The 4,1 and 5,1 have a “Mini 6 pin” connector on their board (not sure about the other models). Remember to treat the mini 6 pins like normal 6 pins by not getting a mini 6 pin to 8 pin, or you can overload the backplane (dual mini 6 pin to 8 pin is standard here though ?).
Be aware you may have driver issues, make sure to do research before you buy a Nvidia GPU.
Edit: Just search “mini 6 pin to 6 pin” or “dual mini 6 pin to 8 pin“ on Amazon or something to get the cable for you ?
That's what I was looking for. I want a GPU for my Mac Pro 2,1 which I have 7300Gt but has no GPU now, and I would like to upgrade it to El Capitan and install Windows 10 as well, so I can play CSGO.
NVIDIA RTX cards have functional pre-boot configuration support when installed in a Mac Pro 5,1. So, yes, boot screens work with a MP5,1.
NVIDIA developed a translation shim between GOP and UGA calls that work with Apple standard EFI drivers, no acceleration whatsoever. Without it you wouldn't even have a display on the screen.
I have searched high and low on the internet for an answer to this central question regarding the RTX cards (You seem very knowledgable on the subject, so I take the liberty of turning to you, and thank you in advance):
Will, say an RTX2070 super, run PCIe 2.0 speeds in Windows 10 on a Mac Pro 5.1 (FW upgraded from 4.1)?
Normally only MacVidCards flashed cards do so, and original Apple cards. But, with the bootscreen support on RTX cards - do they as well come with PCIe 2.0 speeds under Windows 10?
Content:
1. Summary
2. Information on common GPUs that can be used in cMP
3. GPU power consumption
4. Color compatibility
5. Flashing nuances
6. What to choose?
7. Useful links.
1. Summary
1.1. There are 50+ GPU types that are compatible with cMP (classic MacPro = Mac Pro 1.1-5.1/ 2006-2012). They are very different in performance, power consumption, features.
1.2. There are:
"mac edition" GPUs (were officially made to work in cMP) which are fully compatible with cMP out of the box;
GPUs which are compatible with cMP out of the box with some nuances;
GPUs which can be easily flashed to be fully compatible with cMP;
GPUs which can be easily flashed to be compatible with cMP with some nuances;
GPUs which can be flashed by special hardware to be compatible with cMP;
GPUs which are not compatible with cMP at all.
1.3. What you may know to choose the right GPU:
most modern GPU are compatible with cMP, some of them - with nuances (for example - without Boot Screen);
AMD/ATI GPUs are better supported by modern macOS versions;
Nvidia GPUs are more power efficient;
several GPUs are compatible not with all cMP (for example - only with 1.1/2.1);
there are difficulties with powering GPUs (special cables, cable adapters, PSU mods);
as usual GPU performance in macOS is lower than in Windows;
original "mac edition" cards are much expensive than PC version. And in many cases the only difference is special firmware, which can be easily flashed to the PC version.
No GPU besides original Apple Mac Pro GPUs from 2008 to 2012 (HD 2600XT, 8800GT, Quadro FX 5600, GT120, HD 4870/5770/5870) or 3rd party Mac EFI cards like Sapphire HD 7950 Mac Edition, eVGA GTX 680 Mac Edition, NVIDIA Quadro 4000/K5000 or self-flashed/MVC flashed cards have what are usually called boot screens - this is not the correct term and the correct denomination is pre-boot configuration support.
Mac Pro 1,1 to 5,1 supports UGA and a GPU that has UGA pre-boot configuration support has:
Single user support,
Verbose boot,
Startup Manager, the new name for the BootPicker/BootSelector,
FileVault support (for macOS versions before Mojave),
EFI shell support,
GPU OK backplane diagnostic with Apple OEM GPUs,
AHT and ASD support.
Any card that has native macOS drivers has Recovery support, no one has Internet Recovery - only Mac Pro late-2013 has Internet Recovery (MP6,1 has GOP pre-boot configuration support).
Nvidia cards that need web drivers don't have any pre-boot configuration support, Recovery support or createinstallmedia USB installer support.
AMD cards that have native macOS drivers don't have pre-boot configuration support but have Recovery and createinstallmedia USB installer support and work after the drivers are loaded by Recovery or USB installer.
2. Information on common GPUs that can be used in cMP
The GPUs are placed due to their RPI performance - lower number means slower GPU.
The Relative Performance Index/Info - RPI - shows the difference between an average card performance and the performance of ATI Radeon HD 7970 = 100%. For example, 50% means that the card is two times slower than ATI Radeon HD 7970 (100%/2=50%).
The measures are based on average performance in mix typical apps in macOS and Windows: use information of barefeats.com, gpu.userbenchmark.com and the author own experience.
If the card is much stronger / weaker in special app - it is worth to note.
PS:
1. It’s a very hard and funny challenge to compare cards from different worlds: Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT 256 Mb and AMD Radeon VEGA 64 8 Gb. If the RPI is 4+ times different, it doesn't mean that an app works 4x faster on the newer card. Highly likely:
NEW apps can’t work on the older card at all (different API, memory amount and so on);
OLD apps can’t use all newer card benefits.
2. cMP are very different. Example: one has 4 Clowertown cores at 2 GHz and runs 10.4.x, the other - 12 Westmere cores at 3,46 GHz and runs 10.14.x. It also affected the RPI measurement accuracy.
1. Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT 256 Mb
Performance: 8% RPI.The slowest card.
Power consumption: from PCIE slot only. Has passive cooling system, very hot.
Other: 32 bit EFI only, occupies 2 slots. There is 4890 version with higher frequencies. There is "mac edition" of cards.
Unflashed (PC version): doesn't work; can be flashed.
10. ATI Radeon HD 5770 1 Gb
Performance: 58% RPI.
Power consumption: 6 pins.
Outs: DL-DVI + two mDP.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There is "mac edition" of cards.
Unflashed (PC version): doesn't work; can be flashed.
11. AMD Radeon RX 460 4GB
Performance: 68% RPI.
Power consumption: from PCIE slot only.
Outs: DL-DVI-D + DP + HDMI (analog output is not possible with passive adapters).
Other: reference model occupies 2 slots. There was no "original" mac version card. There are a lot of different variants of the card: different frequencies, amount of memory, cooling system, power requirements (there are cards with 6 pins connector).
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen. The card can be flashed with RX 560 firmware to support Metal 2.
12. ATI Radeon HD 5870 1 Gb
Performance: 69% RPI.The chip's characteristics look like to have 2x power of HD 5770, but in ordinary use is only ~ 20% faster.
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: DL-DVI + two mDP.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There is "mac edition" of cards.
Unflashed (PC version): doesn't work; can be flashed.
13. ATI Radeon HD 6870 1 Gb
Performance: 72% RPI.
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: two DL-DVI + two mDP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There is no "mac edition" of the card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed with some issues (Boot Screen only on one DL-DVI).
Unflashed (PC version): additional information is needed.
14. Nvidia Quadro 4000 2 Gb
Performance: 71% RPI. Has PRO positioning.
Power consumption: 6 pins.
Outs: DL-DVI + two mDP.
Other: occupies 1 slot. There is "mac edition" of cards.
Unflashed (PC version): additional information is needed.
15. AMD Radeon RX 560 4 Gb
Performance: 71% RPI.Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: from PCIE slot only.
Outs: as usual has DL-DVI + DP + HDMI.
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. There are much models with different frequencies. That card is recommended by Apple for Mojave (MSI Gaming Radeon RX 560 128-бит 4 ГБ GDRR5).
Unflashed (PC version): works out of the box (version with 128 bit 4 Gb memory).
16. Radeon HD 7850 / 7870 / 270 / 270x
Performance: 72% RPI (61%-82% for different versions).Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: as usual two DL-DVI + DP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There are o lot versions of these card, the differences are in cooling system, frequencies. There is no "mac edition" of the card.
Unflashed (PC version): additional information is needed.Can be flashed using HD 7950 ROM, but loose HDMI support.Several cards can't work in Mojave (black screen).
17. Nvidia Quadro K4200 4 Gb
Performance: 73% RPI.Has PRO positioning. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 6 pins.
Outs: DL-DVI + two DP.
Other: occupies 1 slot. There is no "mac edition" of the card.
Unflashed (PC version): works out of the box without the BootScreen.
18. Nvidia Quadro K5000 4 Gb
Performance: 75% RPI.Has PRO positioning. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 6 pins.
Outs: two DL-DVI + two DP.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There is "mac edition" of cards.
Unflashed (PC version): additional information is needed.
19. ATI Radeon HD 7950 3 Gb
Performance: 86% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: DL-DVI + two mDP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There is "mac edition" of cards with DUAL BIOS (mac / PC).
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen, can be flashed.
20. Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 2 Gb
Performance: 91% RPI. A very good card for power / price / performance ratio. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
OS Compatibility: 10.8.3+
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: original card has two DL-DVI + DP + HDMI.
Other: as usual occupies 2 slots, but there are models that occupy 2+ slots. There is "mac edition" of cards. There are card with different cooling system.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen, can be flashed.
21. Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 4 Gb
Performance: 95% RPI. A bit faster than GTX 680 2 Gb due to higher frequencies and more memory. Support Metal 2 (Mojave).
OS Compatibility: 10.8.3+
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins or 6 pins + 8 pins.
Outs: original card has two DL-DVI + DP + HDMI.
Other: as usual occupies 2 slots, but there are models that occupy 2+ slots. There are card with different cooling system.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen, can be flashed.
22. AMD Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X 3 Gb
Performance: 100% RPI. A very good card for power / price / performance ratio. ~ 10% faster than GTX 680 2 Gb, has more memory. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 6 pins + 8 pins. Additional power is recommended, as minimum - from SATA port. Possible scheme: 6 pins -> 8 pins and 6 pins + SATA -> 8 pins via dual 6 pins to 8 pins adapter).
Outs: as usual card has DL-DVI + two mDP + HDMI.
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2.
Other: as usual occupies 2 slots. There are Gigabyte and Sapphire versions that have two slots brackets but don't block the nearest PCIE slot. There are cards with dual BIOS (mac / PC). There are cards with different cooling system. There is an overclocked version AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHZ which is ~ 7% faster.
Unflashed (PC version): additional information is needed, can be flashed.
23. Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 4 GB
Performance: 104% RPI.
Metal Compatibility: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v4.
OS Compatibility: 10.10.5 - 10.13.6
Power consumption: 6 pins + 6 pins.
Outs: Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2.
Other: can be flashed only by MVC, occupies 2 slots (standard). There was no "original" mac version card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC.
24. Nvidia Geforce GTX 780 3 GB / 6GB
Performance: 110% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Metal Compatibility: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v4.
OS Compatibility: 10.8.3+ for the 3GB and 10.9.5+ for the 6GB version.
Power consumption: 6 pins + 8 pins.
Outs: DVI-I + DVI-D + DP + HDMI
Other: can be flashed only by MVC, occupies 2 slots (standard). There was no "original" mac version card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC which adds boot screen support from all ports on non-4K monitors. 6 GB version recommended for multi-4K displays.
25. Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan 6GB
Performance: 115% RPI. Has 384 more CUDA cores/shaders than GTX 780.
Metal Compatibility: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v4
OS Compatibility: 10.9.5+
Power consumption: 6 pins + 8 pins.
Outs: DVI-I + DVI-D + DP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots (standard). There was no "original" mac version card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC (NOT X editions).
26. AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB
Performance: 115% RPI.
Power consumption: 6 pins or 8 pins.
Outs: three DP + HDMI (no DVI, analog output is not possible with passive adapters).
Other: reference model occupies 2 slots. There was no "original" mac version card. There are a lot of different variants of the card: different frequencies, amount of memory, cooling system, power connectors.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen. The card can be flashed with RX 580 firmware to support Metal 2.
27. Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan Black 6GB
Performance: 117% RPI. Has 576 more CUDA cores/shaders and faster memory than GTX 780.
Metal Compatibility: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v4
OS Compatibility: 10.9.5+
Power consumption: 6 pins + 8 pins.
Outs: DVI-I + DVI-D + DP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots (standard). There was no "original" mac version card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC (NOT X editions).
28. Nvidia Geforce GTX 780 Ti 3 GB
Performance: 120% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Metal Compatibility: Supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v4.
OS Compatibility: 10.8.3+.
Power consumption: 6 pins + 8 pins.
Outs: DVI-I + DVI-D + DP + HDMI
Other: occupies 2 slots (standard). There was no "original" mac version card.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC.
29. AMD Radeon RX 580 8 GB
Performance: 120% RPI. ~ 20% faster than HD 7970, but has much more memory. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 8 pins or 8 pins + 6 pins. Most cards does't work if mac 6 pins cable is plugged in 8 pins socket, the converter 6 pins - 8 pins is needed. Additional power is recommended, as minimum - from SATA port.
Outs: as usual has DL-DVI + two DP + two HDMI.
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. There are much models with different frequencies. That card is recommended by Apple for Mojave (SAPPHIRE Radeon PULSE RX 580 8 ГБ GDDR5).
Unflashed (PC version): works out of the box. Can be flashed by MVC.
30. AMD Radeon RX 590 8 GB
Performance: 130% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 8 pins or 8 pins + 6 pins. Most cards does't work if mac 6 pins cable is plugged in 8 pins socket, the converter 6 pins - 8 pins is needed. Additional power is recommended, as minimum - from SATA port.
Outs: as usual has DL-DVI + two DP + two HDMI.
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. There are much models with different frequencies. macOS fully supports the card from 10.14.6.
Unflashed (PC version): works out of the box.
31. Nvidia Geforce GTX 980 4 GB
Performance: 120% RPI.Additional information is needed.
OS Compatibility: 10.10.5 - 10.13.6
Power consumption: 2 x 6 pins.
Outs: as usual has DL-DVI + three DP + HDMI.
Other: occupies 2 slots. There was no "original" mac version card. macOS 10.5 - 10.13.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. NVIDIA chipset - Pascal. NVIDIA CUDA cores - 2560. User guide.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC.
36. AMD Radeon VEGA 64 8 GB
Performance: 260% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 8 pins + 8 pins. Additional power is required (PIXLAS mod; dual mac 6 pins to 8 pins adapter).
Outs: as usual has three DP + HDMI (no DVI, analog output is not possible with passive adapters).
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. Many models have problem with fan speed - flashing is needed. There is a model with Liquid Cooling, a model with higher frequencies and 16 Gb.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen.
37. AMD Radeon VII 16 GB
Performance: 290% RPI. Supports Metal 2 (Mojave).
Power consumption: 8 pins + 8 pins. Additional power is required (PIXLAS mod; dual mac 6 pins to 8 pins adapter).
Outs: three DP + HDMI (no DVI, analog output is not possible with passive adapters).
Compatibility: DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.6, Metal 2. macOS 10.14.5+.
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen.
38. Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founders Edition (FE)
Performance: 300% RPI.
Power consumption: 8 pins + 6 pins. Additional power is recommended, as minimum - from SATA port. Possible scheme: 6 pins -> 8 pins and 6 pins + SATA -> 8 pins via dual 6 pins to 8 pins adapter).
Other: occupies 2 slots, no Boot Screen. NVIDIA chipset - Pascal. NVIDIA CUDA cores - 3584.
Unflashed (PC version): works without Boot Screen; can be flashed only by MVC.
3. GPU power consumption
3.1. The GPU must be properly powered to work correctly.
The symptoms of power deficiency:
the card doesn't start at all (but the decorative LEDs may flash);
the cMP shuts down during high load on GPU;
the card makes strange noise (the power elements on PCB are "whistling").
3.2. By default cMP can power GPU with PCIE slot(75W) + two MicroFit 6 pins connectors, which are placed on the motherboard. There is no official information on how much power these connectors can provide.
3.3. MicroFit 6 pins connectors are unstandard - they are differ from ordinary PCIE 6 pins connectors. By default PCIE 6 pins connector has only two +12V lines and bigger pins; cMP's MicroFit 6 pins connector has three +12V lines and smaller pins.
There are two points of view
cMP's MicroFit 6 pins connector must be used as ordinary PCIE 6 pins connector - each of them can provide up to 75W. So, by default, cMP can provide to GPU 225W (PCIE slot 75W + 2x75W from dual MicroFit 6 pins connectors). This power consumption is 100% safe for cMP;
cMP's MicroFit 6 pins connector can be used as ordinary PCIE 8 pins connector - can provide more power, up to 150W (see the spoiler below). So, by default, cMP can provide to GPU 375W (PCIE slot 75W + 2x150W from dual MicroFit 6 pins connectors). Theoretically this power consumption can damage cMP.
NB: cMP has a protection from the overload of MicroFit 6 pins connectors. The system simply shuts down when it is overload.
1. The reason people say the mini six pins are designed to provide 75W is because they're falsely equating it to a standard 6 pin PCIE cable. Apple never said that, it's not documented anywhere what the actual rated power is, and per VESA standard any unspecified PCIE connection should provide 40w per powered cable, hence the 120W per mini six pin, and this has been empirically proven by dozens of people, including myself...One last note, no one has ever provided even the slightest shred of evidence that you can damage the traces on the backplane based on GPU choice, and it doesn't even make sense. A power connection cannot provide more than it's max, you can't make it supply more than 120W, thats what causes the shutdowns, if something needs more than 120W.
Links: one, two
2. The author tried to power VEGA 56 with two MicroFit 6 pins connectors only (with adapters to 8 pins) - the system shuted down due to overload of power lines.
3.4. The GPU's TDP and power possibility of PCIE connectors are "approximate" values. Nvidia's TDP is not equal to AMD/ATI's TDP. The GPU can run out of TDP limits for a while during high load.
3.5. Cards use connectors of 2 types: 6 pins and 8 pins. 6 pins connector is called "PCIE 6 pins" and can provide up to 75W. 8 pins - "PCIE 8 pins" and up to 150 watts.
cMP's motherboards has non standard sockets - Micro-Fit 6 pins.
3.6. Some cards can't use all the power provided with the PCIE slot. For example AMD Radeon VEGA cards take less than 30W from the PCIE.
3.7. Mechanically standard PCIE 6 pins plug can be inserted in PCIE 8 pins socket. But some cards check what type of cable they are powered by, they don't start with 6 pins plug in 8 pins socket. For example: ATI Radeon VEGA series make the check; most ATI Radeon HD 7000 - don't.
If you gonna power 8 pins socket on GPU correctly, you may:
use one cable "dual MicroFit 6 pins -> PCIE 8 pins";
use two cables "MicroFit 6 pins -> PCIE 6 pins" plus a converter "dual PCIE 6 pins -> PCIE 6 pins".
3.8. Not all cables and adapters give the same profit. Strange "dual MicroFit 6 pins -> PCIE 8 pins" adapters were found. Each MicroFit 6 pins socket on the motherboard has three +12V lines = six lines in summary. PCIE 8 pins plug has three +12V lines. But those strange adapters don't use all available lines to power the plug - only 3 or 4 lines are connected to the plug.
3.9. Need more power for GPU? There are four ways! 3.9.1. Additional line from SATA port in DVD bay. It can provide 30-50W. This way is suitable for ATI Radeon HD 7970, overclocked Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 and other GPUs that need "some more power". 3.9.2. PIXLAS (or PIXLA's) mod. It can provide 150W+ (there are comments that somebody makes two additional PCIE 8 pins connectors, and on high load achieved ~ 300W of additional power). Note: cMP power supply is rated to 980W, so we can get additional power from it. 3.9.3. Connect additional PCIE 8 pins line(s) directly to power supply PCB. 3.9.4. And using of additional power supply - external or in DVD bay - is possible too.
4. Color compatibility
4.1. Color depth in macOS:
all Geforce GPUs - 8 bit color;
AMD/ATI GPUs - 10 bit color support from HD 7000 series.
4.2. HDR support in macOS:
all Nvidia GPUs - no native HDR support, only 8 bit dithered HDR in modern GPUs;
AMD/ATI GPUs - native HDR support from RX 500 series.
5. Flashing nuances
5.1. Choosing the right PC GPU to be flashed. The card must be maximum identical to “mac edition” or reference one which is recommended by Apple. Look at:
outputs;
amount of memory;
cooling system;
PCB design;
power connectors.
5.2. Some flashed GPU can show the BootScreen only on certain outputs (as usual - on DVI-I).
5.3. Backup original PC firmware.
5.4. Choose the capable firmware - 32/64 bits (important for old GPUs).
6. What to choose?
6.1. For MacPro 1.1 - 2.1: Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280x if using 10.8 or greater, Radeon HD 5770 or Nvidia Geforce 8800 GT otherwise.
Note: these cMP have 32 bit EFI and don’t show the Boot Screen on modern GPU with 64 bit EFI.
6.2. For MacPro 3.1: Nvidia Geforce GTX 680.
Note: that cMP doesn’t support SSE4.2 which is used in AMD/ATI modern GPU drivers.
6.3. For MacPro 4.1 - 5.1
The best price/performance/troubles ratio cards with Boot Screen:
for GUI and 2D - ATI Radeon 5770,
for 3D - Nvidia GTX 680, ATI Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280x.
The best price/performance/troubles ratio cards with Metal 2 (Mojave) support:
for GUI and 2D - ATI Radeon RX 560,
for 3D - ATI Radeon VEGA 56.
7. Useful links
7.1. cMP modern GPU compability list in the table form.
7.2. Apple's recomendation of GPU for macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Currently in my cMP 5.1 12 core I have installed a Sapphire Radeon RX 580 Nitro + 8GB, but as it is too high (43 mm) and covers the PCIe # 2 slot where I would like to install a Controller for NVMe SSD (IO Crest SI-PEX40129 Dual M.2 NVMe), could I have some advice on what would be the best graphics card to buy knowing that I have two monitors, an Apple Cinema Display 30 "(DVI) and a LED Cinema Display 27" (mini-DP)?
I would have thought of the Sapphire Radeon RX 580 Pulse (40 mm high), 8GB (totally compatible with the Mac Pro 5.1), but I would prefer something more powerful.
Thanks in advance.
I would like to purchase the AMD Radeon VII card for my Mac Pro 5.1 12 Core Dual Xeon, for Video Editing use. I am aware that it is an excellent card for my cMP but I read on the web that perhaps AMD will stop production very soon and for this reason I am worried about the consequences. I am therefore undecided and would like advice on whether to buy it or not! Furthermore, I have seen that the only Radeon VII currently available online is that of XFX, while that of PowerColor and Sapphire is not found. Is the quality of the card the same in all brands? Thanks in advance for the help someone can give me!
I would like to purchase the AMD Radeon VII card for my Mac Pro 5.1 12 Core Dual Xeon, for Video Editing use. I am aware that it is an excellent card for my cMP but I read on the web that perhaps AMD will stop production very soon and for this reason I am worried about the consequences. I am therefore undecided and would like advice on whether to buy it or not! Furthermore, I have seen that the only Radeon VII currently available online is that of XFX, while that of PowerColor and Sapphire is not found. Is the quality of the card the same in all brands? Thanks in advance for the help someone can give me!
I think people avoid XFX for macOS for reasons. Whether AMD is still producing it or not shouldn't stop you from choosing it. If you choose XFX, then make sure it has a good return policy.
I think people avoid XFX for macOS for reasons. Whether AMD is still producing it or not shouldn't stop you from choosing it. If you choose XFX, then make sure it has a good return policy.
Thanks a lot for your help! Another question: I cannot find the user manual, documentation and drivers on any website (AMD, XFX, PowerColor and Sapphire). Could you tell me why in your opinion? Maybe because the card is really going to be put out of business? Do you know where I can download the card user manual from? Thank you!
Thanks a lot for your help! Another question: I cannot find the user manual, documentation and drivers on any website (AMD, XFX, PowerColor and Sapphire). Could you tell me why in your opinion? Maybe because the card is really going to be put out of business? Do you know where I can download the card user manual from? Thank you!
I've never looked for a GPU manual online before. I have for motherboards and displays but not GPUs. I googled now and see that Nvidia has user guides for its GPUs. I don't know if AMD does.
I have Mac Pro 4,1 with a stock Radeon 4870 and looking to buy an 5700/5700 XT. I've seen it posted a few times in this thread but nothing concrete or in the OP. Anyone have any recommendations for either?
I just updated to the latest version of Catalina so the support should be there according to the support documents I saw. I'll lose boot screens but I have my 4870 for that.
Might be overkill for my needs but it'll solve the issue of having a GPU for my cMP and then the option of using it externally as an eGPU for my MBP 15 if I don't need this anymore.
I would like to purchase the AMD Radeon VII card for my Mac Pro 5.1 12 Core Dual Xeon, for Video Editing use. I am aware that it is an excellent card for my cMP but I read on the web that perhaps AMD will stop production very soon and for this reason I am worried about the consequences. I am therefore undecided and would like advice on whether to buy it or not! Furthermore, I have seen that the only Radeon VII currently available online is that of XFX, while that of PowerColor and Sapphire is not found. Is the quality of the card the same in all brands? Thanks in advance for the help someone can give me!
Your question seems a bit contradictory when your using a 5.1 macpro....?
Probably every part of a macpro is no longer available.
If you need future proofing maybe look at a newer machine.
But as far as GPU’s go, seems like a great card, you will need extra power though.
You can use this or other GPU’s for many years to come even if they are discontinued
I have Mac Pro 4,1 with a stock Radeon 4870 and looking to buy an 5700/5700 XT. I've seen it posted a few times in this thread but nothing concrete or in the OP. Anyone have any recommendations for either?
I just updated to the latest version of Catalina so the support should be there according to the support documents I saw. I'll lose boot screens but I have my 4870 for that.
Might be overkill for my needs but it'll solve the issue of having a GPU for my cMP and then the option of using it externally as an eGPU for my MBP 15 if I don't need this anymore.
I did some research and found out that using a 5700 is a little more thought to it than I thought. Prior to this card, I was thinking of getting a 580 and I see it’s listed here on the guide. Just had a few questions:
This card is requires more than the 75w that the GPU normally gives. Would I need an 8pin to 6pin adapter to use with this card? Furthermore, maybe a 8pin to 2-6pin adapter to include the DVD/CD drive power?
No boot screens - I’m fine with this as I can switch to Windows using Boot Camp. Are there any other caveats you find from not flashing?
The guide lists that the unflashed (PC version) works out of the box. I remember video cards in Windows performed worse than they did in macOS when they weren’t flashed. Is this still true?
The guide lists that the unflashed (PC version) works out of the box. I remember video cards in Windows performed worse than they did in macOS when they weren’t flashed. Is this still true?
After BootROM 138.0.0.0.0, all PCIe 2.0 cards are initialised as such, not just with Mac EFI GPUs like with the previous MP51.00xx.B0x series of BootROM releases.
As a note to future readers, 1xx.0.0.0.0 BootROMs don't change the NVIDIA GPUs behaviour of downgrading back to PCIe 1.0 as a power saving resource when the GPU is not being pushed.
After BootROM 138.0.0.0.0, all PCIe 2.0 cards are initialised as such, not just with Mac EFI GPUs like with the previous MP51.00xx.B0x series of BootROM releases.
As a note to future readers, 1xx.0.0.0.0 BootROMs don't change the NVIDIA GPUs behaviour of downgrading back to PCIe 1.0 as a power saving resource when the GPU is not being pushed.
Perfect, thanks for the response!! Is this BootROM available for 4,1 cMP in addition to 5,1? Just wondering if I need to do anything besides be on the latest OS (which I am so should all be good)
Perfect, thanks for the response!! Is this BootROM available for 4,1 cMP in addition to 5,1? Just wondering if I need to do anything besides be on the latest OS (which I am so should all be good)
Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...
Newbie here looking to upgrade my original GPU to a metal compatible GPU that i can later use to upgrade my OS to Catalina. I'm considering a Sapphire R9 280X Toxic 3GB or a Sapphire RX 580 Nitro 8GB. Will i be able to run either of these GPU's in my 3,1 on High Sierra and just not have an Apple Boot Screen?
Once i have either of the above cards running on High Sierra, can i just use the latest Dosdude1 patcher for Catalina to upgrade my OS and still run either of the above cards (without the Apple boot screen)?
Other than having an Apple boot screen at startup, are there any other benefits to sending either of the cards out to be flashed?
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