Replace a MacPro1,1 with a Hackintosh

[trs96]

@DPatterson It looks like there is a new Apple Display (5K) in the works. If it is large enough you may be able to get by with just two of them. I've also heard that it may have an AMD GPU built in to the monitor. They are partnering with LG to build this new display. ETA is not known but could be by the end of 2016.

 

[Duffloop]

or go Widescreen!

 

[DPatterson]

Did you decide what to do?

I'm still running my 2006 1.1 - upgraded the CPUs to a matched pair from China - dirt cheap now: 5160 CPU Processor (3GHz,4MB,1333MHz,LGA771) and pretty easy to do. so kinda makes it an 8 core 2008 Mac ;-)
SSDs make a massive difference too.
Wacked in an MSI gtx 970 (bus speed hampers it but still better than my 5780) and currently run Yosemite - though Have had it running with El cap no probs (I just like to use Bootchamp to switch to windows quick and el caps security don't play nice with it - can be fixed tho).

Damit I want to build a hackintosh too but this thing just won't die! (And the case looks so goood

Nope. Work (and life) have been keeping me quite busy. Thanks for the input.

 

[DPatterson]

You have a problem. You have three DVI monitors. It may be hard to find a video card with three DVI outputs. Two?, no problem; two DVI with a DP and an HDMI?, no problem; 4 DVI monitors?, no problem. But three or four DVI outputs? Problem. Your best bet may be a video card with four DP 1.4 outputs then run four active DP -> DVI adapters.



Noctua heatsinks, Noctua fans. http://noctua.at/en/noctua-at-computex-2016

http://www.silentpcreview.com/
https://www.endpcnoise.com/



If you have a 750W PSU then you will probably need an 800VA to 1000VA Power Backup Unit. I don't really know if you can get Apple reliability on the PC side unless it is an authentic Intel board. In 30 years of servicing Apple computers I cannot remember ever having to change a motherboard. Batteries, yes (remember those days when a dead battery prevented a MAC from powering up?); motherboards, no (unless breaking the display connector on an iMAC counts.) I think in the same many decades I can remember replacing a power supply (II?). Replace a MacPro motherboard? Never. I'm sure it has happened, just I never have.

http://www.caradimas.org/john/?p=193

In my area I can sometimes find a MacPro 3,1 (Dual XEON - 8 core 2.8GHZ) for about $400... A1186 (EMC 2180). You could always find a 3,1 and throw in a better GPU and as much RAM as your afford, and then half as much more. A Mac Pro 4,1 would be better and the Mac Pro 5,1 even better than that. http://www.cultofmac.com/94627/2009-mac-pro-supports-faster-ram-cpus-with-firmware-hack/

The problem is always the slower RAM, the PCI-E bottleneck... and the lack of USB3.0, etc.

You may want to look at the higher priced ASUS boards as a start; around $300 - $350. Then throw in a $350 CPU, $350 of RAM and a $350 GPU.

Already have a 1000VA UPS (I live in an area where power can be sketchy, especially in the winter).
Why would a 4,1 be better than a 5,1?
Thanks.

 

[kiiroaka]

No, a 4,1 would be better than a 3,1 and a 5,1 would be better than a 4,1. A 4,1 would be better than a 5,1 if it is much much cheaper and if you could flash it so that it becomes a 5,1.

 

[Stork]

4,1 firmware can be updated to a 5,1 and will last longer. However, although I have a 3,1 and 5,1 (real one), I think you're better off with a new hackintosh.

 

[kiiroaka]

Ah, but which mobo? A Z170 or an X99? It depends on how committed he is to the platform, whether he wants the brute power of the XEON (some guys want 6 or 12 cores and don't want to be limited to 4 cores, or want 40 CPU lanes, for example,) or if he's willing to spend more for a better mobo, the fastest CPU and faster RAM. As the X99 was limited to DDR3 3200 speeds (?)... Hey, if you can afford a $1000 i7-5960X you can certainly afford the fastest Skylake processor... and since the X99 had a upper limit of DDR4 3200 that should be the minimum considered for the Skylake, imo.

It comes down to money, whether it is better to upgrade to a >2010 Mac Pro and spend $400 for a better video card and $400 for RAM, go with an X99 and hope it works with EL Cap or go with a Z170 mobo, an i7-6700K and 64GB of DDR4 3200. If you had to choose having to spend ~$1200, how would you rationalise the decision? I don't ask that lightly, as it's the same conundrum I faced 9 months ago when I had to choose between a Z97 and the Z170. As it stands now it may even be better to wait for KabyLake. Not for me, obviously, as I don't really need any extra CPU lanes, I don't have any equipment that needs FireWire, etc. but others may demand a lot more than I do. https://eshop.macsales.com/Search/?Ntt=OWCUsedMac&Ns=P_Price|0&Ne=4294922327&N=100518 4294922309 gives an idea of some ball park figures, then subtract what selling an old system might bring. Me, I'm too poor to be able to afford an X99 system.

 

[kiiroaka]

Basic config:
- Fastest CPU that is compatible
- 32GB RAM, minimum (I'm a developer and run a lot of simultaneous VMs)
- 1TB SSD system disk
- Multiple 3TB data disks
- A quality sound card. Don't need surround. I don't watch movies, I edit audio.
- Three monitors (I'm a pixel monger )
- BluRay reader/writer

Based on the recommendations in the Buyer's Guide, I've come up with this preliminary component list:
- Gigabyte LGA1151 Intel Z170 ATX GA-Z170X-UD5
- Intel Core I7-6700K 4.0 GHz 8M processor
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX Graphics card GV-N950XTREME-2GD
- Crucial Ballistix SportLT 32GB DDR4 2400 MT/s RAM
- Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD
- Seagate 3TB SATA
- Corsair AX760 760W power supply
- 32GB Flash Drive (for the install)

I'd copy Pastry Chef's Golden Build, going with an ASUS mobo (you may not need wireless, though), i7-6700K, Noctua heat sink, 64GB of S.Skill DDR4 3200 Trident Z memory, a 4GB video card with 3 DP outputs and a heat pipe heatsink/fan assembly; forget about using 3TB drives (some supposedly have a higher failure rate than the 1, 2 or 4TB versions). On board sound should be good enough. I'd replace any and all fans in whatever case I bought with Noctua fans. (I bought a $50 case and installed $100 worth of fans into it.) If you are going to do more than one OS then I'd keep them on separate "discs".

http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/pastrychefs-build-asus-maximus-viii-gene-i7-6700k-gtx-980.198470/
http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/s...-i7-6700k-gtx-760.197284/page-14#post-1307530

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127947 8GB has (1) DL-DVD-D, (3) DP 1.4, (1) HDMI 2.0 and a heat pipe heat sink assembly.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127950 8GB has (1) DL-DVI-D, (3) DP, (1) HDMI.
etc. Not that I would suggest MSI GPUs, mind you. They're just the ones I randomly looked at.

 

[Duffloop]

Here's the difference in power consumption between my new hackintosh vs my old 2010 Mac Pro 5,1 with 12 cores at 3.33GHz:
Sleep: 5.1W vs 10.1W
Idle: ~80W vs ~170W
Internet surfing: ~90-130W vs ~210W
Full load: ~190-193W vs ~410W

I remember my old Mac Pro 1,1 and 3,1. Those things ran HOT!! It wasn't just the CPUs, it was also the RAM.

Despite your CPU upgrade, a modern i7-6700 will run circles around it. Plus, there are bottlenecks all over the place with that decade old platform. SATA 2, USB 2, 1333 MHz FSB, PCI-e slots with very limited number of lanes.

Good point - I didn't think of the power usage! Just checked my 1.1 (8 core upgraded) and it's using about 480w under stress - though all that heat keeps my tootsies warm in winter ;-)

 

[kiiroaka]

I remember my old Mac Pro 1,1 and 3,1. Those things ran HOT!! It wasn't just the CPUs, it was also the RAM.

Don't forget the ATI video cards that sucked over 300W.

Despite your CPU upgrade, a modern i7-6700 will run circles around it.

At the beginning of the year I had to choose between Haswell and Skylake. Even today I would probably choose the i7 4790K over the i7 6700K. ymmv.

Good thing I don't do video encoding, though:
http://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/compare_cpu-intel_core_i7_4790k-411-vs-intel_core_i7_6700k-518