What macOS version should I upgrade to on my mid-2010 Mac Pro?
I need to upgrade from Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63) to a newer version.
My specs are:
- Processor: 2x2.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
- Memory: 12GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Ecc
- Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024 MB
What is the best version to of macOS to upgrade to?
According to everymac.com, the latest version of macOS for your Mac is Mojave (10.14.X). However, according to this Apple article, you need to first be running at least High Sierra (10.13.6). You will also probably need to upgrade your graphics card.
According to this Apple article to need to first be running at least Mountain Lion (10.8.X), before upgrading to High Sierra. The upgrade to High Sierra will also upgrade the firmware so your Mac can boot from APFS.
According to this Apple article, you can upgrade to El Capitan (10.11.X) from Lion (10.7.X).
This Apple article explains how to download older versions of OS X and macOS.
I should first point out Tetsujin has a more extensive answer to the question How can I download an older version of OS X/macOS?
Although upgrading from a USB flash drive installer may be optional, I will include this Apple article on how to do so.
Upgrading to Mojave will require using APFS. If you are using a HDD then you may discover the Mac will run much slower than High Sierra without APFS. You might consider upgrading to a Nvme SSD.
So start by upgrading to El Capitan.
Next upgrade to High Sierra.
Finally, upgrade to Mojave. This may require hardware upgrades.
Don't upgrade the Mac Pro. It is currently 11 years old and cannot run the current stable OS, which means security updates simply won't come.
Instead sell it to an Apple collector (yes they exist) and use the profits to fund a replacement device that is supported.
You might be able to install another OS like linux or perhaps win10, but realistically it won't be able to run the same software as you're used to and becomes nothing more than a curiosity.
High Sierra it is. I just spent US$235 for a Nvidia GeForce GTX 760, to update my monitors' resolution higher than the current 1920x1200 I'm seeing. It's a Metal Capable card, and will let me run Mojave if I'd like. Still, the OP needs to share what his use case is. The best upgrade on these machines is moving the boot drive to an SSD.
To that point, given all the HD bays you have, I'd highly suggest you first get an SSD loaded with the OS. You'll find that some software breaks as you move up, and having the ability to boot from 2 drives can help you avoid an unpleasant surprise. How to create a bootable macOS High Sierra installer drive should help. You can create a new installation, and use migration assistant to copy apps over to the new boot drive.