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MacPro 1.1 owner: Which aftermarket video card "just works"?

C

Ccrew

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 28, 2011
2,035
3
Yeah, I've perused the forums, but I'm not really finding what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for the best aftermarket video card for a MacPro 1.1 that will just plug and run. While I certainly have the tech skills for rom flashes, kext mods, etc, I frankly am not overly interested in screwing with it. Not to mention a scenario where it works now but has to be redone or breaks on the next OSX patch. I'm on the edge of getting rid of the machine as my flipping Mini and both laptops will out geekbench it, so I'm not looking to invest a world of time or effort in it. Sorry for not being geeky enough for the geek club :)

Essentially what I'm looking for is that other than buying a card from Apple, were I to walk onto say oh, Best Buy, or browse NewEgg, exactly what is out there that simply works like a factory card without having to jump through hoops to get it to do so?

Thanks.

Thanks.
 
Radeon 5770, 5870, 6870 (reference design cards).

They won't display the Apple Boot Screen, though. So if you wan't to choose which drive to boot from at startup, you'll have to do that blindly.
 
flatfoot said:
Radeon 5770, 5870, 6870 (reference design cards).

They won't display the Apple Boot Screen, though. So if you wan't to choose which drive to boot from at startup, you'll have to do that blindly.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Do pretty much any of them work, ie: True ATI, vs Gigabyte, xFx, etc?

Appreciate it.
 
Brand doesn't matter. Just make sure it's reference design.
You could search the forums for the different models to find frequently used vendors.
 
flatfoot said:
Radeon 5770, 5870, 6870 (reference design cards).

They won't display the Apple Boot Screen, though. So if you wan't to choose which drive to boot from at startup, you'll have to do that blindly.
Click to expand...

6870 also requires 10.6.8 or later, ATY_init to not crasch on some apps, and Mac Pro power cables bought separately.
 
Ccrew said:
Not to mention a scenario where it works now but has to be redone or breaks on the next OSX patch.
Click to expand...

Nobody can guarantee any aftermarket card won't break on the next OSX patch. This has happened a few times before and once again recently.
 
flatfoot said:
Radeon 5770, 5870, 6870 (reference design cards).

They won't display the Apple Boot Screen, though. So if you wan't to choose which drive to boot from at startup, you'll have to do that blindly.
Click to expand...

Are you sure the 5770 won't display the Apple Boot Screen? I haven't heard this before...
 
I have a ATI 5780 card in my 2.1 MP. it just works exactly the same as before no fuss no bother. Now I can play Battlefield 3 on my extra internal Windows 7 drive.
 
5770 and 5870 from Apple show boot screen on any port.

Flashed 5770 or 5870 only show boot screen via lower DVI port when connected to it's VGA component. (i.e., to old CRT screen or a flat panel with VGA port)

This could be fixed if someone spent some time on the EFI, but most people just use "Startup Disk" and "Bootcamp" apps to choose startup disk before shutting down.
 
Flashed 5770 and 5870 only show boot screen via a VGA adapter on lower DVI port.

This is just how it is.

If you are using a Dell or other display that can accept VGA input, this may work quite well. If you prefer or need digital connection, then the end result is NO BOOT SCREEN.

I am trying to lead an effort to engage the "community" to write a better EFI but so far nobody has gotten very excited.

The real Apple ones show boot screen from any port on any Mac Pro.
 
I have the same kinda issue... Installed a HD 5770 and it boots up, but only at a 600x800 resolution, and no other options are showing.

Is this because it might only work with Lion?
 
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