Mac Pro 1,1 still viable?

[kierfx]

I have macbook late 2009 right now with c2d 2.26ghz, 6gb ram and 700gb hdd.

I have decided I now need a desktop and wondered if the Mac Pro 1,1 (2006) would have equal power to my macbook? I know it has intel xeons which are powerful but of course they are older generation xeons. Would this mac pro have the same ammount of poweR?

 

[pm-r]

Well according to everymac,com:

Your MB:
MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.26 13" (Uni/Late 09) Specs (Late 2009, MC207LL/A, MacBook6,1, A1342, 2350*) @ EveryMac.com

Geekbench 2 (32): 3205 Geekbench 2 (64): 3513
Geekbench 3 (32): 1243 Geekbench 3 (32): 2148
Geekbench 3 (64): 1356 Geekbench 3 (64): 2358

The Apple Mac Pro "Eight Core" 3.0 (2,1) Specs:
Mac Pro "Eight Core" 3.0 (2,1) Specs (Mac Pro, BTO/CTO, MacPro2,1, A1186, 2138) @ EveryMac.com

Geekbench 2 (32): 9239 Geekbench 2 (64): 10835
Geekbench 3 (32): 1552 Geekbench 3 (32): 10433
Geekbench 3 (64): 1662 Geekbench 3 (64): 11071

The Apple Mac Pro "Quad Core" 3.0 (Original) Specs
Mac Pro "Quad Core" 3.0 (Original) Specs (Mac Pro, BTO/CTO, MacPro1,1*, A1186, 2113) @ EveryMac.com


Geekbench 2 (32): 5788 Geekbench 2 (64): 6577
Geekbench 3 (32): 1558 Geekbench 3 (32): 5335
Geekbench 3 (64): 1677 Geekbench 3 (64): 5853

the geek bench scores should give you a pretty good speed comparison, but you didn't mention a specific Mac Pro1,1 model.

 

[pigoo3]

The biggest "relevancy" difference between a 2009 MacBook and a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 is the newest OS each can run.

- The 2009 MacBook is capable of running the newest Mac OS "Yosemite".
- The newest Mac OS a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 (officially) is 10.7.5 "Lion". There are supposed to be some workarounds to run newer OS versions…but they are not supported.

If the OS aspect is not a problem…yes (in my opinion) a 2006 can still be relevant compared to a 2009 MacBook. There's a benchmark program called Geekbench. The Geekbench 3 CPU score for a:

- 2009 2.26ghz MacBook = 2368
- Stock 2006 quad-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 5272
- Upgraded 2006 8-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 10,000+

As you can see. An 8-core upgraded 2006 2.66ghz Mac Pro has a CPU benchmark score that's over 4x a 2009 2.26ghz MacBook.

So. If the OS 10.7.5 limitation is not a problem…and…if you have computing tasks that use software that can take advantage of 8-cores…then a 2006 Mac Pro would "kick-butt" vs. a 2009 MacBook!

- 2006 Mac Pro (with the appropriate graphics card) would also "kick-butt" compared to a 2009 MacBook with graphics & video type tasks.
- 2006 Mac Pro can have 4 internal hard drives.
- 2006 Mac Pro can run up to 8 monitors (with 4 graphics cards installed).

But again. The biggest limitation to a 2006 Mac Pro is the OS (10.7.5 being the newest supported OS version).

- Nick

 

[kierfx]

The biggest "relevancy" difference between a 2009 MacBook and a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 is the newest OS each can run.

- The 2009 MacBook is capable of running the newest Mac OS "Yosemite".
- The newest Mac OS a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 (officially) is 10.7.5 "Lion". There are supposed to be some workarounds to run newer OS versions…but they are not supported.

If the OS aspect is not a problem…yes (in my opinion) a 2006 can still be relevant compared to a 2009 MacBook. There's a benchmark program called Geekbench. The Geekbench 3 CPU score for a:

- 2009 2.26ghz MacBook = 2368
- Stock 2006 quad-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 5272
- Upgraded 2006 8-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 10,000+

As you can see. An 8-core upgraded 2006 2.66ghz Mac Pro has a CPU benchmark score that's over 4x a 2009 2.26ghz MacBook.

So. If the OS 10.7.5 limitation is not a problem…and…if you have computing tasks that use software that can take advantage of 8-cores…then a 2006 Mac Pro would "kick-butt" vs. a 2009 MacBook!

- 2006 Mac Pro (with the appropriate graphics card) would also "kick-butt" compared to a 2009 MacBook with graphics & video type tasks.
- 2006 Mac Pro can have 4 internal hard drives.
- 2006 Mac Pro can run up to 8 monitors (with 4 graphics cards installed).

But again. The biggest limitation to a 2006 Mac Pro is the OS (10.7.5 being the newest supported OS version).

- Nick

yeah OS is not a problem, and I know that it can be changed with an EFi hack etc, and i'm quite interested in stuff so would have no problem in modding it. I will buy the mac pro 2006 later. and yes, its the base model of the 1,1 but with 16gb ram. Thanks both of you



and also, what is the best gpu i could install in this system?

 

[pm-r]

Opps, soory, but I seem to have posted some of the specs for the Mac Pro 2,1 by mistake rather than the 1,1 models, but you can get their specs here:
Apple Mac Pro Specs (All Mac Pro Technical Specs) @ EveryMac.com

And the comments from Nick above for some extra qualifying comments to consider.

 

[kierfx]

Opps< soory, but I posted some of the specs for the Mac Pro 2,1 rather than the 1,1 models, but you can get their specs here:
Apple Mac Pro Specs (All Mac Pro Technical Specs) @ EveryMac.com

And the comments from Nick above for some extra qualifying comments to consider.

haha yes i saw, thanks mate

 

[pigoo3]

and also, what is the best gpu i could install in this system?

The Radeon 5770 and 5870 are supposed to work in Mac Pro 1,1's. These were the last GPU's Apple used the last versions of the the older style Mac Pro's. So pretty good cards.

- Nick

 

[pm-r]

yeah OS is not a problem, and I know that it can be changed with an EFi hack etc, and i'm quite interested in stuff so would have no problem in modding it. I will buy the mac pro 2006 later. and yes, its the base model of the 1,1 but with 16gb ram. Thanks both of you

and also, what is the best gpu i could install in this system?

And just in case you didn't have this:
Modernizing the 2006 and 2007 Mac Pro to Go Beyond OS X Lion | Low End Mac

Good luck and Happy Successful Hacking if you go that route.

The last time I did a Mac hack was to update a 733GHz Quicksilver tower I had.

 

[johnodd4]

done it best way to do this is with SFOTT or 64 on 32 as it is known as here is the link.

Sixty Four On Thirty Two (SFOTT) | oemden

you can also firmware hack the 1.1 to a 2.1 and use faster ram and more graphics cards with that model as well.

 

[MACPRO2006]

mac pro 1,1 1,2 2006 and 2007

The biggest "relevancy" difference between a 2009 MacBook and a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 is the newest OS each can run.

- The 2009 MacBook is capable of running the newest Mac OS "Yosemite".
- The newest Mac OS a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 (officially) is 10.7.5 "Lion". There are supposed to be some workarounds to run newer OS versions…but they are not supported.

If the OS aspect is not a problem…yes (in my opinion) a 2006 can still be relevant compared to a 2009 MacBook. There's a benchmark program called Geekbench. The Geekbench 3 CPU score for a:

- 2009 2.26ghz MacBook = 2368
- Stock 2006 quad-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 5272
- Upgraded 2006 8-core 2.66ghz Mac Pro = 10,000+

As you can see. An 8-core upgraded 2006 2.66ghz Mac Pro has a CPU benchmark score that's over 4x a 2009 2.26ghz MacBook.

So. If the OS 10.7.5 limitation is not a problem…and…if you have computing tasks that use software that can take advantage of 8-cores…then a 2006 Mac Pro would "kick-butt" vs. a 2009 MacBook!

- 2006 Mac Pro (with the appropriate graphics card) would also "kick-butt" compared to a 2009 MacBook with graphics & video type tasks.
- 2006 Mac Pro can have 4 internal hard drives.
- 2006 Mac Pro can run up to 8 monitors (with 4 graphics cards installed).

But again. The biggest limitation to a 2006 Mac Pro is the OS (10.7.5 being the newest supported OS version).

- Nick

Actually Im running Mavericks and could be running yosemite.
Thanks to Tiamo and SFOTT i have upgraded the video to radeon 5770 and run mavericks.
I also got 2,1 firmware from netkas so that I can go from quad core to 8 core.

Also 32 bit windows 10 runs just fine on my new upgraded mac pro 1,1 2,1 by installing 32 bit windows 7 via bootcamp and then upgrading to windows 10. You have until July 29 to do this.

 

[harryb2448]

If you read the final sections on the Low End Mac post, you will see trying to update to a later OS will kill off the hack so I suggest if you are happy with the way it is running Mavericks stay there.

 

[pigoo3]

Actually Im running Mavericks and could be running yosemite.
Thanks to Tiamo and SFOTT i have upgraded the video to radeon 5770 and run mavericks.
I also got 2,1 firmware from netkas so that I can go from quad core to 8 core.

Also 32 bit windows 10 runs just fine on my new upgraded mac pro 1,1 2,1 by installing 32 bit windows 7 via bootcamp and then upgrading to windows 10. You have until July 29 to do this.

Yes..know all about it.

- Nick

 

[pm-r]

What would be the proper name for an Apple made Mac model that has been hacked or modified??? Or is there such a name???

 

[pigoo3]

I have not heard of any specific name. For the most part…Mac Pro 1,1's and 2,1's are the models that fall into this category. Thus not many models.

- Nick