MP 1,1-5,1 Vega 56 models size

[Jedispirits]

First of all excuse me if there is a topic about this same question, but I was not able to find it

I'm thinking about buying a Radeon Vega 56 for my Mac Pro 4.1 -> 5.1, but it seems that not all models have the same size. I need all 4 PCI slots so I need to find a model which let me use all 3 rest slots.

Could you help me with this? Which models are the best?

Thanks in advance

 

[tsialex]

First of all excuse me if there is a topic about this same question, but I was not able to find it

I'm thinking about buying a Radeon Vega 56 for my Mac Pro 4.1 -> 5.1, but it seems that not all models have the same size. I need all 4 PCI slots so I need to find a model which let me use all 3 rest slots.

Could you help me with this? Which models are the best?

Thanks in advance

Buy any model with the VEGA 56 reference design, AMD used a standard blower type heatsink-fan combo design exactly 2-slots wide.

AFAIK, the absolute majority of VEGA GPUs are the reference design and made just by one ODM - I never personally saw a non-reference model, but I'm sure that OC cards exist and are oversized.

Everyone Most GPU manufacturers that sold VEGA reference models just applied labels, made boxes and if much, some firmware changes. Don't forget that any cards outside of the the reference model are almost certainly oversized.

Edited to make sure that you should buy only the AMD reference model for a MacPro5,1.

 

[Jedispirits]

Thanks you very much Alex.

It is a great information so I could then buy one at the best price, without focussing in the model.

 

[tsialex]

Thanks you very much Alex.

It is a great information so I could then buy one at the best price, without focussing in the model.

The only VEGA models that are not 2-slots wide are the OC models that have a different heatsink fan combo than the blower type of the reference model. It's rare to find one that is not the reference design, I remember some GPU manufacturer announcing a OC VEGA model back then, but I never saw one.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Look for this form factor

Radeon™ RX Vega⁵⁶ Grafikkarten

Mit einer AMD Radeon™ RX Vega⁵⁶ Grafikkarte für PC auf ein hochauflösendes System zur Unterstützung von Spielen aufrüsten, das Funktionen wie VR-Fähigkeit bietet.

www.amd.com

 

[Jedispirits]

Hi guys,

I finnally bought one, but I was not very lucky.

I found a Gigabyte Vega 56 at a very interesting price (about 200$) and I decided to buy it. But I found three major problems:

- There's not 2nd BIOS switch. It is specially important if you don't made the PIXLAS mod
- The PIN PCI-E connectors are reversed, so you can not connect EVGA Powerlink, and I had to use extra cables.
- THe MOST relevant.... IT'S TOO BIG. So the 2nd PCI_E 16 slot is now useless.

Now It is installed in my MP but since I can not switch "phisicaly" the BIOS I'm not very confortable.

I don't know where I read about all this problems with the card's size. I have to find more information and be more careful with the models I choose.

I will keep updating this post if I could by another model.

Regards,

Llorenç

 

[tsialex]

Gigabyte likes to change the design of the cards, even most of the HD 7950/R9-280X from them are oversized 3-fans monsters. If the card have OC anywhere on the model number, forget it. Even the smaller Gigabyte WINDFORCE models are not only slightly wider than 2-slot, but there are cards too long to fit inside the Mac Pro with the PCIe fan housing locked correctly.

Some days ago I had a RX 6600XT from Gigabyte on hand, even the PWM is on a different layout and position from the AMD reference card and again the card is oversized.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

tsialex wrote:

The only VEGA models that are not 2-slots wide are the OC models …

and you buy this, right?

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 GAMING OC 8G Besonderheiten | Grafikkarten - GIGABYTE Germany

Entdecke die AORUS Premium- Grafikkarten, ausgestattet mit WINDFORCE Kühlsystem, RGB-Beleuchtung, PCB Coating und VR Features für das beste Gaming- und VR-E...

www.gigabyte.com

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 GAMING OC 8G

I think the problem was, that you don't read, what other people write. Now you must live with the problems and make a pixlas mod for save working, or sell the card and buy the right one. Pixlas mod is still recommended, because a Vega can have very high power peaks.

With a reference design you can use VegaTab to underclock and undervolt the Vega 56, but not with your card. Running VegaTab i have used a Vega Frontier underclocked for over a month before i finished my pixlas mod.

 

[Jedispirits]

tsialex wrote:

and you buy this, right?

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 GAMING OC 8G Besonderheiten | Grafikkarten - GIGABYTE Germany

Entdecke die AORUS Premium- Grafikkarten, ausgestattet mit WINDFORCE Kühlsystem, RGB-Beleuchtung, PCB Coating und VR Features für das beste Gaming- und VR-E...

www.gigabyte.com

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 GAMING OC 8G

I think the problem was, that you don't read, what other people write. Now you must live with the problems and make a pixlas mod for save working, or sell the card and buy the right one. Pixlas mod is still recommended, because a Vega can have very high power peaks.

With a reference design you can use VegaTab to underclock and undervolt the Vega 56, but not with your card. Running VegaTab i have used a Vega Frontier underclocked for over a month before i finished my pixlas mod.

Sorry but IT'S YOU who did not read all the text. Please re-read it ALL

"The only VEGA models that are not 2-slots wide are the OC models that have a different heatsink fan combo than the blower type of the reference model. It's rare to find one that is not the reference design, I remember some GPU manufacturer announcing a OC VEGA model back then, but I never saw one."

 

[tsialex]

Sorry but IT'S YOU who did not read all the text. Please re-read it ALL

"The only VEGA models that are not 2-slots wide are the OC models that have a different heatsink fan combo than the blower type of the reference model. It's rare to find one that is not the reference design, I remember some GPU manufacturer announcing a OC VEGA model back then, but I never saw one."

So, let's be crystal clear here, you got a VEGA 56 that is not an OC model, it's a blower type model and it's oversize?!?

 

[Jedispirits]

So, let's be crystal clear here, you got a VEGA 56 that is not an OC model, it's a blower type model and it's oversize?!?

Don't worry Alex it's not your fault at all. I had to consider more factors, for example the blower type, but being OC is not enought to discard the model (as Tzunami said)

Your help is of course welcome, but I had to search more and not be that "fast"

There`s only other ways to said somethig, no that rude. Being behind a computer is not excuse to be "not much polite".

 

[Dayo]

Sorry but IT'S YOU who did not read all the text. Please re-read it ALL

You were caught stepping on a small mine

The only ones that are not 2 Slots wide are the OC models that haveblowersheatsinks different to the reference model ... it is rare does indeed strictly mean there are "OC" models and some of them have different blowers heatsinks but these are rare. Seems this is how you interpretated it.

What was meant however, was The only ones that are not 2 Slots wide are the OC models WHICH ARE NOT REFERENCE MODELS as they have differentblowersheatsinks ... in general though, non reference models are rare

Edit: Strike out "blower" for "heatsink"

 

[tsialex]

You were caught stepping on a small grammatical mine

The only ones that are not 2 Slots wide are the OC models that have blowers different to the reference model ... it is rare does indeed strictly mean there are "OC" models and some of them have different blowers but these are rare. Seems this is how you interpretated it.

What was meant however, was The only ones that are not 2 Slots wide are the OC models WHICH ARE NOT REFERENCE MODELS as they have a different blower ... in general though, non reference models are rare

This is not what I wrote:

The only VEGA models that are not 2-slots wide are the OC models that have a different heatsink fan combo than the blower type of the reference model. It's rare to find one that is not the reference design, I remember some GPU manufacturer announcing a OC VEGA model back then, but I never saw one.

 

[Dayo]

I paraphrased on how it seemed he took it as I did take it the same way at first before reconsidering.
Apologies for offending as maybe should have put things with more tact on reflection.

 

[tsialex]

Don't worry Alex it's not your fault at all. I had to consider more factors, for example the blower type, but being OC is not enought to discard the model (as Tzunami said)

Your help is of course welcome, but I had to search more and not be that "fast"

There`s only other ways to said somethig, no that rude. Being behind a computer is not excuse to be "not much polite".

For posteriority and no one else doing this same mistake again, what card did you bought exactly?

This one that from the photo/specs seems to be exactly like the reference design:

H=40 L=280 W=127 mm

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 8G Key Features | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE U.S.A.

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

Or this OC model with the oversize heatsink and fan combo:

H=53 L=273.8 W=131.6 mm

Radeon™ RX VEGA 56 GAMING OC 8G Key Features | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE U.S.A.

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

 

[Jedispirits]

For posteriority and no one else doing this same mistake again,

I think this is the important fact to consider.

I did not consider having fans as a problem, and I was wrong.

I ALWAYS said that the fault was mine. I pay too much attention to the "rarity" concept and (perhaps only) in my country the reference type is the rarest one. So here you could find that the majority of the Vega 56 cards which you found on phisycal shops or online shops as "Wallapop", "Segundamano" or even on "eBay" are the 2 or 3 fans models (OC or not)

For example this one, surely is oversized (and not OC?)

Radeon Vega 56 Shaphire

Vendo AMD radeon vega 56 sapphire pulse de 8gb, en perfecto estado. No la he usado para minar ni overclock. No tiene problemas de temperatura. Se vende en su caja original. Se hacen envíos

es.wallapop.com

So I thought now that the only SECURE models are the blower type, and that's the important think to consider for the size problem.

Now for people finding a Vega 56 for its MP 5.1, what we need to know is which ones have the BIOS switch.

This is the important thing to make this post a contructive one and helpful for other people.

As always thanks for your coments and help.

Llorenç

 

[tsialex]

I ALWAYS said that the fault was mine. I pay too much attention to the "rarity" concept and (perhaps only) in my country the reference type is the rarest one.

Different countries, different availability of cards - now it's clear that my experience cannot be expanded to all markets.

Interestingly enough, I'm looking to replace a GTX 680 on one of my Mac Pros with a more recent used GPU for at least three months looking the major local auction sites almost daily and I don't remember ever seeing a non-reference VEGA model. I just did a search again did not find one VEGA GPU that is not the reference model.

While I can get a brand new RX 6600 with a very good price locally (R$ 1699), cheaper than a used VEGA 56 (R$ 2000), I still need a GPU that works with full acceleration with High Sierra.

Seems that the local used GPU market still don't reflect the current availability and prices of brand new GPUs.

Now for people finding a Vega 56 for its MP 5.1, what we need to know is which ones have the BIOS switch.

AFAIK, all cards that are based on the AMD reference design (with the blower type fan/heatsink combo) have the firmware selection switch.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Don't worry Alex it's not your fault at all. I had to consider more factors, for example the blower type, but being OC is not enought to discard the model (as Tzunami said)

Your help is of course welcome, but I had to search more and not be that "fast"

There`s only other ways to said somethig, no that rude. Being behind a computer is not excuse to be "not much polite".

Sorry guy, but on #5 I give you a link how the a reference design looks like. I couldn't do more to help you with your decision.

PS: We wait for a picture of your card.