2009 Mac Pro Processor Upgrade
Although you can upgrade a 2009 Mac Pro’s processors, you likely find it isn’t practical to do so. The processors supporting easy upgrades are no longer sold new. It’s possible to find used processors on the salvage market, on eBay, and in other places, but they are usually sold as-is, or with very limited guarantees, such as “pulled from a known working computer.”
Firmware Hack and Six-Core Westmere
Another option is to upgrade to a six-core Westmere processor, like the ones used in the 2010 and 2012 Mac Pros. Normally, the 2009 Mac Pro wouldn’t work with the six-core Westmere processor because of limitations in the EFI firmware included in the 2009 Mac Pro. Hacked versions of the firmware enable support for the six-core processor. But once again, DIYer beware: A firmware install that goes wrong can turn your Mac Pro into a very expensive paperweight. This unsupported hack also may not work with future macOS releases. Still, using the much more readily available six-core Westmere processors in the 2009 Mac Pro might be worth the risk. The Mac Pro EFI upgrade was created by MacEFIRom, a member of the Netkas forums. Besides the firmware hack from MacEFIRom, you also need the actual Mac Pro EFI firmware from Apple.
2010–2012 Mac Pro Processor Upgrades
Upgrading the processor in a 2010–2012 Mac Pro is much easier than the 2009 model, mainly because of the changes Apple made to the processor socket and the types of processors it chose to use. Instead of a heat sink assembly to hold the CPU in the LGA-1366 socket, Apple changed to the more common LGA socket, with the conventional clamshell clip to hold the processor in place. In addition, the 2010–2012 Mac Pro processors are standard models from Intel that include a heat spreader/case. That’s different from 2009 Mac Pros, which use open processors with no top case or heat spreader. Thus, the processor upgrade process is fairly conventional, other than contending with the humongous heat sinks that Apple uses. In addition, it’s fairly easy to find processors for upgrading these later Mac Pros. The 2010 and 2012 Mac Pros were originally available in single-processor models that used quad-core Xeon processors or six-core processors. The dual-processor models incorporated a pair of quad-core processors for eight total cores, or a pair of six-core processors for 12 total cores. The most common upgrade is to jump from using quad-core processors to six-core models. Adding two (single-processor models) or four (dual-processor models) processors makes a lot of sense, and definitely provides the best bang for your buck. All of the processors you can use for upgrading the 2010–2012 Mac Pros make use of hyper-threading so that a two-core upgrade will be able to run four processing threads, not just two. Merely upgrading processor speed while staying with the same number of processor cores probably isn’t a good use of your budget, however. Going from a single-processor to a dual-processor configuration is inadvisable; it’s not cost-effective. While it can be done, you will need to replace your Mac’s existing single processor tray with a dual tray. You will also have to purchase two processors (not one) because the single-processor Xeons won’t work in a dual configuration; you’ll need Xeons designed for use with multiple processors.
Processors for Upgrading Single-Processor 2010–2012 Mac Pros
These processors work for the single-processor 2010-2012 Mac Pros:
3.2 GHz Quad-Core Nehalem W35653.2 GHz Quad-Core Nehalem X35703.33 GHz 6-Core Westmere X36803.46 GHz 6-Core Westmere X3690
Processors for Upgrading Dual-Processor 2010–2012 Mac Pros
These processors work for the dual-processor 2010-2012 Mac Pros:
2.66 GHz Quad-Core Westmere E56402.66 GHz 6-Core Westmere E56502.93 GHz 6-Core Westmere E56703.33 GHz 6-Core Westmere E56803.46 GHz 6-Core Westmere E5690
