So it looks like we may never see RDNA 3 drivers from Apple. What would it take to make our own? Could they be compiled from AMD's Linux drivers?
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MP 7,1 Next Gen AMD 7900 XT support for 7.1 Mac Pro?
- Thread starter rondocap
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No - because you'd need Metal drivers which don't exist on Linux.
So, unless Apple changes their minds... it's done.
I think your right, RDNA3 would blow the M2 away even more lol i dont think we will see RDNA-3 drivers from Apple.
So I was right with my predictions.
Apple doesn’t want to be embarrassed by higher performing third party GPUs. I think we have to go back to PC workstations.
Nobody was able to do it with Nvidia GPUs when Apple and Nvidia had their hissy fits, why would this be any different? IOW, No, wont happen👎
Lou
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I would love to see AMD/NVIDIA contribute to open source their drivers. Would seem to be in their own self interest to do so.
They probably can't. Building drivers requires a special agreement with Apple - which is likely NDA'd. None of the accelerated driver stack is public.
Even if they broke their NDA by releasing the driver source for an SDK no one has - graphics drivers still require special signing to install. Meaning - at best - anyone installing these drivers would need to disable SIP and boot time protections. Which people might be willing to do but thats a smaller and smaller audience.
Well they could release everything but that proprietary apple handshake stuff. Then Open source could maybe reverse engineer it and/or shame it (with anti trust suit threats perhaps) into helping.
That's pretty much the whole driver. All of the Metal driver structure is non public. All of the GL driver structure is non public. It's all pretty much under the non public umbrella.
So pleased i didn't invest in the 7900xtx ref card in the hope apple would give its current 7.1 owners it's last GPU upgrade. Even existing MPX cards wont work in the new pro 8.1 and 3 8 pin power plugs on the board is not enough to power a 4090. My 4090 in the 7.1 along with the 6900xt is a beast.
My next Machine will be a thread ripper with NV's next offering 5090 until then this 7.1 4090 combo will do me nicely.
We also have to remember that Mac OSX will drop intel support as soon as it can, all development will be on Apple silicon from now on and i expect apple cant wait to drop its intel support along with AMD support in drivers for existing MPX modules in the 7.1 pro machines, even though they charged a fortune for them.
My next Machine will be a thread ripper with NV's next offering 5090 until then this 7.1 4090 combo will do me nicely.
We also have to remember that Mac OSX will drop intel support as soon as it can, all development will be on Apple silicon from now on and i expect apple cant wait to drop its intel support along with AMD support in drivers for existing MPX modules in the 7.1 pro machines, even though they charged a fortune for them.
Not entirely, the 7,1 will most likely be supported until ~2026 (when Sonoma dies), but not being able to continue to upgrade the GPU is really a baseball bat to the kneecaps, delivered straight from Timmy boy:
You can totally upgrade the GPU in the 7,1. All you have to do is put the 7,1 back in its box, bring it to the Apple Store, and trade it in for an 8,1.
(Yes, it's a joke, but probably pretty close to Apple's actual thinking here. They don't want those Intel Macs out there.)
Just a weird theoretical question. Would you rather get one last GPU update to the 79xx or to some theoretical future 89xx? If you get only one update?
Maybe that's their thinking but in actuality that is a downgrade on GPU performance.
I think they might be able to keep up with a 6900.
A 7900 or a 4090? No. It would be a blowout. But Apple seems to be ignoring those cards exist...
I would rather the 79xx now, because by the time the 89xx comes out, who knows if there will even be a Mac Pro to put one in...
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You can boot Asahi Linux natively with Si Macs.
(and of course some clown will probably try to respond to this by mentioning that Windows can be virtualized)
You should refrain doing this type of statement, first you are plainly wrong, second, you are being disrespectful.
Post updated, but beyond Asahi Linux, there are no other OS' that can be multibooted on ARM Macs, are there?
Previous post is still wrong, Asahi Linux boots natively (from the native Apple boot picker).
Apple Silicon allows native booting of other operational systems, there is no technical reason that impedes Microsoft to provide full support of Windows for ARMs to Macs with Apple Silicon besides a purely business decision.
If a small Linux distribution with probably a handful of full time developers can do it funded by donations alone, why Microsoft can't?
I see, so it's more-so that there aren't many OS' to choose from, not that the hardware restricts it. Thanks for explaining!
Btw, I bet that Asahi Linux will provide full third party PCIe GPU support (obviously for the GPUs that already have Linux ARM drivers) with the new Mac Pro in the week that the first developer gets one.
I was actually kind of surprised there wasn't some "return of Boot Camp" announcement this year after Microsoft cleared up the licensing. Still waiting to see if there is a "Rosetta for Windows" announcement just like they released Rosetta for Linux.
I've heard this isn't going to happen. The PCIe controller is missing some key features (I think around memory) to even get GPUs working at all at a hardware level.