Macpro 2012 Sata And Macpro 2008 Sata Drives Not Interchangeable?

rickself

rickself

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Good morning - I received my refurbished 2012 MacPro and was disappointed that the hard drives were not interchangeable with the drives in my 2008 MacPro. Is there something I'm missing or is there a converter or different card I need to get? Seems the newer drive does not have an extra set of pins?
 
Both would accept standard SATA hard drives, and there should be no difference at all.
There has been no change to the SATA connector layout for at least 15 years, as far as I know. Some older SATA drives had molex power connectors as an alternate power connection, but the SATA power and data connectors would be the same.
How are yours different?
"Extra set of pins" (?) Where exactly is this extra set of pins?
Can you post a photo, or at least describe the details about what you think is different?
Maybe it is just a mechanical difference in the sled that is the hard drive mount. I think those are might not always be directly interchangeable, but all you would need to do is swap the drives to the different sleds. 4 screws, and a couple of minutes, tops.
 
DeltaMac said:
Both would accept standard SATA hard drives, and there should be no difference at all.
There has been no change to the SATA connector layout for at least 15 years, as far as I know. Some older SATA drives had molex power connectors as an alternate power connection, but the SATA power and data connectors would be the same.
How are yours different?
"Extra set of pins" (?) Where exactly is this extra set of pins?
Can you post a photo, or at least describe the details about what you think is different?
Maybe it is just a mechanical difference in the sled that is the hard drive mount. I think those are might not always be directly interchangeable, but all you would need to do is swap the drives to the different sleds. 4 screws, and a couple of minutes, tops.
Click to expand...
Let's see if I can upload this. The drive on the bottom works in the 2012 but not the 2008 MacPro.
The second photo shows inside the drive bay area. This is what is blocking the newer drive from clicking in place.
 

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What prevents you from using that bottom drive in a different slot? (There's 3 other slots :D )

The two drives are different manufacturers. The different connectors are for various types of optional sensors. No MacPro uses those sensor connections, as far as I know. Only the SATA connectors are used.
One of your MacPros has a device on the logic board plane that prevents using THAT hard drive in one slot (it is in your picture). Should work in a different slot, as I think that device is not present in the same location by each drive slot.
Perhaps you could verify that the drive WILL, or will not seat completely in a different slot.
 
DeltaMac said:
What prevents you from using that bottom drive in a different slot? (There's 3 other slots :D )

The two drives are different manufacturers. The different connectors are for various types of optional sensors. No MacPro uses those sensor connections, as far as I know. Only the SATA connectors are used.
One of your MacPros has a device on the logic board plane that prevents using THAT hard drive in one slot (it is in your picture). Should work in a different slot, as I think that device is not present in the same location by each drive slot.
Perhaps you could verify that the drive WILL, or will not seat completely in a different slot.
Click to expand...
Been fighting with dragging the work computer home and connecting them by Ehternet! Arrrgh! This "device" on the logic board plane is on all 4 drive positions. Is there a way to remove this device? It's a PIA to not be able to swap drives.
 
Oh, OK.
There's no difference in the SATA drives themselves. The only possible difference is the drive mount sleds (the bracket where you use screws to attach your hard drive, then slide that bracket (with the attached hard drive)into your desired drive slot.

So, this should work:
Slide the drive that you need out of one MacPro. Unscrew the drive from the sled, then take a sled out of your OTHER MacPro.
Screw the drive onto that other sled, then re-insert the drive on its "new" sled, into your other MacPro.

I am trying to make this as simple as I can (I don't know how much you know about this, so I am not trying to assume anything :D )
If THAT does not work - post a picture of the connector end of BOTH the old and new drive sleds (with drives attached). Maybe there is some mechanical difference that is not apparent.
 
DeltaMac said:
Oh, OK.
There's no difference in the SATA drives themselves. The only possible difference is the drive mount sleds (the bracket where you use screws to attach your hard drive, then slide that bracket (with the attached hard drive)into your desired drive slot.

So, this should work:
Slide the drive that you need out of one MacPro. Unscrew the drive from the sled, then take a sled out of your OTHER MacPro.
Screw the drive onto that other sled, then re-insert the drive on its "new" sled, into your other MacPro.

I am trying to make this as simple as I can (I don't know how much you know about this, so I am not trying to assume anything :D )
If THAT does not work - post a picture of the connector end of BOTH the old and new drive sleds (with drives attached). Maybe there is some mechanical difference that is not apparent.
Click to expand...
I've been on Macs since the MacPlus so they're very familiar to me inside and out. I have 6 hard drives and have swapped drives and sleds til I'm blue in the face. It's something on the board that is blocking certain drives from engaging. See the pict I posted earlier. I'll give the sled-swap another look but think it's that little thing to the right of where the drive engages.
 
The "little thing to the right of where the drive engages" on the 2008, is the hard drive temp sensor. It has to stay in place.
If the hard drive (the bottom one in your post #3 picture) fits in the 2012, but not the 2008 (and, I guess any of the 2008 drives work in the 2012),
THEN, your choice is to not use that bottom drive in the 2008. Use one that will physically fit (not that one!) (I hate to be Mr Obvious on this, but there it is!)

Use a drive like the upper drive in that picture. :D

If you need to use THAT bottom drive (and you find it is not possible to swap out to a drive that WILL fit, and you just can't use that drive internally, then use an external case (one of those "toaster-style" USB SATA docks would work great) - You would have the additional advantage of not opening the side of your MacPro just to attach a hard drive.

The drives in your pix are different manufacturers, so you can look for specific brands when you replace the hard drive, if you can do that.

Thinking a little more, maybe try to find an adapter that would be male to female SATA, just to extend the internal SATA connector to move your hard drive connection. You would need both the data and power connectors. I found this, but I'm not sure how you would use it.
My thought is that you would be better off using an external USB dock.

I haven't been as long as you on a Mac, my first personal one was a brand-new IIsi in 1992, but there's not many Macs that I haven't been inside, in a service shop
 
One more question (I do too much thinking ... :D )
Is one of those hard drives (the one that doesn't fit) a larger capacity, more than 2TB?
 
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