MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 5,1 with GT 120 and RX 580 Mojave?

[kimherrmann]

I've been reading up a lot on all kind of possibilites running Mojave with the Mac Pro 5,1 and i even have it runing without too much hassle to be honest.

Now i want to run Windows 10 on a second internal drive and i'm going nuts for two reasons. nr.1, my SSD is on the PCIe and is not sees as internal (so bootcamp disallows me to install Windwos 10). Secondly and even more anoying... I have no bootscreen with my RX 580, so booting from the right drive is a problem.

To solve this problem i've bought myself an old GT 120 and kind of hoped that it would run nicely along side the RX 580. While booting up it works, i see the bootscreen and i can start Mojave... Start... I'll never got the chance to login so it's stuck. Removing the card brings me back to the login screen.

So now i was wondering and mybe somebody already did this (if possible). I would like to install High Sierra with both cards available in the machine. Seeing the bootscreen etc etc. Now i would like to disable the GT 120 from OSX High Sierra so it's no longer 'available'. Than i would like to upgrade to Mojave. Is there a solution for this in place so i could see the boot screen on the old card but the old card won't be loaded in Mojave so that it won't get stuck starting up?

Any other solutions for the boot solutions would be great. Maybe even a way to select a boot method from OSX before booting and only doing that once?

 

[startergo]

It is not clear what you want to do:
Install HS, Mojave or Windows?
Please clarify .

 

[kimherrmann]

It is not clear what you want to do:
Install HS, Mojave or Windows?
Please clarify .

Ah okay, maybe i was unclear. There are two things i like to do.
1. Run Mojave on Mac Pro 5,1 with both video cards in the machine (GT 120 and RX 580)
2. Install windows with or without bootcamp, but current issue is no bootscreen (without the GT 120).

So first wish is being able to Run Mojave with both Video Cards installed. In boot see the bootscreen on the GT 120 and than login Mojave with the RX 580 and not have the GT 120 seen by Mojave (as it currently doens;t want to show Mojave with the GT 120 installed)

 

[tsialex]

So now i was wondering and mybe somebody already did this (if possible). I would like to install High Sierra with both cards available in the machine. Seeing the bootscreen etc etc. Now i would like to disable the GT 120 from OSX High Sierra so it's no longer 'available'. Than i would like to upgrade to Mojave.

Mojave can't work with AMD and NVIDIA GPUs simultaneously. Since Mojave, GT120 becomes relegated to diagnostic.

If your SSD is NVMe, Windows can't be installed into NVMe drives with a Mac Pro. You have to use a drive connected into a SATA south bridge port.

 

[kimherrmann]

Mojave can't work with AMD and NVIDIA GPUs simultaneously. Since Mojave, GT120 becomes relegated to diagnostic.

Hi tsialex, i noticed that just this morning... It boots but than stops... I was wondering if there is a way to disable the GT 120 drivers somehow so it won't use the card but is able to boot into OSX

 

[tsialex]

Hi tsialex, i noticed that just this morning... It boots but than stops... I was wondering if there is a way to disable the GT 120 drivers somehow so it won't use the card but is able to boot into OSX

No one found a way, may be impossible. There are lots of thread about this, use the search, no one found a way to have pre-boot configuration/bootscreens with a Mojave unsupported GPU plus a supported one.

 

[startergo]

Ah okay, maybe i was unclear. There are two things i like to do.
1. Run Mojave on Mac Pro 5,1 with both video cards in the machine (GT 120 and RX 580)
2. Install windows with or without bootcamp, but current issue is no bootscreen (without the GT 120).

So first wish is being able to Run Mojave with both Video Cards installed. In boot see the bootscreen on the GT 120 and than login Mojave with the RX 580 and not have the GT 120 seen by Mojave (as it currently doens;t want to show Mojave with the GT 120 installed)

Aah ok. I am not very optimistic about Mojave and GT-120 but take a look at this post:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/nvidia-gt-120-running-mojave.2164967/
As far as instaling Windows and running GT-120 with RX-580 it is possible and I have done it although it is not recommended.
You can try installing the Bootcamp Windows to an internal drive and image-copy it to the external drive and see if it will boot. In fact this is one of my pending projects I just don't have time at the moment.
What I have done is install windows in EFI mode by booting the USB installer and installing Windows on the only drive in the Mac (I have removed every other drive because Windows EFI tends to overwrite the other EFI partitions).
One thing to remember is that you cannot run both AMD and NVIDIA drivers at the same time on Windows machines therefore you have to use the Microsoft basic display adapter for the GT-120.

 

[kimherrmann]

Thanks for all your reactions... Although a kind of desolate right now... First

Mojave can't work with AMD and NVIDIA GPUs simultaneously. Since Mojave, GT120 becomes relegated to diagnostic.

If your SSD is NVMe, Windows can't be installed into NVMe drives with a Mac Pro. You have to use a drive connected into a SATA south bridge port.

I know that, i currently have a normal SSD on the PCIe bus. However Bootcamp states that because the drive is 'external' (not on sata) it can;t install windows. So i could probably put the ssd on the sata and than try it, but wondered if there is a faster way to do that.

Not quite sure, but if i install bootcamp and windows, than install boot runner, i should overcome the bootscreen issue probably

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for all your reactions... Although a kind of desolate right now... First


I know that, i currently have a normal SSD on the PCIe bus. However Bootcamp states that because the drive is 'external' (not on sata) it can;t install windows. So i could probably put the ssd on the sata and than try it, but wondered if there is a faster way to do that.

Not quite sure, but if i install bootcamp and windows, than install boot runner, i should overcome the bootscreen issue probably

Do this https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ut-a-boot-screen.2114788/page-9#post-26689280

 

[startergo]

Thanks for all your reactions... Although a kind of desolate right now... First


I know that, i currently have a normal SSD on the PCIe bus. However Bootcamp states that because the drive is 'external' (not on sata) it can;t install windows. So i could probably put the ssd on the sata and than try it, but wondered if there is a faster way to do that.

Not quite sure, but if i install bootcamp and windows, than install boot runner, i should overcome the bootscreen issue probably

Actually there is a way to install Windows Bootcamp on an external drive in fact the Bootcamp startup disk appears from the external drive and boots. I think @h9826790 you can add that to the sticky guide.

 

[tsialex]

Actually there is a way to install Windows Bootcamp on an external drive in fact the Bootcamp startup disk appears from the external drive and boots. I think @h9826790 you can add that to the sticky guide.

This mostly works but some updates fails with a Mac Pro. I have it here and it's a pain to keep it working.

 

[kimherrmann]

Actually there is a way to install Windows Bootcamp on an external drive in fact the Bootcamp startup disk appears from the external drive and boots. I think @h9826790 you can add that to the sticky guide.

Thanks, i'll read into it
[doublepost=1551558799][/doublepost]

Do this https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ut-a-boot-screen.2114788/page-9#post-26689280

Thank you, i will ready into it. Personally i would rather see OSX see the SSD as an internal but we can't have it all
[doublepost=1551559327][/doublepost]I've seen another solution to the Windows 10 install without EFI GPU. It looks reasonably easy. The fun thing is i will be installing Windows 10 on a internal drive (bay 1), but my OSX boots from the PCIe SSD. But because of that bootcamp already stopped installing.

This might be nice to use:

 

[startergo]

This mostly works but some updates fails with a Mac Pro. I have it here and it's a pain to keep it working.

I just had stupid errors while updating windows 10 in a Virtual Machine. The internal troubleshooter did not work, but this one worked:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4027322/windows-update-troubleshooter

 

[macguru9999]

I have Windows 10 and Mac OS on a dual boot setup.... Take out your rx580 and ssd and put in a card with a bootscreen and a couple of spare sata drives in the bays. Install sierra on one and boot camp the second , i did windows 7 64bit first, with drivers and registered it then updated to windows 10. If you use a card like the nvidia 680gtx, you will be able to boot between either disk using the startup screen. Now , put the ssd blade with mojave back in and you will be able to select between the two , i mean 3 systems at startup (the 120 card is obviously no good for mojave). BUT if you put the radeon rx580 back in instead , you will have to select the windows drive in the prefs after startup, AND when you boot into windows and go to the bootcamp control panel, you will NOT see the SSD, just the sierra drive you put in one of the bays, because the bootcamp boot manager cp does not see APFS volumes.... So you will need to leave the sierra boot drive in as an intermediary. simple.

 

[MIKX]

macguru999

What if you CCC the Mojave install to an HFS+ SSD ?

 

[macguru9999]

macguru999

What if you CCC the Mojave install to an HFS+ SSD ?

I dont think so .... look at the second comment below. At least - its not easy...
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-it-possible-to-install-mojave-and-keep-hfs.2138162/
I installed mojave on my blade that way but of course apfs in my main 5,1. My second 5,1 has sierra and windows 10, but i also experimented with 10.13 on that machine and the above comments are based on that.

 

[orph]

if you want a simple life
instal win10 on a SSD
instal osx on to a SSD
use the RX 580
keep the GT 120 as a backup in a box
use something like bootchamp to boot in to windows.

 

[paul579]

Hi tsialex, i noticed that just this morning... It boots but than stops... I was wondering if there is a way to disable the GT 120 drivers somehow so it won't use the card but is able to boot into OSX

I came across this because I wanted to have both GT120 and RX580 installed so I could easily boot to a lower OSX version, but one the GT 120 is in the machine it takes over so Mojave won't display anything on screens connected to it. No luck on my end, and I assume you didn't come up with anything to be able to leave both cards in the machine.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

deleted, posting error

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

I came across this because I wanted to have both GT120 and RX580 installed so I could easily boot to a lower OSX version, but one the GT 120 is in the machine it takes over so Mojave won't display anything on screens connected to it. No luck on my end, and I assume you didn't come up with anything to be able to leave both cards in the machine.

I have this same problem, was looking for a single slot Metal compatible graphics card that wouldn't crash my true 5,1 (not a firmware upgraded 4,1) Mac Pro while mainly using an RX580 for the main displays. And of course to be able to boot way back to Mavericks if necessary, although just El Capitan would be nice. The RX580 is useless below Sierra and I don't have either enough slots or power to run two double slot cards. The RX 580 does not seem to play nice with any other graphics cards in the school yard. i was even able to enter my password as I've gotten quite good at blind booting. I can tell the GT 120 has booted Mojave. I hear my mail dings, password errors, etc, but no video from the main screens, only the GT120 hung up during the boot which has clearly finished. I can even type key commands to shut down or reboot, so I know the Mac is working, just no video. So still no solution on what kind of 2nd graphics card might work with my RX 580.

 

[macguru9999]

I bought an RX480, flashed, from ebay. It seems to have exactly the same performance in general use as the RX580, but it only uses ONE 6 pin cable and its MUCH quieter in general use. It might be that the RX580 I had was noisy because it was flashed by macvidcards, I dont know

 

[KeesMacPro]

It might be that the RX580 I had was noisy because it was flashed by macvidcards, I dont know

I use a RX580 Pulse flashed by MVC Europe and it's under normal use completely silent , since the fans only spin up with T > 50degrees.
Personally i find the fan noise at higher T is still very moderate.

I've tested it before sending it in for flashing and it behaved exactly the same way.
Perhaps the RX580 you've owned was a different version without this kind of fan control?

 

[macguru9999]

I use a RX580 Pulse flashed by MVC Europe and it's under normal use completely silent , since the fans only spin up with T > 50degrees.
Personally i find the fan noise at higher T is still very moderate.

I've tested it before sending it in for flashing and it behaved exactly the same way.
Perhaps the RX580 you've owned was a different version without this kind of fan control?

It was a MVC flashed sapphire pulse. normal use, dead silent but certain non demanding apps would trigger the fans after a minute or so. such as this one https://www.airpano.com/360photo/Egypt-Cairo-Pyramids/ (in chrome) , or, just looking at google maps in photo mode and scrolling around alot. My flashed rx480 from ebay certainly does not do this and feels just as fast.

 

[Sharky II]

Just a couple of comments on this:

1) I found that using the GT120 and a previous AMD card (before my 580X) often caused much slower performance with a couple of applications that cannot allow for you to specify that the app should use the AMD/ATI.

The performance in a couple of applications was better when the GT120 was removed.

2) The 580x fans will come on much more often if you run more than one screen. Strangely, adding 3 screens does not add additional heat vs 2 screens. Adding a second screen seems to add about 7-10 degrees Celsius in general use (browsing, Finder, some YouTube), so it easily goes over 50-51C and then the fans kick in, the temps drop, the fans go off, and the cycle repeats at anything more than pure idle.

It's relatively quiet though - I have a pretty silent (music) studio and the noise with 3 monitors is more than acceptable, but I do have the Mac Pro between 2 cabinets, and I also run all of the Mac Pro fans a little faster than stock speeds, including the PCIe fan.