MP 1,1-5,1 Upgrade path from High Sierra / 5770 to Monterey / 5600XT

[weezin]

Hi all - I'd like to start upgrading my 5,1 a little bit and am in need of some guidance as to how to go about it.

Ideally my 5,1 would end up with a 5600 XT graphics card running Monterey. It is now running High Sierra and a ATI 5770. I'm shooting for a 5600 XT because I want to eventually play some (older) AAA games (like Battlefield 3/4, Battlefront 1/2), and as far as I understand, it doesn't require any flashing / etc. I'd also consider an RX 580.

I have a few specific questions:

1. It was my understanding that I can not upgrade to Mojave without a metal-compatible card, but I also can't use the 5600 XT in anything prior to Catalina. Is that correct? If so, how do I go about upgrading given that one prevents the other?

2. What do you recommend for upgrading to Monterey? I've heard OCLP is the way to go, but would like some feedback on that.

3. What brand / model and where do you suggest getting a 5600 XT? It's an older card now, so I'm not sure which brand and model to get and where to get it.

4. Any other tips or specific guides to doing what I want here?

Thanks!

 

[rm5]

1. That's a tricky one. I was in a similar situation when I used a 5,1 Mac Pro. What I'd recommend is the following:
   1. Build/install OCLP with the 5770 installed, using High Sierra
   2. Create a bootable installer (ideally using the OCLP GUI tool) while you're at it
   3. Make sure it boots successfully into OCLP with the 5770 in; hold the Control key when booting into the OCLP boot picker so it will always do that. This is a vitally important step, don't forget!!
   4. Put the 5600 XT in
   5. Boot into OCLP (if you did step 3 correctly, it should just do it automatically), and into the USB installer you created in step 2
2. It's hopefully become clear by this point that you should use OCLP. I did that, and it worked fine for me. Other people might say differently, but my experience with it was good.
3. Don't know, someone else please answer this.
4. Just make sure to use the official OCLP install guide. Also take a gander at the Definitive Mac Pro Upgrade Guide.

EDIT: I didn't have to worry about BootROM stuff (thanks for pointing this out, @tsialex !) because my machine was already on 144.0.0.0.0.

 

[tsialex]

Hi all - I'd like to start upgrading my 5,1 a little bit and am in need of some guidance as to how to go about it.

Ideally my 5,1 would end up with a 5600 XT graphics card running Monterey. It is now running High Sierra and a ATI 5770. I'm shooting for a 5600 XT because I want to eventually play some (older) AAA games (like Battlefield 3/4, Battlefront 1/2), and as far as I understand, it doesn't require any flashing / etc. I'd also consider an RX 580.

I have a few specific questions:

1. It was my understanding that I can not upgrade to Mojave without a metal-compatible card, but I also can't use the 5600 XT in anything prior to Catalina. Is that correct? If so, how do I go about upgrading given that one prevents the other?

Firmware upgrades can only be done by METAL GPUs that are recognised/have drivers with High Sierra. RX 5600XT only starts to be recognised as a supported GPU with 10.15.1. So, no, you can't use it for the required firmware upgrades.

You can borrow a HighSierra METAL supported GPU or you can workaround with the BootROM reconstruction service.

You have to upgrade your BootROM to 144.0.0.0.0 before anything.

2. What do you recommend for upgrading to Monterey?

You can do it via the OpenCore stickie thread method or OCLP. This depends exclusively on you, manual OC method is not difficult, but not for everyone.

I've heard OCLP is the way to go, but would like some feedback on that.

OCLP works, but is usually a choice for newbies and not for power users. Use whatever you will be more comfortable with.

3. What brand / model and where do you suggest getting a 5600 XT? It's an older card now, so I'm not sure which brand and model to get and where to get it.

This depends greatly to where you are located, what is available to me here on this side of the globe will not be available to someone located on Europe, for example.

4. Any other tips or specific guides to doing what I want here?

Thanks!

Read the first posts of both the Mojave BootROM upgrade and the OC manual method stickies.

 

[weezin]

1. That's a tricky one. I was in a similar situation when I used a 5,1 Mac Pro. What I'd recommend is the following:
   1. Build/install OCLP with the 5770 installed, using High Sierra
   2. Create a bootable installer (ideally using the OCLP GUI tool) while you're at it
   3. Make sure it boots successfully into OCLP with the 5770 in; hold the Control key when booting into the OCLP boot picker so it will always do that. This is a vitally important step, don't forget!!
   4. Put the 5600 XT in
   5. Boot into OCLP (if you did step 3 correctly, it should just do it automatically), and into the USB installer you created in step 2
2. It's hopefully become clear by this point that you should use OCLP. I did that, and it worked fine for me. Other people might say differently, but my experience with it was good.
3. Don't know, someone else please answer this.
4. Just make sure to use the official OCLP install guide. Also take a gander at the Definitive Mac Pro Upgrade Guide.

EDIT: I didn't have to worry about BootROM stuff (thanks for pointing this out, @tsialex !) because my machine was already on 140.0.0.0.0.

Thank you! It seems like a 5600 XT might not be my best path, but it seems like OCLP is. I'll definitely use that.

Firmware upgrades can only be done by METAL GPUs that are recognised/have drivers with High Sierra. RX 5600XT only starts to be recognised as a supported GPU with 10.15.1. So, no, you can't use it for the required firmware upgrades.

You can borrow a HighSierra METAL supported GPU or you can workaround with the BootROM reconstruction service.

You have to upgrade your BootROM to 144.0.0.0.0 before anything.

You can do it via the OpenCore stickie thread method or OCLP. This depends exclusively on you, manual OC method is not difficult, but not for everyone.

OCLP works, but is usually a choice for newbies and not for power users. Use whatever you will be more comfortable with.

This depends greatly to where you are located, what is available to me here on this side of the globe will not be available to someone located on Europe, for example.

Read the first posts of both the Mojave BootROM upgrade and the OC manual method stickies.

Thanks a lot. Would an RX 580 be a better / easier path for me? I don't know where I'd borrow a High Sierra metal compatible card.

I'm definitely in the newbie camp and not the power user camp, so ease of setup is important for me. My understanding is the the RX 580 works in Mojave.

I'm located in the US.

 

[tsialex]

EDIT: I didn't have to worry about BootROM stuff (thanks for pointing this out, @tsialex !) because my machine was already on 140.0.0.0.0.

You still need to update to 144.0.0.0.0. People wit 140.0.0.0.0 are trashing the BootROM running OCLP + unsupported macOS releases.

Thank you! It seems like a 5600 XT might not be my best path, but it seems like OCLP is. I'll definitely use that.


Thanks a lot. Would an RX 580 be a better / easier path for me? I don't know where I'd borrow a High Sierra metal compatible card.

I'm definitely in the newbie camp and not the power user camp, so ease of setup is important for me. My understanding is the the RX 580 works in Mojave.

I'm located in the US.

Right now RX 5600XT will limit you to OCLP+Monterey, while RX 580 will go all the way to OCLP+Sonoma.

 

[weezin]

Thanks, makes sense.

If I didn't care about getting to Monterey and was fine with staying on Mojave, I could just proceed with the regular Mojave installer (assuming I have a Metal and Mojave compatible card installed) and go from there, yes? This would be the case with an RX 580 I assume.

But if I wanted to go to Monterey eventually, I would need to:

1. Install a metal-capable GPU (like RX 580)
2. Upgrade to 144.0.0.0.0
3. Install Mojave
4. Install OCLP
5. Install Monterey

Is that about right?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks, makes sense.

If I didn't care about getting to Monterey and was fine with staying on Mojave, I could just proceed with the regular Mojave installer (assuming I have a Metal and Mojave compatible card installed) and go from there, yes? This would be the case with an RX 580 I assume.

Yes.

But if I wanted to go to Monterey eventually, I would need to:

1. Install a metal-capable GPU (like RX 580)
2. Upgrade to 144.0.0.0.0
3. Install Mojave
4. Install OCLP
5. Install Monterey

Is that about right?

Or you can workaround it with a BootROM reconstruction service and solve three issues simultaneously (144.0.0.0.0, clean BootROM, pre-boot configuration support with a PC GPU).

 

[weezin]

Very helpful, thank you!

Last two questions, I hope:

- If I wanted to stick to Mojave and make this as easy as possible, but still get the best graphics performance I can for games like Battlefield 4/V, and Battlefront 1/2, what GPU should I go for? I'd ideally like to be able to run these at max settings.
- If I stick to Mojave, is there still a benefit to doing OCLP? I assume the main benefit is the option to get a boot screen back.

EDIT: I lied. I found this on ebay, which seems more expensive than the other RX580s I have seen on there. The only real benefit here is that this will give me a boot screen, yes?

 

[tsialex]

Very helpful, thank you!

Last two questions, I hope:

- If I wanted to stick to Mojave and make this as easy as possible, but still get the best graphics performance I can for games like Battlefield 4/V, and Battlefront 1/2, what GPU should I go for? I'd ideally like to be able to run these at max settings.

VEGA56/64 or VII. VEGA56 is the only one that can run safely without Pixla's mod.

- If I stick to Mojave, is there still a benefit to doing OCLP? I assume the main benefit is the option to get a boot screen back.

Seems you are mistaking some things here, OCLP is not even compatible with anything earlier than BigSur.

Pre-boot configuration support you can get via EnableGop injection to the Mac Pro BootROM (already included with BootROM reconstruction service).

 

[rm5]

You still need to update to 144.0.0.0.0. People wit 140.0.0.0.0 are trashing the BootROM running OCLP + unsupported macOS releases.

I meant to say 144.0.0.0.0, I apologize for the confusion. THAT was what my machine was on. I tried to update it and apparently I was on the latest one. So I think I was fine.

 

[weezin]

VEGA56/64 or VII. VEGA56 is the only one that can run safely without Pixla's mod.



Seems you are mistaking some things here, OCLP is not even compatible with anything earlier than BigSur.

Pre-boot configuration support you can get via EnableGop injection to the Mac Pro BootROM (already included with BootROM reconstruction service).

You're right, I was confusing things. I'm thinking I should just plan to go OCLP with Monterey since that's what my other machines have (and it has a boot screen).

For the Vega56 - I read in other threads that you really should do the Pixlas mod. Is that true? Can I play the games that I'm talking about with the Vega 56 without the Pixlas mod or any other mod?

 

[tsialex]

If you going to game or render with the Mac Pro, always do the Pixla's mod.

While a VEGA56 + eVGA PowerLink will work fine if the VEGA 56 firmware switch is switched to low power, the power draw is still over the intended by Apple design and you should not use it constantly, you can overtime damage/burn the power traces from the backplane PCB.

Even a RX580 when running full throttle can trigger the SMC excessive power draw shutdown.