MP 6,1 Mac Pro 2013 (D700) GPU hardware acceleration on h264, HEVC (Ventura)?

[solaris8x86]

I am considering to get an used Mac Pro 2013 (D700) for graphical application.

I would like to know. If I am going to use OpenCore Legacy Patcher v0.67 with Ventura 13.4 on Mac Pro 2013 (trash can). Will it have GPU (D700) hardware acceleration on h264 and H265 (HEVC) on both encoding and decoding?

Can anyone confirm? Thanks.

 

[flat4]

from their page

Mac Pro​

SMBIOS	Year	Supported	Comment
MacPro1,1	Mid 2006	NO	32-Bit Firmware limitation
MacPro2,1	Mid 2007
MacPro3,1	Early 2008	YES	- UHCI/OHCI support in Public Beta, see current issues (#1021

(opens new window)) - Potential boot issues with stock Bluetooth card, recommend removing to avoid kernel panics
MacPro4,1	Early 2009	- Everything is supported as long as GPU is Metal capable - UHCI/OHCI support in Public Beta, see current issues (#1021

(opens new window))
MacPro5,1	Mid 2010, Mid 2012
MacPro6,1	Late 2013	- DRM support is flak

 

[tsialex]

I am considering to get an used Mac Pro 2013 (D700) for graphical application.

I would like to know. If I am going to use OpenCore Legacy Patcher v0.67 with Ventura 13.4 on Mac Pro 2013 (trash can). Will it have GPU (D700) hardware acceleration on h264 and H265 (HEVC) on both encoding and decoding?

Can anyone confirm? Thanks.

There is no HEVC hardware encoding or decoding with any Mac Pro GPU before Polaris (RX460/480/etc) - Tahiti GPUs were released back in 22 of December 2011 while HEVC spec was first published in 7 June 2013, so, no hardware support of HEVC with a D500/D700 VCE/UVD ASICs. D300 is based on Pitcairn, which also doesn't have support for HEVC.

For h.264 acceleration D300/D500/D700 already have the ASICs required for hardware acceleration, but usually only works correctly when the macOS release still have drivers that support the GPU. With Ventura Apple completely removed the drivers and any support for D300/D500/D700.

 

[CrazyDane]

Hi New in here! Can anyone help me with my Mac Pro 2013 ? I got very cheap but I am having trouble finding out how to connect my screen with it ? I tried using usb a on the Mac Pro and hdmi on the screen but I am not satisfied with the quality so how what do I need to go from usb a to the usb c on the screen ?

 

[tsialex]

Hi New in here! Can anyone help me with my Mac Pro 2013 ? I got very cheap but I am having trouble finding out how to connect my screen with it ? I tried using usb a on the Mac Pro and hdmi on the screen but I am not satisfied with the quality so how what do I need to go from usb a to the usb c on the screen ?

Connect your display from the Mac Pro miniDP ports, the six Thunderbolt ports are mDP 1.2 at the same time.

Use multiple displays with your Mac Pro (Late 2013) – Apple Support (UK)

Learn how to connect multiple displays (such as monitors, TVs, and projectors) to your Mac Pro (Late 2013) using Thunderbolt, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI connections.

support.apple.com

 

[CrazyDane]

Connect your display from the Mac Pro miniDP ports, the six Thunderbolt ports are mDP 1.2 at the same time.

Use multiple displays with your Mac Pro (Late 2013) – Apple Support (UK)

Learn how to connect multiple displays (such as monitors, TVs, and projectors) to your Mac Pro (Late 2013) using Thunderbolt, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI connections.

support.apple.com

Thanks

 

[solaris8x86]

There is no HEVC hardware encoding or decoding with any Mac Pro GPU before Polaris (RX460/480/etc) - Tahiti GPUs were released back in 22 of December 2011 while HEVC spec was first published in 7 June 2013, so, no hardware support of HEVC with a D500/D700 VCE/UVD ASICs. D300 is based on Pitcairn, which also doesn't have support for HEVC.

For h.264 acceleration D300/D500/D700 already have the ASICs required for hardware acceleration, but usually only works correctly when the macOS release still have drivers that support the GPU. With Ventura Apple completely removed the drivers and any support for D300/D500/D700.

So, it is a no go for the trash can Mac Pro.... even with the Opencore thing...

 

[tsialex]

So, it is a no go for the trash can Mac Pro.... even with the Opencore thing...

Why OpenCore would support something that is not present in the hardware?!? You can say that is possible that developers find a way to enable H.264 compression and decompression support with MacPro6,1 and Ventura someday, but not for the inexistent HEVC.

 

[solaris8x86]

Why OpenCore would support something that is not present in the hardware?!? You can say that is possible that developers find a way to enable H.264 compression and decompression support with MacPro6,1 and Ventura someday, but not for the inexistent HEVC.

As my objective is to go get a trash can. If there's no foreseeable hope in the future. I wouldn't buy it. I would just go get a Macbook Pro 2019 i9 instead. At least the MBP is still in the apple support list. So "possible" anything is unrealistic for my investment right now.

 

[throAU]

As my objective is to go get a trash can. If there's no foreseeable hope in the future. I wouldn't buy it. I would just go get a Macbook Pro 2019 i9 instead. At least the MBP is still in the apple support list. So "possible" anything is unrealistic for my investment right now.

Buying the MacBook Pro would be the sensible option, however if you want modern codec support you'd be very much better off getting one with Apple Silicon which does actually have the support, and ideally a MacBook Pro as they have hardware support for ProRes as well (plus more cores).

Buying a trashcan Mac Pro (for anything other than aesthetics) is a bad idea in 2023.

 

[Xenobius]

It is theoretically possible to force the 2013 Mac Pro to work with the eGPU (e.g. RX 6600/6800/6900 XT), but the low bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2 can severely limit performance in some applications. However, if the monitor was connected to the eGPU, H264/265 acceleration should work (I think).

The 2013 Mac Pro is a beautiful machine. This is an absolutely unique design in the history of technology. Admittedly Apple considered it a failure and a mistake, but I disagree. It was just the positioning that was wrong - it wasn't a 'Mac Pro' but a 'Mac Studio' or 'Mac mini Pro'.
Apple can create great things, but sometimes it struggles with the simplest things and basic strategies. This is sick.

 

[arw]

However, if the monitor was connected to the eGPU, H264/265 acceleration should work (I think).

We never got it to work 100% properly.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/looking-for-help-with-hwaccle-mac-pro-late-2013-and-egpu-with-amd-6900xt.2376282/

 

[Xenobius]

That's a shame...

 

[throAU]

The 2013 Mac Pro is a beautiful machine. This is an absolutely unique design in the history of technology. Admittedly Apple considered it a failure and a mistake, but I disagree. It was just the positioning that was wrong - it wasn't a 'Mac Pro' but a 'Mac Studio' or 'Mac mini Pro'.

I look at the 2013 Mac Pro as like the Cube.

Looks neat, collectible - but compromised for actual performance.

 

[mcnallym]

Even back in 2013 when the trashcan launched there was a lot of complaints when the MBP released next murdered it in h264 export which was basically the built in hardware acceleration on the MBP.

the Xeon lacked the built in quicksync of the i Series processors and there was no T2 series chip to do the encode/decode either.

if h264 or h265 is your key medium then really none of the Mac Pro’s are ideal.

 

[solaris8x86]

Even back in 2013 when the trashcan launched there was a lot of complaints when the MBP released next murdered it in h264 export which was basically the built in hardware acceleration on the MBP.

the Xeon lacked the built in quicksync of the i Series processors and there was no T2 series chip to do the encode/decode either.

if h264 or h265 is your key medium then really none of the Mac Pro’s are ideal.

That's truth. The Mac Pro 2013 is a totally useless Mac now. Can't even do video editing effectively.. no way of GPU hardware acceleration anymore after Monterey.... may be it is still barely ok for web browsing.. .LOL...

 

[jessephord]

That's truth. The Mac Pro 2013 is a totally useless Mac now. Can't even do video editing effectively.. no way of GPU hardware acceleration anymore after Monterey.... may be it is still barely ok for web browsing.. .LOL...

That is unequivocally not true. That's someone speaking without actually using the machine and reading internet fodder.

 

[safari70]

That's truth. The Mac Pro 2013 is a totally useless Mac now. Can't even do video editing effectively.. no way of GPU hardware acceleration anymore after Monterey.... may be it is still barely ok for web browsing.. .LOL...

Maybe for video, but not all computing needs rely on GPU hw acceleration... For example, I picked up a cheap one with 12core and 128GB RAM which is perfect to host large sample libraries for music production (working perfectly well for the last few months).

 

[Dlprod3]

There is no HEVC hardware encoding or decoding with any Mac Pro GPU before Polaris (RX460/480/etc) - Tahiti GPUs were released back in 22 of December 2011 while HEVC spec was first published in 7 June 2013, so, no hardware support of HEVC with a D500/D700 VCE/UVD ASICs. D300 is based on Pitcairn, which also doesn't have support for HEVC.

For h.264 acceleration D300/D500/D700 already have the ASICs required for hardware acceleration, but usually only works correctly when the macOS release still have drivers that support the GPU. With Ventura Apple completely removed the drivers and any support for D300/D500/D700.

Hi
I'm running a 2010 Mac Pro
12 core / 96gbs RAM / Vega 64
BigSur OS

Is there a way to enable GPU Hardware acceleration without using opencore?

 

[tsialex]

Hi
I'm running a 2010 Mac Pro
12 core / 96gbs RAM / Vega 64
BigSur OS

Is there a way to enable GPU Hardware acceleration without using opencore?

Not with signed sealed volumes (BigSur forwards). This is correct thread for VideoToolbox hardware assistance:

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

[For existing OpenCore users, you can always download my latest OpenCore package at post #1314 for update] Full HWAccel achieved now! Everything is covered in the OpenCore thread. The step by step tutorial to enable AMD hardware acceleration is now at here, but I strongly recommend you go...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Dlprod3]

Not with signed sealed volumes (BigSur forwards). This is correct thread for VideoToolbox hardware assistance:

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

[For existing OpenCore users, you can always download my latest OpenCore package at post #1314 for update] Full HWAccel achieved now! Everything is covered in the OpenCore thread. The step by step tutorial to enable AMD hardware acceleration is now at here, but I strongly recommend you go...

forums.macrumors.com

Oh ok. My concern is that opencore wasn't used in installing BigSur on my mac initially. Do I just install opencore? Forgive me I'm new at this.

 

[tsialex]

Oh ok. My concern is that opencore wasn't used in installing BigSur on my mac initially. Do I just install opencore? Forgive me I'm new at this.

Seems something is wrong, since Big Sur requires OpenCore to run - you can't run Big Sur and newer macOS releases without OpenCore with a MacPro5,1.

The thread I've linked have all the info on the first post and it's the thread that you need for asking questions.

 

[Dlprod3]

Not with signed sealed volumes (BigSur forwards). This is correct thread for VideoToolbox hardware assistance:

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

[For existing OpenCore users, you can always download my latest OpenCore package at post #1314 for update] Full HWAccel achieved now! Everything is covered in the OpenCore thread. The step by step tutorial to enable AMD hardware acceleration is now at here, but I strongly recommend you go...

forums.macrumors.com

Thank you for your help. I've since rectified my opencore issue. I've recently installed a Radeon VII. I'm powering it with an external PSU. (EVGA 650 BQ). It runs great when the computer is on but when I power the computer off the fans on the GPU begin and continue to spin at high speed. The only way I can stop it is by powering off the external GPU. How can I stop this from happening? Shouldn't the GPU power off? I didn't have this issue with a Vega 64 GPU.

 

[tsialex]

Thank you for your help. I've since rectified my opencore issue. I've recently installed a Radeon VII. I'm powering it with an external PSU. (EVGA 650 BQ). It runs great when the computer is on but when I power the computer off the fans on the GPU begin and continue to spin at high speed. The only way I can stop it is by powering off the external GPU. How can I stop this from happening? Shouldn't the GPU power off? I didn't have this issue with a Vega 64 GPU.

Don't know, but you can install a power on/power off control board for the external PSU. Years ago there was a thread about that.

 

[Dlprod3]

Don't know, but you can install a power on/power off control board for the external GPU. Years ago there was a thread about that.

You mean External PSU correct? The GPU is sitting inside the Mac Pro.