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2009 MacPro + 6870 = :-)
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It seems to be working over here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16152&start=100
Need to build a test 10.6.7 to play around with to see how this performs on a real MacPro. It looks like the current package from Cindori isn't setting a proper framebuffer.
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Nice.
Would you mind rotating that 20" screen to portrait and see if animations on the screen (dragging windows around) are still fluent?
That would be nice, cause exactly that feature doesn't work with my (original) 4870 on any OS later than 10.6.3.
I gave it a try on all the displays and there definitely is a slight difference in fluidity when a display is rotated that definitely shouldn't be there...
Crap.
I can't get a handle on that issue.
This appears on both my cards (GT120 and 4870). All displays in landscape is fine, but as soon as a display gets rotated animations stutter, provided that there is another monitor connected to the card.
This seems to work fine with Apple's 5770 and 5870, though.
Lion doesn't show this behaviour either.
Damn it, seems as if the 6870 isn't an option for me afterall.
Crap.
I can't get a handle on that issue.
This appears on both my cards (GT120 and 4870). All displays in landscape is fine, but as soon as a display gets rotated animations stutter, provided that there is another monitor connected to the card.
This seems to work fine with Apple's 5770 and 5870, though.
Lion doesn't show this behaviour either.
Damn it, seems as if the 6870 isn't an option for me afterall.
What specifically is stuttering? If I quickly drag a window across the screen i can see there is a slight frame rate difference between a rotated an non rotated.
Exactly that's the issue. Dragging windows around on a landscape screen is smooth as butter, as soon as the window hits a rotated screen it starts stuttering.
Not nice. Strange that this issue appears again with the 6870. AFAIK, this was fixed with the 5770/5870 at least till 10.6.6.
Graphics cards and OS X, it's just plain ridiculous!
Exactly that's the issue. Dragging windows around on a landscape screen is smooth as butter, as soon as the window hits a rotated screen it starts stuttering.
Not nice. Strange that this issue appears again with the 6870. AFAIK, this was fixed with the 5770/5870 at least till 10.6.6.
Graphics cards and OS X, it's just plain ridiculous!
Unfortunately, the frame rate is a bit lower when rotating... Is it still happening on your 4870?
Update: Like on the 4870, Dual-Link monitors, namely the Dell 3007WFP-HC, has issues UNLESS 3 displays are connected. For some reason, hooking up the 3rd display made the Dual-Link connections stable. I have no idea why this is the case.
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Hello,
I think we're way past the time when OS X should handle graphic cards like Windows. After all, it's done that for everything else that's user accessible: hard drives, optical drives and RAM. The Mac hardware certainly can do so (using bootcamp, for example); OS X should do the same.
What's the hurdle?
Loa
I think we're way past the time when OS X should handle graphic cards like Windows. After all, it's done that for everything else that's user accessible: hard drives, optical drives and RAM. The Mac hardware certainly can do so (using bootcamp, for example); OS X should do the same.
What's the hurdle?
Loa
The hurdle is re: Effort willing to put in for the satisfaction of an utter minority of users.
But that statement overlooks the comparably vast difficulties in making all the pieces of a graphics stack work together in comparison to the (relative) simplicity of RAM, hard drives, and optical drives. I'm not saying there's any excuse, just that this is the most complicated piece of hardware...almost like a complete system on a daughter card.
But that statement overlooks the comparably vast difficulties in making all the pieces of a graphics stack work together in comparison to the (relative) simplicity of RAM, hard drives, and optical drives. I'm not saying there's any excuse, just that this is the most complicated piece of hardware...almost like a complete system on a daughter card.
Sweet, I'm on 10.6.7, if the games are a possibility now I'm going to give it a try .
Hello,
Thanks for the info.
On the other hand, doesn't the challenge rest on the manufacturer's side? With the drivers I mean?
Loa
Thanks for the info.
On the other hand, doesn't the challenge rest on the manufacturer's side? With the drivers I mean?
Loa
Why would they bother? Most computers users don't have Macs. Most Mac users don't have Mac Pros. We're talking a small fraction of a small fraction.
I assume part of the extra cost of Apple video cards is either paying the manufacturer or Apple engineers to write video drivers for OS X.
Support for the mac pro is probably tied to MacBook/iMac chipset deals. The drivers basically come across with minor modifications.
Well yes, but in this context:
I assume we're talking about why every graphics card mfr doesn't make graphics drivers for OS X for every model card.
I assume we're talking about why every graphics card mfr doesn't make graphics drivers for OS X for every model card.
Yep.. In that context.. Not a snowball's chance in hell in getting graphics card support to that level. We basically get the crumbs thrown to us once a year (GT120/2600XT/4870/5770/5780) or those who support is scrounged up in the ether by the community...
In the mean time, dumping a 4870 and going to the 6780 meets 100% of my requirements: all my apps works, its quieter, puts off little to no heat and has no effect on my professional work flow. If anything rears its head, I can downgrade until a solution is found.
It's great to finally have a MacPro that's quiet with some decent graphics power behind it!
I know that. But long ago, Macs used to require their own HDDs. Something changed on Apple's part and made universal HDDs possible. I know that GPUs are a lot more complex than HDDs, but still. It's one of the last user-accessible part that still acts like we're in the 80's.
If the hardware can run it under Windows, couldn't we use that fact to create shortcuts for OS X?
Loa
This is untrue. Back in the day hard drives were scsi, but not unique to the Mac. Sorry.
Ram however was specific to apple and even certain macs had their very one types of memory. I remember those days.
Blows my mind I can walk into compusa, pick the video card I want, and put it in mac and it works.
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just checked... Audio over HDMI does not seem to be enabled. Unless there is some trick beyond plugging in the display and checking where the audio output goes... I don't have the ability to check MDP audio.
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You don't happen to have another display that you can connect, do you?
Would be nice to find out if you've got the same issues handheldgames has when rotating one display to portrait mode.
Even with the official Apple cards, audio is only output over HDMI/MDP on 2010 Mac Pros.