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Apple are listing only Mac Pros from 2010 onwards will be compatible with macOS Sierra yet a 2009 iMac is OK! That makes me laugh as when I got my used 8 core 24GB ram 2009 Mac Pro a couple of years ago it replaced a core duo 8GB 2009 iMac.

I really cannot see how this works....

Easy to fix.

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how ... g.1977139/

As netkas notes:

4,1 and 5,1 share same board-id, but apple exluded name MacPro4,1 from supported list. Firmware update will save you guys.

For 4,1, you have three chooses:
1) follow path of 3,1 macpro
2) copy installed image from another mac
3) upgrade firmware to 5,1 and enjoy

3,1 has only 1) and 2)

everything works, continue the party.

Many here have already flashed their 4,1 EFI to 5,1, under which later (hex) CPUs and 1333 RAM are supported. With Sierra, there is now a another reason to update the 4,1 firmware to 5,1.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=58848&hilit=+firmware#p495688

Other upgrades required to fully support Sierra's new features include WiFi and Bluetooth 4. There are cards available for under $40 at Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Broadcom-BCM943 ... rmvSB=true

Thanks for that, I will give that thread a read, I have wi-fi & bluetooth installed. I suppose that is why the 2009 iMacs are supported, I guess they have dropped machines where wi-fi/bluetooth was optional?

What Apple supports and what works are often two different things. 10.11 works on 2008 iMacs but some of the features don't. This may be the same thing especially regarding wifi and Bluetooth.

Lots can happen between now and the release in the fall.

stevenew wrote:it replaced a core duo 8GB 2009 iMac.

It won't make you feel any better, but there were three iMac releases in 2009 and only the last one will work. Chances are yours wouldn't have been one of them.

HCMarkus wrote:Easy to fix.

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how ... g.1977139/

As netkas notes:

4,1 and 5,1 share same board-id, but apple exluded name MacPro4,1 from supported list. Firmware update will save you guys.

For 4,1, you have three chooses:
1) follow path of 3,1 macpro
2) copy installed image from another mac
3) upgrade firmware to 5,1 and enjoy

3,1 has only 1) and 2)

everything works, continue the party.

Many here have already flashed their 4,1 EFI to 5,1, under which later (hex) CPUs and 1333 RAM are supported. With Sierra, there is now a another reason to update the 4,1 firmware to 5,1.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=58848&hilit=+firmware#p495688

Other upgrades required to fully support Sierra's new features include WiFi and Bluetooth 4. There are cards available for under $40 at Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Broadcom-BCM943 ... rmvSB=true

Thank you for this. I have a 2,1 that I've updated to run 10.10, but the wifi died on it long ago. I'm not concerned about Sierra for that machine, but it will be nice to have wifi back.

nk_e wrote: Thank you for this. I have a 2,1 that I've updated to run 10.10, but the wifi died on it long ago. I'm not concerned about Sierra for that machine, but it will be nice to have wifi back.

These have three or four antennae for Bluetooth and WIfi. Many (most?) were not installed properly and they are known to become disconnected. Google Mac Pro Bluetooth and you will find many pages with instructions how to get in, ID the antennae and reconnect them properly. It could be something that simple.

bayswater wrote:

stevenew wrote:it replaced a core duo 8GB 2009 iMac.

It won't make you feel any better, but there were three iMac releases in 2009 and only the last one will work. Chances are yours wouldn't have been one of them.

True but my wife's old iMac was She now has a 2012 i7 Quad Core Mac Mini, so she is OK for Sierra.

here were three iMac releases in 2009 and only the last one will work.

He is referring to the 21.5" and 27" models. According to the list, the 20" and 24" will not be compatible.

It will be interesting to see if workarounds will exist as have been discovered in the past, to allow some earlier machines to run Sierra, perhaps with some functionality or compatibility crippled.

There's probably little need for a 24" iMac to support Bluetooth 4 but, if Bt 2.3 can still work in OS 10.12, that would be ok. The release is 4 months or so away and a lot can happen—it always does…

I ran into a curious compatibility issue when I ordered 32G RAM for my 2010 iMac. Only the 27" i5/i7 iMacs in 2009–2010 can take 32G. All others are limited to 16G. In 2011, this limitation was removed except for the 21.5" i3 Education model sold only to schools.

mikehalloran wrote:

nk_e wrote: Thank you for this. I have a 2,1 that I've updated to run 10.10, but the wifi died on it long ago. I'm not concerned about Sierra for that machine, but it will be nice to have wifi back.

These have three or four antennae for Bluetooth and WIfi. Many (most?) were not installed properly and they are known to become disconnected. Google Mac Pro Bluetooth and you will find many pages with instructions how to get in, ID the antennae and reconnect them properly. It could be something that simple.

I'm on it. Thanks Mike!

mikehalloran wrote:I ran into a curious compatibility issue when I ordered 32G RAM for my 2010 iMac. Only the 27" i5/i7 iMacs in 2009–2010 can take 32G. All others are limited to 16G. In 2011, this limitation was removed except for the 21.5" i3 Education model sold only to schools.

When I increase the RAM in my iMac, according to OWC and MacTracker, it was only able to take 16G and Apple listed 8G. I see MacTracker is saying it's 32G now. If the new DP efficiency happens, and I can put 32G and a 2T SSD in my ancient iMac, and it can run Sierra, I'll be quite happy.

bayswater wrote:

mikehalloran wrote:I ran into a curious compatibility issue when I ordered 32G RAM for my 2010 iMac. Only the 27" i5/i7 iMacs in 2009–2010 can take 32G. All others are limited to 16G. In 2011, this limitation was removed except for the 21.5" i3 Education model sold only to schools.

When I increase the RAM in my iMac, according to OWC and MacTracker, it was only able to take 16G and Apple listed 8G. I see MacTracker is saying it's 32G now. If the new DP efficiency happens, and I can put 32G and a 2T SSD in my ancient iMac, and it can run Sierra, I'll be quite happy.

I updated mine to 32G on Saturday. With the number of browser tabs I have open, I am noticing an improvement. At the moment, I am using 21G of 32G installed.

Installing the RAM is easy, of course. I did the 2T SSD in about a half hour. When it's time, I can let you know the steps to skip to save time and minimize the hassle.

OTOH, replacing the BR2032 battery on these requires the motherboard be pulled and is not for the faint of heart (I'll never do another one handed). The earlier and later iMacs have the battery in plain sight and battery replacement adds 5 minutes to the job—why the 2009–2010 27" have it in the back is one of those Apple mysteries. A CR2032 is fine, however.

I found it for under $150 taxed and shipped. OWC wants $197.

mikehalloran wrote:
Installing the RAM is easy, of course. I did the 2T SSD in about a half hour. When it's time, I can let you know the steps to skip to save time and minimize the hassle.

Thanks. The removal of the glass cover on the screen is the bit that concerns me. I watched the OWC movie and the rest looks pretty routine, but if I can skip parts of that, all the better.

The removal of the glass cover on the screen is the bit that concerns me

Yea, that scares everybody till you do the first one. The magnets that hold the screen on aren't that powerful. You don't really need the suction cups with the levers but they make it easier. A couple of guitar picks will work, too.

Where the magnets are annoying is when trying to start the screws for the screen—they'll pull the screws off the torx driver if you aren't carefull. Even there, I figured out a trick to keep it from happening.