Upgrade Mac Pro 2006 to 2008 by Replacing the Logicboard

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Upgrade Mac Pro 2006 to 2008 by Replacing the Logicboard

I'm trying to make best use of a MacPro 2006 for my home purpose and need a better PCI-E bus and CPU.

Has anyone upgraded a MacPro 1,1 (2006) to a MacPro 3,1 (2008)?

From what I can gather, the basic hardware is identical, except the logic board, memory riser cards and CPU heatsinks. Everything else, like the PSU, chassis and memory cage and fans seem identical. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks.

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), 8-core (upgraded)

Posted on Mar 21, 2016 11:26 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 22, 2016 3:51 AM in response to voidcom

It is going to be cheaper and far easier to buy an entire secondhand Mac Pro and sell your existing one.

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Answer 2

voidcom Author

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Mar 22, 2016 8:25 AM in response to John Lockwood

That's perhaps a good advice from an economic standpoint, but not what I would like to do. Selling a used computer includes risks, but even if I buy another used Mac, I would still want to keep the old one for nostalgic reasons. Also, considering current prices on ebay, it seems I can get the parts I need for half the price than buying a complete machine. I'm not really trying to save a couple of hundred bucks here, but I enjoy the fun and process of upgrading. However I would of course not want to waste time and money for nothing.

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Answer 3

voidcom Author

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May 20, 2016 6:50 PM in response to voidcom

After some more research I finally found some information that answered my question:

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/granites-2006-to-2008-mac-pro-upgrade-guide. 1595303/

There are apparently more differences between the 2006 and 2008 model than I initially anticipated, such as a different power supply, wiring harness, memory riser and cage, CPU front fan and cover, etc. I'm no longer considering to upgrade/replace the 2006 hardware. It's not worth the cost and effort.

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