MOTUnation.com

If you are considering picking up a new computer:

http://pindelski.org/Photography/mac-pro

Lots of good information presented nicely. Video Card upgrade, USB3, CPU swap, memory, Service Guide resources...

Well that was a good long rabbit hole.

Your timing is perfect as I've been researching, planning and pondering on just such an upgrade. Great resource, thanks for posting!


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You are welcome! I did the single-CPU 4,1 to 5,1 upgrade and several of the other things he talks about, and am loving my "5,1" hex Mac Pro.

How did you do with the whole heat sink thing? Easy enough? I was getting scared off by the problems and voodoo I read about in the forums, but his procedure seems pretty easy and straightforward.

I'm also pleasantly disappointed by the price/power differential between the w5590 x2 and the 12core configs. Less than $500 for almost double the power is a no-brainer!

I wonder if the native 5,1s (which use the standard config processors) could run a couple of Haswells? Maybe I'm just getting greedy and asking for trouble.


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Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge and Haswell won't fit the Mac Pro 4,1 / 5,1 CPU socket... Westmere is the latest you can use in the Mac Pro 4,1 or 5,1.

The single-CPU 4,1 to 5,1 upgrade, from Quad 2.66 to Hex 3.33 gHz was simple, because the single-CPU 4,1 use CPUs with the IHS (metal lid) just like stock Xeons have on 'em, so there are no issues with heat sink torque. The single CPU 4,1s also have a CPU clamp, like the 5,1s do on both single and dual-CPU machines.

Dual-CPU machine upgrades are more challenging, as described in the linked guide. Still very doable, though.

Really? I've seen reports (clearly unconfirmed) of people running later model i7s in their upgraded/hot-rodded native 5,1 machines (not 4,1-5,1 upgrades).

Then again, I read it in a forum. I often forget how spoiled we are here.


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