Older Mac Pro component upgrades for home data center storage?

macbookguy12 wrote:

Hello. I have acquired a Mac Pro from a family member. Either 2009, 2010, or 2012 version, I do not know the specs yet. I am planning to use it as a home data center, ...

just a place to store my documents instead of storing in the cloud.

That Mac Pro will surely be using plenty of energy when operating as a glorified storage device. I offer that you would be wiser to simply buy an external storage device that you can connect to any of your current Macs and configure as network storage. Something like that would use much less energy than that monster of a Mac, and may well outlive that fifteen (!) year old hardware.

In its day, that Mac was a plenty fast performer, but by today's standards it doesn't hold a candle to any current Mac. Even the state of the art USB and Firewire ports are outclassed today. While you might configure the old machine with add-in cards, the lack of a modern OS may be a limiting factor.

If I have to, I can keep it offline if that is what I am being recommended. Or unofficially upgrading the software.

The newest macOS version that even a 2012 Mac Pro can run is 10.14 Mojave, already quite outdated.

Optionally, you could load that Mac with a current version of some Linux flavor.

Just my $0.02.

Follow up –

It also occurs to me that, depending on the drive(s) that is currently installed, you can pull that from the Mac chassis and install into an external enclosure that you can plug into your current Mac(s) if you want or need additional local storage. Of course, I would be cautious about using any drive that came with that Mac for important data given its age and potential to fail at any time. You can surely find better, faster, more capacious drives today, too.

One source for quality ext drive enclosures:

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/external-storage

macbookguy12 wrote:

Thank you for the advice. What are some other things beside home data center I could do with it?

TBH, I think that computer has outlived its practical usefulness. They all do.

It might make a nice hobby machine for someone who doesn't expect much from it.

Some will suggest that you consider installing a Linux OS and continue to use it that way. But that will require that you learn how to install, setup and use that OS and any apps that you will install with it. I'm not a fan.

I'm more inclined to cut and run, send it off to be recycled and don't look back. Unless you have some compelling reason for keeping it, say to run some old apps that you can't live without.

Hi,

You should use NAS, Network Attached Storage, rather than Mac Pro, I think.

I'm using old Mac Pro 2012 Server model for test bed for my projects.

<< I believe it might be running a Server version of the operating system. >>

MacOS Server functions were all either incorporated into regular MacOS over time, or abandoned. The separate Server software was abandoned, and no longer available for sale (or needed to accomplish anything).

One feature, Shared Time Machine backup destinations, requires macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later to configure using that Mac as a Shared Backup destination on your network.

About macOS Server 5.7.1 and later - Apple Support

You're welcome, my friend. 🙂