Do You Need CPUFriend for E5-2667 v2 Upgrades on MacPro6,1?

Managing Power on CPU Upgraded MacPro6,1 (E5-2667 v2)

When upgrading the CPU in a 2013 Mac Pro (MacPro6,1) from a 4-core E5-1620 v2 to an 8-core E5-2667 v2, you are installing a CPU that Apple officially supported in this chassis (Apple offered an 8-core option, though slightly different). In most cases, macOS handles power management for Ivy Bridge-EP processors natively.

Do You Need CPUFriend.kext?

Generally, no. Because the MacPro6,1 SMBIOS is designed for this exact family of processors, macOS's native X86PlatformPlugin usually handles frequency scaling, idle states, and sleep without issue.

How to Verify and Troubleshoot:

1. Install the CPU: Perform the physical upgrade, apply high-quality thermal paste, and boot the machine.
2. Monitor Frequencies: Use Intel Power Gadget or a similar tool to monitor your CPU frequencies. Ensure the CPU drops to a low frequency (e.g., 1.2GHz) when idle and boosts correctly under load.
3. Test Sleep: Put the Mac to sleep manually and let it wake up. If it sleeps and wakes without kernel panicking, your power management is fine.
4. If Issues Occur: Only if you notice high idle temperatures, failure to enter sleep, or the CPU being locked at a high frequency should you consider using CPUFriend.kext and CPUFriendDataProvider.kext to manually inject power management vectors.