2012 versus 2010 Mac Pro

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a brody Author

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2012 versus 2010 Mac Pro

According to:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_capability/mac-specs-by-emc-number.html

The EMC# 2629 fits for both 2010 and 2012 Mac Pro servers. And according to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Pro

The Machine ID is 5,1 for both 2010 and 2012.

And even some of the CPUs are the same.

The one thing that is different is the model# such as:

MC560*/A MC250*/A MC561*/A

My question is, short of someone having the box that it shipped in, is there a way on the back panel to find the model#? Or does it appear on the system profiler? Or would someone need to submit to the https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do the support status of the serial number to obtain the model#? Cause I know with logicboard upgrades sometimes even the serial # is unknown. I see that the Mac Pro has the serial number and EMC# on the back panel in the indentation where the PCI ports have their panels. But I didn't see any evidence of the model # there on images I find on the net.

OS X Mountain Lion, * Links may give me compensation

Posted on Mar 14, 2013 7:31 AM

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Answer 1

The hatter

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Mar 14, 2013 7:52 AM in response to a brody

Firmware is about it That would be both EFI and SMC

It was only a "processor speed bump" realy shipping with a 3,2 instead of the 2,8GHz it was shipping with.

Which is why even now any Mac Pro can also run 10.6.5+ as originally.

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Answer 2

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 7:53 AM in response to The hatter

Oh and that's even without Parallels? I didn't realize that.

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Answer 3

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 7:56 AM in response to a brody

I might add, so the newer MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, iMacs, Mac Minis, are the only ones that require Parallels for installing 10.6.8 or 10.7.5 or earlier? Edited, because I realized some even had a refresh after Mountain Lion's release

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Answer 4

Mar 14, 2013 9:58 AM in response to a brody

Mac Pro	Date introduced	Original Mac OS X included (see Tips 1 and 3)	Later Mac OS X included (see Tip 1)	Mac OS X Build(s) (see Tip 2)
Mac Pro (Mid 2012)	Jun 2012	10.7.3	10.8	11D2001, 12A269
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)	Aug 2010	10.6.4	10.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.3	10F2521, 10F2554, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001
Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server (Mid 2010)	Aug 2010	10.6.4	10.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.3 (Server)	10F2522, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001 (Server)
Mac Pro (Early 2009)	Mar 2009	10.5.6	10.6	9G3553, 10A432
Mac Pro (Early 2008)	Jan 2008	10.5.1	10.5.2, 10.5.4	9B2117, 9C2031, 9E25
Mac Pro	Aug 2006	10.4.7	10.4.8, 10.4.9, 10.4.10, 10.5	8K1079, 8N1430, 8N1250, 8K1124, 8P4037, 8R3032, 8R3041, 9A581, 9A3129

from:

HT1159- Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers

Since the 2010 and 2012 are both Mac Pro 5,1, they are both running the same firmware, and the differences between them will be minimal. The Server version just comes bundled with the Server software pre-installed, and maybe an extra drive -- it is not a fundamentally different machine.

If the 2010 can run 10.6.4, so can the later ones -- but getting it installed when the "full retail" discs contain 10.6.3 at the latest will be a trial. It can be done if you have another Mac that can run 10.6.8, and there is a very detailed procedure in a posting on this forum.

Server consists of EXACTLY the same underlying Mac OS X, with additional Server features installed on top of that. There used to be a simple add-on Installer for that, but it does not appear to be working in 10.6.8. You may have to extract and Install the Server add-on package with Pacifist.

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Answer 5

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 9:51 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

That's cool, but you are sure that 10.6.5 or later will run on all MacPro 5,1s?

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Answer 6

Mar 14, 2013 10:09 AM in response to a brody

Read through this thread where we did what you are contemplating:

Re: Stuck on gray screen on install of snow leopard server....

.

(my link is to the middle, you will want to start at the beginning.)

The fifth post in shows a link to an field-developed procedure for installing using another Mac.

Remember the rules:

• shipped in the box "model specific" sources only have drivers for that model.

• Purchased "Full Retail" versions, by Upgrade DVD _OR_ Download, contain Drivers for every appropriate Mac.

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Answer 7

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 10:15 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Oh so you can't use a 10.6.5 installer disc from a 2010 Mac Pro on a 2012 Mac Pro? If not, then the question really is, is there any other distinguishing method of finding the model # by year? Also is there any software you can't run on 10.6.5 Server, that you can on Client?

Message was edited by: a brody

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Answer 8

The hatter

Level 9

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Mar 14, 2013 10:15 AM in response to a brody

There have been plenty of threads since Lion came out, and then Mac Pro shipped with Lion, and ordering the OEM DVD 10.6.x... so yes. It. Does.

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Answer 9

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 10:18 AM in response to The hatter

Please name one that is short, that clearly got one without the model names listed MC560*/A MC250*/A MC561*/A to run 10.6.5? That would be helpful.

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Answer 10

Mar 14, 2013 10:22 AM in response to a brody

Oh so you can't use a 10.6.5 installer disc from a 2010 Mac Pro on a 2012 Mac Pro?

I think you CAN, if you could find one, because same-family Macs running the same firmware (Mac Pro 5,1 in this case) are the same model for this purpose.

Server differs mostly in the priority given the logged-in User versus the Server tasks. There is nothing you can't run on a Server. Certain Sharing things must be configured through the Server software instead of by System Preferences, that all.

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Answer 11

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 10:24 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

That's good to know. I was concerned that Server may be too different and have some issues.

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Answer 12

Mar 14, 2013 12:08 PM in response to a brody

The 2010 and 2012 are identical in every way except what speed processors they use. They can even still run OS 10.6 with no issues.

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Answer 13

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 12:10 PM in response to OM617.952

The big question is, can you take a 10.6.5 Mac Pro installer CD that came with a Mac Pro in 2010 and install it on any 2012 Mac Pro? If that's the case, then the matter is closed. Have you actually done this on even a Mac Pro bought new in December of 2012 from an authorized dealer?

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Answer 14

Mar 14, 2013 12:19 PM in response to a brody

Yes, that is correct.

It still uses Westmere processors, which are fully supported by 10.6

The easiest method is to do a clean 10.6.8 install on a fully supported Mac then clone that installation onto your MacPro.

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Answer 15

a brody Author

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Mar 14, 2013 12:29 PM in response to OM617.952

Well that type of method is fraught with failure on other Macs because of system specific drivers. If you are saying you have to do that sort of method, then I would not consider it compatible. The reason is the installation disc expects specific hardware.

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