MP 1,1-5,1 Radeon 580x Stopped working after PRAM reset! Help!

[JavierB]

Hey wizards,
I have a Mac Pro 5,1 with a Radeon Sapphire 580x. Not flashed, so no boot screen.
It has worked really well the last year or so. I was having some shutdown issues in the past week so I did an SMC and PRAM reset and since then the card is black screening me. I put in my old stock card and everything is fine. I checked FileVault and its off.

But I cant get the 580x to send out a picture. the mac boots, i know because i get sounds and i can open and close the cd tray and shut it down with command shortcuts. But zero image.

WHAT HAPPENED? did I kill it? what can I try?

 

[JedNZ]

It would greatly assist the community if you add a signature with your system information. Include BootRom version, macOS, PCI cards, ram and boot configuration etc.

So tell us a little more about the GPU itself - is it a Sapphire Pulse RX580 (4GB or 8GB), or the Sapphire Nitro RX580 8GB? Does it have a dual BIOS switch? Have you tried the other BIOS if it has dual BIOS?
How is it powered: dual mini-6-pin to 8-pin? Pixlas Mod? SATA power cable?
What is your screen and how is your GPU connected to it? DisplayPort, HDMI etc?
Have you tried another cable? Tried another port (HDMI instead of DP, or vice versa)?

 

[JavierB]

Sure.
Its a Sapphire Pulse 580x 8gb. Its dual 6 to 8pin powered. I'm connecting to a Cinema Display via DVI
I'm running High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 12 core, 3.46gz Pro from 2009. Boot ROM Version: MP51.0089.B00

As I noted, it was working fine until I did an SMC reset and a Option-Command-PR pram/nvram reset and that seemed to kill it. It was still powered up and fans were running but zero image. The mac still responded to keyboard commands, like eject, volume up/down, and keyboard shortcut shutdown.

I checked and the mac is still identifying as a 5,1. The stock card is working perfectly in the same slot with the same power, same monitor, same connections.

--------------

 

[Macschrauber]

Sure.
Its a Sapphire Pulse 580x 8gb. Its dual 6 to 8pin powered. I'm connecting to a Cinema Display via DVI
I'm running High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 12 core, 3.46gz Pro from 2009. Boot ROM Version: MP51.0089.B00

As I noted, it was working fine until I did an SMC reset and a Option-Command-PR pram/nvram reset and that seemed to kill it. It was still powered up and fans were running but zero image. The mac still responded to keyboard commands, like eject, volume up/down, and keyboard shortcut shutdown.

I checked and the mac is still identifying as a 5,1. The stock card is working perfectly in the same slot with the same power, same monitor, same connections.

--------------

you can try to turn on screen sharing and vnc and remotley look into your Mac Pro With another machine. If it has recognized the gpu and set a correct resolution.

 

[JavierB]

you can try to turn on screen sharing and vnc and remotley look into your Mac Pro With another machine. If it has recognized the gpu and set a correct resolution.

Thanks! But what happens then? I mean, what would I do after finding out that answer either if it does or doesnt? How do I reset it to what it was before?

 

[Macschrauber]

If you see no gpu you know there is a technical problem with the gpu.

 

[JavierB]

If you see no gpu you know there is a technical problem with the gpu.

So if the GPU doesnt show up, that means its not a problem with the Mac or OS itself? and means the card is kaput?

 

[JedNZ]

Not necessarily. Try a few more things:

Does the display show when booting into Recovery (Boot holding down Cmd+R)?

Are you using any type of display software like SwitchResX? If so, disable it via remote/VNC.

If still no luck, on powering on again, hold down shift for a minute. A Safe Boot disables third party extensions that could be causing an issue.

Remove the GPU and I inspect. Use some compressed air on the PCIe pins and check/inspect the PCIe slot. Reseat the power cables.

Have you installed any security updates or macOS updates lately? When was the last time you replaced the PRAM battery?

Have you tried to update the BootRom recently? If you did try and it didn’t seem to work, consider shutting down then press and hold (and keep holding) the power button until you hear a long tone, then release and wait for a reboot. Do not interrupt this.

Let us know how you go.

 

[JavierB]

Not necessarily. Try a few more things:

Does the display show when booting into Recovery (Boot holding down Cmd+R)?

Are you using any type of display software like SwitchResX? If so, disable it via remote/VNC.

If still no luck, on powering on again, hold down shift for a minute. A Safe Boot disables third party extensions that could be causing an issue.

Remove the GPU and I inspect. Use some compressed air on the PCIe pins and check/inspect the PCIe slot. Reseat the power cables.

Have you installed any security updates or macOS updates lately? When was the last time you replaced the PRAM battery?

Have you tried to update the BootRom recently? If you did try and it didn’t seem to work, consider shutting down then press and hold (and keep holding) the power button until you hear a long tone, then release and wait for a reboot. Do not interrupt this.

Let us know how you go.

I've done some of this.
Recovery Boot is the same as regular boot: black screen.
Not using any display software.
No third party extension issues. (again, it was working fine with all software the same)
removed and replaced the card several times, no change.
no software or boot rom updates in the past few days, all i did was PRAM and SMC resets.

 

[Macschrauber]

Just enable screen sharing, its a quick thing.

if you have not another mac you may have an ios device, the Remoter App can handle vnc connections.

 

[JedNZ]

I've done some of this.
Recovery Boot is the same as regular boot: black screen.
Not using any display software.
No third party extension issues. (again, it was working fine with all software the same)
removed and replaced the card several times, no change.
no software or boot rom updates in the past few days, all i did was PRAM and SMC resets.

I have a couple of inexplicable issues over the years with my cMPs - boot up stalls, GPUs not initiating etc. my last resort, after trying everything else, had to hold down the power button on startup as if I was updating the BootRom firmware, and that has somehow - maybe only just a coincidence- been the thing that has resolved my issues - sometimes, not always. No idea if this could harm your cMP but if you’re all out of ideas it might be something you consider. Short of that, I’m out of ideas but there are a lot of others with a heap more experience that might chirp in with some advice/ideas.

 

[RafalG]

I've done some of this.
Recovery Boot is the same as regular boot: black screen.
Not using any display software.
No third party extension issues. (again, it was working fine with all software the same)
removed and replaced the card several times, no change.
no software or boot rom updates in the past few days, all i did was PRAM and SMC resets.

Hey! I have similar machine (MP5,1 (Mid 2010) with Radeon Sapphire RX580 8GB, same OS), and the same trouble.
I did, same like you, SMC and PRAM reset, and after that when i switch on, i hear horn and see black screen.
I've tried advice described above, but it my case it doesn't work as well. With old GPU everything is good.
did you resolve your issue?
Maybe somebody has another solutions?

thanks in advance

 

[JavierB]

Hey! I have similar machine (MP5,1 (Mid 2010) with Radeon Sapphire RX580 8GB, same OS), and the same trouble.
I did, same like you, SMC and PRAM reset, and after that when i switch on, i hear horn and see black screen.
I've tried advice described above, but it my case it doesn't work as well. With old GPU everything is good.
did you resolve your issue?
Maybe somebody has another solutions?

thanks in advance

Not resolved yet.
After the first few days I've frankly been too busy to risk trashing my computer with repeated swapping out of the video card, so I've just been puttering along with the old stock ATI card until I get some free time. I'm glad its not just me that had this issue, and so I do suspect that its a software Mac thing, because the coincidence with the PRAM/SMC reset is too odd otherwise. Nobody has chimed in yet with what the software fix is though.

 

[JavierB]

Not resolved yet.
After the first few days I've frankly been too busy to risk trashing my computer with repeated swapping out of the video card, so I've just been puttering along with the old stock ATI card until I get some free time. I'm glad its not just me that had this issue, and so I do suspect that its a software Mac thing, because the coincidence with the PRAM/SMC reset is too odd otherwise. Nobody has chimed in yet with what the software fix is though.

I will note that there is a new version of the video card that comes with the correct EFI and boot screen, which who knows, may resolve the issue, and runs around 300 bucks for the 8gb config. thats on my possible solution list. it would be nice to have a boot screen.

 

[MarkC426]

It‘s not a new version of the card, it has been flashed by someone.

 

[Tommi14]

Hello JavierB and RafalG,

May I ask, have you solved the problem concerning black screen with Radeon Sapphire RX580 after SMC and PRAM reset?

The reason why I am asking is that I have MP 4,1->5,1 with RX580 running Mojave and I am afraid to try SMC and PRAM reset after reading about your problem.

Tommi

 

[MrClass]

Hi guys.
has anybody solved this issue?
Have same exact build as the original person who started the thread with same problem.
Any help highly appreciated.
thanks.
MrC

 

[TECK]

Does your card have a ROM switch? If it does, make sure is on the left side, that is the Quiet mode ROM, right side is the Performance mode and creates issues in a 5,1.



If you don't have a switch, that means you have a V1 card and you might need to do a ROM dump and inspect what you run in your card. A lot of people don't know these cards are very popular for mining and most used models for sale are undervolted with custom ROMs. See #10 for more info and #18 for easy flash details.

Hope this might help.

 

[RafalG]

Hello JavierB and RafalG,

May I ask, have you solved the problem concerning black screen with Radeon Sapphire RX580 after SMC and PRAM reset?

The reason why I am asking is that I have MP 4,1->5,1 with RX580 running Mojave and I am afraid to try SMC and PRAM reset after reading about your problem.

Tommi

Hi Tommi14, sorry for the late reply ...

i solved this problem accidentally and i am not sure what i did that works now.
Anyway, below are few steps which i did:
1. I sent this GPU to the service centre (because it had a guarantee at the time) but they told me it was working perfectly and sent it back.
2. I put it to the Mac Pro, but the result was the same as before
3. I put it to PC with WIndows, to be sure that service centre told me the truth , and it worked perfectly
4. Finally i put into my Mac Pro, ...and the miracle has occured...

I am certain of one thing. I will never do SMC nad PRAM reset on this machine again

Rafal

 

[Tommi14]

Thanks RafalG! Glad to hear that you got the GPU to work again after all.

Besides Sapphire Pulse RX 580, I have an old GeForce GTX 680 Mac Edition. I am wondering would it be safe to do the SMC and PRAM resets by

1) replacing RX 580 by GTX 680

2) performing the resets

3) putting RX 580 back into the machine?

Or would switching the GPUs back and forth repeal some of the benefits of the resets?

The reasons that I am considering the SMC and PRAM resets are

1) I have never done the resets, even after the 4.1->5.1 update and the CPU update.

2) I have some weird PSU temperature readings from Macs Fan Control.

Tommi

 

[MIKX]

1. Forget PRAM reset. on cMPs there is the " NVRAM " reset. The important thing is to keep holding fown the keys shown in the below pic until the cmp's "Happy Mac CHIME" is heard THREE consecutive TIMES != Don;t ket go of the keys shown until the chimr is heard. . . . . THREE times.

AS far as getting an RX 580 8gb working . . .
1. Shut down the cmp
2. Remove the power cord.
3. Remove the RX580 AND it's power cable which should be this one . . .

Dual mini 6 pin to single 8 pin

3.1 ( NOTE : I also recommend also removing all unnecessary PCIe cards. )

4. Use a 'clean' soft eraser to clean the PCIe pins on both sides on the RXX580 8gb.
Blow clean with canned air.

5. Using canned air blow out the cMP's two mini 6 pin sockets.
Also blow out all dust from the RX 58o's 8gb power socket(s).

6 Re-install the RX580 8gb with the above power cable firmly connected.

7. Re-connect the cMP power cord.

8. Restart using the "THREE consecutive CHIME NVRAM reset" technique as shown above.

9. Release the NVRAM reset keys after the THIRD CHIME to restart.

10. If the RX580 8gb now works . . go to About this Mac / System Report/ PCI/ to check
your RX580's information.

=====================================
I use an MSI Armor RX580 8gb ( single 8 pin power socket ) in a 4,1>5,1 cMP with the above power cable running through the wonderful EVGA PowerLink as shown here.

When I run X-Plane 11 I also add a SATA to 6 pin cable to the EVGA PowerLink

No problems whatsoever.