MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 2009 Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 580 Display Issue

[eldando]

OK So ...

I was gifted a:
Mac Pro (Early 2009)
2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
8GB DDR3

I flashed the BIOS from 4,1 to 5,1 without any issues and then I upgraded to macOS High Sierra (Version 10.13.6) Still no issues.

My new Graphics Card showed up: (Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 580 8GB and the duel mini 6pin to 8pin power cable)

I installed the card turned it back on and no issues. Runs like a champ.

Now here is the issue: I tried to upgrade to Mojave on a different SSD It said it needed another firmware update which it did and sounded like it worked, but I couldn't tell because it's a black screen. I don't know if the install work so I took another SSD and created a Mojave Drive from my current iMac it works without any issues until I put it on the Mac Pro 2009. I get no video signal running Mojave.

Now here is the catch I used screen sharing with my iMac to my Mac Pro and I can see the Systems Report. My Mac Pro recognizes the Graphics Card and it looks like everything is working but I can not get a display to work, and If I reboot it from my High Sierra Drive it works great.

Any help would be awesome. I hope I'm just missing some small detail.

Thanks,
[doublepost=1563998670][/doublepost]Hardware Overview

 

[tsialex]

You already have the current BootROM, 144.0.0.0.0.

Read the first post of MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions), pay attention on Mojave black screens with AMD Polaris GPUs (RX 4xx/5xx) note.

 

[kohlson]

so I took another SSD and created a Mojave Drive from my current iMac it works without any issues until I put it on the Mac Pro 2009. I get no video signal running Mojave.

Seems like there is a video driver issue mismatch between the Mojave install from the iMac and your MP.

I would follow the instructions carefully and exactly, per @tsialex above.

My advice/experience is when installing Mojave, have patience. Full installer on a clean disk. At some point the screen during the install the screen goes black and will remain so for as long as 10-15 minutes. Just because you can't see it working doesn't mean it's not working!

 

[MIKX]

kohlson

Yes, I agree.

Patience Is A Virtue

 

[eldando]

I double checked all the Extension folders and everything seems OK. I didn't have any of the kext files that have caused other users the same issue. I'm still trouble shooting.

While I'm looking for other causes I'm doing a fresh install but the screen has been black for almost 2 hours. I'll let it sit there hoping something happens while I research. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[kohlson]

the screen has been black for almost 2 hours

Patience is a virtue but enough is enough. Shouldn't take this long in my experience.
You mentioned earlier that you had a spare SSD, on which you installed 14.6 through an iMac. Can you take this same drive, erase it, and try a clean install on this? Or have you tried this already?

 

[tsialex]

Try with other GPU output. Long shot, but some time ago some Sapphire Pulse that don't have the Orinoco framebuffer had a problem with outputs and some displays, maybe you have one of those.

 

[eldando]

Just tested the DVI port and I got a signal. THANKS!
[doublepost=1564073346][/doublepost]Now I have to figure out where to go from here. lol

 

[tsialex]

Just tested the DVI port and I got a signal. THANKS!
[doublepost=1564073346][/doublepost]Now I have to figure out where to go from here. lol

First step is to do a clean install.

If you are talking about upgrades, get more RAM, 3 x 16GB ECC 1333MHz will give you the better cost benefit, look at server pulls on eBay.

For CPU, look at X5677, X5680, X5690. Best cost benefit you will get with a X5680. W3680 will work for your single CPU tray too, but most of the time, it's more expensive than a X5680. A X5680 will work with a dual tray too, if you ever bought one.

 

[eldando]

First step is to do a clean install.

If you are talking about upgrades, get more RAM, 3 x 16GB ECC 1333MHz will give you the better cost benefit, look at server pulls on eBay.

For CPU, look at X5677, X5680, X5690. Best cost benefit you will get with a X5680. W3680 will work for your single CPU tray too, but most of the time, it's more expensive than a X5680. A X5680 will work with a dual tray too, if you ever bought one.

Curious why 3 x 16GB and not 4???

 

[tsialex]

Curious why 3 x 16GB and not 4???

Nehalem/Westmere are tri-channel. Only applications that benefit with more RAM than RAM speed will work better with 4 DIMMs.

 

[eldando]

Nehalem/Westmere are tri-channel. Only applications that benefit with more RAM than RAM speed will work better with 4 DIMMs.

COOL!!!

 

[kohlson]

Curious why 3 x 16GB and not 4???

As @tsialex points out, using 3 memory slots will provide optimum performance. Overall throughput decreases about 5 percent or so, plus or minus. Using only 3 slots maximizes the CPU-Memory channel speed, and overall performance incorporates much more than this.
From a performance perspective, one of the worst things that can is running out of physical memory -- hitting swap memory. You can evaluate whether you want to install 3 or 4 sticks, depending on price and the amount of memory you need for your workflow. If you keep your MP busy with intensive processing over log periods, optimizing the memory can help.

Also, worth studying the tables on the MP CPU sticky. But keep in mind that W-series CPUs can only address 56GB total, and X-series 64 GB. It's more complicated than this.