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Ultimate Thread: 4890 in Mac Pro

exabrial said:
I found a couple solutions. First for those armed with solder guns and know they can get cheap wire at ace hardware:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8..._Male_Power_Connector_-_Black_ACR-CB1240.html

Second for those less ambitious, get two of these... this seller has a couple listed from $2-$8:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Male-PCI-E-6-pi...|66:2|39:1|72:1240|293:1|294:50#ht_2505wt_976
Click to expand...

Just FYI, the cables I got off of Ebay do not fit the Mac Pro motherboard. The female connector on the motherboard is a lot smaller than the standard PCIE female.

So, dang, $13 out the window and two cables I can't use or return to seller.

This is a pain in the butt, I already am using my 'spare' molex connector on a 5th hard drive in the CD bay. I may have pony up the bucks for ATI's connector.
 
Once again it seems like 4890 is drawing MORE power than 4870.

Making the DVD/Molex kludge an even WORSE idea.

ORDER THE CABLES FROM ATI !!!!

(or make your own for like $5)

The Rominator said:
I just had a look at a DVR-104 I had lying around.

It wants .7A on the 12V rail, and 1.4 A on the 5V rail. I don't have my slide rule handy but I'm gonna guess that a 4870 or 4890 draws quite a bit more than that.
Click to expand...

Looking over various forum posts, it seems the 4890 can draw as much as 30 Amps. Compare that to the DVR-104 needing around 2 ....do you really think Apple bothered to beef up all the circuitry to handle more than 10 TIMES the current draw they planned for a couple of DVD drives? (this includes the 75W it can get from slot)

I would say NOT.
 
The Rominator said:
Once again it seems like 4890 is drawing MORE power than 4870.

Making the DVD/Molex kludge an even WORSE idea.
(or make your own for like $5)
Click to expand...

Have you found a source for the apple motheboard connector? I just discovered the hard way it's not the standard female PCI-E. I would very much to like build my own cables.

Also, 30 amps @ 12v is 360 watts. That's quite a bit, can you cite that number please? The most I've read around googling is 270watts PEAK in a benchmark, which @ 12v is 22.5amps, which is fine for 16gauge wire (unless it's 18gauge wire on our psu, then we might be in trouble).

And molex is just fine, these connectors are included in the box. If you're worried, you should pull the power from both the superdrive and the 'spare' however and not use a 'Y' cable on the spare.
 
To offer another opinion, the people running multiple 4870s used a PCIe 6-pin Y-splitter with which to use 4 PCIe power taps from the two available sockets on the logic board and reported no problems. I'd suggest that and PCIe power cables like The Rominator's talking about.
 
exabrial said:
Just FYI, the cables I got off of Ebay do not fit the Mac Pro motherboard. The female connector on the motherboard is a lot smaller than the standard PCIE female.

So, dang, $13 out the window and two cables I can't use or return to seller.

This is a pain in the butt, I already am using my 'spare' molex connector on a 5th hard drive in the CD bay. I may have pony up the bucks for ATI's connector.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, the cables to the logic board aren't common. AFAIK, there's two sources; Svideo.com, and ATI. IIRC, ATI is a little less expensive, but Svideo.com will ship internationally for those not in the US or Canada.

The Rominator said:
(or make your own for like $5)
Click to expand...
Not a bad idea, but for those interested, the part numbers would help. ;) :p

The Rominator said:
Looking over various forum posts, it seems the 4890 can draw as much as 30 Amps. Compare that to the DVR-104 needing around 2 ....do you really think Apple bothered to beef up all the circuitry to handle more than 10 TIMES the current draw they planned for a couple of DVD drives? (this includes the 75W it can get from slot)

I would say NOT.
Click to expand...
Good point. :) Actually, I'm surprised that it's handled a single 4870 (successfully done by other members), as it's a fairly hungry card as well.

It seems the ATI X1900 Mac power cables aren't really an option any more. :p
 
@The Rominator : <STRIKE THAT>well then i'd like somebody, ANYBODY to point out a european ati-cable vendor that'll ship said cable to Turkey. Otherwise all of your yelling and anger will not help anyone.</STRIKE THAT>
((apparently svideo.com does ship to turkey [at a ridiculusly high price])

But also just for the sake of the argument,

considering your overly exaggerated approximations and oh i don't know the fact that MODERN graphics cards having power management functions on them and that ive been playing Eve online, Crysis, TF2 + %40 of all steam games since i got the card would mean that Either my keyboard keystrokes are powering up the card or that I'm superfluously lucky in not having Fubar'd my card by connecting it to your allegeadly wrong place for a power source.

BTW i know some people have blu-ray drivers on their superdrive slot. so I'm also guessing that your DVR-104 and the blu-ray drivers volt and amp requirements don't fit. Yet they too work.
 
Syonidism said:
well then i'd like somebody, ANYBODY to point out a european ati-cable vendor that'll ship said cable to Turkey.
Click to expand...
I'm not aware of a european located vendor, but Svideo.com will ship internationally. I've confirmed this before for other members (also couldn't find a european based vendor). So at least there is a source you can get them from. :)
 
It's not yelling and anger...it's me saying "Hey I don't want people to choose the easy way and end up sorry"

Buried deep in my "War and Peace " sized 4870 thread are the part numbers and European distributors for them to make your own cables for peanuts. I am testing some 4890 ROMs sent to me by a certain genius here, other wise I would go dig for them. Instead of ranting at me about Turkish issues, why not do some research?

The numbers I found regarding current draw were from Google searches. "I Wonder how much current it can take" is a bad way to find out your Mac Pro CAN'T. The smell of a burned electrical component is a very unpleasant one and I think that most people would rather avoid it.

By flashing or using a 4890 you are saving $$$, why not spend some of that on a bit of peace of mind? The connectors for GPU are there, just need the cables.

I don't sell or make money from selling the cables, I'm just trying to save you all a very expensive lesson in where saving money isn't wise. ("Stepping over a twenty to pick up a five" is a colloquialism)

I don't LIKE Applemacanix, but they too ship internationally. Ebay Item 280374944924. Not me, I don't like them but there it is.

Syonidism said:
BTW i know some people have blu-ray drivers on their superdrive slot. so I'm also guessing that your DVR-104 and the blu-ray drivers volt and amp requirements don't fit. Yet they too work.
Click to expand...

See the pic. Seems BluRay is pretty much same as DVR-104

I just can't picture Apple putting robust power connections in for such a minimal draw.
 

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noiceT said:
Hi guys, I brought this up earlier, but maybe it got overlooked. On the newegg reviews page, there are a number to people that say the XFX 4890 now needs a 6pin and 8 pin connector. Is this TRUE? What are the experiences with people who have bought the XFX 4890 recently? Apparently its an update to the card.



http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16814150359
Click to expand...


You MUST be kidding me! This is the replacement card I ordered in place of the TWO Vapor -X I tried! If this thing comes tomorrow with a 6 and an 8 pin Im gonna FLIP!

Any way around this 6 x 8 pin???? adpater?
 
The 6 and 8 pin problem can be resolved by buying the PCIe Y-splitter I mentioned. Plug the ATI cable into the logic board, then plug the Y-splitter into the other end. They make Y-splitters that go out to 8-pin connections. Shouldn't be an issue.
 
zepharus said:
You MUST be kidding me! This is the replacement card I ordered in place of the TWO Vapor -X I tried! If this thing comes tomorrow with a 6 and an 8 pin Im gonna FLIP!

Any way around this 6 x 8 pin???? adpater?
Click to expand...

Funny, my XFX 4890 gets here tomorrow too. I'll run back home over lunch and see if the package was delivered.
 
As mentioned by someone else, the Vapor-X does not work in the Mac Pro.
I got a Early-2008 btw.

I got in Mac OS using share screen and viewed the System Profiler on Graphics/Displays. It doesn't show anything.
"No information found".

Card is going back to the shop and I will get a "normal" one with different cooling...

Bugger...
 
Hi guys, I've decided to replace my 8800GT in my Early 08 Mac Pro. I'm thinking of going for the XFX 4890. Is this ok or should I stick to a Sapphire?

And am I right in thinking that I don't need to flash the ROM? I'm just looking for the easiest way possible to upgrade my GPU without paying Apple prices! :p
 
pr33tz said:
Hi guys, I've decided to replace my 8800GT in my Early 08 Mac Pro. I'm thinking of going for the XFX 4890. Is this ok or should I stick to a Sapphire?

And am I right in thinking that I don't need to flash the ROM? I'm just looking for the easiest way possible to upgrade my GPU without paying Apple prices! :p
Click to expand...

If you don't care about using the EFI to do some stuff, then by all means go ahead. You don't need to flash the ROM.

On the XFX, I ain't sure. Safest bet is the Sapphire still imo.
 
I think I saw a post on cables before, but can't find it anymore.

Problem is that ATI doesn't ship outside the USA and Canada.
I live in The Netherlands.

Anyone know where to get the cable (mini-6pin to normal PCI-E 6pin) in Europe? I tried some stores I know, but couldn't find the cable.

Sorry to ask it in here, but perhaps it can benefit other Europeans as well.
 
tezro said:
I think I saw a post on cables before, but can't find it anymore.

Problem is that ATI doesn't ship outside the USA and Canada.
I live in The Netherlands.

Anyone know where to get the cable (mini-6pin to normal PCI-E 6pin) in Europe? I tried some stores I know, but couldn't find the cable.

Sorry to ask it in here, but perhaps it can benefit other Europeans as well.
Click to expand...
Check out the link in post 282. ;)
 
That's the one! Thanks a lot :) (getting late here and 3 hours of sleep last night don't help a lot)

Update: cable ordered. just short under 20USD including shipping. that's about 14 Euro's. Doable.
 
Just so everyone knows, my XFX 4890 ZDFC just got here. I tried using the molex splitter method and I got a red light on the bottom of the card, a similar result to what a previous poster had tried. It appears that pulling 22 amps through 2 feet of 18gauge wire equates a 4v drop, so the card is only seeing 8v.

And one more noob comes in here and asks "where are the parts?" or "are these the cables?" "can I flash a 4890?" I will make them swallow razer wire, pull it out their rear and floss them to death. This has been covered 100x in the post already. JUST SEARCH THE THREAD HELL JUST SCROLL UP FURTHER ON YOUR SCREEN AND YOULL FIND THE ANSWER

Also, the ZDFC contains two 6pin PCIE... Not the 6pin and 8pin like some where speculating
 
I'm going to repeat this once more,

The proper power cables can be ordered from any local Apple Store on the surface of earth. :)
 
Just an update :

I returned 2 Sapphire vapor -X 4890. Neither worked obviously so ill save others the pain. I reordered a XFX 4890 ZDFC which some new egg comments mentions has a 6 x 8 pin. This is incorrect. Mine came with 2 6 pins and red DVI ports. XFX fired up immediately and works AWESOME.

Great quality card and ZERO coil whine on this one. Time for some benchies... any requests?
 
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