Thanks for cable information
Nope just finds Windows and boots it.
So you are restricted to booting in your current set OS X version and use the Start-up Disk option in Control Panel/System Preferences.
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Thinking about a new graphics card
- Thread starter Washac
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So you are restricted to booting in your current set OS X version and use the Start-up Disk option in Control Panel/System Preferences.
Just to be clear, your desire to stick with Snow Leopard is severely limiting your options. If you ditched those retro games, or kept your old card for whenever you wanted to switch back to Snow Leopard (since I'm sure the 4870 would work fine for retro gaming), you could go with something like a GTX 660 Ti or GTX 670 under Mountain Lion as per the sticky thread at the top of this forum.
How often do you play those retro games? Is it often enough to limit yourself to technology from several generations ago? I'm running a GTX 680 on 10.8.2 with no boot screens, and switch back and forth between OS X and Windows without any problems.
What they said. I'd lean towards AMD, as they seem more universally supported by programs.
Well, except for the complete lack of support for the most recent generation of AMD GPUs, and lack of CUDA support for things like the Adobe apps.
OP,
The only card that meets your stringent requirements is the Apple 5870. It will even come with the cables you need. People can poke at it for being two generations behind, but it is plenty fast. The only problem really is its high price.
The Apple 5770 is not an upgrade. The Apple GTX285 isn't much of an upgrade.
Newer PC Nvidia cards don't work with Snow Leopard and won't have a boot screen anyway (unless you buy a modded one).
PC 6870 is nearly as fast as 5870, it would save you a lot of money and it works with Snow Leopard. However, it would only have boot screens if you flashed it, and the boot screen would only work on the lower DVI port. I know you don't want to flash, and I respect that, but this card is considered one of the easiest and most reliable to flash.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell for your specific requests.
The only card that meets your stringent requirements is the Apple 5870. It will even come with the cables you need. People can poke at it for being two generations behind, but it is plenty fast. The only problem really is its high price.
The Apple 5770 is not an upgrade. The Apple GTX285 isn't much of an upgrade.
Newer PC Nvidia cards don't work with Snow Leopard and won't have a boot screen anyway (unless you buy a modded one).
PC 6870 is nearly as fast as 5870, it would save you a lot of money and it works with Snow Leopard. However, it would only have boot screens if you flashed it, and the boot screen would only work on the lower DVI port. I know you don't want to flash, and I respect that, but this card is considered one of the easiest and most reliable to flash.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell for your specific requests.
Is this the one that you refer to - XFX Radeon HD 6870 Standard Graphics card.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-Radeon-...1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351619513&sr=8-1-fkmr2
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You will find that the 6870 is pretty much equivalent in performance terms to the official 5870.
I am not an expert on flashing, so maybe someone else can chime in. However, in the Netkas 6870 "brand success" thread, someone has a problem with that specific model variant you linked to (HD-687A-ZNFC). The HD-687A-ZDFC seems to be the one to get.
However, I repeat I am not a flashing expert. I am only familiar with 6870's reputation for being an easy flash. I personally am still using my stock 5770.
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OK, after lots of posts and many many replies, thanks everyone I have settled on this, well unless somebody tells me otherwise 
XFX Double D HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351621678&sr=8-1-fkmr1
I will NOT be flashing it, I can use Bootchamp for Windows and the startup disk option in prefs for my other OS's
XFX Double D HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351621678&sr=8-1-fkmr1
I will NOT be flashing it, I can use Bootchamp for Windows and the startup disk option in prefs for my other OS's
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Tell me more please all this using different cards is new to me as you may have gathered by this thread.
Where does it need to be put, and do I do this before or after the card installation ?
I said I did not want to flash but is it the easier option and if so how ?
I assume by installing the ATY_INIT or by flashing it makes it compatable with SL and Lion
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I'll try to summarize, but again, I'm not the expert on this.
Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and later include a KEXT (driver) that works with the PC 6870 for the most part. Meaning you can just plop the card in, hook up the two power cables, and start using 10.6.8 or later.
However, it's not 100%. Notably there are problems with DVD Player, Steam games, and probably many other applications that rely on accelerated graphics.
There are two ways to fix this problem. The first is to flash the card. This gets you boot screens AND fixes the problem with the handful of applications.
The second way is to install ATY_INIT. ATY_INIT is also a KEXT and I believe it enables hardware acceleration. In any case, after installation it fixes the few applications that have problems with an unflashed PC 6870. Because this is an OS X driver, obviously it doesn't get you boot screens.
I don't know where to get proper ATY_INIT for 6870 or how to install it or anything. Like I said, I'm still using my 5770.
Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and later include a KEXT (driver) that works with the PC 6870 for the most part. Meaning you can just plop the card in, hook up the two power cables, and start using 10.6.8 or later.
However, it's not 100%. Notably there are problems with DVD Player, Steam games, and probably many other applications that rely on accelerated graphics.
There are two ways to fix this problem. The first is to flash the card. This gets you boot screens AND fixes the problem with the handful of applications.
The second way is to install ATY_INIT. ATY_INIT is also a KEXT and I believe it enables hardware acceleration. In any case, after installation it fixes the few applications that have problems with an unflashed PC 6870. Because this is an OS X driver, obviously it doesn't get you boot screens.
I don't know where to get proper ATY_INIT for 6870 or how to install it or anything. Like I said, I'm still using my 5770.
Flashing may be a little scary but ultimately it will be a more useable experience if you go to the bother and get it over with.
The A Mango guy pretty much covered it all, if you don't flash it it will show up as "Radeon 6800 Series" instead of Radeon 6870.
ATY_Init can fix many of the problems caused by this little discrepancy. Spend your time reading, maybe even write some notes up. The overall depth of knowledge can be overwhelming, but keep in mind that if someone said that used Card A in OS B and ran program C to flash it, they were most likely NOT hallucinating. Thus, there is a great deal of value in reading through those posts.
The A Mango guy pretty much covered it all, if you don't flash it it will show up as "Radeon 6800 Series" instead of Radeon 6870.
ATY_Init can fix many of the problems caused by this little discrepancy. Spend your time reading, maybe even write some notes up. The overall depth of knowledge can be overwhelming, but keep in mind that if someone said that used Card A in OS B and ran program C to flash it, they were most likely NOT hallucinating. Thus, there is a great deal of value in reading through those posts.
I found this - http://www.groths.org/?p=431
Put together by Cindori
So I am good to go, fingers crossed.
Put together by Cindori
So I am good to go, fingers crossed.
OK, card ordered now just have to get all this straight in my head.
Reading through the peoples replies over on - http://www.groths.org/?p=431
And Amangos replies here the card I have ordered, XFX Radeon HD 6870 HD-687A-ZDFC will work under Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and Lion 10.7.5 but if some apps and DVD player do not not work correctly I just need to install the ATY_INIT file from Cindoris package into Snow Leopard and Lion.
I assume I do not need to use the - ATI Graphics Update.pkg - which also comes in the same package, I assume that is for SL 10.6.7 ?
Reading through the peoples replies over on - http://www.groths.org/?p=431
And Amangos replies here the card I have ordered, XFX Radeon HD 6870 HD-687A-ZDFC will work under Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and Lion 10.7.5 but if some apps and DVD player do not not work correctly I just need to install the ATY_INIT file from Cindoris package into Snow Leopard and Lion.
I assume I do not need to use the - ATI Graphics Update.pkg - which also comes in the same package, I assume that is for SL 10.6.7 ?
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In the link you provided, Cindori is a bit vague about what the package does. All the benefits listed there appear to be the exact same benefits as ATY_INIT, so I have no idea what the heck it does exactly.
Clicking the link reminded me that I've seen this before. Indeed I have; here's the thread. That guy installed the package with some pretty bad results. He restored the machine fresh, then installed just ATY_INIT KEXT and it worked fine.
I wouldn't install that package unless I knew what it does, and I don't. I don't think you should either. I had previously assumed it was just an installer for ATY_INIT so people wouldn't have to manually install the KEXT file, but now I have no idea.
First I'd install the card and run the computer without any software changes just to make sure the card works. Then I'd take the next step and install the KEXT. That's how I see all the success stories go.
Also, a good backup prior to all of this is very sound advice!
In the link you provided, Cindori is a bit vague about what the package does. All the benefits listed there appear to be the exact same benefits as ATY_INIT, so I have no idea what the heck it does exactly.
Clicking the link reminded me that I've seen this before. Indeed I have; here's the thread. That guy installed the package with some pretty bad results. He restored the machine fresh, then installed just ATY_INIT KEXT and it worked fine.
I wouldn't install that package unless I knew what it does, and I don't. I don't think you should either. I had previously assumed it was just an installer for ATY_INIT so people wouldn't have to manually install the KEXT file, but now I have no idea.
First I'd install the card and run the computer without any software changes just to make sure the card works. Then I'd take the next step and install the KEXT. That's how I see all the success stories go.
Also, a good backup prior to all of this is very sound advice!
Many thanks for that advice because without investigating further as I did I would have installed that ATI Graphics Update.pkg on the 10.6.8 side of things.
Cindori needs to take that really bad & dangerous package down.
It was needed when only new MacBooks had drivers for 6870s, back in the 10.6.6 and 10.6.7 days.
Using it on any other OS version will wreck your system.
It was needed when only new MacBooks had drivers for 6870s, back in the 10.6.6 and 10.6.7 days.
Using it on any other OS version will wreck your system.