Apple Mac Pro "Quad Core" 2.66 (2009/Nehalem) Specs
Identifiers: Early 2009 - MB871LL/A - MacPro4,1 - A1289 - 2314
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The Mac Pro "Quad Core" 2.66 (Early 2009/Nehalem) is powered by one 2.66 GHz Quad Core 45-nm Xeon W3520 (Nehalem) processor with a dedicated 256k of level 2 cache for each core and 8 MB of "fully shared" level 3 cache.
By default, it was configured with 3 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM, a 640 GB (7200 RPM, 16 MB cache) 3Gb/s Serial ATA hard drive, an 18X dual-layer "SuperDrive" and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512 MB of GDDR3 memory.
Expansion includes two external 5.25" "optical" bays (one free by default), four internal 3.5" "cable-free, direct attach" hard drive bays (three free by default), and four PCIe 2.0 slots (one free PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and two free PCIe 2.0 x4 slots with the default single graphics card installed).
Ports include five USB 2.0 ports, four Firewire "800" ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and both a Mini DisplayPort and a dual-link DVI port, among others. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR is standard, AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n) is optional.
Although the "Early 2009/Nehalem" models look practically the same externally as the "Early 2008" models, there are major technical differences. The 64-bit "Nehalem" architecture is substantially faster and supports "Hyper-Threading" -- which "allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core" (so MacOS X recognizes eight "virtual cores" on this model) -- and "Turbo Boost" -- which "automatically boosts the processor speed based on workload" (so if an application is only using one of the four cores it will automatically increase the speed of the core in use and turn off the unused cores).
It also replaces the frontside bus with a new "QuickPath Interconnect" (QPI) system described as a "bidrectional, point-to-point connection" that provides "quick access to the disk, I/O, and other Mac Pro subsystems".
Other changes include four PCIe 2.0 slots (instead of two PCIe and two PCIe 2.0 slots), four Firewire "800" ports (instead of two Firewire "400" and "800" ports), and a redesigned interior case with the processors and memory on a removable "tray".
Also see:
- What are the differences between the "Early 2009/Nehalem" Mac Pro models?
- What are the differences between the "Early 2009/Nehalem" Mac Pro models and the "Early 2008" Mac Pro models that they replaced?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is "open" by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
| Introduction Date: |
March 3, 2009 |
Discontinued Date: |
July 27, 2010* |
| Details: |
The "Introduction Date" refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The "Discontinued Date" refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended.
*Somewhat unusually, Apple introduced a replacement "Mid-2010" Mac Pro model on July 27, 2010 but continued to sell this model until August 9, 2010.
Also see: All Macs introduced in 2009. |
| Processors: |
1 (4 Cores) |
Architecture: |
64-Bit |
| Geekbench 2 (32): |
8269 |
Geekbench 2 (64): |
9237 |
| Details: |
Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Geekbench 3 (32): |
1911 |
Geekbench 3 (32): |
7156 |
| Details: |
These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Geekbench 3 (64): |
2073 |
Geekbench 3 (64): |
8034 |
| Details: |
These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Geekbench 4 (SC): |
2397 |
Geekbench 4 (MC): |
7712 |
| Details: |
These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Geekbench 5 (SC): |
486 |
Geekbench 5 (MC): |
1863 |
| Details: |
These Geekbench 5 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 5 benchmarks for the Mac are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 5 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench 5 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Processor Speed: |
2.66 GHz |
Processor Type: |
Q. Core Xeon W3520 |
| Details: |
The 64-bit 45-nm Xeon W3520 (Bloomfield/Nehalem) processor has four independent processor "cores" each with a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, 8 MB of "fully shared" level 3 cache, an integrated memory controller, and "a 128-bit SSE4 SIMD engine". It also supports "Hyper-Threading" -- which "allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core" (so Mac OS X recognizes eight total cores on this model, four real and four virtual) -- and "Turbo Boost" -- which "automatically boosts the processor speed based on workload" (so if an application is only using one of the four cores it will automatically increase the speed of the core in use and turn off the unused cores).
Also see: How much faster are the "Early 2009/Nehalem" Mac Pro models than the "Early 2008" Mac Pro models? |
| Turbo Boost: |
2.93 GHz |
Custom Speeds: |
2.93 GHz, 3.33 GHz* |
| Details: |
*Via custom configuration, this model originally could be equipped with a single 2.93 GHz Quad Core Xeon W3540 processor for US$500 more. On December 4, 2009, Apple began offering this model with a single 3.33 GHz Quad Core Xeon W3580 processor for US$1200 more and lowered the price of the 2.93 GHz processor upgrade to US$400.
As requested by readers, EveryMac.com also has documented these custom configurations as their own models. |
| Processor Upgrade: |
LGA 1366 Socket |
FPU: |
Integrated |
| Details: |
*Details regarding the processor mounting can be added when they become available. By default, this type of processor uses a Socket P (LGA 3647). |
| System Bus Speed: |
4.8 GT/s* |
Cache Bus Speed: |
2.66 GHz (Built-in) |
| Details: |
*This system replaces the frontside bus with a new "QuickPath Interconnect" (QPI) system described as a "bidirectional, point-to-point connection" that provides "quick access to the disk, I/O, and other Mac Pro subsystems". Intel reports that it runs at 4.8 GT/s. |
| ROM/Firmware Type: |
EFI |
EFI Architecture: |
64-Bit |
| L1 Cache: |
32k/32k x4 |
L2/L3 Cache: |
256k (x4), 8 MB* |
| Details: |
*Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 8 MB of "fully shared" level 3 cache as well. |
| RAM Type: |
PC3-8500 DDR3 ECC |
Min. RAM Speed: |
1066 MHz |
| Details: |
Uses "1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM" (PC3-8500) modules.
Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the "Early 2009/Nehalem" Mac Pro? How much RAM of what type does it support? |
| Standard RAM: |
3 GB |
Maximum RAM: |
48 GB* |
| Details: |
By default, 3 GB of RAM was installed as three 1 GB modules. One slot free.
*As originally shipped, Apple officially supported a maximum of 8 GB of RAM but third-parties discovered that the system could actually support 16 GB of RAM using four 4 GB memory modules. On December 4, 2009, Apple "officially" began supporting 16 GB of RAM as well. Shortly thereafter, third-parties determined that the system could, in fact, support 32 GB of RAM using four 8 GB modules. Finally, third-parties have been able to support 48 GB of RAM with three 16 GB modules.
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this Mac Pro.
In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro.
In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro.
In Australia, site sponsor Upgradeable sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro.
Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Motherboard RAM: |
None |
RAM Slots: |
4 |
| Details: |
Four memory slots are provided on a "slide out" processor tray. Note that this model supports triple channel memory addressing and performance is improved by installing memory in groups of three. |
| Video Card: |
GeForce GT 120 |
VRAM Type: |
GDDR3 SDRAM |
| Details: |
By default, a NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512 MB of GDDR3 memory was installed in a double-wide, 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot. It has both a Mini DisplayPort and a dual-link DVI port. By custom configuration, this model also was available with as many as four NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics cards (for US$150/each after the first one) or an ATI Radeon HD 4870, also with 512 MB of GDDR5 memory, for an additional US$200.
Also see: What are the default graphics cards provided with each Mac Pro? What Mac Pro compatible video cards are available for purchase later? Which video cards have which ports?
In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the graphics card, power supply, and more for this Mac Pro.
|
| Standard VRAM: |
512 MB |
Maximum VRAM: |
512 MB |
| Details: |
Other graphics cards could be pre-installed at the time of purchase or can be installed later. |
| Display Support: |
Up to 8 Displays* |
Resolution Support: |
2560x1600* |
| Details: |
*With four video cards installed. By default, one NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 was installed and it can support two 30-inch displays. The default video card is capable of supporting digital resolutions up to 2560x1600 and analog resolutions up to 2048x1536. |
| 2nd Display Support: |
Dual/Mirroring |
2nd Max. Resolution: |
2560x1600 |
| Details: |
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 is capable of supporting two 30-inch displays with a resolution of 2560x1600 in either dual display or mirrored mode.
Also see: Apple Cinema Displays. |
| Standard Storage: |
640 GB HDD |
Std. Storage Speed: |
7200 RPM |
| Storage Dimensions: |
3.5" (25.4 mm) |
Storage Interface: |
Serial ATA (3 Gb/s) |
| Details: |
Apple formally supports up to 8 TB of storage with four 3.5" 2 TB hard drives (one in each internal bay.
Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drives in the Mac Pro to SSDs? What SSD options are available? Which SSD configuration provides the fastest performance? |
| Standard Optical: |
18X DL "SuperDrive" |
Standard Disk: |
None |
| Details: |
Apple reports that this SATA "18X" double layer DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive "writes DVD+R and DVD-R discs at up to 18x speed, DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 8x speed, DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed, DVD-RW discs at up to 6x speed, reads DVDs at up to 18x speed writes CD-R and CD-RW discs at up to 32x speed, [and] reads CDs at up to 32x speed."
Also see: What options are available for the second "optical drive bay" on the Mac Pro? How do you install a second optical drive or replace the primary one? |
| Standard Modem: |
None |
Standard Ethernet: |
Gigabit (x2) |
| Details: |
External Apple USB Modem offered for US$49. The system has
"two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T [Gigabit] Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames." |
| Standard AirPort: |
802.11a/b/g/n (Opt) |
Standard Bluetooth: |
2.1+EDR |
| Details: |
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR is standard. AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g) can be installed at additional cost. |
| USB Ports: |
5 (2.0) |
Firewire Ports: |
4 (800) |
| Details: |
This Mac Pro model has five USB 2.0 ports on the system (two on the front panel and three on the back) and four Firewire "800" ports (two on the front and two on the back). Apple also advertises that there are "two USB 2.0 ports on [the] included keyboard". |
| Expansion Slots: |
4 PCIe 2.0, AP* |
Expansion Bays: |
4 3.5", 2 5.25" |
| Details: |
*This model has four full-length PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0 expansion slots, two x16 slots and two x4 slots. In the default configuration, one PCIe 2.0 x16 slot is occupied by the graphics card. Apple also reports that "all slots provide mechanical support for 16-lane cards" and there is a "300W combined maximum for all PCI Express slots."
AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n) additionally could be installed at extra cost.
In the default configuration, one internal 3.5" bay is occupied by a hard drive and three are free, and one external 5.25" bay is occupied by a "SuperDrive" and the other is free.
Also see: How many PCI slots of what type are provided by each Mac Pro model? How do you install a PCIe card in the Mac Pro?
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of internal and external expansion options and hand-picked accessories ranging from internal PCIe cards to external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, and more for this Mac Pro. |
| Incl. Keyboard: |
Apple Aluminum KB |
Incl. Input: |
Mighty Mouse |
| Details: |
Shipped with an "ultra-thin aluminum" Apple Keyboard with an embedded numeric keypad (0.33 inches at the front edge) based on the polarizing keyboard design introduced with the MacBook.
Also see: How does the "ultra thin" aluminum keyboard compare to a more traditional desktop keyboard? How does it feel? |
| Case Type: |
Tower |
Form Factor: |
Mac Pro |
| Apple Order No: |
MB871LL/A |
Apple Subfamily: |
Early 2009 |
| Details: |
The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
| Apple Model No: |
A1289 (EMC 2314) |
Model ID: |
MacPro4,1 |
| Details: |
Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model.
Also see: All Macs with the A1289 Model Number, the 2314 EMC Number, and the MacPro4,1 Model Identifier.
For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
| Battery Type: |
N/A |
Battery Life: |
N/A |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: |
X 10.5.6 (9G3553) |
Maximum MacOS: |
X 10.11.6* |
| Details: |
*This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion" and OS X 10.9 "Mavericks" with the exception of the "AirPlay Mirroring" and "Power Nap" features (AirDrop is supported, but only if an AirPort Extreme card is installed). It is compatible with the last version of OS X 10.10 "Yosemite" and OS X 10.11 "El Capitan" as well, and supports Mac-to-Mac AirDrop (again, if the AirPort Extreme card is installed), but other major features are not supported. It is not capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) or subsequent versions of the macOS at all.
Please note that OS X "Lion" 10.7 and subsequent versions of OS X are not capable of running Mac OS X apps originally written for the PowerPC processor as these operating systems do not support the "Rosetta" environment. To run PowerPC applications on this Mac, it will be necessary to use Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" or earlier.
Also see: Which Macs are compatible with OS X El Capitan (10.11)? What are the system requirements? Which Macs support which features? |
| Minimum Windows: |
XP SP2 (32-Bit)* |
Maximum Windows: |
8.1 (64-Bit)* |
| Details: |
*Apple's Boot Camp 4 supports the 32-bit version of Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as well as the 64-bit version of Windows Vista on this model. Apple's Boot Camp 5 supports the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Although Apple does not support Windows 10 via Boot Camp 5 (officially or otherwise), this system meets Microsoft's hardware requirements and it very well may be possible to boot Windows 10 on this Mac. If you have installed Windows 10 on this system (successfully or unsuccessfully), please share the results of your experiment. Thank you. |
| MacOS 9 Support: |
None |
Windows Support: |
Boot/Virtualization |
| Details: |
Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?
For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
| Dimensions: |
20.1 x 8.1 x 18.7 |
Avg. Weight: |
39.9 lbs. (18.1 kg) |
| Details: |
In inches - height by width by depth, (51.1 cm, 20.6 cm, 47.5 cm). |
| Original Price (US): |
US$2499 |
Est. Current Retail: |
US$300-US$400 |
| Details: |
Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated).
Photo Credit: Apple Computer. |
Global original prices for the Mac Pro "Quad Core" 2.66 (2009/Nehalem) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
| Canada: |
C$2899 |
Brazil: |
R$10.999 |
| Mexico: |
N/A |
United States: |
US$2499 |
Original Prices - Europe
| Austria: |
€2299 |
Belgium: |
€2299 |
| Denmark: |
N/A |
Finland: |
€2299 |
| France: |
€2299 |
Germany: |
€2299 |
| Ireland: |
€2299 |
Italy: |
€2299 |
| Luxembourg: |
N/A |
Netherlands: |
€2299 |
| Norway: |
N/A |
Portugal: |
€2299 |
| Spain: |
€2199 |
Sweden: |
SEK 26.995 |
| Switzerland: |
CHF 3'099 |
United Kingdom: |
£1899 |
Original Prices - Asia
| China: |
RMB 19,998 |
Hong Kong: |
HK$19,900 |
| India: |
Rs 153,100 |
Indonesia: |
N/A |
| Japan: |
¥278,800 |
Korea: |
N/A |
| Malaysia: |
N/A |
The Philippines: |
N/A |
| Singapore: |
N/A |
Taiwan: |
NT$86,900 |
| Thailand: |
N/A |
Vietnam: |
N/A |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
| Australia: |
A$4499 |
New Zealand: |
NZ$5599 |
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the Mac Pro models follow.
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2 
None 
None 
None* 
None
None
5 (2.0)
4 (800)
2 (RJ-45)
None
None
None
2
2
1
N/A
None
1
N/A