Sapphire 6870 confusion

[Jamesconnery]

Let me start out by saying I am no expert when it comes to flashing video card so I am reaching out in seek of wiser council. I have recently come about acquiring a Sapphire 6870 video card and which I am currently running of a mac pro 5.1 the card does not boot with the typical Apple logo boot screen nor can one choose a boot drive while holding down the option key. I have read through scores of postings across the internet suggesting there is a way of flashing this card to enable the boot screen option etc while using the newer Mac operating systems eg Yosemite etc. Here is the particular Sapphire model I have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948. Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[owbp]

Check out this topic http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,692.0.html
Hopefully, you'll find all info you need.

 

[Jamesconnery]

Thank you for the suggested thread. I have read through all thirty pages of this thread and flashed my card using the method described by Netkas. On my Mac Pro 3.1 I only have video output on one DVI port (lower) and no video feed through the HDMI port. Siphoning through Netkas Forum there does not seem to be a viable solution. Needless to say if anyone has any insights I am all ears.

 

[MacVidCards]

Netkas created the rom. Odds of someone here rewriting it are zippo. The only AMD folks here are from the PR department, they don't know about roms.

 

[Fl0r!an]

There might be an improved version of that ROM somewhere deep inside that thread: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,10827.0.html

OS X can be enabled on all ports by disabling IOReg injection. This will make the card work like a unflashed PC card in OS X, which is the best alternative, since Apple didn't provide a perfectly matching framebuffer personality.
On your specific model, the bootscreen should appear on the lower DVI as well as the HDMI port. Passive DP connections might be possible, too.

 

[rawweb]

Netkas created the rom. Odds of someone here rewriting it are zippo. The only AMD folks here are from the PR department, they don't know about roms.

Not that I'm a big AMD fan, but reading some of your posts recently makes it seem like you really hate AMD. As a dude who sells video cards, why not embrace both? Why dog on folks talking about it?

 

[Jamesconnery]

Netkas created the rom. Odds of someone here rewriting it are zippo. The only AMD folks here are from the PR department, they don't know about roms.

Duly noted and appreciate your candor, I have initiated posts on Netkas asking the same question with no response. Alas my posts must be languishing in the cyber abyss. ; )
[doublepost=1462389730][/doublepost]

There might be an improved version of that ROM somewhere deep inside that thread: http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,10827.0.html

OS X can be enabled on all ports by disabling IOReg injection. This will make the card work like a unflashed PC card in OS X, which is the best alternative, since Apple didn't provide a perfectly matching framebuffer personality.
On your specific model, the bootscreen should appear on the lower DVI as well as the HDMI port. Passive DP connections might be possible, too.

Thanks Fl0r!an, will have to go through the thread and see what morsels of info it yields.

 

[MacVidCards]

Not that I'm a big AMD fan, but reading some of your posts recently makes it seem like you really hate AMD. As a dude who sells video cards, why not embrace both? Why dog on folks talking about it?

I don't hate AMD.

But at least Nvidia keeps their drivers current.

There is still no OSX driver for Fiji. And the Hawaii driver has been allowed to become buggy and inconsistent. So last full Mac Pro AMD card with a frame buffer is the 7970, from 2011.

There are some R9 380 cards that sorta work, but no frame buffer.

Speaking of 7970, the Tahiti cards are now dying at a fabulous rate. We just stopped carrying them, it has ended up a game of Hot Potato with them dying. I have more dead 7950/70/R9 cards then I do Nvidia Kepler and Maxwell combined, despite selling a multiple more of the Nvidia cards. The tahiti cards die early deaths due to prodigious heat production. You can see this for yourself doing searches at Ebay. Lots and LOTS of dead AMD cards being sold for parts, many more than Nvidia.

If Apple releases a finished driver for Fiji story will change.

 

[owbp]

Tahiti cards are now dying at a fabulous rate

I've just bought 7950 to prolong life of my 1,1 and I'm seriously thinking of grabbing one more if i see it for the low price just because of that. Wanted to buy R9 280 new from Hungary but judging by reviews it seems that failing rate of R9 Tahitis is even bigger than 79xx series. Maybe it is just because of the higher clocks...

Btw, because of your posts here and on netkas forum (HD5xxx threads), I've patched HD7950's bios with my eyes closed. Something i never got to do with my previous HD6850 card.
Thanks for that!