Mac Pro 4,1 - Full hardware and software upgrade to Big Sur

[@jensdbe]

In case you'd like to install latest macOS Sonoma on unsupported hardware instead, check out the video I did for that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5TTgqh5ft5mfaM

[@davewk58]

FINALLY! someone provided a competent instruction to upgrading the FIRMWARE which is essential to moving forward with hardware and software updates essential to advancing to newest versions of MAC software!

[@jonchong3683]

Thank you so much for your video. I have a Mac Pro G 5 running leopard. It was used everyday for my business for over 13 yrs. never break down. But a bit slow and can’t use google or safari. Have to use yahoo old version mail to communicate. I thought of selling it and get a new Mac Pro. But after seeing your video, I decided to upgrade it myself. I followed your steps and was able to update to high Sierra. I am very excited already because now I am able to use gmail again. Even at this point, I can use this machine for another 5 yrs at least. your video is detail and easy to follow. Thank you so much.

[@davidian3412]

Are you sure it's a G5? That would make it a Power PC Mac, not a Mac Pro.

[@ConcertKing]

I actually like this method. It is very easy to upgrade to Big Sur. The USB disk does take almost 1HR to create, once you restart the computer hold the "option key" and click first on the "EFI BOOT". Once the computer shuts down, restart your computer again holding down the "option key" and select the "Big Sur Installer Disk" (The black disk). If the installer stalls during the installation, restart the computer again and repeat the method. For me everything worked when I did it the second time. Big Sur will quickly install at startup and it will take an additional 30 minutes to install the upgrade. You do not need to erase your HD if you already have Catalina, just upgrade to Big Sur. Thanks JENSD !!!!

[@TWDay-sy6nq]

Hands-down, the best upgrade information I've ever found for my 4,1. Thanks for your hard work.

[@jensdbe]

Thanks for the nice feedback. Nice to see more people with a 4,1 :)

[@Jim_Wilde]

I picked up this in the dumpster, washed it with regular shower :) a lot of dust and lint than dried 5 days and now it works :)

[@davidseva6533]

I am voting you for best video on youtube. There are more detailed videos but they are too long and boring but your video is straight forward, easy to follow and short.

[@skinkle777]

Excellent Video, everything simply explained, no overuse of JARGON or abbreviations trying to give the impression that the host is highly intelligent. Just good stuff, Thank you...

[@Toebex]

I have a 2009 mac pro exactly like this that ive been using for my everything from motion design work to personal things every single day since I got it back in 2009. Upgraded my HD a few times and went from snow leopard to Yosemite back in 2015 but now its come to a point where I cant upgrade anything and its really starting to slow down on me. I have been considering doing what you did in this video, but I just worry that its not going to last forever. I think im gonna end up upgrading everything and just starting fresh on a newer mac pro 2013 (cant afford the newest mac pro), but after seeing this, im getting second thoughts. I dont think i want to risk all my data and boot drive and hardware going through all this, I want to make sure all is safe and just working. However, if/when I do upgrade to a newer machine, I think I might try this. I WISH Apple just kept the same design as these Mac Pro's forever. They are so easy to use and upgrades are (or I guess were) so simple. I never planned to have my mac pro past maybe 2014/15 but here we are. Great video man, even if it did stress me out to watch :p

[@nickk6518]

Your video and instructions tempt me to get a second-hand Mac Pro 4,1, even though I have a late 2013 'Trashcan' Mac Pro.

[@jensdbe]

Haha, I feel you. I would love to do this over but then in the end, what do I do with all those Macs?...

[@nickk6518]

@@jensdbe Build a cathedral to the great Lord Jobs?!

[@sacramentohomes]

This is absolutely best video ever on upgrading Mac Pro. Thank you

[@juancordova7890]

Woww I been super frustrated upgrading to Big Sur with open core. I had an issue logging in to Big Sur and my computer will crash after 5 minutes or so. If this works I will so happy and grateful to you. Thank you and let’s give this a try now.

[@grafxdesigner93]

I've been researching on how to upgrade my Mac Pro as well. This is the best "how to" that I've came across. Just subscribed to your channel.

[@jensdbe]

Thanks for the sub!

[@grafxdesigner93]

@@jensdbe Got a quick question. Will my Mac Pro will be able to update “automatically” or will I have to do this manually to update every time this is a new update?

[@jensdbe]

@@grafxdesigner93 After the install, I noticed it is better to go through booting from the USB drive (with the Big Sur install) again and to run the post install steps (See Finish the patching process after installation on: jensd.be/1376/apple/create-macos-usb-installer-for-installation-on-unsupported-models). There you can go through the post install automator process. Once that is completed updates should come in as expected.

[@grafxdesigner93]

@@jensdbe OKAY. I’ve been trying to do this and it has been a major headache. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@grafxdesigner93]

Hey Jensd_be! What’s up man? That 2012 Mac Pro of mine finally went on me. Tried everything. What seems to be an unfortunately situation turned out to be a blessing. Got a 2017 iMac 27 4.2Ghz Quad 5K Retina for $800. Bought it from a private owner. He is a traveling photographer and have to get a MacBook Pro for traveling purposes and allows him mobility. Only used the iMac for about 6 months and been sitting in the closet for nearly 3 years. Meeting with him to check it out was the FIRST time he had took it out the original packaging since he got the MacBook Pro 16 in. So it is basically spanking BRAND NEW. I told him that he is a godsend. I was preparing for online classes for web development and I was trying to prep my 2012 Mac Pro. That plan didn’t panned out too well. So just giving you an update on the situation. Been playing around with the iMac. Mindblowing if you ask me. Totally light years from the 2012 Mac Pro. The whole macOS behaves totally DIFFERENT all the way down to the apps. Just crazy. Thanks for all your help in the videos and your channel. Keep up the good works. I will be coming to your channel for tips and updates. Be safe!

[@VincentBlack]

Thank you so much! I was looking for an affordable way to edit and create graphics, heavy content for music and film. You saved me! I’m definitely gonna build a rig now. I’m starting with a 2012 Mac Pro.

[@jensdbe]

Still very capable machines. To tell you a secret, I just bought another one which I plan to do some video's on :) Stay tuned...

[@VincentBlack]

@@jensdbe I’m so excited!!! Seriously. I was trying to find a motherboard for a 2019 Mac Pro but maybe in another couple years then.

[@Jerad-wu3xt]

I’ve always liked these MacPros. They are fun to mess with, considering how cheap you can get them now. Nice video.

[@jensdbe]

Totally agree :)

[@Steampunk_Star_Raisin]

This is a really great video. I have the same Mac Pro 4,1. I will be upgrading to Big Sur thanks to you. I will do a video on it soon. My machine has been upgraded to NVidia GTX 680 which is of the few metal supported Nvidia graphics cards. It has also been upgraded to 16 gb of ram and I will be upgrading to a Xeon X5690 which I got on ebay for $50. I would upgrade to dual cpu tray if the tray wasn’t so expensive...

[@jensdbe]

Thanks for the nice feedback and good luck with the upgrade!

[@Incusaudio]

How did you manage to get your GTX 680 to work. Mine can't seem to boot?

[@Steampunk_Star_Raisin]

@@Incusaudio Yes I got it to work in Catalina but not Big Sur yet.

[@Steampunk_Star_Raisin]

@@Incusaudio MY GTX 680 has been reflashed to Mac Firmware. Mojave wouldn't install because it saw it as a non metal card but I used the dos dude patcher and got Catalina running smooth. Catalina even see it as a metal supported card. Reflash your firmware using mac firmware. You will need free dos, flash app and a pc with a pcie x16 slot.

[@AlphaFox78]

Nvidia doesnt offer drivers past sierra, so unless you can hack the driver it wont work. better to get a radeon 560 like he did, natively supported and faster. unless the 680 has native driver support for macos as some of the older ones do.

[@massimomalaguti8865]

Grazie per le preziose informazioni, ho un Mac Pro 4,1 del 2009 da aggiornare , e' denaro permettendo l'ho' faro' al piu' presto....Grazie Amico della tecnologia...

[@michaelbluecastlestudio665]

Impressive video tutorial. Thanks for sharing your experience. Have to upgrade a 4.1 Mac Pro for a friend and your video fits perfect. Just all I need to know 👍

[@UFOLOUCO]

your video is very top. I still use it as a reference today.

[@geneberenki7181]

Nice clear video, but you forgot to reset NVRAM, which you'll need to do to get it to see your new RAM (1600MHz it looked like you fitted) as 1333MHz, which is the fastest speed the X56?? series CPUs can operate at. At the moment, it's still seeing, and reporting, it as 1066MHz; which was how fast your original W3520 CPU was accessing the RAM. That will change after an NVRAM clear and reboot. Sadly it can't use the full 1600MHz speed of the RAM you upgraded to, but it is backwards compatible with the lower 1333MHz bus speeds of the X56??. For that final extra tweak, three 3 RAM modules run faster than 2, as the Mac Pro works best in Triple channel mode, so either 3 x 8GB for 24GB, or 3 x 16GB for 48GB. If you e.g. put in 32GB as 4 x8GB sticks, the 3rd and 4th are actually sharing the same channel, so run *slightly* slower than 3 x 8GB as 24GB. But only a issue as and when *all* the RAM is being used; so if it really needs the full 32GB, is better slightly slower accessing that last 8GB than not having it at all.

[@jensdbe]

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I'm fully aware of the triple channel being faster but didn't have more dimms available unfortunately. Didn't know about the NVRAM reset, will test this for sure if I find another Mac Pro for a nice price somewhere. 1066 vs 1333 is definitely noticeable.

[@Huskerfan69]

@@jensdbe I did this NVRAM reset myself, and yes, you should do it.. I mean, underclocking your memory won't hurt it, but doesn't give the best performance. I did this very upgrade, or at least parts of it.. I have not upgrade the GPU yet, so I have not upgraded to Big Sur.. but other items I have done.. works great.

[@oscarmarfori613]

I am very interested in getting an old Mac Pro 5,1 and watching your video gives me a lot of the information to continue with the project, I hope my Mac Pro Project will end up successful just like yours, thanks for sharing your video

[@jensdbe]

In that case, make sure to check out the newer video I did on a 4,1/5,1 with macOS Ventura: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooaUaqJuhK2pjK8

[@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy]

This looks like so much trouble. While I would never consider doing it myself, this was an informative and entertaining watch. That's one cool-ass computer, even today.

[@TruenorthmtGod]

No way it’s easier than you think

[@fedism]

@@TruenorthmtGod i have a 2009 12-core mac pro w 64gb ram I dual boot windows and mac os really hope this bigsur update works. I just pay my tech to code it

[@adem335i8]

Top video makker! Moest ik nu nog maar eentje tegenkomen op 2dehands voor een prikje 😅

[@indyrl12]

Thanks for taking the time to make this excellent tutorial! I learned a lot about the upgradability of this cMP.

[@AlphaFox78]

SSD running at SATA2 not SATA3, need add in card (or get a PCIe NVMe card) Upgrade GPU after you upgrade the High Sierra, its supports both regular and metal cards and will work with both accelerated RAM running at 1066 instead of 1333, after you flash to 5,1 and upgrade the CPU you can use faster RAM You can get a Mac compatible PCIe WiFi card and get hand off and stuff working I upgraded a bunch of these machines a while back, haha

[@RetroGamesCollector]

Great video. As others have said, a USB 3.0 card would be the icing on the cake.

[@jensdbe]

Agree with that. I never really missed it I guess. I'm doing most of the stuff over the network instead and my camera, unfortunately, only has USB 2.0

[@jeffsims7386]

The only additional recommendation I would absolutely make is to install a USB 3.0 or 3.1 PCI-E expansion card. It is sooooo much nicer to have over the built in USB 2.0 speeds!

[@johnwells2908]

Jeff do you have recommendations as im considering selling my MacBook Pro for one of these?

[@threalismaradona9899]

I have 3.1 and 5.1 they still rock

[@EElgar1857]

A wonderful explanation! I have a 4,1 that I haven't used for a few years, but might try upgrading it. I think it would need a new battery inside, for starters. Thanks! 😁

[@jensdbe]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bits2646]

Go for 3 sticks for tripple channel, offers a pretty notable boost in performance (at least with W3580 and X5675 and with 1333 and 1600 mhz modules in my case)..

[@jensdbe]

You are completely right, 3 sticks is always better if possible. I only had two unfortunately :)

[@AlphaFox78]

@@jensdbe 4 sticks actually slows down ram speeds

[@fedism]

@@AlphaFox78 how much would that cost in USD?

[@michaelkphoto8344]

@@AlphaFox78 I want to increase RAM from 3x16 to 4x16. How much would that slow down the operation of the Mac?

[@Commentator541]

I think I’ll keep it around. Great tutorial.

[@spattf3]

I've been putting off the upgrade but finally bit the bullet. I've has High Sierra running for a while but need to get faster CPUs and would love to have Big Sur installed. Did the CPU upgrade and trying to use the patched Big Sur install but the Mac reports it can't install it. Tried booting to High Sierra and running from USB, also no joy. I have confirmed the firmware update. You can see this below. Don't know what/where to do/go next. Appreciate feedback. Hardware Overview Model | Name: Model Identifier: Processor Name: Processor Speed: Mac Fro o- Core inte Xeon 3.46 GEZ Total Number of Cores L2 Cache (ver Corel: 12 256 KB L3 Cache per Processor Memorv: 20 GB Boot ROM Version: 165.0.0.0.0 Mo version system 1.3965 SMC Version (processor tray): 1.39f5

[@garyclement5527]

I love this. My machine is running OS9, so it’s outdated, but it’s in perfect condition. I will eventually do this. I love this computer. I was going to just use it as storage, but now you show me how to upgrade it. Wonderful.

[@TuNnL]

All Mac Pros shipped brand new with at least Mac OSX Leopard, so it is very strange if you have OS9 installed. You somehow went backwards. Perhaps you have a PowerMac G5, which has a similar style of case, but it is a very different CPU. I am looking for an old computer but the G5 will NOT run Final Cut Pro 7, simply because the G5 uses a PowerPC chip, rather than an Intel CPU, like the Mac Pro in this video. 🤷

[@davidian3412]

@@TuNnL My G5 was great until it died. The guy who set up my Mac Pro 1,1 said that in his experience the G5 had proved to be the absolute worst of the power PCs and that G4s were loads better and built to last. I spent a fortune at the time in 2003 on my G5 but have bought pre=-owned Mac Pros since and I love them.

[@TuNnL]

@@davidian3412 🎯💯 You nailed it. People don't understand that IBM mostly cut Motorola out of the picture by the time they built the G5. Up until the G4, you had both companies involved in three-way partnership with Apple. With the G5, IBM suddenly found themselves doing 99% of the work, and the results were a rush job that Steve Jobs wasn't satisfied with anyway. As a result, Steve finally said "goodbye IBM," I need "fast, powerful quality" and went with Intel for the Mac Pros. Intel was already making the chips for their MacBook Pros, so Apple went "all in." 🤷

[@DJB2]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks man.

[@cocoytv1]

Great video. I have a dual 2.46 ghz quad core processor and I wonder if it’s really necessary to replace it in order to get Big Sur or at least Mojave OS.

[@jensdbe]

Not necessary. It does work quite well with the original CPUs as well.

[@mytj228]

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing! I am planning to do the same, the only question I have is how to find the proper RAM. What kind of specs do I need and where did you bought the RAM from? I am looking in MacSales but that seems quite expensive. I will also need to find the old graphics card since I have the Radeon 7950 installed and looking at the comments I believe I need to use the old one for a step, right? Thanks for sharing! Great video!

[@vics_media]

Many thanks for sharing your immense knowledge !!

[@gravitytennis]

Great video, thanks! Is it possible to upgrade from High Sierra without erasing/replacing the current startup drive?

[@jensdbe]

I believe you can just use the patched installer to do so. I saw in a comment on my video to create the installation media for installation on an unsupported mac that this worked as expected.

[@jim9737]

Congrats! Really nice instructional video. Q: Does SIP remain disabled when using Micropatcher Automator? Open Core keeps SIP enabled, which increases security integrity. Merci mille fois!

[@RobertVernonAustralia]

excellent video -is the GPU adequate -reasonable quality for photo and video editing?? thanks

[@jensdbe]

Photo editing would still be ok. Video editing is on the border. It kind of works for full-HD but 4K will not be workable.

[@neonobse]

great video. but where do you buy the prozessor for 10 EUR The cheapest i found is 50 EUR used on ebay.

[@jensdbe]

I bought it locally here on a second hand site

[@drelmiragadol]

I greatly admire your efforts, thank you for doing this, helping and teaching millions of Mac users such as yours truly, to keep using their computers and save. - My Apple wired aluminum keyboard works at startup after install of High Sierra, followed by Mojave. However, there are couple of keyboard combinations that currently not working. The keyboard itself is fine, option key works when I reset PRAM. But when holding down option key during startup to select different OS, or USB drive to boot from, it appears that holding down the option key has no effect, my Mac Pro just hangs and nothing happens. I have a Mac Pro 5,1 Early 2009 - Runing Mojave 10.14.6 - With two 6-Core Intel Xeon Processor 3.33 GHz - Metal:Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily2 v1 - 32 GB RAM - is there a way to reset the keyboard back to default.?

[@keatorski]

I was having the same problem just now. Really frustrating. Got to the point where my computer wouldn't boot at all, and was stuck on a grey screen. I read somewhere that said to unplug all peripherals. I unplugged everything except for the monitor. I also moved the usb cable for the keyboard to the front of the computer instead of the back. Suddenly it works. Could also be the keyboard you're using. Might try a different one.

[@davidian3412]

@@keatorski I discovered that my option key wasn't working on startup due to it being plugged into an added USB port hub. Once I plugged it into an original port in the computer it worked fine. Took a lot of searching and a lot of reading before I found it. Very relieved when it finally worked!

[@yh72119]

I still have my 4,1, and will definitely follow your steps to upgrade. So far, this is the best info I have found, thank you for sharing your experience. I was wondering, with my Final Cut Pro previous to this update still work?

[@Fundaykidzz]

Again great video … can you tell me if the xfx rx560 4gb and the msi rx560 4gb are they the same gpu cards … also did you have to upgrade the cpu to run Big Sur ?

[@jensdbe]

The cards are 95% the same and should work in the same way in the Mac Pro. The CPU does not need to be upgraded to run Big Sur, the ones that come with the Mac Pro should do fine but faster is better :)

[@Fundaykidzz]

@@jensdbe thank you but I’m a tad uneasy about the gpu cards found a amd rx550 4gb of ram for 60$ I’m wondering if that will work

[@mikeerstad3705]

Ok, next step, then hit a wall....I formatted a 32GB usb stick...ran Auto Patcher (wow, that took some time) Restarted, holding down the option key and I get the "Macintosh HD" which has High Sierra loaded and I also get the "Auto Patcher" called Install macOS Big Sur(EFI boot), which is on the 32 GB usb drive...but all I get is the O with a line through it when selecting it and it shuts down. If I select the Macintosh HD, it just boots right up!.... I'm missing something here....can you help...do I need an empty drive? Like the one you installed just before this step....if so I do have a second HDD in the mac...a blank, formatted 4TB drive with absolutely nothing on it, but it doesn't show up as a bootable disk when holding down the option key...... In your video you show selecting one thing which I can't read and then selecting the other one on the second boot, but don't now what that is.....Thanks for the help....Mike

[@TomsBrinkis]

The same happens to me as well. :(( ---> "all I get is the O with a line through it when selecting it"

[@mikeerstad3705]

@@TomsBrinkis Tom, this fella doesn't reply much.....check out Mr. Macintosh's KZbin site.....

[@Time_Sound]

A very important detail should be noted. When you fasten the cooler blocks to the processor, DO NOT tighten the bolts too much!!! A little, before the first resistance. Otherwise, the computer will not start. The red light of death will light up)))

[@davidian3412]

Good shout!

[@doglol926]

i wonder how he now this 🤔🤔🤔

[@lavinchi6709]

Thank you so much!Very good tutorial!!!You are the very good TEACHER!!!!

[@jroar123]

You can upgrade to Monteray but no further at this time. A USB keyboard and mouse will not work. keep checking for new OpenCore Legacy versions for a workaround for this problem.

[@jensdbe]

Ventura and Sonoma work as well but you would need a USB 1.0 hub. Have a look here where I did this, if interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooaUaqJuhK2pjK8

[@adilsonsoares76]

Best video ever. Helped me a LOT. Thanks.

[@lortega70]

Brilliant! Thank you, sir 🙏🏽

[@julianglezz9285]

thank you so much! blessings!

[@lolo2lolo491]

Great video man! could you please show us how smooth big sur or monterey works on this new upgrade like open close finder/ different softwares etc and safari with multiple webpages. if you could install intel power gadget and istats menus to see how the cpu speed stepping while doing different operations and how hot cpu and gpu get and how much memory gpu use while doing different tasks. would really appreciate it, thanks!

[@johnwells2908]

great video and something im looking to do myself so this will help loads

[@iPodgeek44]

Hello, first I want to say that your video is PERFECT, I just have one question, is it possible to go directly to El Capitan via a USB boot drive instead of installing Snow Leopard ? I have a Mac Pro with no operating system and I don’t have a Snow Leopard CD Disk unfortunatly

[@jensdbe]

I believe it depends which OS was the last one on there. If there ever was something newer you can do El Capitan directly I believe

[@iPodgeek44]

@@jensdbe I guess I’ll try and if it doesn’t work I’ll create a bootable snow leopard USB

[@iPodgeek44]

@@jensdbe Thank you !!! Quick respond too 👏🏻👏🏻

[@iPodgeek44]

@@jensdbe So effectivly going straight to El Capitan is not working, you have to go first to Snow Leopard 😉

[@Fundaykidzz]

Also asking if after doing all this it is considered a “ native “ install ? Meaning when apple sends out updates the computer will except the updates and /or the updates from apple will be excepted and will not corrupt the OS X Big Sur system ? I’ve done all the updates to my early 2009 Xeon 2.93ghz to bring it to 5,1 standards .. ordered 32gb of ram and Installed Samsung 500gb ssd dtive … your video is great and your further help would be greatly appreciated - thank you in advance

[@jensdbe]

There are basically two ways to work around the restrictions Apple puts in newer/unsupported macOS releases: 1) Patching the installer to not do the hardware checks + have additional drivers/workarounds for specific hardware 2) Obfuscate the model identifier to let the installer think it is installing on a supported Mac In the video I'm using option 1) You can upgrade in theory but it could also break things in some cases. As far as I remember upgrading went just fine with the method I used. More recently, I have installed Monterey using the 2nd method and OpenCore. Here you use another boot loader which tricks the installer/OS in thinking it is running on different/supported hardware. Upgrade work as well but require re-patching (from the OS itself) to fix driver issues in newer versions. I did a video on that 2nd method and getting Monterey on unsupported hardware as well in case you would be interested. You can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXebaqFqibCoqNU

[@sumosys372]

Would this work with Monterey? Currently trying Big Sur, but finding it, well, sticky? Thinking about skipping ahead. Also, I have a patched Catalina install on my older MB(2010) and MBP(2009) does the upgrade path still work? or does it require a fresh install?

[@sumosys372]

Ok, so I've now read that it won't work with the patched Catalina. I am having issues in making the installer usb drive. It takes a few seconds, says success, but there's no file. It did work on my iMac running High Sierra, but I'm guessing that you need to create the patcher usb on the machine that you are intending to use it on??

[@datenkrake7504]

ye if u want on Hardware like this Monterey or so, u need create an USB stick on maschine you need it for. Its in the process you create this stick, alls hardware etc will writing on the stick if u want clean and you can use this stick then only on this Maschine! you have to take OpenCore.

[@CallJimRice]

i just bought a 2009 with dual processor & 48GB ram for $180

[@tsftm4192]

from where ?

[@AlphaFox78]

The dual tray alone is worth that

[@1Rabih]

That’s a real steel 🐸 congrats

[@TruenorthmtGod]

You got robbed. Jk good deal

[@emanuelrushaj]

the amount of ram is insane

[@いがぴょん-w3p]

Great Video. Thank You.

[@jensdbe]

Thanks for the nice feedback, good to hear you like it :)

[@wakabakaful]

hold on... no openCore installation? And everything works without extra steps? No hardware issues?

[@jensdbe]

Correct, all works just fine using this method :) Also very handy to do an installation from scratch on an empty disk (like I did in the video)

[@wakabakaful]

@@jensdbe updates are working? Or do you need to patch every version that comes out?

[@AlphaFox78]

@@wakabakaful Its a native mac, no patches are needed. Only major OS updates (11 -> 12) require a patcher

[@mrmotivational3994]

Awesome video, really helped me a lot thank you!

[@sparksolutions1]

I tried it but didn't get the EFI option on booting, only the installer. and that didn't work. Any thoughts about what went wrong? Any help would be appreciated.

[@luisl3528]

Did you figure it out?

[@mikeerstad3705]

Thanks So Much for your video....so far I've taken my Mac Pro 2009 from 4,1 to 5,1 without a problem ....currently downloading the next apple O/S... do you know how hi I can go with the O/S titles? Thanks Again...Mike

[@jensdbe]

As far as I know the 4,1/5,1 can run Monterey without any real issues. I did a video on getting Monterey on unsupported hardware earlier: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXebaqFqibCoqNU

[@sergeysaases8439]

Very informative, great job!

[@newt6639]

Great job on this video! I did the update on my 5,1 and it works well. Is there a way to enable GPU acceleration?

[@eduardowatkinz]

Open Core

[@newt6639]

@@eduardowatkinz Thank you. I just installed opencore today! Super impressed!

[@dondimartin6235]

Hello Newt44, which Bigsur version did you used during the installation?

[@iPodgeek44]

Again GREAT VIDEO

[@jeffsims7386]

I would correct one thing: the highest supported OS from Apple isn't High Sierra, it's Mojave. Apple allows the Mojave installation just so long as you have a metal-capable GPU installed, I know because I've got a 2012 5,1 natively upgraded to Mojave. Basically I guess if you'd changed the steps around slightly and swapped the graphics card out earlier in the process you could upgrade to Mojave instead. Of course you probably already know though that performing the installations can be more difficult when using a card that lacks the Apple bios, as you can no longer view the boot option screen, but I don't recall exactly how I went about it with my non-Apple RX570. Good video though for sure. I'll be looking at possibly moving my 5,1 to Big Sur, I'm just concerned with a lack of support for certain hardware and not interested in spending $100+ just for a compatible BT module.

[@HOISHERE]

i never got it to update the frimware a beep then a normal boot no status bar

[@davidcharlton7765]

I just tried this on my 5,1 and it was all working. The USB creating got to 100% then I got lots of mount errors and it failed to complete. Any ideas

[@FutureClock]

Hi there, thankyou for the great video! Do you know if boot camp/windows can be installed ok after the big slur upgrade?

[@jensdbe]

Should be fine, yes. Did it a few times myself

[@FutureClock]

@@jensdbe windows 10? Thanks

[@jensdbe]

@@FutureClock both Windows 10 and 11. Check out some of the other videos on my channel about that if interested :)

[@ayyubfaiyaz3368]

Is it unstable, does it stutter or freezes up sometimes and do all of the features work or does it give you a " your hardware seems to be outdated " or " you must update your software " notifications?

[@JB-do5qd]

jensd_be Has your installation of Big Sur been stable since you installed it a year ago?

[@jensdbe]

Never had any issues. Been on Monterey now since it was released, which is going fine as well.

[@aldolisboa]

These RAM modules are Samsung 16GB DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800R ECC M393B2G708H0-CK0, the same ones used in servers at the time? Correct?

[@SimbaSeven.]

Just curious, but can you upgrade the firmware to 144.0.0.0 in a Mac Pro 4,1 (fw upgraded to a 5,1)? I'd like to boot from an NVMe PCIe card.

[@aejacobs101]

I have one of those Great piece, But riddle me this I’m trying to upgrade my 2009(early)Mac Pro 4,1 to a 5,1. I did the EFI update and the firmware update when I restart it goes into a short flash mode and crashes then restarts back into El Capitan’s

[@activandoelpoder7355]

Muchas gracias, lo hice y salió muy bien.

[@sayeghjoe]

Great video. Have you tried it with Big Sur 11.3 yet?

[@jensdbe]

Will try to upgrade next week and let you know here. I don't expect any issues but you never know...

[@sayeghjoe]

@@jensdbe I tried it. It works! Mac Pro fully upgraded to Big Sur 11.3

[@jensdbe]

@@sayeghjoe Good to hear! and thanks to let us know your result.

[@hussinaltmeme1574]

@@sayeghjoe how can you updated ?

[@sayeghjoe]

@@hussinaltmeme1574 just follow the instructions in the video step by step. It’s very well made. Just remember that you’ll need a metal capable GPU that o update the firmware with the Mojave installer. Once you’ve updated the firmware, put the original Nvidia 120 graphics card back in the system. Then proceed with the Big Sur upgrade. Once done, put your metal capable GPU back in. You’ll no longer see the boot screen but be partient and MacOS Big Sur will load.

[@AlessandroRorato]

Great tutorial thanx!! Can you suggest some cheap metal compatible graphic cards for my early 2009 5.1 mac? I use it for music production only, so i don't need peak graphic performance... i only would like to upgrade it in order to install LogicX 10.6. thanx!

[@jensdbe]

Unfortunately almost all GPUs got a lot more expensive but the easiest ones would be the ATI Radeon RX 5xx series. The lower ends (550/560) can be powered from the PCIe slot which saves you on getting an additional cable as well. And they're supported out of the box.

[@AlessandroRorato]

​@@jensdbe could an ASUS GeForce GT 710 be ok for my purpose?

[@jensdbe]

@@AlessandroRorato the GT710 is Kepler-based as far as I can see so the drivers should be there out of the box. I do read that only the version with GDDR3 memory works the GDDR5 versions do not work. Still easier I believe to go for an AMD-based card.

[@Vadha2]

For some reason upon booting and holding control, my USB doesn’t show up? I see three options, my MAC SSD, a recovery 10.13.6 option and the micropatcher option.

[@meistudiony]

Been trying to get this to work. I followed the directions to a tee. My usb boot doesnt come up as a black disk just the regular usb icon. When i boot to efi them try to boot to the usb after it shuts itself down, it starts the installer and just fails. Any thoughts?

[@paulbailey6251]

Hi, I have a metal compatible Graphics Card (AMD Radeon 7 Series) but not Mac boot screen capable - How would I get around that one following your steps ? (could I use my old NVIDIA GT120 and swap back to my AMD Radeon 7 Series later)

[@jensdbe]

This is exactly how I did it, so that definitely works :)

[@paulbailey6251]

@@jensdbe Thanks for that - did you upgrade your current OSX or do a fresh install?

[@jensdbe]

@@paulbailey6251 for a fresh install, I use the GT120, then swap once I don't need the boot acreen anymore (or have OpenCore installed). Upgrading doesn't need swapping cards unless you have issues launching the installer. But the cards, as long as they are supported, can just be changed at any time when needed.

[@paulbailey6251]

@@jensdbe Thanks - but I'm not sure how I can launch the installer to upgrade (would like to keep the apps I have installed) without the Apple boot screen because a restart would simply revert to the original OSX.

[@norcalvirg]

I did not get the usb icon from the big Sur install disk. Only the install big Sur icon. Click on that and I get the circle with a line through it...

[@jerroldneal]

Well done.

[@yd3941]

Nice video, only you skipped the boot screen part and some people won’t be confortable without it.

[@jensdbe]

With an unsupported video card, you don't get to see any boot screen. It's a choice which you need to make as a card with flashed/supported BIOS costs a lot more than a generic one.

[@djdavic]

Do I have to use ssd for big sur or hdd can still work. I install everything on my Mac pro 2009 after last restart is just keep on shutting down, when I remove usb it say error loading operating system.

[@carlotantari4584]

Thanks for your Mac Pro videos !!....Can you please make a video about installing Windows on a Mac 1,1 (2,1)...or would you be able to direct me to a simplified method as most online are so complicated. Only to pleased to hear from other viewers also. Cheers

[@jensdbe]

I'd love to do that but I don't have a 1,1. Without having the machine to play with and figure out how to get things to work, I can't make a video.

[@alexoni9178]

@@jensdbe Good evening Came across your channel, real cool and informative I’ve got a Mac Pro 2008 I’m really new and don’t have a clue where to start Advise on [ How to connect to a new Monitor, I was told I need a HDMI to DVI cable is that correct ? [ how to get the best from the computer [ I’m a marketer and would use it for photoshop ,video editing , leaflet creation , PowerPoint ect [it has a 1T memory card [ I see a lot of videos upgrading like space, speed , ect Thanks

[@fedism]

If you can upgrade to big sur, and the bigsur beta has support for big navi, does that mean.... 😎

[@NotoriousScarFace]

Great Video Thank You. I will try on my Mac Pro.

[@prodbyshadik]

Do i need heat sink for my NvME when installing in a Sonnet M.2 4x4 Silent PCIe Card?

[@Gokhan_B]

Firstly thank you very much for usefull video.I have a question if possible help me please: I have a mac pro computer running 10.14 as a system. When I want to upgrade to 10.15 as a system, I cannot see the efi screen. As a result of my research, I think my graphic card does not support it. Could you please write the graphic card models that I can use to upgrade this system? Thank you in advance for your interest and help.

[@jensdbe]

MacRumours has a comprehensive list: forums.macrumors.com/threads/gpu-compatibility-list-for-cmp.2174600/

[@Gokhan_B]

@@jensdbe thank you very much for your help, take care dude :)

[@chandershekhar9103]

Hi my Pro MID 2010 Processor 2.8 Quard Core Intel Xeon Graphic Card ATI 5770 1GB plz suggest me graphic card options & processor & I am from Delhi India and I love our work to help

[@trigunbullet]

at 24:18 you have 2 icons.... i have only one. i create the stick like your video 3-4 times and it is always only one icon. my mac is patch to 5.1, last os is high sierra. what can i do?

[@lnlimaging7453]

I'm using a 2009 Mac Pro that's flashed to 5,1 with HD 5770 Video card, 12 core, 32gb, on High Seirra. I'm trying to upgrade to Big Sur. I followed your tutorial step by step using micropatcher. I created a USB for install, Click Hold Opt until chime, Click EFI to Power down, Power up again, click install from USB, but when I start the process of installing it will complete the install and give me prohibitory symbol every single time. What is the work around? I know this can be done on my model because I watched your tutorial upgrading from High Seirra using 2009 Mac Pro, 6 core, with micro patcher

[@jensdbe]

If you skipped a few steps it could be that the firmware is not on a recent enough level (hence why the whole process took me so long). Another reason could be that you forgot to first launch the USB-drive icon in the bootloader, then repeat and select the hedgehog icon.

[@geoman1420]

With Opencore Legacy Patcher you can install even Ventura....

[@jensdbe]

Did a video on that as well recently :) You can find it here if interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooaUaqJuhK2pjK8

[@LinusKnight]

my mac pro tower is older but was last updated around 2012/-2014 and guy gave to me cheap since he can’t update to current OS x - i have plenty of RAM and 4 internal drives at like 4TB each - can i just leave them be or do they need to be physically updated to newer ram/drives ?

[@jensdbe]

Hard to tell without knowing the exact Mac model. You can see that in About this Mac.

[@crisomelido]

SIn OpenCore ni driver adicionales'???? WWWoooooow!

[@TomsBrinkis]

Hi All, I have this problem: After booting in selection mode "Press Alt till boots" 1) If I press "EFI Boot icon" Mac boots in that mode. (whaaaa) / 2) if I press "Install BigSur icon" it shows me O with line trough it. (nooooooo) / Am I missing something? Hmm... If someone can, please help.

[@Rob_Dekker]

My wife’s Macbook Pro is from 2009, but says it’s 5,3 instead of 4,1 but won’t upgrade beyond El Capitan. Is it because it’s a laptop?

[@jensdbe]

That's a completely different model. You can work around the limitation to El Capitan by using OpenCore Legacy Patcher. Although the age starts to show, it's worth a try. I did a detailed video on that over here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5TTgqh5ft5mfaM

[@studiojunuz]

Hi hab bei mir auch installiert. Auf Mac Pro 2009 5,1. big sur. leider. Läuft der USB port 2.0. und 3.0. langsamer. Auf Mojave lief alles schneller auf den usb ports

[@TheEmrickman]

Just found a 2009 Mac Pro I can get for about $50. I may have to purchase it.

[@YOriginalDA]

Good video!