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Ultimate Thread: 4890 in Mac Pro

panjandrum said:
Still no joy here. I swapped the 4890 into a different slot, but no luck. My theory is that it has flashed, but that the rom file is not compatible with my particular card revision. If it didn't flash I shouldn't get any display at all, right? Anyway, it once again appeared to flash properly, but upon powering-on this is what I get (see the Apple? It is there!):
Click to expand...

I have the same problem with my new card (XFX)
Those screenshots are exactly what I get

Anyone been able to get around this ?
 
hi,

i want to flash a 4890 but i hate the standard cooler, because it is too loud.

the Sapphire HD4890 has a new bigger fan and the MSI R4890 Cyclone has a other coolingsystem, but witch card can be flashed for a Mac Pro? System is 10.6.1

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 Vapor-X http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=259

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 HDMI http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=277

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 TOXIC http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=258

( ) work ( ) don't work MSI R4890 Cyclone http://msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=130&cat2_no=137&prod_no=1850

Thanks for help
 
TzunamiOSX said:
hi,

i want to flash a 4890 but i hate the standard cooler, because it is too loud.

the Sapphire HD4890 has a new bigger fan and the MSI R4890 Cyclone has a other coolingsystem, but witch card can be flashed for a Mac Pro? System is 10.6.1

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 Vapor-X http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=259

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 HDMI http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=277

( ) work ( ) don't work Sapphire HD4890 TOXIC http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0001&pid=258

( ) work ( ) don't work MSI R4890 Cyclone http://msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=130&cat2_no=137&prod_no=1850

Thanks for help
Click to expand...

I am not sure about which cards are flashable (other than the reference design Sapphire Radeon HD 4890) but I just bought the Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev2 heatsink and a Scythe S-FLEX 800 12cm fan (only 8.9 dB).

That way it is much more quiet than the rest of the system and still idles at around 40 ºC. For all intents and purposes it is inaudible.
 
Pressure said:
I am not sure about which cards are flashable (other than the reference design Sapphire Radeon HD 4890) but I just bought the Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev2 heatsink and a Scythe S-FLEX 800 12cm fan (only 8.9 dB).

That way it is much more quiet than the rest of the system and still idles at around 40 ºC. For all intents and purposes it is inaudible.
Click to expand...

By any chance would you have a model number or part number for the 4890? As previous poster showed there are multiple 4890's and I'm having trouble locating the right one (flashable) and a in stock retailer
 
another Noob questions

Dear the great Cindori

Will upgrading the OS from 10.6.1 to 10.6.2 require re-flashing?
How about formatting the mac pro? and installing SL from the scratch will it require flashing again?


Thanks.
 
flashing is a semi-permanent mod to card itself, independent of machine

It actualy writes a file to a non-volatile EEPROM chip on the card

the mac pro could burst into flames or be thrown in the ocean, the flashed file would still be in the EEPROM
 
7akeem said:
Dear the great Cindori

Will upgrading the OS from 10.6.1 to 10.6.2 require re-flashing?
How about formatting the mac pro? and installing SL from the scratch will it require flashing again?


Thanks.
Click to expand...

When a card is flashed it can be removed and inserted in any Mac Pro running Leopard 10.5.7 or later. (earlier if you manually install drivers)

The only thing you need to install on the computer is the QE_CI accelleration package (without this you will not see video in VLC, etc)




Dont work - Sapphire HD4890 Vapor-X

Not tested - Sapphire HD4890 HDMI

Works, with problem: sometimes black screen - Sapphire HD4890 TOXIC

Not tested - MSI R4890 Cyclone
 
GaryREM said:
Which XFX? Are you sure you used the correct files?

Thanks...
Click to expand...

The card is a 4890 ZDFC, these must be the later revision cards.
I get the same exact distorted images as panjandrum's attached images

I had an earlier revision of ZDFC card which flashed and worked fine using the same firmware.

I tried the firmware made baed on XFX cards (pc4890.rom) and also ones based on sapphire cards (oc & non-oc'd) all with the same results.

Cindori: great app btw.. your app works fine and makes the whole flashing process much, much easier.
 
so I guess you should stay out of XFX-cards unless you can make sure you get an old revision?
 
I will make a flash app for the MSI ROM later. i am also working on a way to have you select your own ROM
 
hi Cindori, i have been following this thread from day one, and thank you for the great work so far.

i have a few questions before i actually go out and buy one and try for myself.

which GPU would OSX use if i start playing games like CoD? is it the GT120 or the 4890?
how about in VMware, which GPU does it use?
and one last question, how about in bootcamp? i'd have two GPUs installed, and windows will choose whichever driver i install and utilize the correct one right?

thanks
 
The computer will use the GPU that is connected to the display of course.

If you have two displays, one display connected to one of two cards, and open a game on the display driven by the GT120, that card will be used to render the graphics.

A GPU can not assist in rendering graphics on a display that is not connected to it.

Unless you combine the two using technnologies like Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire, none of which are supported by OSX.
 
I'd like to buy PC 4890 to install in my Mac Pro.

1. Would you recommend any brand which will definitely work after reflashing?

2. I saw the update on the first post. Looks very user-friendly, but what worries me - does it make any "backups" of firmware (or are they not needed?) What are the chances of "bricking" the card if something goes wrong?

Thanks!
 
Please help!!

Hi everyone, please I need help.
I have a macpro 2008, with Ati 3870 mac edition inside.
I purchased the sapphire 4890, put it in the second pci 16x slot, downloaded the app in the first page, installed the mpkg, then rebooted the mac and launched the firmware flash.
Now with the 4890 I have the Bong at startup repeating in loop, if I put back my 3870, machine start but after a few spinning wheels I have only black screen.
Now I can't use my mac and I am in trouble.
Any help?

Thanks!!
 
Cindori said:
did you put the app on your boot drive? can't you run the mac from the 3870?
Click to expand...

Of course I did, put the files in the root of my boot disk.
No, now the screen does not switch on anymore with the 3870, I think the card is gone. Neither of course with the 4890, loop of Bong at startup.

Very bad situation... Dead mac pro.
 
Cindori said:
it's only gone for 15 minutes, if you follow my previous post
Click to expand...

As I told you, mac PRo does not boot properly, with 3870 black screen both in osx and Windows, with 4890 loop at boing at startup.
If i can't boot in a os, i can't flash the card...

Or am I missing something?
 
Cindori said:
that's wierd
what pkg did you use?

find a pc to reflash the card
Click to expand...

I used the package found in this post at the first page....
Maybe the problem was that I had another ati card in slot 1 and not a Nvidia one.
I'll try in a pc, hoping to save at least the new 4890...
 
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