Old Mac Pro - Need motherboard

My old 1st Gen Intel Mac Pro has died. I want to replace the motherboard with one that would be an upgrade from what I have. I can't even run Mountain Lion on the old one. What kind of MB upgrade can I do on this one and where would I find the MB for it? TIA

Folks usually don't change motherboards in Macintosh computers. The problem is generally cost…and fit. Parts are expensive…and Apple likes to change things…so a logic board swap most likely wouldn't fit.

If you need to run OS 10.8 or higher…the best path generally is sell your current Mac Pro (whatever you can get for it)…and purchase a newer (used) model.

Of course you can check eBay for a replacement logic board for your 1st Gen. Mac Pro…but then you would still be limited to OS 10.7.

- Nick

p.s. If you wanted to give things a try…the only logic board that might fit (and be able to run 10.8 or higher) would be from a Mac Pro 3,1.

No go alas.

A logic board from a 3.1 requires a different power supply, different mounting positions and on and on.


https://discussions.apple.com/message/19160680#19160680

harryb2448 said:

No go alas.

A logic board from a 3.1 requires a different power supply, different mounting positions and on and on.


https://discussions.apple.com/message/19160680#19160680

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Thanks Harry.

@OP: This is why we don't swap logic boards (as stated in my earlier post).

- Nick

Mb

Not exactly the answers I was hoping to hear but I do appreciate your answers. I did see 1st Gen MBs on ebay but who knows what you're getting . . .

I did replace the Mac Pro with the new 27" iMac with the fusion drive and am quite happy with it. Would like to have a new Mac Pro but $4k??? Oh, well . . .

pigoo3 said:

Thanks Harry.

@OP: This is why we don't swap logic boards (as stated in my earlier post).

- Nick

Click to expand...

RezDuane said:

Not exactly the answers I was hoping to hear but I do appreciate your answers.

Click to expand...

The answer to the logic board upgrade question pretty much applies to just about any Mac model (Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac-Mini, etc.).

There are some situations where there may be a very small possibility that a given computer model may be able to be upgraded/swapped with a newer models logic board...but these situations are very very rare. If they do exist...it's rarely done...with one main reason being cost...and another reason may be that it isn't worth it since the cpu & gpu performance increase isn't worth the effort. I totally understand (in this case) that it's not a performance issue...but a max. OS issue.

But in reality...Apple is always changing things...which makes logic board swaps impossible. As harryb mentioned...the Mac Pro 3,1 logic board that is needed to be able to run an OS newer than 10.7...needs a different power supply. And who knows...the Mac Pro 3,1 logic board may not even fit properly in a Mac Pro 1,1 case.

This is why doing a logic board replacement (same logic board for a dead one)...is certainly doable. But...in many cases even doing an exact logic board swap...is many times not worth it due to cost of the replacement logic board (can sometimes exceed or be close to the used value of the computer).

RezDuane said:

I did see 1st Gen MBs on ebay but who knows what you're getting . . .

Click to expand...

This should not be a concern. If you purchase something...and it doesn't operate as described (let's say it arrives DOA)...then you simply return it. If the seller refuses...then you open a Paypal dispute. Which is why paying with Paypal is a "good thing" sometimes.

- Nick

To add one more thing to Nick's excellent advice, Check the Sellers FEEDBACk carefully. Read the comments. You can get a good idea if they are honest that way. I have never been burned so far doing that.

dtravis7 said:

To add one more thing to Nick's excellent advice, Check the Sellers FEEDBACk carefully. Read the comments. You can get a good idea if they are honest that way. I have never been burned so far doing that.

Click to expand...

Believe it or not (at least at one time)...I've heard/know that eBay reputation & feedback can be falsified. If eBay has somehow tightened things up...great! Since ebay reputation & feedback is a great way to feel "safe" about buying from a seller.

Maybe this sort of thing (falsification of account info) is rare...just wanted to mention it as a possibility. The good thing is...if a buyer purchases from a "bogus seller" (seller sends the buyer a brick for example)...Paypal refunds are still valid in this situation.

Remember that iMac deal I got ripped off on a couple of years ago Dennis?? This is the personal example I'm working from. Seller sent me some sort of weird CD disk...when I was expecting a 27" iMac for the $750 I paid!

I think that "bogus" sellers do this...to prove that "something" was shipped. So when a buyer checks the shipment tracking...something shows up in the tracking as shipped. By the time the buyer receives the package (and finds out it's not the real item)...the seller already has the money...and has moved it somewhere that Paypal can't get it back.

- Nick