Ultimate Thread: 4890 in Mac Pro

[mfka]

Slot 1 (first from bottom) for ATI and 3 for nVidia

Mac Pro still alive mate ?

So far so good!
Wait a min, we’ll see.


Ok, booted with both cards, now installing stuff!

Booting on geforce after installs...
...my MP recognizes ati , rebooting on ati...

 

[mfka]

Ha mate, this is crazy!

One thing was weird thou. When i booted MP only mouse pointer and desktop picture showed up, nothing else.
Than i pressed power button to turn it off,
but instead of turning off he went to sleep mode. I pressed pow button again
and he wakes up with everything!

HD movies in VLC works like a charm!
Peloche you are saint my mate, thanks a lot!

 

[Peloche]

Ha mate, this is crazy!

One thing was weird thou. When i booted MP only mouse pointer and desktop picture showed up, nothing else.
Than i pressed power button to turn it off,
but instead of turning off he went to sleep mode. I pressed pow button again
and he wakes up with everything!

HD movies in VLC works like a charm!
Peloche you are saint my mate, thanks a lot!

Congrats mate and enjoy, you know that "All roads lead to Rom(e)

You're welcome mate

Peloche,

 

[mfka]

I mean come on mate, i just tried COD 4 maxed out
and it’s going at 80 - 100 FPS, i mean come on!

Thanks again mate, You made my day!

 

[MacVidCards]

4890 Rom Writing

Finally had a look at the ROM Peloche posted. Looks all good EXCEPT...........the EFI part is still using 4870 device id of 9440. Should be using 9460.

I had a look at the ROM I did for treksdot and it too suffers from this error. I always ASSUMED (I know what that makes me) tht you all knew to use Netkas kind "EFI ROM for 4890" gift as starting place.

ie.......you should be using his ROM #2 as the "Mac EFI ROM" instead of the original Mac 4870 ROM. Not sure if the pipolomo42 scripts and method will work exactly, but somebody (else) with a brain needs to figure this out.

Look at the thread Netkas started on "EFI 4890"

DOwnload ROMs.

Use ROM #2 as your guideline.

Note that if you do a search for "02106094" you will find this string at the open of the EFI part of ROM. (10029460 endian flipped....1002 = ATI 9460 = 4890 device id)

Doing same search on Peloche's posted EFI ROM shows only the PC BIOS having this string. If you search for "02104094" you will find it in the open of EFI part. So the poor card has an identity crisis. Also, I seem to recall that Netkas mentioned that he had added 9460 to the compressed portion of ROM too.

In any case, you should use the ROM he so thoughtfully wrote as your template, NOT the original Mac 4870 512 ROM.

I should have caught this with Treksdot, may have been the "missing link"

Who's gonna write a nice working 4890 ROM now?

(Remember to run pipomolos fixrom.py on it afterward....or open and save in RBE, I think it fixes checksums too.)

 

[Treksdot]

I had to relocate some files on my ftp

reposting:

Expecting release this week.

some of the features:

graphical user interface
ability to select your own rom file

but I am packing alot more of cool stuff into this.

Do you have a tip jar somewhere?

 

[Cindori]

Do you have a tip jar somewhere?

thank you. i will open a donation page when i release the app.

 

[Peloche]

Finally had a look at the ROM Peloche posted. Looks all good EXCEPT...........the EFI part is still using 4870 device id of 9440. Should be using 9460.

I had a look at the ROM I did for treksdot and it too suffers from this error. I always ASSUMED (I know what that makes me) tht you all knew to use Netkas kind "EFI ROM for 4890" gift as starting place.

ie.......you should be using his ROM #2 as the "Mac EFI ROM" instead of the original Mac 4870 ROM. Not sure if the pipolomo42 scripts and method will work exactly, but somebody (else) with a brain needs to figure this out.

Look at the thread Netkas started on "EFI 4890"

DOwnload ROMs.

Use ROM #2 as your guideline.

Note that if you do a search for "02106094" you will find this string at the open of the EFI part of ROM. (10029460 endian flipped....1002 = ATI 9460 = 4890 device id)

Doing same search on Peloche's posted EFI ROM shows only the PC BIOS having this string. If you search for "02104094" you will find it in the open of EFI part. So the poor card has an identity crisis. Also, I seem to recall that Netkas mentioned that he had added 9460 to the compressed portion of ROM too.

In any case, you should use the ROM he so thoughtfully wrote as your template, NOT the original Mac 4870 512 ROM.

I should have caught this with Treksdot, may have been the "missing link"

Who's gonna write a nice working 4890 ROM now?

(Remember to run pipomolos fixrom.py on it afterward....or open and save in RBE, I think it fixes checksums too.)

Hi The Rominator,
Thanks to spend time on this rom. In fact the first attempt i've made was with Netkas' pc4890 rom found at http://netkas.org/?paged=4, i presume that it's what you call rom #2, and it was not working so I made another one with original Apple 4870 rom, you're right.

The main difference (apart data) between pc4890 rom part and my rom is the length, pc4890 is 512o longer mainly because of "YOU HAVE NOT CONNECTED..." not present in my rom.

EFI part of pc4890 starts at 64000 (0FA00), mine wasn't, I edited it and made it to start at 64000, but using pipomolo42's script moved it again to the former location.

EFI parts are identical on both.

Here attached hybmiror.rom with EFI part starting at 64000 if you could have a look, (it's before using pipomolo42's script).
Thanks The Rominator,
Peloche,

 

[MacVidCards]

ROM creating info

I can see that we have some misunderstandings going on.

EFI part of ROM is the part we take from Mac 4870 ROM and add to your existing 4890 ROM. It is a piece that makes the boot screen fire up.

It slides into the middle of the finished ROM, between the PC BIOS, which is at begining, and the GDDR5 table, which is at the end.

The PC BIOS and the Mac EFI both start with "55AA" (Hex) while the GDDR5 table starts with "4d437543" (Hex equiv to "MCuC" in ASCII). The Mac EFI has the ASCII word "Motmot" in it while PC BIOS does not. So, with that info you can see the three parts.

I used the ROM you attached. Did you try it already? I corrected the GDR5 lookup address, try this one. Did you copy the whole 4890 EFI from Netkas #2 rom? If so, this might work.

 

[Cindori]

I want to thank you again for the flash update! I have a renewed my love for my 1.1 mac pro. The thing that hurt it for me was the video card and I refused to pay 400+ for older mac flashed video cards. I had just about given up until I read this thread.

NOTE*** to reiterate Cindori's post, FLASH THE CARD. After installing the flash using the Overclock package, after a few reboots, I got the GSOD and had to reformat my entire HD. I was able to complete the install, with the SL disc, using just the 4890 video card because it had already been flashed before the crash. When SL was up and running again, the 4890 was already recognized, just had to install the exotic package.

MY CARD (for the compatibility list):
XFX 489A-ZDF7 stock
used the overclock package...not good results, the fan was running hard at ALL TIMES and was very loud...
I reverted to the normal package... SILENCE almost as if using the stock card, the fan runs great during game play.

please give me the original rom

 

[vj.andrei]

Yes but now i don´t have any more, i just test the xxx model.
Tomorrow i have the HD-489X-ZSFL to test let see if it´s works fine.
So i can fix this mess..

Okey, the main problem was my dvi- to hdmi cable it was some how dead or some connection failure.
So now i have the xfx 4890hd xxx model working and the rest cards work fine.


So i have wonder this flash think, and like to now what is the risk that the installation going wrong??

 

[Peloche]

I can see that we have some misunderstandings going on.

EFI part of ROM is the part we take from Mac 4870 ROM and add to your existing 4890 ROM. It is a piece that makes the boot screen fire up.

It slides into the middle of the finished ROM, between the PC BIOS, which is at begining, and the GDDR5 table, which is at the end.

The PC BIOS and the Mac EFI both start with "55AA" (Hex) while the GDDR5 table starts with "4d437543" (Hex equiv to "MCuC" in ASCII). The Mac EFI has the ASCII word "Motmot" in it while PC BIOS does not. So, with that info you can see the three parts.

I used the ROM you attached. Did you try it already? I corrected the GDR5 lookup address, try this one. Did you copy the whole 4890 EFI from Netkas #2 rom? If so, this might work.

Thanks The Rominator for your rom, it doesn't work.

Peloche

 

[MacVidCards]

Thanks The Rominator for your rom, it doesn't work.

Peloche

Some additional info would be helpful.

As in ...no response at all on boot, total black screen? Or did it at least start to boot?

Also, did you try a WIndows boot?

 

[Cindori]

hey guys. just finished the flash scripting of the new app. it works!

actually all that remains is some more testing // in different OS versions, also I have 1 button to add.

expect release friday.

 

[Mackilroy]

Thanks very much for your generosity, Cindori.

 

[Peloche]

Some additional info would be helpful.

As in ...no response at all on boot, total black screen? Or did it at least start to boot?

Also, did you try a WIndows boot?

Hi The Rominator,

Sorry for yesterday but i was very busy and just took the time to write some words.

FYI i've tested the ROM as it was before your correction and it was preventing PC to start...there was no need to test it on Mac Pro...

After flashing with your Rom, under DOS on PC, GPU was still working with XP.
Installed on Mac Pro it was preventing Snow Leopard to launch, I had 30" connected to this GPU and 20" connected to NVidia, 30" was black and 20" grey for ever, no sign of life .
So it's progressing, and success could be on the way,
Thanks again,
Peloche,

 

[sOwL]

Damn a 4890 on a mac pro? oh im so sold right now.... anyway i just read some posts of this thread and i have few questions: Are there any extra steps i need to follow other than the ones posted on the beginning of this thread? Also, i understand that you cannot see the boot screen, but could we hope for a possible fix in the future? One more thingie, if everything goes well, can i remove my old x1900 and place the 4890 where my old card was? Or does the whole procedure install the drivers for a specific pci port? Sorry if i sound ignorant :S

 

[Cindori]

with flashing you get boot screen. did you read the red (old) text on first page? that is not necessary anymore.


read the normal text and especially the "FOR PEOPLE WITH SECONDARY ATI CADS"

if you flash a card it works just like an Apple card, except that you need a patch in order to get quartz extreme (graphical effects in OS)

 

[sOwL]

with flashing you get boot screen. did you read the red (old) text on first page? that is not necessary anymore.


read the normal text and especially the "FOR PEOPLE WITH SECONDARY ATI CADS"

if you flash a card it works just like an Apple card, except that you need a patch in order to get quartz extreme (graphical effects in OS)

Oh so the newest method has a working boot screen? Woah! And yes, i did notice that my current card is listed in "FOR PEOPLE WITH SECONDARY ATI CADS" thread, so i'll follow that too. So i just follow those instructions and it will just work for both OSX and bootcamp, and bootscreen too? If so thats amazing, and i owe you a huge thank you.. I have a dual display setup, running snow leopard, one screen is connected via DVI and the other one via VGA. Would this setup work with the 4890? Also, as i asked in my previous post, does changing the slot of the card affects anything? Again thank you for all this mate

 

[Peloche]

Some additional info would be helpful.

As in ...no response at all on boot, total black screen? Or did it at least start to boot?

Also, did you try a WIndows boot?

Comparing files (hybmiror and 48902nd) with HexEdit gives 3 differences, did you make them ?

 

[Cindori]

So i just follow those instructions and it will just work for both OSX and bootcamp, and bootscreen too?

yes, But I suggest you wait until tomorrow, when I release a new exciting tool

I have a dual display setup, running snow leopard, one screen is connected via DVI and the other one via VGA. Would this setup work with the 4890?

dual screens work in snow leopard, but I am afraid VGA does not work.

Also, as i asked in my previous post, does changing the slot of the card affects anything? Again thank you for all this mate

yes. only slot 1 (bottom) is full speed (16x) the others are maximum 8x. with a card like the 4890 this would give you a ~20% performance penalty. With older cards I don't think it would be that bad.

 

[vj.andrei]

yes, But I suggest you wait until tomorrow, when I release a new exciting tool

So i also wait tomorrow, if it´s work 100% and the flashing goes well, can i donate you a beer

 

[Cindori]

feel free to


just finished testing the app in both snow leopard and leopard.
it's tight as a drum.

 

[Redneck1089]

My HIS 4890 should be arriving today. I just want to make sure I have the steps right for doing the flash. Can someone please confirm for me that this is all correct?

I currently have a Mac Edition 4870 in the computer, so I need to start with the following:

1) Download and install the Natit PKG.
2) Turn off the computer and take out the 4870
3) Install the unflashed 4890 and reboot the computer
4) The Natit PKG will allow me to boot into OS X to continue the flash. So, I boot in and use either the Overclock or Normal Package.
5) Install the QE_CI package
6) Open the flash.app
7) Restart my computer
8) Run Natit remover
9) Reboot again

Between steps 1 and 3 - I can install the 4890 after the Natit PKG has been and stalled and the computer shut off, correct? Or does the 4890 need to be present in the computer when the PKG is installed?

I'm going to go with the Overclock Package. Will the card also be overlocked in Windows as well?

If I'm missing any steps, please let me know!!!!!!!


Thank you all in advance.

 

[Cindori]

the 4890 only need to be in mac when flashing.

otherwise your steps are correct. that should work out fine for you. your card will keep the clock even if you remove it from the computer.

if you have patience to wait until tomorrow though, you can try my new Tool. it is all-in-1, no need to juggle around with kexts, .pkgs, apps, removers etc.