflow then really the 7,1 especially if looking for Native Windows install, then just go with a decent Windows machine.

You can buy current gen Xeon CPU, install whatever GPU you want and aren not burning juice up on hardware that not using whilst in Windows.

then use your current Mac to transition your workflow out of Mac OS, as effectively apples direction with Apple Silicon should be obvious now.

if not happy with it then the 7,1 is just delaying the inevitable move away from Mac OS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mode11

avro707

macrumors 68000
Dec 13, 2010
1,754
973
Is there any reason for me to upgrade from my current 2012 Mac Pro setup, which includes a 2x 3.46 Xeon processor, NVMe PCIe, and 2090RX, to a base model 2019 Mac Pro? I'm strictly using a native Windows 10 installation, without any use of Bootcamp or macOS, mainly for gaming.

Is the 2019 Mac Pro as easily upgradable in terms of processors, NVMe, etc. as the 2012 Mac Pro? If so, I'm considering purchasing one from eBay, or if you know of any other safe and reliable places to purchase from, that would be appreciated.

The Mac Pro is renowned for its stability with Windows and gaming, functioning flawlessly over the years. I'm just curious if anyone has transitioned from a 2012 Mac Pro to a 2019 Mac Pro to run Windows 10/11 natively?

Thanks!

Don't upgrade to the 2019 Mac Pro or any other Apple machine. Just get yourself a Lenovo PX and then upgrade it however you see fit. That will be far better and can be way more powerful in the long run.

The Mac Pro 2019 is very stable in Windows 11 (I have one with W11 for Workstations) but the Lenovo PX can take much more powerful CPUs (two of them) and four GPUs if you should need that (4x 48GB Nvidias). As for RAM, way more than what you have at the moment.

Apple is no longer any use for anyone needing a proper workstation, they have transitioned to disposable computers.
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,655
6,939
If you don’t like the way Apple is going or it doesn’t work for your Workflow then really the 7,1 especially if looking for Native Windows install, then just go with a decent Windows machine.

You can buy current gen Xeon CPU, install whatever GPU you want and aren not burning juice up on hardware that not using whilst in Windows.

then use your current Mac to transition your workflow out of Mac OS, as effectively apples direction with Apple Silicon should be obvious now.

if not happy with it then the 7,1 is just delaying the inevitable move away from Mac OS.
I have to use both which is why I was wondering about it, I'd also prefer to use just the one machine.
I'll have to see if the price premium outweighs my desire and need to have one.
 

mcnallym

macrumors 65816
Oct 28, 2008
1,181
911
Well looking at your signature spec then not really seeing why other then potentially need a Nvidia GPU which as on Mojave would indicate that booting Windows for as that Mac OS dropped Nvidia support then really don't see why you would NEED a Mac Pro moving forward.

12Gb RAM and 5770/RX470 currently then other then the Nvidia GPU which would be Windows boot then not really seeing why other then looks that couldn't do with a Studio in Mac OS.

At the risk of offending then it would appear that like me then a person that had the 5,1 due to the difference between the mini/iMac and the Mac Pro back then but now our workloads don't require the Mac Pro.

I used to have a 5,1 with 12Gb W3680 and GTX680 which went to RX580 before upgraded to a Hack with i9 9900k and NVME driver which replaced since with Studio in Sig.

Just going off your signature so don't know if have a more powerful 5,1 as well not in the signature.

Seems a lot of money to buy 3 year old tech to have one system which is going to be stop gap as if not happy with the way Apple Silicon going.

Is one of the reasons that the Mac Pro market shrinking in that a lot of the entry model sales now can be done on the more mainstream models, ie 5,1 Single CPU models replaced with more consumer/prosumer hardware.
 

H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,655
6,939
Well looking at your signature spec then not really seeing why other then potentially need a Nvidia GPU which as on Mojave would indicate that booting Windows for as that Mac OS dropped Nvidia support then really don't see why you would NEED a Mac Pro moving forward.

12Gb RAM and 5770/RX470 currently then other then the Nvidia GPU which would be Windows boot then not really seeing why other then looks that couldn't do with a Studio in Mac OS.

At the risk of offending then it would appear that like me then a person that had the 5,1 due to the difference between the mini/iMac and the Mac Pro back then but now our workloads don't require the Mac Pro.

I used to have a 5,1 with 12Gb W3680 and GTX680 which went to RX580 before upgraded to a Hack with i9 9900k and NVME driver which replaced since with Studio in Sig.

Just going off your signature so don't know if have a more powerful 5,1 as well not in the signature.

Seems a lot of money to buy 3 year old tech to have one system which is going to be stop gap as if not happy with the way Apple Silicon going.

Is one of the reasons that the Mac Pro market shrinking in that a lot of the entry model sales now can be done on the more mainstream models, ie 5,1 Single CPU models replaced with more consumer/prosumer hardware.
No offence taken, but your highlighted statement is correct.
I absolutely need Windows and if honest don't need the Mac OS. As much as I might not like it I could survive on Windows only but my workflow has been used to the Mac since 2000.
I'd prefer a Mac that gives me the versatility to do everything.
I'm lucky enough that I can buy really.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.