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Building a MacPro


nagal
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I wish I had the money to build a Mac Pro =[ Maybe I'll use my student grant come september to build it =D

 

The red logic board looks really cool but I prefer the blue one =] Damn I wish I had the cash xD I'll have to sell some possessions...

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Okay, so just for fun I decided to check out the chips under those heatsinks on the Logic Board.

The main Chipset under the centermost heatsink:

QG82016MCH

QL94ES

L605A289

 

The smaller chip under the larger, but shorter heatsink:

QG80003ES2

QJ90ES

 

Unfortunately I don't know what they translate to! So anyone with better searching skills, have at it!

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Listed,

 

are you using a retail version of OS X? Or is this like an OSx86 Hack? I imagine you'd be able to get a retail version of it on seeing as it is apple hardware; even if it is prototype models.

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Could someone with a "macpro2,1" with Windows please use CPU-Z to probe Chipset for it's name.... someone on apple's discussion forum stated it was greencreek 5000X. Sounded iffy about it. If someone can confirm the chipset, and if it is compatible for Harpertown according to Intel's white papers, I'll buy the Harpertowns and be the test dummy. Let's make this sh*t happen on a global scale... BIZNATCHEZ!!!! HELL YEAH!!!!

Okay, so just for fun I decided to check out the chips under those heatsinks on the Logic Board. The main Chipset under the centermost heatsink:QG82016MCHQL94ESL605A289The smaller chip under the larger, but shorter heatsink:QG80003ES2QJ90ESUnfortunately I don't know what they translate to! So anyone with better searching skills, have at it!
Hey Bro... I searched engined those nomenclatures with little success... it reads as "ES" Engineering Sample... I'm guesstimating..
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Listed,

 

are you using a retail version of OS X? Or is this like an OSx86 Hack? I imagine you'd be able to get a retail version of it on seeing as it is apple hardware; even if it is prototype models.

 

 

 

 

It's Full EFI Pure Mac Pro, so it takes the retail perfectly, Leopard or Tiger...

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I have just started to build a MacPro with no knowledge of building computers. This will be a great learning experience for me and will post pictures of my build regulary. My prototype Mac Pro logic board should be coming tomorrow along with 2 riser cards.

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I have just started to build a MacPro with no knowledge of building computers. This will be a great learning experience for me and will post pictures of my build regulary. My prototype Mac Pro logic board should be coming tomorrow along with 2 riser cards.

 

 

Coolio... just to let you know... the Harpertowns do not work with the proto board according to Listed1's account.

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Hally you have to be careful what you put into this machine. If you have no knowledge of building computers I strongly suggest you do a lot of research and posting around before agreeing to this build!

 

These processors should be compatible if you want to build a Quad Core: http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/dept.asp?dept%5Fi...FSB+%26+1333FSB

 

Look at the Xeon 5150 2.66GHz Chips. I think that is what Nagal recommended me!

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KIMOSABE Thanks a lot for your help, yeh i appreciate it. I will look into those processors you just listed. As promised i have uploaded the mac pro components i have so far. I Bought the Mac Pro Case for £65 as the legs are damaged, but nothing lego bricks cant handle. The Logic board and 2 riser cards were £150 from the states off ebay however i had to pay £40 Customs fee. Tomorrrow i am going to pursahe M3.5 8mm screws to mount the motherboard and also I am ordering the 4 hard drive carriers and front panel card tomorrow all for £35 inc postage. So far i have spent £255!Also KIMOSABE will the Xeon 5150 2.66GHz Chips work on the Mac Pro prototype board?Regards Hally

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post-204498-1206569260_thumb.jpg

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Those CPUs most certainly will! Any 51xx and 53xx series CPU will work in this board. I have not tested, and I would venture to guess the 54xx will NOT work, and I've also found out the 50xx will not work either (Not that you'd ever want to use those!)

 

Your most cost effective price/performance CPUs really will be the 2.66GHz quad core CPUs all over ebay right now. The main seller selling them is the fella myself, and other here, got the 2.4GHz (which we overclocked to 3.0GHz) CPUs, good honest seller.

 

I've got a pair of 3.0GHz Dual core CPUs I'm going to be selling, but those little buggers fetch about $1,100 per pair, whereas you can get a pair of 2.66GHz Quad Core for $499. Go figure. I recommend omnitechnologies.biz for the RAM, as 2GB sticks are about $74 each, and they don't charge excessive shipping (Just make sure you get a total of 4 sticks, as that best utilizes the memory lanes). Where'd ya find the MP case?

 

You're definitely on your way to getting a killer MP for minimal cost!

 

Did you prototype come with a power supply like mine did? That's a $300 value right there!

Also: What type of video card will you be using? If you're going low end, rather than buy the 7300GT, grab the new ATI's as they will work in this board, and for $149 at apple.com it's not bad!

 

And lastly, what are your plans for cooling? Are you going to order apple parts, or do some different fanning? Are you going to order apple heatsinks, or go with the ones Nagal and I used? (Far superrior cooling with those, better price, and all you have to do is make a little thermistor out of those transistors!) I've got plenty of those transistors laying around if you want to just pay post, I'll shoot them on over to you if that's the route you go!

 

 

WELCOME! To the Building a MacPro Community!

 

-Jordan

 

 

Oh! And DO NOT push any of the buttons on the logic board! I'm not 100% Sure, but I believe on my 1st board, by pressing one of the buttons on there I reset the firmware back to developer revision, as after I pushed the buttons it started booting in console and no longer going to sleep, where as board #2 has release date firmware and will sleep like a puppy. Just my 2 cents!

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Thanks Listed1st.com for your rapid response! I found the Mac Pro case on ebay.co.uk and immediately bought it as i know how rare these cases are to find. However it was completely gutted apart from the PSU fan and optical drive carrier. So my £65 i spent on it is likely going to rise to over £100 once i go and buy the4 hard drive bays, front board, cabling etc.

 

When i ordered the prototype mac pro baord and 2 riser cards i didnt want the case as it looked really ugly and heavy, and i wasnt sure if the PSU would fit in the Mac Pro case so i took the safe option and only went for the 2 riser cards and logic board. I found a Mac Pro PSU for £100 on ebay.co.uk which i am most likely going to buy. As for the heatsinks, i have no expertice or knowledge of transistors so fitting the heatsinks so and Nagel have is likely to be too hard a job for me. I will search around ebay for some apple heatsinks mosty liekly. i am thinking about the Xeon 5150 2.66GHz Chips as this would make the Mac Pro a Hapertown am i correct? As a resistant living in the Uk i tend to use ebay more than online sites as most of them are based in the US and postage charges are terrible.

 

Reagrds Hally

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Hey Hally I am pretty sure you came across the same eBay shop I did for the parts. I'll link you to it just incase I'm wrong as it seems a good shop with MacPro Cases/Power Supplies!

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/wefixmac

 

They seem to be out of MacPro components right now but keep checking there.

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ScrumpyMacs-Used-G5-MacPro-Powermac This one is also another great eBay shop for MacPro parts

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LISTED1ST.COM forgot to mention about my cooling method. I am just going to buy the front fans and rear memory fan to cool the mac pro unless i buy bigger heatsinks in which i will proberly resort to liquid cooling.

 

I have pressed 1 of those buttons on the logic board but it does not have a PSU connected to it so wouldnt have an affect would it?

 

Can anyone tell me where they bought the screws to fit the logic board to the case (M3.5 8mm screws) in the UK

 

Regards Hally

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Hey Hally, I couldn't tell you about where you could get screws from as I've not yet built a MacPro. It's an upcoming project. I am currently planning a Hackintosh with around 3 Operating Systems on it and hopefully if I get a grant from my college I'll use that money to buy parts for a Mac Pro =]

 

Your best bet is to message Nagal but your local PC store or hardware store should stock these type of screws!

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