Sapphire R9 280x 3gb DDR5 PCIE

[Alaska_guy]

I am unable to get my 2009 Mac Pro (5,1) to recognize this card. A little history, I am running High Sierra. I am on the correct boot rom for the current version of High Sierra. I installed a new SSD hard drive, downloaded Sierra from the Apple Store used makeinstaller and created a usb bootable apple genuine boot drive. I installed Sierra on the SSD and then did an in place upgrade to High Sierra using the apple download, it asked me to perform the firmware update, I performed the update and checked to make sure I was on the correct boot rom after it booted into High Sierra.

My machine is using an ATI 4770 currently and works fine with this card.
The video card in question works fine on my backup Windows 10 PC that I have with a A10-6800k processor.
The video card in question works fine in my I7-4770k hackintosh.
The video card powers up and fans spin, the card has lights and those light up as well in the Mac Pro.
I am unable to get video to work on the card using any of the following cable configurations... HDMI, DP, DVI. I have checked and verified that the cables work on my 2 spare PC's and the DVI cable that is being currently used on the Mac Pro with the ATI 4770 works fine as well on other PC's.

I have tried SMC Reset, PRam Reset with no promising results. I have removed all PCI based cards in the Mac Pro and tried slot 1 and slot 2 and still a blank screen. I have tried 2 separate monitors that I know work on other PC's and the current Mac Pro with the ATI 4770 video card.

Here are some pictures of the video card in question. Any reason it shouldn't be working? Any other steps I can take?

 

[startergo]

How do you power this card? You have 2 eight pin connectors?

 

[Alaska_guy]

I am powering the card using two 6pin to 8 pin adapter cables that came with my GTX 1080. I have also tried using a standalone Computer Power Supply (CX 420) and used the 8pin power cables on that as an external power source in case the Mac Pro was unable to power it correctly. Same results with either method.

 

[startergo]

You mean you are connecting the 2 mini 6 pins on the logic board to the 2 eight pins on the card?

 

[Alaska_guy]

Yes, so I have two 6 pin cables currently that power my ATI 4770. I disconnect the male ends going into the ATI 4770 and remove the card. I then use the cables in the picture above. I connect the female end of the 6 pin adapter to the existing male 6 pin cable that I was using to power the ATI 4770. I then plug the 8 pin male side into the R9 280x. I do this twice as the card requires two 8 pin connections. (6 pin female side of the adapter goes into current 6 pin male cables and 8 pin side goes into video card)

 

[startergo]

I am still very confused as:
Being a dual-slot card, the ATI Radeon HD 4770 draws power from 1x 6-pin power connectors, with power draw rated at 80 W maximum.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-hd-4770.c290
Can you please share a picture of the actual cables when they are connected to the board?

 

[Alaska_guy]

Give me a few and I can do that... I don't believe its a power issue. Here is my backup/test system. I am using a single 8 pin and a single 6 pin to run the card in windows... Pictures of the 8 pin and 6 pin and windows running below. The card has been running like this in windows for 2-3 years easy and plays games fine around 80-120fps depending on the game.

[doublepost=1548050889][/doublepost]Sorry, mis spoke/mistyped. She has a ATI 4780.

 

[startergo]

Give me a few and I can do that... I don't believe its a power issue. Here is my backup/test system. I am using a single 8 pin and a single 6 pin to run the card in windows... Pictures of the 8 pin and 6 pin and windows running below. The card has been running like this in windows for 2-3 years easy and plays games fine around 80-120fps depending on the game.

[doublepost=1548050889][/doublepost]Sorry, mis spoke/mistyped. She has a ATI 4780.

Ok so I see in the first picture you put a 6 pin connector to one of the 8 pin ports? I am afraid this is not good.

 

[Alaska_guy]

I appreciate your input... However, the two additional pins on an 8 pin connector are grounds. This basically allows an additional 75w of power on the 8 pin connectors vs the 6 pin connectors. Not all video cards need the extra 75w to function/work. Especially when the card is at idle or light loads.

To simplify it 6 pin pci cables can deliver 75w max and 8 pin can deliver 150w max. So if you add 150 plus the 75 that means I have 225w available to the card. They all use 12v headers so you are basically running the card under powered. Again, as you can see the card doesn't care by running off of 225w max power within windows. It has been working like that just fine for years.

Any other ideas?

 

[startergo]

I appreciate your input... However, the two additional pins on an 8 pin connector are grounds. This basically allows an additional 75w of power on the 8 pin connectors vs the 6 pin connectors. Not all video cards need the extra 75w to function/work. Especially when the card is at idle or light loads.

To simplify it 6 pin pci cables can deliver 75w max and 8 pin can deliver 150w max. So if you add 150 plus the 75 that means I have 225w available to the card. They all use 12v headers so you are basically running the card under powered. Again, as you can see the card doesn't care by running off of 225w max power within windows. It has been working like that just fine for years.

Any other ideas?

It is not so much for the power draw even though it is a concern . Some cards may not even let you boot if you don't have all pins connected . Of course I don't say it is the case for you just my five cents .

 

[Alaska_guy]

Thanks, I am going to buy some different 6 pin to 8 pin adapters and see if that solves my issue.
[doublepost=1548054208][/doublepost]I would assume I could buy this since I already have two pcie mini 6 pin to standard 6 pin connectors powering my ATI 4780... Then I just plug these into those. I know a PC wouldn't care… in reality power is power, but who knows with Apple... LoL

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DV1Z32Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1AMUYYA3CT6HJ&psc=1

I decided to go with 2 of these instead... Wasn't much more.

https://www.amazon.com/JacobsParts-...81&sprefix=mini+6+pin+to+8+pin,aps,254&sr=8-3

 

[Alaska_guy]

I wanted to post an update. I received the power cords, installed my video card and High Sierra is recognizing the card as a 7000x series. Pretty much what I was hoping. Now I just need to figure out how to flash the thing so I can get the boot screen and then I will be looking at trying my hand with Mojave.

 

[startergo]

Download the netkas script. If you have Windows boot to Windows, install atiwinflash and gpu-z. Dump the ROM with GPU-Z .Go back to osx. insert the dumped ROM inside the script folder by following the instructions attached . Create the EFI ROM . Go back to Windows and flash the EFI ROM to your card with atiwinflash.

 

[Alaska_guy]

Yeah, I don't have windows on the mac. I have a windows machine I could throw the video card in, if that would work. Looks like I need to find another spare HD here somewhere and just try these steps...

1. Shut down the Mac Pro.

2. Set your BIOS switch to 'LEGACY' ( position 2 =. right side position

3. Download the Netkas script.

===========================

4. Install Win 7 on a spare HDD

5. Boot into Win 7 & Run GPU-Z to DUMP your ROM. ( save the ROM in a safe place ! perhaps to a USB Memory stick )

6. Shut down & restart your cMP into OS X

7. Now you can run the Netkas script with a COPY of the DUMPED rom.

================================

8. Now you have your new EFI rom.

9. Shut down & boot into Win 7 again.

10. Run ATI Winflash. & flash your NEW ROM to your card.