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Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
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Hello, i have an 2009 Mac Pro flashed to 5.1 running High Sierra. I want to buy a AMD Radeon RX580. Macvidcards it’s to expensive for me, so I want to know if I can flash it by myself to have a bootscreen. I want to have a dual boot macOS/Windows.
 

Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
28
0
Thanks. I’m also looking for a x16 PCIE card where I can put at least 1 nvme drive And I'd like to see at least one USB 3.x ports and at least one USB C port. Unfortunately, I can’t buy it if it’s over 50€/$ on Amazon. Of course, I need it to be fully compatible with my Mac Pro.
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
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Thanks. I’m also looking for a x16 PCIE card where I can put at least 1 nvme drive


And I'd like to see at least one USB 3.x ports and at least one USB C port.

 
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Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
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Ok, Thanks, but i want to have both at the same time on the same card. Is it possible ?
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
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Impossible. Multi-function cards require a PCIe switch to work, just one unit of a PCIe switch chip - like ASM2824 - costs around $75 for an entry level one at a distributors prices, then you have all the other controllers/discrete components/PCB/RD/etc.

Even the cheapest reputable dual M.2 card that works with a Mac Pro, IOCREST IO-PCE2824-TM2/Syba SI-PEX40129 cost $175+ from AliExpress - this card doesn't have any USB controllers, just an adapter for two NVMe blades.
 

Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
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Ok, thanks. I’ll buy one for USB And one for nvme… the only thing is that i’m afreaid That RX 580 occupies a Little more than 2 slots…
 

mrkapqa

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2012
494
86
Italy, Bolzano/Bozen
my mac has all 4 slot ppopulated 4 usb card 10gbps 1344 3 sonnet tempro pro for dual sata 2 dual-nvme card 1 red dragon vega 56 powercolor (perfect fit in width, height, not compatbile with EVGA PowerLink, not flashed but have already OpenCore in place so not a big issue for me) ° now if i would change the vega 56 with a rx580 sapphire (flashed, non-nitro) the fans would touch/scratch the dual-nvme card, so it is not perfect then, but your mileage may vary.
 
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Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
28
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And on this link, all the pcie cards x8 or x16 are over 70. there isn't one with x8/x16 bus under 50 ?
I'm sorry, maybe I'm asking a bit too much, but but I really can't spend money in things like that.
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
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And on this link, all the pcie cards x8 or x16 are over 70. there isn't one with x8/x16 bus under 50 ?
I'm sorry, maybe I'm asking a bit too much, but but I really can't spend money in things like that.

No. Already explained why, a PCIe switch is required for multiple M.2 blades to work with a MacPro:

Impossible. Multi-function cards require a PCIe switch to work, just one unit of a PCIe switch chip - like ASM2824 - costs around $75 for an entry level one at a distributors prices, then you have all the other controllers/discrete components/PCB/RD/etc.

Even the cheapest reputable dual M.2 card that works with a Mac Pro, IOCREST IO-PCE2824-TM2/Syba SI-PEX40129 cost $175+ from AliExpress - this card doesn't have any USB controllers, just an adapter for two NVMe blades.

If you gonna install just one M.2 blade, no PCIe switch is needed and $5 adapter works (not you should buy one, you need a decent one with a heatsink or you will cook the blade the first time you install macOS to it) since a M.2 device require just 4 PCIe lanes.
 
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mrkapqa

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2012
494
86
Italy, Bolzano/Bozen
So if a buy a classic one, can i put something on the next slot ?

depends on what you consider a classic one, i guess.
to me , that sounds like 7950 HD , or R9 280(x), but times have changed, and maybe now people consider already a RX 580 "classic" (in fact, it shows some age)

so if you mean the RX 580, just tested with another Mac, all 4 populated, no scratching. It is the "sapphire" NON-nitro model; it was bit expensive, even on used market; and flashing here in Europe is around 100 Euro.

nowadys the card cost less, so if you can get the card for 50 60 USD, well i would consider a good deal, provided the card is silent and well functioning.

The RX Vega 56 (Powercolor) is more silent;

so probably the fact that on the Mac the RX 580 was scratching the Dual-NVME card, does not mean, it will scratch any insert, but maybe some are less compatible, since the Sapphire Fans do stick a little bit out, so the height of the card is more than the RX Vega Red Dragon, thats waht imeant. It could also be, that i had misaligned the NVME adapter card when inserting, but i tend to think that it is not the case.
 
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Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
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in cause of money, I think i’ll buy that.
But I saw that only AHCI Ssd are compatible with cMP. If I buy, for exemple, a Crucial P3 plus 1to, and I plug it in the card, will it work ?
Thanks for helping me.
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,437
13,581
But I saw that only AHCI Ssd are compatible with cMP.

Wrong info, I've linked the first post of the reference thread about PCIe SSDs to you already, read it.

If I buy, for exemple, a Crucial P3 plus 1to, and I plug it in the card, will it work ?

Not a recommended blade, only one person tested it. Crucial line of storage is not a Mac compatible brand, with firmware updates almost nonexistent - several blades do not work correctly or fail after sometime and people have trouble getting support/replacements.

Avoid buying anything storage from Crucial for installing in a Mac Pro.
 
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mrkapqa

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2012
494
86
Italy, Bolzano/Bozen
you can use ahci m.2 ssd for mac osx 10.6 to 14, nvme m.2 ssd are compatible i think from 10.13 onwards, provided you have the firmware update inplace. the rare ahci m.2 ssd that has similar performance to nvme ssd when in a single adapter x4 is the samsung sm951 (since the macpro4,1/5,1 has only pcie version 2.0, ahci m.2 can quite fully sature the x4 link-lane); most other ahci m.2 ssd cannot compete with performance of nvme ssd in x4 slot (for example the xp941 cannot); when use a double x8 card as explained on page 1 of above provided link, you are probably better off using two nvme; but you should also be able to use one nvme and pair it with one ahci in case you like to boot older sistem aswell , in fact i'd like to test this combo myself :)

corrigenda. you should be able to use ahci m.2 also for older operating system like leopard or tiger on the macpro, but have not tried it personally. the macpro5,1 is only able to boot from 10.6.4+ onwards, maybe the macpro4,1 can boot them (leopard probably yes).

don't know if flashing the macpro 2009 to 5,1 also does preclude the 4,1/5,1 from booting Leopard, but i would think so.
 
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mrkapqa

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2012
494
86
Italy, Bolzano/Bozen
hte only thing would dislike about this adapter is that it does not fully "close" the macpro , eg, there is more easily dust coming it if there is no bracket; but then, if you need more "air" to dissipate, it can be a +.

i had previously such a card

which has bracket and cost around 25 euro, but is no longer easily available. there should be similar card on the market, for price around 10-20 euro.

as for the nvme, cannot advice you there, since have not tried those; but the samsung 970 evo plus function well (enough).
 

Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
28
0
hte only thing would dislike about this adapter is that it does not fully "close" the macpro , eg, there is more easily dust coming it if there is no bracket; but then, if you need more "air" to dissipate, it can be a +.
Hm, that's true. If i plug this, i can't be able to close the slot ?
as for the nvme, cannot advice you there, since have not tried those; but the samsung 970 evo plus function well (enough).
The 970 evo plus is good, but this one is better and cost the same price.
Thanks
 

Raphaël10

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2024
28
0
I'm sorry to ask your help again, but i have an other question:
i have seen an Asus RX580 strix, (this one) and i would know if it's fully compatible with my 5,1 mac pro.
Is it as compatible than the Classic one, AMD RX580 8gb ?
 
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mrkapqa

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2012
494
86
Italy, Bolzano/Bozen
hello raphael10, i think it would be compatible,as RX 580 as it is, but it would not be may choice, since it seems the card is "triple" slot so would certainly loose one more preciouse of the slots available to the macpro.


au revoir!


EDIt: maybe certainly tsialex know some more because some of the RX 580 seem make problem, i just had problem with bad flash once, but besides the card is good and to my "taste", do have a sapphire pulse rx 580.
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,437
13,581
I'm sorry to ask your help again, but i have an other question:
i have seen an Asus RX580 strix, (this one) and i would know if it's fully compatible with my 5,1 mac pro.
Is it as compatible than the Classic one, AMD RX580 8gb ?

Works, but this one is a very oversize video card and when installed will block the PCIe slot-2:

1610032-l1.jpg


Any GPU that the heatsink is wider than the GPU PCIe slot bracket, easy to see with the photo above, will gonna block the PCIe slot-2.
 
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