Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
Hello everyone,
I bought an RX580 8GB saphire yesterday and i wanted to install it yesterday but i noticed my mac pro 5.1 has the firmware password, what should i do? Buy new RAM? Or is that not going to help me?
And question, if i unofficially, install mac os Monterey? How will it feel? Has anyone installed it?
I would be grateful for answers to questions and for help

Have a great day!

P.S
My configuration:
MP 5.1
2x Intel Xeon E5645
8x 8GB RAM OWC 1333Mhz
ATi Radeon HD 5850 1GB (mac edition)
-> Saphire Pulse RX580 8GB
 
  • Like
Reactions: rm5

rm5

macrumors 68040
Mar 4, 2022
3,036
3,505
United States
Did you forget the firmware password? I believe there is a hack to remove the firmware password from old Macs, although I don't know if it works on 5,1 Mac Pros.

Once you figure that out, you can install Monterey on the machine! I have my Mac Pro 5,1 running Monterey 12.6.3, and it works absolutely flawlessly! I have a W5500 video card, which is a little newer than your RX 580, but Monterey will run just fine on an RX 580!

Let me know when you get past the Firmware Password, and then if you need more help, I'd be more than happy to help ya out some more!!
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
Hello everyone,
I bought an RX580 8GB saphire yesterday and i wanted to install it yesterday but i noticed my mac pro 5.1 has the firmware password, what should i do?
Can't you disable the firmware password with your existing graphic card?

Buy new RAM?
Why you want to buy new RAM? You want to go 8x16GB?

And question, if i unofficially, install mac os Monterey? How will it feel? Has anyone installed it?
I would be grateful for answers to questions and for help

Have a great day!

P.S
My configuration:
MP 5.1
2x Intel Xeon E5645
8x 8GB RAM OWC 1333Mhz
ATi Radeon HD 5850 1GB (mac edition)
-> Saphire Pulse RX580 8GB
Monterey should works well with this config (after you switch to the RX580, and assuming you have a SSD).

I am running the latest Monterey now, extremely stable. TBH, I never use sleep before, because it wasn't work well. Until I run Big Sur (and Monterey), I can now use sleep flawlessly. Of course, YMMV, but I am very happy with Monterey.
 

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
Can't you disable the firmware password with your existing graphic card?
Yes. I can’t
Why you want to buy new RAM? You want to go 8x16GB?
No. I'm thinking of buying the 2x8 again to reset the firmware password, at least that's what I think will help me
I am running the latest Monterey now, extremely stable. TBH, I never use sleep before, because it wasn't work well. Until I run Big Sur (and Monterey), I can now use sleep flawlessly. Of course, YMMV, but I am very happy with Monterey.
What is it YMMV?
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
Yes. I can’t
Why? You don't know the password?

Yes. I can’t

No. I'm thinking of buying the 2x8 again to reset the firmware password, at least that's what I think will help me

What is it YMMV?
How can that reset the firmware password? There is nothing stored in the DIMM once power off.

Yes. I can’t

No. I'm thinking of buying the 2x8 again to reset the firmware password, at least that's what I think will help me

What is it YMMV?
Screenshot 2023-03-03 at 18.38.52.png
 
  • Haha
Reactions: prefuse07

rm5

macrumors 68040
Mar 4, 2022
3,036
3,505
United States
I’m think you about mac 😅😅
YMMV means, "your mileage may vary." That means that you might have a different experience compared another person.

As far as the firmware password, like I mentioned, if you forget it, there's not much you can do to reset it, if that hack doesn't work.
 

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
As far as the firmware password, like I mentioned, if you forget it, there's not much you can do to reset it, if that hack doesn't work.
all good. I was removing my graphic card, and install Put it back in, and my firmware reset. Hah :)
 

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
@rm5, And I'd like to know what works and what doesn't work, I'd appreciate knowing what I might encounter.
 

iModFrenzy

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2015
896
873
Kamino
@iAuremo, can you please elaborate on your two points above? I'm not quite understanding what you need.
If my deciphering is correct, he’s curious how airdrop works because he likely doesn’t have an upgraded wifi card installed. And as for the 2nd question, i believe he means in terms of if functionality is broken. For example, night shift not working.
How can that reset the firmware password? There is nothing stored in the DIMM once power off.
It’s clear they’re inexperienced, no offense OP we all start somewhere, they’re stating their thought process on what they think will fix the problem. The average user likely doesn’t know ram loses its memory on power loss.

A lot of these posts are taking OP way too literal…
 

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
@rm5 , hi, im install mac os monterey but, im hold option button but black screen, how to fix?
 

rm5

macrumors 68040
Mar 4, 2022
3,036
3,505
United States
@rm5 , hi, im install mac os monterey but, im hold option button but black screen, how to fix?
Sounds like you might not have built OCLP correctly (or at all), so look at this page.
  1. Boot a natively supported macOS version, such as High Sierra
  2. Download and build OpenCore Legacy Patcher onto a thumb drive
  3. On the same thumb drive, create the macOS installer.
  4. Reboot while holding Option, and select the EFI partition off of the thumb drive (this is the one that has OpenCore).
    1. SUPER IMPORTANT - hold down Control while selecting the EFI partition; you should see a circle with an arrow.
  5. Once booted into the macOS installer, follow the instructions to install macOS via OpenCore.
  6. Once finished, make sure to build OCLP onto your boot drive, so you won't need the thumb drive anymore.
 

iAuremo

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2023
41
8
@rm5 Im ejected my usb flash drive, It's all the same.
Maybe put in an old video card? (It shows everything on it)
And as I install just change it to a new one ?
 

rm5

macrumors 68040
Mar 4, 2022
3,036
3,505
United States
@rm5 Im ejected my usb flash drive, It's all the same.
Maybe put in an old video card? (It shows everything on it)
And as I install just change it to a new one ?
Well the problem you'll run into is that OCLP automatically installs patches for non-Metal video cards. So if you throw in a Metal video card after the fact, there will be no GPU acceleration. I have not been successful in reverting the root patches to get back GPU acceleration after installing.

What I'd do instead is to put back in the old video card, and make sure you're actually booting into the EFI partition. If you aren't, then follow the steps I gave in the last post. If you're booted into the EFI partition, then something is wrong with your video card, because it should be displaying a signal when OCLP is loaded.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.