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Mac Pro 5,1 Graphics Card upgrade suggestions?

Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
bsbeamer said:
Believe all MacPro's from 2006-2012 use the same dual mini 6-pin connections on the board.
Click to expand...
Many thanks !

I will return my RX 560 because of the x8 PCie (no benefit).

Is the "SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon™ RX 580 8GD5" a graphic card natively supported by OSX High Sierra?
I mean she's compatible with my Mac Pro early 2009 (firmware update to 5.1) ?
 
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bsbeamer

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Sep 19, 2012
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Good luck. That shipping cost is insane. Their cable works great, currently using in my 5,1 with GTX 1080 FE (8-pin). Definitely could have found cheaper on eBay, especially if you could wait more than a week for shipping/delivery.
 
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h9826790

h9826790

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Apr 3, 2014
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Éric 69 said:
Many thanks !

I will return my RX 560 because of the x8 PCie (no benefit).

Is the "SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon™ RX 580 8GD5" a graphic card natively supported by OSX High Sierra?
I mean she's compatible with my Mac Pro early 2009 (firmware update to 5.1) ?
Click to expand...

You need RX580 for what? From your previous post, you are not even limiting by the GT120.

The x8 lane on the RX560 also doesn't limiting anything. It's a weak GPU, x8 lane is more than enough.
 
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Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
h9826790 said:
You need RX580 for what? From your previous post, you are not even limiting by the GT120.

The x8 lane on the RX560 also doesn't limiting anything. It's a weak GPU, x8 lane is more than enough.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help.

Sorry if there is a misunderstanding when I wrote "I did not notice any difference between the GT120 and the RX 560 4 GB in term of performance" in fact I wanted to say that I quickly reach their limits .

Many plugins that I use inside my DAWs like Logic Pro X or Bitwig use the GPU for the GUI and the GPU for calculation.
From time to time I use as I wrote in my previous post some Adobe products (for photography or 4k video editing).

Also, I have issu with the RX 560 (black screen every 60 sec or flicker screen)and the fans run fast and make lot of noise even at low load; just playing a HD video with VLC turns the fans almost to their maximum while with my previous graphic card a " Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 OC Low Profile 2G " I heard absolutely nothing.
I had to return the "GTX 1050" because of black screen and flicker screen like the RX 560.

Is it possible that I running out-of-date EFI versions of my firmware update ?
How to know if it's the correct firmware (4.1 to 5.1) ?

Thanks in advance !
 
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h9826790

h9826790

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Apr 3, 2014
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Éric 69 said:
Thanks for your help.

Sorry if there is a misunderstanding when I wrote "I did not notice any difference between the GT120 and the RX 560 4 GB in term of performance" in fact I wanted to say that I quickly reach their limits .

Many plugins that I use inside my DAWs like Logic Pro X or Bitwig use the GPU for the GUI and the GPU for calculation.
From time to time I use as I wrote in my previous post some Adobe products (for photography or 4k video editing).

Also, I have issu with the RX 560 (black screen every 60 sec or flicker screen)and the fans run fast and make lot of noise even at low load; just playing a HD video with VLC turns the fans almost to their maximum while with my previous graphic card a " Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 OC Low Profile 2G " I heard absolutely nothing.
I had to return the "GTX 1050" because of black screen and flicker screen like the RX 560.

Is it possible that I running out-of-date EFI versions of my firmware update ?
How to know if it's the correct firmware (4.1 to 5.1) ?

Thanks in advance !
Click to expand...

Understand now. Because you said "no difference", I suspected your Adobe workflow is also not GPU related, especially lots of people believe a more powerful GPU can improve Photoshop performance, but the fact is only very little filters can utilise GPU.

For just GUI, even a GT120 can do that without issue. But if for compute, then of course a better GPU has advantage.

So far, I haven't seen a single case that can confirm their cMP's abnormal behaviour is firmware related. If the firmware is damaged, I doubt if the cMP can boot at all.

If you ever installed High Sierra, the firmware should be up to date. But that firmware update is just for APFS booting supporting. Never heard that fix any GPU / stability issue.
 
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Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
h9826790 said:
Understand now. Because you said "no difference", I suspected your Adobe workflow is also not GPU related, especially lots of people believe a more powerful GPU can improve Photoshop performance, but the fact is only very little filters can utilise GPU.

For just GUI, even a GT120 can do that without issue. But if for compute, then of course a better GPU has advantage.

So far, I haven't seen a single case that can confirm their cMP's abnormal behaviour is firmware related. If the firmware is damaged, I doubt if the cMP can boot at all.

If you ever installed High Sierra, the firmware should be up to date. But that firmware update is just for APFS booting supporting. Never heard that fix any GPU / stability issue.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply !

I just ordered a "SAPPHIRE RX 580 8GB Pulse" who should be delivered to me tomorrow but I would have the power cable only in a week .

Has anyone tried to use succeffully 55" or 65" 4k Oled tv as monitor on Mac Pro 2009 (5.1) ?
 
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Blackey Cole

macrumors member
Mar 5, 2017
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4
On the cheaper side I used my pc version gtx 680 but I spent the money on a gtx 1080ti Mac version to get the boot screen my 680 and power cables will be for sale once I tear it out of the cMP.
 
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Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
h9826790 said:
Understand now. Because you said "no difference", I suspected your Adobe workflow is also not GPU related, especially lots of people believe a more powerful GPU can improve Photoshop performance, but the fact is only very little filters can utilise GPU.

For just GUI, even a GT120 can do that without issue. But if for compute, then of course a better GPU has advantage.

So far, I haven't seen a single case that can confirm their cMP's abnormal behaviour is firmware related. If the firmware is damaged, I doubt if the cMP can boot at all.

If you ever installed High Sierra, the firmware should be up to date. But that firmware update is just for APFS booting supporting. Never heard that fix any GPU / stability issue.
Click to expand...

Hi,

I just connected the AMD SAPPHIRE PULSE RX580 8GB.
New_AMD_Card.jpg


She's natively recognized as you told me :
RX580_8_GB.jpg


However, I find it particularly noisy , fans run at high speed simply by opening a video.

If no application is open, I do not hear fans.

I wonder if this is not due to the fact the graphic card has not enough space to be cooled correctly,ports 3 and 4 are occupied by 2x SSD "Samsung 850 PRO 512 GB" :
Interieure.jpg


Any help would be welcome.


PS: I want to thank all members of this forum who helped me devoting a

little of their time; really thank you !!!
 
Last edited:
h9826790

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
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Hong Kong
Éric 69 said:
Hi,

I just connected the AMD SAPPHIRE PULSE RX580 8GB.
New_AMD_Card.jpg


She's natively recognized as you told me :
RX580_8_GB.jpg


However, I find it particularly noisy , fans run at high speed simply by opening a video.

If no application is open, I do not hear fans.

I wonder if this is not due to the fact the graphic card has not enough space to be cooled correctly,ports 3 and 4 are

occupied by 2x SSD "Samsung 850 PRO 512 GB" :
Interieure.jpg


Any help would be welcome.


PS: I want to thank all members of this forum who helped, me devoting a

little of their time; really thank you !!!
Click to expand...

That's definitely enough room for the GPU cooling.

Check your fan noise is from the card or from the PCIe compartment fan / PSU fan.

There is a known SMC bug in the 4,1 / 5,1 that the PCIe fan can run at high speed after reboot.

If that happen, you can use MacsFanControl to reduce the PCIe fan speed (or setup your own fan profile. e.g. base on PCIe ambient temperature).

Or simply open something like Luxmark for few seconds (stress the card for few seconds). The should make the fans back to normal. (may need a minute or two for the fan to spin down after stress)
 
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Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
h9826790 said:
That's definitely enough room for the GPU cooling.

Check your fan noise is from the card or from the PCIe compartment fan / PSU fan.

There is a known SMC bug in the 4,1 / 5,1 that the PCIe fan can run at high speed after reboot.

If that happen, you can use MacsFanControl to reduce the PCIe fan speed (or setup your own fan profile. e.g. base on PCIe ambient temperature).

Or simply open something like Luxmark for few seconds (stress the card for few seconds). The should make the fans back to normal. (may need a minute or two for the fan to spin down after stress)
Click to expand...

You're a Killer Man ,it's works, thank you very much ... !!!

I have a 43"LG monitor I would like to update the firmware but I don't have a USB-C port and don't have a Pc .

Is there a way to have a -USB-C port on a Mac Pro 2009 ?

Thanks in advance .

http://www.lg.com/us/support/products/documents/43UD79-B_Spec_Sheet_20170926.pdf

http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-43UD79-B-4k-uhd-led-monitor
 
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h9826790

h9826790

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Apr 3, 2014
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Éric 69 said:
You're a Killer Man ,it's works, thank you very much ... !!!

I have a 43"LG monitor I would like to update the firmware but I don't have a USB-C port and don't have a Pc .

Is there a way to have a -USB-C port on a Mac Pro 2009 ?

Thanks in advance .
Click to expand...

It need direct connection to the monitor via USB-C port?
 
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Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
Hi h9826790,

First I want to thank you for your support and all relevant advice you gave me.

Regarding my new "AMD SAPPHIRE RX 580 8GB" graphics card, I founded excessive consumption

of the card in memory and CPU simply with single page Safari open, is it normal ?

Thanks in advance !

image.jpg
 
h9826790

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
Éric 69 said:
Hi h9826790,

First I want to thank you for your support and all relevant advice you gave me.

Regarding my new "AMD SAPPHIRE RX 580 8GB" graphics card, I founded excessive consumption

of the card in memory and CPU simply with single page Safari open, is it normal ?

Thanks in advance !

image.jpg
Click to expand...

Normal, unless you feel significant lag.

If you want to know more about how the VRAM use.

Open terminal and Enter
Code: 
IOAccelMemory

Then you can see something like this.
Screen Shot 2018-04-10 at 15.37.56.png


In fact, your VRAM usage still low (it's good to see that the system know how to use VRAM to accelerate your computer. But not just let it sit there and doing nothing).

The CPU usage also low.

GPU usage was a bit high during capture (if nothing demanding was running), but if just a short transit, that's also perfectly acceptable.
 
Éric 69

Éric 69

macrumors member
Mar 24, 2018
50
12
France
h9826790 said:
Normal, unless you feel significant lag.

If you want to know more about how the VRAM use.

Open terminal and Enter
Code: 
IOAccelMemory

Then you can see something like this.
View attachment 757645

In fact, your VRAM usage still low (it's good to see that the system know how to use VRAM to accelerate your computer. But not just let it sit there and doing nothing).

The CPU usage also low.

GPU usage was a bit high during capture (if nothing demanding was running), but if just a short transit, that's also perfectly acceptable.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your explanations !
 
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