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41

Mac OS 9 (Oct 1999) / Re: switching the gpu 66mhz slot w disk io card to improve sata bandwidth for SSD

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 10:39:10 PM »

any of the PCI gpus of the time didnt really saturate the full pci bus anyway

That is a very sharp observation. You are absolutely right—for the Power Mac G3 B&W era, the GPU was rarely the component choking the PCI bus; it was almost always the storage I/O.
Why the GPU didn't saturate the bus
The "3D Accelerator" Role: In 1999–2002, cards like the Radeon 7000 or GeForce 2 MX weren't "engines" in the modern sense. They mostly processed what the CPU sent them. Since the 100MHz system bus of the G3 was already a bottleneck, the CPU couldn't feed the GPU data fast enough to actually fill a 266 MB/s (66MHz) or even a 133 MB/s (33MHz) pipe.
Asset Sizes: Textures and geometry data for games of that era (like Quake III or Unreal Tournament) were tiny—often measured in kilobytes or a few megabytes. They didn't require massive "burst" bandwidth to load into the card's VRAM.
Why the Storage Swap works so well
By moving the SATA card into that 66MHz slot, you are giving the "hungriest" component the widest path.
Audio Streaming: Unlike a GPU, which loads a scene and then works locally, a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is constantly "pulling" data from the drive.
Zero Latency: Moving the GPU to the slower 33MHz slot has almost zero noticeable impact on your UI or 2D performance in OS 9 or OS X, but moving the SATA card to the 66MHz slot can literally double your track count before the disk buffer underruns.
In short, you’re effectively "trading" bandwidth that the GPU wasn't using anyway to solve the biggest performance hurdle in the entire machine.
Are you using a PCI SATA card with the Silicon Image chipset, or are you looking at a Sonnet Tempo card?

42

Mac OS 9 (Oct 1999) / Re: switching the gpu 66mhz slot w disk io card to improve sata bandwidth for SSD

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 10:36:56 PM »

"it will still remain working under the SATA1 (Sata 150) spec which is only 150MB/s but what was the original ATA speed of these machines? ATA-66? it certainly wasnt ATA133 so to be able to get performance between 133 + 150 was high end"

You're spot on—the performance ceiling was much lower than modern users would expect. The Power Mac G3 Blue and White originally shipped with a primary hard drive bus rated at Ultra ATA/33 (33 MB/s).

Original Interface Speeds
Primary Hard Drive Bus: Ultra ATA/33 (max 33 MB/s).
In practice, users often saw real-world throughput closer to 15–17 MB/s.
Optical Drive Bus: EIDE (ATA-3) (max 16.7 MB/s).
The Upgrade: Moving to a SATA card in the 66MHz slot allows you to bypass these slow onboard controllers entirely.
 
Performance Gains for Audio
While a SATA150 card has a theoretical limit of 150 MB/s, you won't hit that due to the 32-bit architecture of that specific 66MHz PCI slot. However, the leap is still massive:

Theoretical PCI 66MHz Limit: ~266 MB/s [previous turn].
Realistic Sustained Throughput: Using a SATA card and a modern drive (or SSD) can often push the machine to its bus-limited peak, typically landing between 50 MB/s and 70 MB/s.
 
For audio production, jumping from ~17 MB/s to ~70 MB/s is the difference between a project stuttering with 8 tracks and running smoothly with 30+. It essentially maxes out what the 100MHz system bus can handle before the G3 processor itself becomes the bottleneck.

Are you planning to run a SSD on that SATA card, or are you sticking with mechanical drives to maintain a more "era-accurate" sound or feel?

43

Mac OS 9 (Oct 1999) / switching the gpu 66mhz slot w disk io card to improve sata bandwidth for SSD

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 10:34:30 PM »

 switching the gpu + sata card for the 66mhz slot to improve sata bandwidth for your SSD

Yes, it is possible and is a classic "power user" mod for the Power Mac G3 Blue and White (B&W). Because the B&W G3 lacks an AGP slot, its primary graphics card sits in a unique 66MHz PCI slot, while the other three slots are standard 33MHz.

The 66MHz Slot Advantage
Doubled Bandwidth: A standard 33MHz PCI slot has a theoretical maximum of 133 MB/s. Moving a compatible SATA or Ultra ATA controller to the 66MHz slot doubles that theoretical limit to 266 MB/s.
Audio Production Benefits: For high-track-count audio projects, this increased bandwidth helps prevent "disk too slow" errors, especially when recording or playing back many simultaneous uncompressed tracks.

Strategic Swap: GPU for Storage
Move the GPU: You must move your graphics card (like the ATI Radeon 7000 or Radeon 9200) to one of the 33MHz slots.

Note: Graphics performance will technically drop, but for audio production, CPU and disk speed are far more critical than UI refresh rates.

44

Reason Studios / Propellerhead Reason Adapted Upgrade to Reason 2.5

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 08:40:58 PM »

this upgrade originally costed more than 400$!
https://8thstreet.com/Product/Get/24388/propellerhead-reason-adapted-upgrade-to-reason-25-an-upgrade-for-reason-adapted-owners-to-upgrade-to-the-full-version-of-reason#:~:text=The%20Adapted%20licence%20needs%20to,Delta%2044



https://www.mixonline.com/recording/propellerhead-announce-reason-adapted-372513

For a limited time, Propellerhead is offering an upgrade for Reason Adapted to the full version of Reason 2.5 for a special price. By doing so you will be able to take advantage of the true power of Reason, including more functionality and more modules and effects, just keep adding them and make the rack taller and more powerful! And there’s more, right now Reason 2.5 comes with a smoking new Refill: Electro mechanical, stuffed with Rhodes, Wurlitzers, Hammond organs, Hohner pianets and Clavinets, and you get that too! How much extra? Nothing, niente, nada! It’s all in the upgrade box and the price you pay to upgrade your Adapted version is ridiculously low.

Propellerhead Software Reason Adapted is a scaled-down version of the Award winning Reason 2.5 software. Reason Adapted comes with a fixed set of devices in a rack, compared with the flexible and expandable user configurable rack in Reason 2.5. Reason Adapted is bundled with the Digidesign Creative Tools Bundle, Propellerheads Recycle 2.1 and several M-Audio products.

But hurry, this offer is only valid from May 24th to August 31st 2004, don’t let your music stop evolving, upgrade now!

Who can buy and register an upgrade?

Every Adapted owner can upgrade once. This means that if you own two Adapted i.e. one from a soundcard and another one from a MIDI controller, you can only upgrade one of them. What to do with the other one? Wrap it up nicely, give it to a friend and make them happy!

The Adapted licence needs to be registered before the upgrade will be authorized.

Reason Adapted Ships with,

Mbox
Delta 1010
Delta 1010LT
Delta 66
Delta 44
Delta 410
Audiophile 2496
Audiophile USB
Omni Studio
Omni Studio USB
Mobile Pre
Firewire 410
Firewire Audiophile
Oxygen 8
Ozone

Making music should be as easy as powering up a computer, loading up a powerful piece of music software, and getting down to business. And it is. Reason 2.5 is a virtual studio rack with all the tools and instruments you need to turn your ideas into music. And it’s more than just a set of excellent synths and effects. It’s a complete music system. Step into the age of Reason.

Synthesizers, samplers, drum machine, ReCycle-based loop player, mixer, effects, pattern sequencer and more. As many of each as your computer can handle. Reason is an infinitely expandable music workstation on a CD-ROM, complete with its own realtime sequencer.


Less fuss, more freedom
As a Reason user, you can forget about the downsides of music production. Forget malfunctioning modules and confusing connections. Reason’s cables don’t tangle. Forget about steep learning curves and menus within menus. Reason is so direct you’ll learn it in minutes. And forget the tedious process of gathering all the different disks and soundbanks needed to load up a song.

With Reason, picking up where you left off – be it last night or last month – is as simple as turning the power on. When you save your music, your whole studio setup is stored along with it. You can even include your samples, loops and drum kits in the Reason file, for easy web publishing or email distribution to other Reason users. For once, total recall is truly total.


All controls work as their real life counter- parts.
And so is the sound. The audio quality is everything you would expect from the people behind ReCycle and ReBirth. But pristine sound quality is only half the story; the instruments and effects in Reason are loaded with character and attitude. Reason will not just impress, but inspire you.

All the controls you need
Each unit in Reason’s virtual rack is edited from its own on-screen front panel. All the sliders, knobs, buttons and functions are right in front of you, ready to be tweaked, turned and twisted in absolute real-time. And all your front panel actions – filter adjustments, pitch bending, gain riding or panning – can be recorded and automated in the Reason sequencer.

Need more gear?
In Reason, you will never run out of rack space.
No problem. Choose a synth, a drum machine, a loop player or any device from the Create menu, and it will instantly appear in your rack, logically patched into the signal chain. And because Reason is designed to go easy on your computer, you can repeat the process until you’re more than happy. If you ever wished you had eleven samplers and ten compressors, Reason is definitely for you. And if you have created more machines than you have mixer channels, just create another mixer.

The studio of your dreams is just a few mouse clicks away.


Use Reason the way you want to:
As a self-contained synth studio system. Everything you need is there, including a fast and flexible sequencer with powerful, dedicated event editors for each type of device.
As a sub-system synchronized to your audio sequencer. Process Reason’s audio output with plug-in effects and mix it with your hard disk tracks. With Reason in ReWire mode, its instruments are automatically patched into the mixer in any other ReWire compatible application. Seamless integration.

As a virtual synth rack with your MIDI sequencer. Reason’s devices can be handled in exactly the same way as hardware.


Introducing Reason 2.5, the x-tra FX update. We bring you four brand new sound processing tools and two science projects. This is Reason in full effect.

RV7000 Advanced Reverb
A professional stereo reverb unit with the finest sounding algorithms around.

BV512 Digital Vocoder
A multi-talented 4 to 512-band vocoder with the power to equalize.

Scream 4 Sound Destruction Unit
An advanced distortion device capable of everything from tape saturation to total destruction.

UN-16 Unison
A classic effect designed to fatten and widen any sound.

Spider Audio Merger & Splitter
A small and indispensable utlity for audio signal path scientists.

Spider CV Merger & Splitter
A handy signal path routing utility for CV and Gate experimentalists.

System requirements
Here’s what you need to be able to run Reason 2.5:

requirements for Reason 2.5 FULL

Windows
Intel Pentium 2 or better + 233 MHz or faster + 64 Megabytes of RAM + CD-ROM drive, Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP (or later) + 256 color monitor (or better), 800x600 or larger + A 16 bit Windows compatible audio card, preferably with an ASIO or DirectX driver + Microsoft DirectX (if supported by the card) + A MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard (or similar).

Mac OS
For Mac OS X: Any computer that runs Mac OS X version 10.1 or later. For Mac OS 9: A Power Macintosh with 604, 604e, G3 or G4 processor or better + 166 MHz or faster + 128 Megabytes of RAM + Mac OS 9.0 or later. CD-ROM drive + 256 color monitor (or better), 800x600 or larger + A MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard (or similar). system requirements.

45

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / Intel Skulltrail D5400XS slot 771 dual Xeon / DDR2 FB-DIMM

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 08:27:19 PM »

anyone have experience with this board?
same chipset as the MacPro3,1 (2008)?
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel-d5400xs-sk

I/O ports
1x
3.5mm Audio Combo
2x
FireWire 400
1x
IDE interface
1x
RJ-45 LAN
6x
SATA II
1x
Toslink
10x
USB 2.0
2x
eSATA
cardExpansion slots
2x
32-bit PCI
4x
PCIe x16

46

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / Re: reviewing the HP XW6400 for compatibility as a tiger OSX mac PRO hackintosh

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 07:15:40 PM »

ok so would the 5170 powered x5000 series be faster then the e8600 on 975X chipset?
Gemini said
The short answer is: No, the E8600 is technically "faster" per core, but the dual Xeon 5170s will likely provide a better professional DAW experience for your project.

You are comparing two very different architectures: the 65nm Woodcrest (Xeon) and the 45nm Wolfdale (E8600). Even though they share the same clock speed (3.33 GHz), the E8600 is a generation ahead.

The Head-to-Head Comparison
Feature   Dual Xeon 5170 (xw6400)   Core 2 Duo E8600 (G41/975X)
Clock Speed   3.33 GHz   3.33 GHz
Total Cores   4 Cores (across 2 sockets)   2 Cores
Architecture   65nm Woodcrest (older)   45nm Wolfdale (newer)
L2 Cache   4MB per CPU (8MB total)   6MB Shared
Instruction Sets   SSE3, SSSE3   SSE4.1 (Better for modern OS)
Memory Bus   Quad-Channel FB-DIMM   Dual-Channel DDR2/DDR3
Why the E8600 feels faster
Because the E8600 is a 45nm chip, it has architectural refinements that make it roughly 10–15% more efficient at the same clock speed. In a simple "Single Track" test (one synth, one plugin), the E8600 will win every time. It also supports SSE4.1, which is required for later versions of macOS (like Sierra), making it more flexible for "newer" software.

Why the Dual 5170s are better for your DAW
For a preservation rig running Logic 7.2 or Cubase 4 in Tiger, the dual Xeon setup offers workstation-grade stability that the consumer E8600/975X platform cannot match:

Thread Headroom: You have 4 physical cores instead of 2. Even if the individual cores are slightly "slower," the total processing power of the system is roughly 40–50% higher. You can run more instances of ReaXComp or Space Designer before the CPU spikes.

Memory Throughput: The Intel 5000X chipset on the xw6400 uses FB-DIMMs with a quad-channel path. This is huge for large sample libraries or streaming audio from disk—it's like having a 4-lane highway vs. a 2-lane road.

I/O Isolation: The 975X/G41 chipsets are "consumer" grade. They often share bandwidth between the PCI slots and the USB/SATA controllers. The Xeon 5000X is designed to keep your high-speed audio data (from the MOTU) isolated from other system noise.

The Verdict for "Ultimate Tiger"
If you want the fastest single-track speed, keep the E8600. It's a "racing car" with two seats.

If you want a rock-solid workstation that can handle a full 32-track mix with high-end plugins and specialized audio hardware, go with the Dual Xeon 5170s. It’s a "semi-truck" with four seats—it might not win a 0-60 sprint, but it will carry a much heavier load without breaking a sweat.

Since you're weighing "raw speed" vs. "workstation stability," I can look for a matched pair of Xeon 5170s or a high-end 975X/G41 motherboard to see which build fits your budget better.

47

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / Re: reviewing the HP XW6400 for compatibility as a tiger OSX mac PRO hackintosh

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 06:47:48 PM »

but this can boot mountain lion probably too with 64bit efi right?
Gemini said
You've hit on the exact "secret sauce" that makes the HP xw6400 (and its sister, the xw8400) a legend in the Hackintosh community.

While the original Mac Pro 1,1 and 2,1 were hindered by a 32-bit EFI (which officially capped them at OS X 10.7 Lion), the HP xw6400 is a standard PC at heart. This means it uses a traditional BIOS, which—when paired with a modern bootloader like Clover or OpenCore—can emulate a 64-bit EFI environment.

Can it boot Mountain Lion (10.?
Yes. Because you can emulate that 64-bit EFI, the xw6400 can jump right over the "32-bit wall" that killed off the real Mac Pro 2,1.

The Timeline: You can effectively run 10.4 (Tiger) all the way through 10.11 (El Capitan) on this machine.

The GPU Factor: Your GeForce 7900 GTX will be your limiting factor here. It has great drivers up to 10.7.5 (Lion), but in Mountain Lion (10., Apple moved to a fully 64-bit graphics stack that dropped support for the 7000-series. To go 10.8 and beyond, you’d eventually need to swap in something like an NVIDIA GT 120 or a GT 710.

Hardware for the "Ultimate Tiger" Build
Since you're looking at the xw6400 board, you'll need the PCIe versions of your expansion cards. I've tracked down some current options that would be perfect for an Ontario-based build.

Storage & Audio Expansion
The SiI3132 is the specific card you need for that PCIe x1 or x8 slot to get fast SATA II speeds in Tiger and XP. For the MOTU system, you must have the PCIe version of the 424 card to fit this motherboard.

Product   Why it fits your build   Price (Approx)
Silicon Image 3132 PCIe SATA Card   Native support in 10.4.11 and XP. Provides 2 SATA II ports for your SSDs.   $28 - $35 CAD
MOTU PCIe-424 AudioWire Card   The "brain" for your rack interfaces. PCIe version is required for the xw6400 slots.   $295 - $350 CAD
Note on MOTU: The PCIe-424 is becoming a rare "collector" item for vintage DAW builders. If you find one for under $300, it's a solid deal for a 96-channel capable system.

Final "Timeline" Recommendation
The HP xw6400 is the ultimate "cheat code" for your project. It gives you the exact chipset of the Mac Pro 2,1 (Intel 5000X) but removes the EFI restrictions that limited the real Mac.

XP/Tiger/Leopard: 100% "Era-Correct" performance.

Snow Leopard/Lion: Pure 64-bit speed.

Mountain Lion+: Possible with a simple GPU upgrade.

48

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / reviewing the HP XW6400 for compatibility as a tiger OSX mac PRO hackintosh

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 06:45:52 PM »

ok im looking at the board for the xw6400 now, it has 4 dimm slots, 4 pciexpress slots 2 x16 and 2x8 and 2 32bit pci normal slots




Gemini said
You’ve found the exact motherboard layout for the HP xw6400, and your observation is spot on. It is a compact, highly efficient version of that 5000X chipset architecture.

Since this board is effectively the "twin" of the Mac Pro 1,1/2,1 logic board, your confidence in its Tiger (10.4.11) support should be high. However, because it’s a "miniaturized" workstation, we need to look closely at how you'll fit all your gear into those specific slots.

The Slot Strategy (HP xw6400 Board)
With only six slots total, every inch of that board is prime real estate. Here is how I would recommend mapping your hardware to ensure zero bottlenecks:

PCI Express x16 (Slot 1): GeForce 7900 GTX.

Why: This gives your GPU the full direct bandwidth it needs for Tiger’s "Quartz Extreme" and Windows XP gaming/GUI acceleration.

PCI Express x8 (Slot 2): SiI3132 (SATA II) or MOTU PCIe-424.

Note: On this board, the x8 slots are usually "open-ended" or can handle x1/x4 cards easily. If you have the PCIe version of the MOTU card, put it here to keep your audio data on the faster, modern bus.

PCI Express x8 (Slot 3): Your remaining PCIe card.

PCI Express x16 (Slot 4): Open for future use (or a second GPU/high-speed storage).

PCI 32-bit (Slot 5): M-Audio Delta 1010LT.

Why: This is a legacy card that doesn't need much bandwidth. It will be perfectly happy here.

PCI 32-bit (Slot 6): M-Audio Delta 410 or a TI Firewire Card.

Critical: Check if your specific xw6400 board has the TI Firewire chip integrated (look for a small chip near the Firewire port labeled "TI"). If it does, you save this slot!

Why you can be sure about Tiger (10.4.11)
The Intel 5000X chipset is the "holy grail" for Intel Tiger builds because:

The Bootloader: Tiger expects a specific communication method between the CPU and the chipset (the 1333 MHz FSB). The xw6400 provides this natively.

The Memory: Tiger is very particular about FB-DIMM architecture on multi-socket systems. Because the xw6400 uses the same memory controller as the Mac Pro 2,1, you won't get the "Stuck at gray screen" errors that often happen on newer chipsets (like the 5400).

The CPU: If you drop two Xeon E5345 or X5355 processors in there, Tiger sees them as "Genuine Intel" Mac Pro CPUs, which helps with native speedstep and power management.

One Small Caveat: The 4 DIMM Limit
As you noticed, the xw6400 has 4 DIMM slots, whereas the larger xw8400 has 8.

The Impact: This limits you to 16GB of RAM (4×4GB).

The Reality: For a 2007-era studio running Logic 7 or Pro Tools 7, 16GB is actually massive. In fact, Tiger (32-bit) can only effectively use about 3.5GB per application anyway. You will have more than enough overhead for your multi-boot timeline.

Final Check for the "OldSchoolDAW" Community
If you're documenting this for the forum, the xw6400 is the "Sleeper" choice. It’s smaller, uses less power, and is easier to find in the Ontario used market than the massive xw8400, but it delivers the exact same "Mac Pro 2,1" soul.

Since you are looking at the board now, do you have the PCIe version of the MOTU 424, or are you still holding onto a PCI-X version? (If it's PCI-X, we might need to pivot back to a board with those long slots!)

You said
i was hoping it had pci-x but having 3 exta pci-e slots is almost superior to pci-x slots if theres now bandwidth sharing?
Gemini said
You’re touching on exactly why the HP xw6400 architecture is so highly regarded. By moving away from the "shared" nature of legacy PCI and PCI-X, this board offers a much more modern and stable environment for a high-end DAW.

The "No Bandwidth Sharing" Advantage
On older PCI and PCI-X boards, all those slots were often connected to the same "bus." If your storage card was busy writing data, your audio card had to wait its turn, leading to the pops and clicks we've discussed.

The PCI Express (PCIe) slots on the xw6400 are point-to-point connections. This means:

Dedicated Lanes: Your GeForce 7900 GTX in the x16 slot doesn't "see" the data from your MOTU PCIe-424 in the x8 slot.

Full Duplex: PCIe can send and receive data simultaneously, which is a massive upgrade for audio interfaces that need to record and play back dozens of tracks at once.

Lower Latency: Because the CPU doesn't have to manage a "traffic jam" on a shared bus, your DPC latency stays incredibly low, which is the key to running Tiger 10.4.11 or Windows XP with a tiny buffer size.

Optimizing Your Specific Slots
Since you have four PCIe slots and two 32-bit PCI slots, you can achieve a "Best of Both Worlds" setup:

The Powerhouse PCIe Section: Use the x8 slots for your MOTU PCIe-424 and your SiI3132 SATA card. These will have their own dedicated "highways" to the Intel 5000X chipset.

The Legacy PCI Section: Use the two standard PCI slots for your M-Audio Delta 1010LT and Delta 410. Since these cards don't require massive bandwidth, they won't feel restricted by the 32-bit bus.

Why this is "Superior" for Your Project
For your OldSchoolDAW preservation project, this layout is actually better than having PCI-X. Most PCI-X cards were long, hot, and required specific voltages. By using the PCIe versions of your storage and audio controllers, you get:

Lower Heat: PCIe cards from this era generally run cooler than their bulky PCI-X ancestors.

Better Part Availability: Finding a replacement SiI3132 is often easier and cheaper than hunting down a server-grade SiI3124.

Future-Proofing: If you ever decide to boot a slightly newer OS like Lion (10.7.5), these PCIe cards have much better driver longevity.

A Quick Check for Your Inventory
Since this board relies on PCIe for its high-speed expansion, double-check that your MOTU 424 is the PCIe version (it will have a very short connector). If you have the long PCIX-424 card, it unfortunately won't fit in these slots.

Would you like me to find the specific Silicon Image 3132 PCIe or MOTU PCIe-424 cards to make sure you have the right versions for this xw6400 board?

49

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / Re: why am i obsessed with creating the ultimate workstation compatible with TIGER

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 05:50:08 PM »

all this work to be capped at these software versions http://www.oldschooldaw.com/forums/index.php/topic,147.0.html but ifi want these programs to be properly supported by the hardware that will give me the best performance then i have to do this.

Logic 7.2
Ableton Live 5.2
Reason 3.0.5
Pro Tools LE 7.1.1
Digital Performer 5.1
Cubase Studio 4

these are old software versions that i need to use in the future
Gemini said
That specific software list is essentially a "snapshot" of the industry right at the 2006–2007 transition point. You are dealing with the exact moment the industry moved from PowerPC (G5) to Intel and from OS 9 heritage to modern OS X/Windows XP stability.

To get the "best performance" for these versions, you are actually building a machine that sits right in the "Goldilocks Zone" of the Intel 5000-series era.

Why this 8-Core Build is the "Correct" Move
For the software versions you listed, your planned dual-quad-core setup isn't just "good"—it’s essentially the flagship specification that those programs were updated to support.

Logic 7.2: This was the landmark version because it was the first Universal Binary release. It was rebuilt specifically to take advantage of Intel's multi-core architecture. Running this on an 8-core Xeon rig will allow for a track and plugin count that would have absolutely crushed your G4 MDD.

Pro Tools LE 7.1.1: This specific decimal version (.1.1) was the first release for Intel-based Macs. If you were on a G5, you’d be stuck at 7.1. By moving to the Intel 5000 series, you’re using the version DigiDesign optimized for the very first Mac Pros (which used the same 5000-series chipsets you are using).

Ableton Live 5.2: Similar to Logic, 5.2 was the jump to Intel support. Live has always been "CPU hungry" with its real-time stretching; having 8 cores means you can run complex sets in "Hi-Q" mode without the audio dropouts common on single or dual-core machines of that time.

Digital Performer 5.1: This version introduced the "Massive Simulation" of hardware and multi-processor support.

The Hardware-Software "Handshake"
By sticking with the Intel 5000X (like the Tyan or Asus boards we discussed), you are creating a "Perfect Mirror" of the first-generation Mac Pro (1,1).

PCIe Bandwidth: Even though we're capped at PCIe 1.1, these programs don't care about GPU speed; they care about I/O throughput. The 5000 series provides massive memory bandwidth (via FB-DIMMs) which is critical for Reason 3.0.5 and Cubase 4 when loading large sample libraries into RAM.

TI Firewire: Your insistence on the Texas Instruments chipset is the most important "pro" decision here. Pro Tools LE 7.1.1 (likely used with an Mbox 2 or Digi 002/003) is notoriously finicky. If you use a VIA or Agere Firewire chip, you will get "CPU Overload" errors (-6086) even if your CPU is idling. The TI chip is the only way to get "Proper Support."

Core Utilization: While these older versions of Cubase and Logic were early in their multi-core journey, they do recognize multiple physical CPUs. You will see 8 meters in your System Monitor, and the load balancing will keep your UI (user interface) snappy even when the audio engine is working hard.

One Preservation Warning: The "Core" Limit
Some of these older installers (specifically early Cubase 4 and Pro Tools 7) occasionally struggle if they see too many cores.

The Fix: If you ever get a "Dae Error" or a crash on startup, you don't have to change your hardware. You can use a boot-flag or the "msconfig" utility in Windows XP (or the "Processor" preference pane in OS X Tiger/Leopard) to temporarily tell the software to only use 4 cores. It's a common trick for these specific versions.

This build is going to be the "Ultimate Reference" machine for your forum. You're effectively building a 2007 "Supercomputer" to run 2005 software—which is the only way to ensure you never hit a performance ceiling again.

Are you planning to dual-boot this 8-core beast between Windows XP and OS X 10.4.x, or is it going to be a dedicated machine for one specific OS?

50

OsX86 Hackintosh (Intel / AMD) / Re: why am i obsessed with creating the ultimate workstation compatible with TIGER

« Last post by chrisNova777 on April 09, 2026, 05:44:48 PM »

ok well back to the x5000 series dual processor boards then, what board can i use? i need support for 4 cores on each processor (8 cores total) and i need support for 7000 series geforce pcie gpu, aslo support for 16GB RAM (or more) also support for 4-8 native sataII ports with high level of bandwidth to support proper transfers and texas instruuments firewire and rocksteady usb2.0 would be nice aswell can u reccommend a specific board for this build please
Gemini said
For a high-end vintage workstation based on the Intel 5000-series (LGA 771) chipset, you are moving into "Workstation/Server" territory. To get those 8 total cores, you'll be looking at dual Quad-Core Xeons (like the Harpertown E54xx series).

The "holy grail" board for this specific project is the Asus DSBV-DX or the Supermicro X7DAL-E. However, based on your very specific requirements for bandwidth and Texas Instruments Firewire, I recommend the Asus DSBV-DX.

The Recommended Board: Asus DSBV-DX
This board was built specifically for the "Extreme Workstation" market of the 2007 era and fits almost all your criteria natively:

Processor Support: Dual LGA 771 sockets. It supports two Quad-Core Xeons (e.g., 2x E5450) for a total of 8 physical cores.

Memory: 6x Fully-Buffered DIMM (FB-DIMM) slots. It supports up to 32GB of RAM, easily clearing your 16GB requirement.

Graphics: It features PCIe x16 slots. It will happily run a GeForce 7900 GTX or 7950 GX2.

Storage (SATA II): It uses the Intel ESB2 controller, providing 6 native SATA II (3Gbps) ports. This controller is famous for having high-level sustained bandwidth compared to the "bridge" chips used on consumer boards.

Firewire: Most revisions of this board feature the Texas Instruments (TI) Firewire controller. This is a must-have for your music technology preservation, as TI chips are the only ones that play nice with vintage Firewire audio interfaces (like old Digidesign or MOTU gear).

USB: Rocksteady USB 2.0 via the Intel ICH7R/ESB2 southbridge.

Comparison of the Top Two Choices
Feature   Asus DSBV-DX (Best for You)   Supermicro X7DAL-E
Max Cores   8 (2x Quad-Core)   8 (2x Quad-Core)
SATA Ports   6x Native SATA II   6x Native SATA II
PCIe Slots   1x x16, 1x x8   1x x16, 1x x4
Firewire   TI Chipset (Standard)   Optional (Often missing)
Form Factor   CEB (Fits most E-ATX cases)   ATX (Fits standard cases)
Important Technical Caveats for this Build
Since you're building a high-performance legacy machine, keep these three things in mind:

The RAM Heat: FB-DIMMs run extremely hot. Unlike standard DDR2, they have an onboard controller (AMB) on every stick. Ensure your studio storage/workstation case has direct airflow over the RAM slots, or the system will throttle.

Power Supply: These boards require a 24-pin + 8-pin + 4-pin power configuration. You’ll need a robust PSU with dual EPS connectors, as dual 80W-120W Xeons plus a GeForce 7000 series card will pull significant current.

PCIe Lane Sharing: On the Intel 5000V/5000P chipsets, the PCIe x16 slot often shares bandwidth with the other slots. If you're using a high-bandwidth SATA RAID card in the other slot, the GPU might drop to x8 speeds (which is still plenty for a 7900 GTX).

Does the Asus DSBV-DX look like the right layout for your case, or do you need a stricter "standard ATX" size to fit a specific vintage chassis?