I'm in IMMEDIATE NEED of Ram

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I'm in IMMEDIATE NEED of Ram

This is my first post here, and I signed up just so I can get some real world answers from fellow Mac Pro 1,1 Owners....here goes;

Today in 2015, do you still recommend Komputerbay or Nemix as I've seen you suggest in older posts?

I'm in a REALLY BAD situation, I'm in the middle of completing a project, and the Memory crapped out on me this weekend. I was already considering upgrading to a Mac Pro 2009 for the hardware benefits, but now I'm in IMMEDIATE NEED of Ram, and need to complete this project before I can even think about upgrading to a Mac Pro 2009.

Having said that, OWC's 16GB is $265.00 http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/53FB4MPK16GB/ and NEMIX 16GB on Amazon is $99 http://www.amazon.com/8X2GB-NEMIX-Certified-Memory-667MHz/dp/B0085MH1AW/ref=sr_1 _10?ie=UTF8&qid=1422849560&sr=8-10&keywords=nemix+16gb

To stir the pot even further, this morning I searched eBay and came across a used set of Samsung 16GB for $78.00

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16GB-4x4GB-PC2-5300F-ECC-FB-DIMM-Memory-Apple-Mac-Pro-20 06-1-1-2007-2-1-Samsun-/371236253038?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item566f67ad6e#r pdCntId as well as a used set of Crucial 16GB for $79.80 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crucial-16GB-4x4GB-PC2-5300F-ECC-FBDIMM-Apple-Mac-Pro-20 06-1-1-2007-2-1-Memory-/351282005551

I would consider new memory from Crucial, but their website doesn't show anything new at all for the Mac Pro, it seems as if they no longer make memory for the Mac Pro 1,1 2006-2007.

It was that Samsung find on eBay that brought me to this post, after doing a Google search on the type of Ram. This is where Hatter said..."Apple OEM FBDIMMs would expect to show trouble at 3 yrs of age" Speaking about original, I've had my Mac Pro 1,1 for 3 years, and I bought it from the original owner who upgraded the Ram to 8GB...I'm now down to 2GB, and my Audio Software won't even load.

I'm in DESPERATE NEED of RAM, and if I could save more than a few bucks, then I will...If I have to spend $265 at OWC, I'll do it, but I won't be a happy camper because I'd rather put that extra money into an SSD that's in the very near future for me. I NEED to make a purchase today, so I can get back on the project by the end of the week.

Thank you for your time in reading this, and thank you in advance for your forthcoming advice/suggestions.

All The Best!!!

<Re-Titled By Host>

Posted on Feb 2, 2015 6:57 AM

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Answer 1

The hatter

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Feb 2, 2015 8:13 AM in response to 13th Crowned

I thought I made it simple, so here it is again:

4GB (2X2GB) NEMIX Memory APPLE MAC PRO DDR2 667 FB DIMM RAM PC2-5300

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Answer 2

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 2, 2015 8:25 AM in response to The hatter

Thanks for the response Hatter, your responses back then "was simple", but it was also a few years ago; and I was curious if that advice was still relevant today in 2015. For example...do you or anyone else on the forum know if NEMIX or KOMPUTERBAY had a bad run, did their QC, and Lifetime Warranty get a bad rep as of late...did another brand/company come along that you're now recommending, etc...that's all.

Thanks again for your response...all the best to you!

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Answer 3

The hatter

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Feb 2, 2015 8:26 AM in response to The hatter

Amazon.com: Icy Dock EZConvert 2.5-Inch to 3.5-Inch SATA SSD / Hard Drive Converter: Electronics

Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD

With the money you saved, and I would get 8GB of memory, adding an SSD (and adapter for the drive sled) is the best upgrade.

128GB is fine for system, or get a 256GB for just $117 which is slightly faster and lets you hold a bit more on the SSD.

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Answer 4

The hatter

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Feb 2, 2015 8:28 AM in response to 13th Crowned

I have read of I think two people that were unhappy and had trouble with Komputerbay - and then again the 2008 has a personality disorder all its own.

Hard to control for things like - do you use a UPS? do you let them cool before opening the side door? before touching? etc. and other variables.

No issues with Nemix and I still can't believe just $23.

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Answer 5

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 2, 2015 8:46 AM in response to The hatter

Coincidentally, those exact (2) items are already on my Amazon's Wish List, and will make it's way over to the Shopping Cart in a few weeks 😁. When I got this Mac Pro, I did a configuration that I thought was the best at the time. It worked just fine, it's still working, but now I've learned that there's a much better way to configure my Mac Pro, and that begins with an SSD Boot Drive.

Currently I have (3) 1TB WD Caviar Blacks, and the original 750GB in slot 4. I have (2) of the WD Drives as a RAID 0, and the 3rd WD Drive is a Media Drive. I have an external Drive backing up to Carbon Copy Cloner.

As mentioned in my original post, I'm seriously considering upgrading to Mac Pro 2009 for the Hardware Upgraded Benefits. I'm a Musician/Engineer/Producer, and the specs on the 2009 Mac Pro's are better suited for the long haul than my 2007 version. Most software coming out as 64 Bit versions, etc, are better suited to the 2009-Forward models

Having said that, I most likely will get a Mac Pro 2009, and configure that one correctly this time around with an SSD Boot Drive, a WD Black for Media, and probably a large 3-4TB in slot 4 for Time Machine. I'll still keep an external backup to the backup on my Carbon Copy Cloner Drive.

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Answer 6

The hatter

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Feb 2, 2015 9:04 AM in response to 13th Crowned

If you want to and can afford it, while those Samsung 850 EVOs are nice and fast, and you should look at putting your audio files (plug-in library and such) for their fast IO and zero latency/seeks, there is a faster device in town.

Samsung XP941 512GB

Lycom DT-120 M.2 PCIe to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter (Support M.2 PCIe 2280, 2260, 2242)

There are smaller and cheaper sizes, but until the next generation M.2 from Samsung comes out, these are the bad boys to beat with reads of 1100MB/sec and 900MB/sec writes.

Works across entire Mac Pro line. Was my latest addition to my 1,1 too.

A pair of 53xx in there already? because your apps probably do benefit from better processor and 8-cores.

You could of course hold out for if the 2009 (6 years old but still going strong)

Apple Special Mac Pro

and there is always SSOFT which gets you into 64-bit mode

2006-2007 Mac Pro (1,1-2,1) and OS X Yosemite - MacRumors Forums

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Answer 7

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 2, 2015 9:34 AM in response to The hatter

WOW Hatter, I did all this homework for upgrades this weekend because my memory crapped out on me, and you're sending me links to some of the same items that I was looking at. At this time, I don't have the $$$ for the XP941, but that's something that I'll pretty much get at a later time...VERY IMPRESSIVE.

I've seen that article about the 64-Bit EFI for 2006-2007 Mac Pros and it seems like a lot to digest. To bottom line it, if I took that "chance/risk" and followed those steps, it would bring my Mac Pro 2007 in close proximity to a Mac Pro 2009-Forward?

Lastly, I have an XTI 1900-XT Video Card that I want to upgrade to the ATI 5700 so that I can run 3 monitors. However, that's about a $145 purchase on a flashed version. So my thinking was, the Mac Pro 2009 already has the capability to run 3 monitors, it's a faster system "Hyperthreading", better expansion ports/slots, etc.. That's why I was hesitant to pouring any serious money into the Mac Pro 1,1 besides the much NEEDED Ram.

If I was only doing Video/Graphics, then I would most definitely trick out the Mac Pro 2007 1,1 for many years to come, but I already see the benefit of the Mac Pro 2009-Forward for my DAW...Specifically for my daily use of Pro Tools 11, and the soon to be released Pro Tools 12.

Still researching my upgrade options, but I just ordered the NEMIX RAM that I need to complete this project this month.

If you're familiar with my dilemma from a Pro Tools perspective, feel free to enlighten me on that 64-Bit EFI article.

Thanks in advance

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Answer 8

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 2, 2015 9:41 AM in response to 13th Crowned

The more I think about what I just typed, the more I convince myself to stay focused on a Mac Pro 2009. 2 years ago I spent $300 on those WD Caviars, and some external drives. If I keep holding on to it, I'll need the ATI Radeon 5770 for 3 Monitors, the SSD Boot Drive, etc that I'd rather put in a 2009 Mac Pro.

I await your response to my last post though...thanks again!

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Answer 9

The hatter

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Feb 2, 2015 10:03 AM in response to 13th Crowned

Graphics http://www.macvidcards.com is great and X1900 dust magnet over due for over-haul

GPU are hardest to deal with in 2007.

No Pro Tools help from me sorry

Most apps are IO bound, and even a tricked out 2009 with multiple SATA III PCIe SSDs do not run as smoothly as the nMP mostly because more efficient processors but also that SSD PCIe blade device and its 1100MB/sec to feed the processor and get it into (faster) memory.

I don't know that 4,1 (you can upgrade to 5,1 firmware and then 6-core 3.4GHz) takes you closer.

Too many though to cut costs are staying with "older" SATA III SSDs and trying RAID when I think that boat shipped, and the controllers add complexity (the XP941 is "invisible" and seamless).

You can use slot #2 (16x) and slot #3 OR 4 to get ideal bandwidth.

HT is like getting a 5th core for the price of.... more heat, but it is NOT like having 8-cores! 25-35% added processing.

The new 5th gen Intel Core i3/5/7 are ''interesting'' in being fast and a leap ahead - for all the naysayers of Haswell not being worth the time of day... Z97/X97 boards and built in M.2 slots (not all are PCIe 3.0 4x though, and Apple uses a lot of 2x so SSD blades are capped at 700MB/sec in mobile Macs which can include an iMac).

The 5,1 2010-12 at least has firmware for 56xx plus better PCIe support and no "PCI" sharing in slots 3&4.

If you need three displays... most PC flashed 5770's do not, check carefully which is why MACVIDCARDS is worth the extra cost and support.

Audio on a 2,1 using SSOFT seems to be something most would avoid because they want a solid reliable drivers.

The 850 EVO 500GB is currently holding my media libraries, use to be system drive which is now an XP941 128GB and the combo is fantastically smooth, fluid and instant response. No more IO bound.

The days of "new year, new Mac in March" are gone but I would sell some stocks and get a refurbished 6,1 and outside of the RAM and one SSD to get an idea, try to move beyond even 4,1 even though it is an extra $1,000 probably.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FE253LL/A/refurbished-mac-pro-37ghz-quad-core- intel-xeon-e5

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Answer 10

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 2, 2015 10:54 AM in response to The hatter

Can I boot as normal with the XP941? I would consider the 256 GB for $259.99 if it functions as a normal Boot Drive...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J9V53M6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1 &smid=A3AHFWUNORUSXK

VERY TEMPTING...right now...literally today, I have to spend time cleaning up my drives, and moving stuff around because I have everything on the main 1TB, and it's gotten FULL and close to the capacity. It's to the point that it's only about 100 Gigs available from the 1 TB. My thoughts before the memory crapped out on me this weekend, were to get an SSD after I complete this project, and do it all over again with an SSD Boot Drive, and everything else in slots 2, 3, and 4.

Moving forward with what I've learned, and still learning, I have no desire in doing a RAID 0 in my Mac Pro as I have it right now. I'll do Slot 4 as a Time Machine, and still keep an external drive with Carbon Copy Cloner.

I "might" hold on to the Mac Pro 2007 as long as I can while I research all my options for the future, but then the upgrades that I need to make sooner than later won't make much sense since my eyes are already on the prize...future-wise.

Thanks for all your time in responding to me today...I really appreciate it.

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Answer 11

Feb 2, 2015 7:38 PM in response to 13th Crowned

I noticed what you said about Crucial. A month before I check the second time I saw RAM at pretty good prices. When I return it disappeared and Crucial does seem to have cleared out RAM for my Mac Pro1.1 2.66Ghz. Of course it's a 8 year old desktop so considering it still humming away is in itself impressive.

The original RAM that came with my Mac Pro failed last year. I'm weary of adding any other memory from outside of Crucial who I've trusted for many years. I'm ready to upgrade to a new Mac. The new Mac Pros are out of the question and I have no desire for a laptop versus a desktop like the iMac or Mac Pros.

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Answer 12

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 3, 2015 4:51 AM in response to Robert Pena

I hear you Robert, I'll report back after I install the NEMIX memory this week. It shipped out at the end of the day according to the tracking. Hatter has some very good suggestions in those links above, as well as some other posts that I've seen from him. I too will end up with a Mac Pro from 2009-2012...most likely a 2009 model since that will probably be a cheaper entrance fee to that series of Mac Pros with the 64-Bit EFI.

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Answer 13

The hatter

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Feb 3, 2015 6:19 AM in response to Robert Pena

NEMIX is the best I have used. And my temps have stayed @ 59*C for two years.

I have seen and had trouble with Crucial, they are not the end all and be all.

I was afraid at first due to the prices but I (and others) have used them w/o trouble.

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Answer 14

The hatter

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60,990 points

Feb 3, 2015 6:31 AM in response to 13th Crowned

"For maximum speed in a small package, look no further than the Samsung XP941 M.2 PCIe SSD. The 256GB model provides up to 1080MB/s read and 800MB/s write sequential data transfer rates, far exceeding the performance bottleneck of SATA-based SSDs.

"First released to the market in August 2013, the XP941 is compatible as a boot device in a wide variety of desktop systems, and as additional storage in almost any desktop with a spare PCIe slot.

"The Samsung XP941 is compatible as a boot device in the following computer models and motherboards:

(Most Gigabyte, ASrock, and ASUS brand Z97 and X99 chipset based motherboards with an available M.2 socket.)

"All pre-cylindrical model Apple Mac Pro Tower computers (requires a PCIe M.2 to PCIe Standard adapter)."

Like this: Lycom DT-120 M.2 PCIe to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter

Supports PCIe 1.0 ,PCIe 2.0 and PCIe 3.0 motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYCQP38/

So you get full benefit and again, works in our old PCIe 1.0 based system.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XP941-256GB-PCIe-MZHPU256HCGL/dp/B00J9V53M6/

It works. No issue. None of the problems with Sonnet and others - it was impossible to find a good SATA III PCIe SSD card for Mac Pro 1,1 until this.

Motherload where I first learned of this.

SATA Express meets the '09 MacPro - Bootable NGFF PCIE SSD ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... Last Page)

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Answer 15

13th Crowned Author

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Feb 3, 2015 7:41 AM in response to The hatter

Thanks Hatter, in my haste I didn't notice the information in the link about the XP941 as a "Boot" Drive. I noticed it at lunchtime yesterday when I read through the description in the link, reviews, and articles about that drive.

I'm "Watching" a couple of Mac Pros 2009-2010 on eBay right now. Surprisingly there's some 2010 models that are priced similar to the 2009 models...in a good way. I'll make all my upgrades to the 2009-2010 Mac Pro...whichever one I end up getting.

I figure I'll sell my beloved Mac Pro 1,1 and get a few hundred bucks for it....that should soften the blow on the price I'll pay for the new Mac Pro, and the forthcoming upgrades. My beloved Mac Pro 1,1' is in EXCELLENT CONDITION, NO SCRATCHES, NO DENTS, NO DINGS...NONE, and it's in the Original Apple Box with 16GB Ram .

Thanks again Hatter

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