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MP 7,1 Mac Pro 7,1 upgrade questions

A

AtRisk702

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 27, 2023
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This is my first post asking for help not really well versed in this platform but I'll give it a shot. So I've been stuck on the journey to upgrade my 2019 Mac Pro 7,1. I currently have a base model with 3.5 GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon W, AMD Radeon Pro 580X 8 GB, 96 GB RAM. I recently purchased a XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT that I quickly found out did not fit in the case. After some research Ive narrowed down two cards that measure less than 12 inches that are readily available on Ebay ASUS Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB OC & AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB Reference.

My first question is are these cards that are worth buying used ? My next question would be is there a more reliable platform to find these cards?

On the subject of the CPU, I have been searching on Ebay as well and I am curious as to the price differences I am noticing. "Intel Xeon W-3245 3.2 GHz SRFFD 16-Cores" and items listed as "SRFFD" are typically priced higher than those like "Intel Xeon w-3245m QS CPU processor 3.2ghz 16-core lga3647" and those listed with "QS" are typically priced cheaper and come from China.

My question is, are the "QS" labled CPUs generic or inferior to an OEM Intel CPU? If so, what is the difference between the two?
 
AtRisk702 said:
This is my first post asking for help not really well versed in this platform but I'll give it a shot. So I've been stuck on the journey to upgrade my 2019 Mac Pro 7,1. I currently have a base model with 3.5 GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon W, AMD Radeon Pro 580X 8 GB, 96 GB RAM. I recently purchased a XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT that I quickly found out did not fit in the case. After some research Ive narrowed down two cards that measure less than 12 inches that are readily available on Ebay ASUS Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB OC & AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB Reference.

My first question is are these cards that are worth buying used ? My next question would be is there a more reliable platform to find these cards?

On the subject of the CPU, I have been searching on Ebay as well and I am curious as to the price differences I am noticing. "Intel Xeon W-3245 3.2 GHz SRFFD 16-Cores" and items listed as "SRFFD" are typically priced higher than those like "Intel Xeon w-3245m QS CPU processor 3.2ghz 16-core lga3647" and those listed with "QS" are typically priced cheaper and come from China.

My question is, are the "QS" labled CPUs generic or inferior to an OEM Intel CPU? If so, what is the difference between the two?
Click to expand...

I believe QS is for Qualification Sample - it’s not a retail or OEM supplied unit, but a manufacturing test sample.

Personally, I wouldn’t use one.
 
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QS are a risk, not worth it for production use.

It’s getting very difficult to find reasonable price CPU upgrades for the 7,1. Last W3275M I saw was equivalent of AUD$5000 on eBay.
 
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There is another RX6800XT that fits this Gigabyte:

And is available new:

www.amazon.com

GIGABYTE AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, 16GB of GDDR6 memory, powered by AMD RDNA 2, HDMI 2.1, WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System, GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD

Powered by RDNA2 Radeon RX 6800 XT Integrated with 16GB GDDR6 256-bit memory interface WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans Screen cooling Graphene nano lubricant RGB Fusion 2.0 Dual BIOS Protection metal back plate.
www.amazon.com

Looks like an Amazon vendor has one that might a display model @ $482.

Lou
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
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flowrider said:
There is another RX6800XT that fits this Gigabyte:

And is available new:

www.amazon.com

GIGABYTE AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, 16GB of GDDR6 memory, powered by AMD RDNA 2, HDMI 2.1, WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System, GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD

Powered by RDNA2 Radeon RX 6800 XT Integrated with 16GB GDDR6 256-bit memory interface WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans Screen cooling Graphene nano lubricant RGB Fusion 2.0 Dual BIOS Protection metal back plate.
www.amazon.com

Looks like an Amazon vendor has one that might a display model @ $482.

Lou
Click to expand...
I ended up purchasing this exact card. Unfortunately when I leave the display up for about 20 mins or so I get a lot of glitched pixels. if im watching video on you tube it will freeze up. my computer keeps restarting due to error. I ran a diagnostic and it came up with a error code about a fan malfunction. I blew the case out with compressed air and re seated the gpu and I still gt the same issue. could this possibly due to the power supply or the 8 core cpu I am running atm ?
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
^^^^I have used that GPU for 2½ years with no issues👍🏻 I used it when I ran the 8 core and it was fine. Are you running the card in quiet or performance mode? I have mine set to performance.

Lou
 
flowrider said:
^^^^I have used that GPU for 2½ years with no issues👍🏻 I used it when I ran the 8 core and it was fine. Are you running the card in quiet or performance mode? I have mine set to performance.

Lou
Click to expand...
I ran it in both quiet and performance mode(macOS and x86). it seems to be overheating and shutting down the system after about 45 mins or so. I tried to download the Adrenaline software on my windows partition and It says it won't complete the download as I get "error 173" and it claims I don't have an AMD card installed. but in my device manager the card will show up. Ive tried uninstalling the drivers via DDR and doing a clean install. still no go. Im at the point where I am looking into flashing the rom on the card but I am un sure if that is necessary since the card boots and I get a display. also I am not familiar with the open core software nor am I sure if thats my fix but my research keeps referencing it.
 
^^^^Something seems to be wrong with the cooing in your system. I use Macs Fan Control, I've had it for years. I needed in previous Mac's, but not with the 7,1 Mac Pro. I have set all 4 of my Mac fans to run at Auto. Are both fans working on the GPU?

You may want to try Macs Fan Control to speed up the fans in your system. Is dust a problem for you?

Lou
 
I am running Macs fan control on the full blast setting and ive had no issues going on about an hour or so now. But it says my card is at 109F! when fans are on full blast. when I try to set it to a sensor based value according to the 6800XT it auto selects my 580X for some reason. I have a feeling the card should not be heating up like that. this happens on both silent and OC modes. Dust is not an issue as I have a mini vac for the system. also I have no idea if the fans are running properly on the card because I can't see or hear it with the cover on the Mac.
 

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^^^^I removed my MPX580X and threw it in the trash. Did not play well with my 6800XT. Now as far as temp of my GPU right now 147° F. And running fine. If you have problems at 109° F, something's wrong with the card.

TinyGrab Screen Shot 12-27-23, 6.52.15 PM.png

Lou
 
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flowrider said:
^^^^I removed my MPX580X and threw it in the trash. Did not play well with my 6800XT. Now as far as temp of my GPU right now 147° F. And running fine. If you have problems at 109° F, something's wrong with the card.

View attachment 2329771

Lou
Click to expand...
Hey Lou<
First I wanted to say thank you for your suggestion about the Macs Fan Control Application. that was the fix that I have been looking for for about 3 weeks or so now. I was literally ready to take advantage of my protection plan on the card assuming the card was faulty. I ran the card in my system last night for several hours with no issues whatsoever.

Can you maybe elaborate on the issues your 580X module was having that conflicted with your 6800xt? im just curious.
Thanks Again , you saved me a huge headache...
Kyle
 
^^^^Can't really recall now, but things were flaky until I removed it. I removed it back in August of 2021.

Lou
 
Save your money, sell or re-purpose the 2019 Mac Pro and wait for the M3 Ultra Mac Pro (fingers crossed.) The 16" M3 Max I just bought is faster than my 2019 Mac Pro at everything so far. Granted work bought the laptop, and it was a large spend, but I have stopped all "work" work on my Mac Pro since my work machine is faster.

Honestly if you want a GPU to work 100% correct in the Mac Pro you need to get a MPX one from Apple, and the cost isn't worth it right now. Spending any money on the 2019 Mac Pro should be shelved until we know if the M3 Ultra Mac Pro is going to be a thing.

My 2¢.
 
That avkills guy always goes around spreading anti-Intel propaganda. His agenda is clear.

I am also running a Gigabyte RX6800XT in my 7,1 with zero issues. I previously had issues until I removed my MPX module altogether, and now things are smooth. Check THIS THREAD for more info.
 
prefuse07 said:
That avkills guy always goes around spreading anti-Intel propaganda. His agenda is clear.

I am also running a Gigabyte RX6800XT in my 7,1 with zero issues. I previously had issues until I removed my MPX module altogether, and now things are smooth. Check THIS THREAD for more info.
Click to expand...

My 6900xt also trouble free. Sleeps perfect etc. agree with the above, apples w5700 card has given many people problems.
 
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prefuse07 said:
That avkills guy always goes around spreading anti-Intel propaganda. His agenda is clear.

I am also running a Gigabyte RX6800XT in my 7,1 with zero issues. I previously had issues until I removed my MPX module altogether, and now things are smooth. Check THIS THREAD for more info.
Click to expand...
Which RX6800 (or 6900) card is the best to get for the 7,1? When I search online I see several versions and prices all over the map? (I have a w5700x card that I suspect is the root cause of all my problems the past 3 years).



 
"Original" AMD 6900XT in combination with Apple MPX 5700 Radeon Pro: no problems (macOS Sonoma 14.2.1)
 
choreo said:
Which RX6800 (or 6900) card is the best to get for the 7,1? When I search online I see several versions and prices all over the map? (I have a w5700x card that I suspect is the root cause of all my problems the past 3 years).



Click to expand...
The first one of your links looks like a very long card that might collide with the 7.1. The second used to be the best alternative to the classic reference model. The third one might have a different chip set and may not work at all in MacOS. Apple did not release the AMD 7xxx drivers so far In order to push AS.

I would either go with the AMD reference design, your option #2 above, or have a look at the blue colored AMD Radeon PRO Series. There are sometimes decent deals out there, such as this local deal here in Germany Down below. They might ship to the US if a Vega 7 is enough for you. Two of those might do the trick if you are after some gpu rendering power AND stay under 1000 bucks. Just a thought..

AMD Radeon Pro VII Radeon Pro VII 16 GB Speicher mit hoher Bandbreite 2 HBM2 100-506163

AMD Radeon Pro VII Radeon Pro VII 16 GB Speicher mit hoher Bandbreite 2 HBM2, 100-506163, EAN 0727419416818 günstig - ab 0 € portofrei kaufen
www.jacob.de www.jacob.de
 
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choreo said:
Which RX6800 (or 6900) card is the best to get for the 7,1? When I search online I see several versions and prices all over the map? (I have a w5700x card that I suspect is the root cause of all my problems the past 3 years).



Click to expand...
I have the 6900 from Sonnet. It fits fine. The fans do kick up some times for random reasons. Most of the time it’s quiet. I suspect if you could find one the duo 6800 from Apple seems to be the most powerful and least “issue” card.

But at this point it’s probably near unobtainable.

The reference 6800 and 6900xt cards all seem to run without issue too. Reference cards have a USBC port, 2 display ports and 1 hdmi port.

Another interesting card is a dell 6800xt card seems to run well, and is the only 2slot card (other than the Apple Card’s) but it’s difficult to find from the little mentions I’ve seen of it here in the forums.

Sonnet AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT - SONNETTECH

Sonnet AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card and bundles for eGPU Thunderbolt expansion systems, 2019 Mac Pro, and Windows PCs.
www.sonnettech.com www.sonnettech.com
 
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prefuse07 said:
That avkills guy always goes around spreading anti-Intel propaganda. His agenda is clear.

I am also running a Gigabyte RX6800XT in my 7,1 with zero issues. I previously had issues until I removed my MPX module altogether, and now things are smooth. Check THIS THREAD for more info.
Click to expand...
You're funny.

You had issues running what I suspect was a 580X MPX module and then put in your RX6800XT. I also never said they would not work; I just that it does not work as good as a MPX module. The MPX module gets extra power via the MPX slot and also routes video signals so that any thunderbolt/usb-c port can act as a monitor output. Aftermarket cards do not work this way; as they need to get the cable pack and video signals have to be direct to the GPU card.

And if you browse my long history of posts you will see that I was a champion for the 2019 Mac Pro and have dismissed the M2 based Mac Pro as trash.

Apple will still sell you MPX modules; but why would you spend money on them when the writing is on the wall. You all need to face the fact that the Intel chip inside the 2019 Mac Pro is basically obsolete now.

I have a ****ing 2019 Mac Pro so do not pretend I do not know what they are about and what things do or do not work.

And I also have first hand real world work showing that my new work bought 16" MacBook Pro M3 Max is faster.
 
ZombiePhysicist said:
I have the 6900 from Sonnet. It fits fine. The fans do kick up some times for random reasons. Most of the time it’s quiet. I suspect if you could find one the duo 6800 from Apple seems to be the most powerful and least “issue” card.

But at this point it’s probably near unobtainable.

The reference 6800 and 6900xt cards all seem to run without issue too. Reference cards have a USBC port, 2 display ports and 1 hdmi port.

Another interesting card is a dell 6800xt card seems to run well, and is the only 2slot card (other than the Apple Card’s) but it’s difficult to find from the little mentions I’ve seen of it here in the forums.

Sonnet AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT - SONNETTECH

Sonnet AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card and bundles for eGPU Thunderbolt expansion systems, 2019 Mac Pro, and Windows PCs.
www.sonnettech.com www.sonnettech.com
Click to expand...
Regarding the Dell 6800xt card, that’s the one I have in my MP 5.1. It’s a great card and it’s very compact. I got it flashed, so I have a MP7.1 feeling in a MP5.1. The best way track that card down is to look for the Alienware Aurora R12 desktop.

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/de-de/alienware-aurora-r12-desktop/alienware-aurora-r12-setup-and-specifications/gpu-–-separat?guid=guid-9310b670-9461-4c64-a7ba-f7c97bc7f754&lang=en-us

The Aurora 12 looks cool, but from a technical standpoint it was horrible and very cramped and loud. Dell already did some major effort to squeeze powerfull gpus in that tiny box In the previous edition. The Nvidia GTX 2080TI water cooled version was the most Frankenstein version. When AMD came along, Dell demanded AMD to realize a 2 slot design, otherwise there would not have been an AMD choice for the Aurora at that time. That is the background story to that card.
 
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AlexMaximus said:
Regarding the Dell 6800xt card, that’s the one I have in my MP 5.1. It’s a great card and it’s very compact. I got it flashed, so I have a MP7.1 feeling in a MP5.1. The best way track that card down is to look for the Alienware Aurora R12 desktop.

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/de-de/alienware-aurora-r12-desktop/alienware-aurora-r12-setup-and-specifications/gpu-–-separat?guid=guid-9310b670-9461-4c64-a7ba-f7c97bc7f754&lang=en-us

The Aurora 12 looks cool, but from a technical standpoint it was horrible and very cramped and loud. Dell already did some major effort to squeeze powerfull gpus in that tiny box In the previous edition. The Nvidia GTX 2080TI water cooled version was the most Frankenstein version. When AMD came along, Dell demanded AMD to realize a 2 slot design, otherwise there would not have been an AMD choice for the Aurora at that time. That is the background story to that card.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's great info.

What is the port layout on that Dell 6800? Is it like the reference card? Also is it a 6800XT?
 
avkills said:
Wrong, it can't route video to any of the thunderbolt/usb-c ports, nor can it be powered by the MPX slot.
Click to expand...

1. All my USB Slots work. - I have more than enough USB ports with my USB expansion card and the ports on my display. There are plenty of video slots on my GPU. Thunderbolt - HUH❗️

2. Powered by the MPX slot is a feature❓

Lou
 
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