MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro Firmware Update to High Sierra. Can I go back?

[bill_face]

Hello all.

I'm needing to upgrade to High Sierra to run some software, but have an old version of Pro Tools that doesn't work past El Capitan. So I was thinking of installing both on different drives and booting into which on I need.

However when I go to update to High Sierra, I'm getting a message saying a firmware update is required. I'm wondering if doing this would prevent me from booting into El Capitan?

Its a 2009 Mac Pro, but someone has obviously upgraded it to 5.1 at some point in the past.

Thanks

 

[tsialex]

Hello all.

I'm needing to upgrade to High Sierra to run some software, but have an old version of Pro Tools that doesn't work past El Capitan. So I was thinking of installing both on different drives and booting into which on I need.

However when I go to update to High Sierra, I'm getting a message saying a firmware update is required. I'm wondering if doing this would prevent me from booting into El Capitan?

Its a 2009 Mac Pro, but someone has obviously upgraded it to 5.1 at some point in the past.

Thanks

BootROM version has nothing to do with macOS release.

Your Mac Pro upgraded with the current Mojave BootROM, 144.0.0.0.0, still boots 10.6, if your GPU supports it. High Sierra firmware, MP51.0089.B00, boots any earlier macOS releases.

Read the first post of the thread:

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[bill_face]

Awesome thanks for that. Does anyone know if I installed a AMD Radeon RX 560 to get to Mojave, if El Capitan would still work with that graphics card?

 

[tommy chen]

Awesome thanks for that. Does anyone know if I installed a AMD Radeon RX 560 to get to Mojave, if El Capitan would still work with that graphics card?

no, the RX580 needs sierra and up

 

[tsialex]

Awesome thanks for that. Does anyone know if I installed a AMD Radeon RX 560 to get to Mojave, if El Capitan would still work with that graphics card?

Support for RX 4xx/5xx starts with 10.12.6. GTX 680/R9 280 works for El Capitan/Mojave.

 

[bill_face]

Thankyou muchly for all your help. Last question (hopefully): I've found a used MSI GTX 680 that has been flashed for Mac. The seller says it works fine on Mojave. Would it be likely to work on El Capitan without drivers?

 

[tsialex]

Kepler GPUs have native Mojave and Catalina support, with Apple drivers, several 2012 to 2014 MBPs and iMacs have GPUs of the same generation.

 

[Macsonic]

Awesome thanks for that. Does anyone know if I installed a AMD Radeon RX 560 to get to Mojave, if El Capitan would still work with that graphics card?

When I still have an AMD RX 570, tried it out with Yosemite and El Capitan and did not work. Got a black screen. The RX 570 works fine in Sierra 10.12. In Mojave, I’m using a Nvidia Kepler card and works fine.

 

[bill_face]

Kepler GPUs have native Mojave and Catalina support, with Apple drivers, several 2012 to 2014 MBPs and iMacs have GPUs of the same generation.

So are you saying the flashed MSI GTX 680 wouldn't work with El Capitan, but a Kepler one would?

 

[h9826790]

So are you saying the flashed MSI GTX 680 wouldn't work with El Capitan, but a Kepler one would?

GTX 680 belongs to Kepler.

It can work in El Capitan and Mojave.

 

[bill_face]

GTX 680 belongs to Kepler.

It can work in El Capitan and Mojave.

Thanks. I think i'm beginning to get it. NVIDIA is a technology company that makes a chip that goes on graphics cards manufactured by other companies. Kepler is an architecture within that chip.

So any flashed GTX 680 made by any manufacturer that works for Mojave should work with El Capitan, and i could boot between the two.

Correct?

 

[h9826790]

Thanks. I think i'm beginning to get it. NVIDIA is a technology company that makes a chip that goes on graphics cards manufactured by other companies. Kepler is an architecture within that chip.

So any flashed GTX 680 made by any manufacturer that works for Mojave should work with El Capitan, and i could boot between the two.

Correct?

Correct