So, does 7950 work out of the box?

MaxHarryson · 07:08 AM

Hey! Im running a Mac Pro 2008, 8x2,8, 4 gigs ram and 8800gt for OSX and 6870 for windows.

I realized that I am in need of a PC for gaming. However i will keep the MP for music production in Logic.

The card I want for my gaming pc is 7950, and a quick google search mentioned something about it working in 10.8.3. I saw alot of threads talking about it but i couldnt understand most of it.

Does it work? In that case i will buy the card now and the rest of the PC later.
If it doesnt, is there alot of work making it work or is it something the somewhat avarage joe could pull off?

Edit:
Or does it only work if i boot it up in windows?

DonMega · Jan 19, 2013, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxHarryson

Does it work? In that case i will buy the card now and the rest of the PC later.
If it doesnt, is there alot of work making it work or is it something the somewhat avarage joe could pull off?

Edit:
Or does it only work if i boot it up in windows?

I'm running a 2010 5,1 Mac Pro and I purchased an XFX 7950 and popped it in and besides not having a boot screen in works perfectly. I see a very nice increase in performance in X-Plane which is really the only app that I use that would benefit from a better GPU. Hope that helps...

MaxHarryson · Jan 19, 2013, 03:31 PM

It sure does !

10.8.3 is a must if i want it to work, tough ?

DonMega · Jan 19, 2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxHarryson

It sure does !

10.8.3 is a must if i want it to work, tough ?

Yes, I believe 10.8.3 is required.

akadmon · Jan 19, 2013, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonMega

Yes, I believe 10.8.3 is required.

So are you saying it does not work with the latest official version of OSX (10.8.2)? As far as I know, 10.8.3 has not been released.

handheldgames · Jan 19, 2013, 10:24 PM

+1 for the 7950. I pulled the trigger over at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125414 at $299 w/ 3GB ram, it's a great value. It should be a nice jump from the 6870.

DonMega · Jan 19, 2013, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadmon

So are you saying it does not work with the latest official version of OSX (10.8.2)? As far as I know, 10.8.3 has not been released.

I don't know. I haven't tried it with 10.8.2.

MaxHarryson · Jan 20, 2013, 04:18 AM

Since 10.8.3 is in beta, maybe the best thing to do is wait for it to be officially released and see if the card still work before buying ?

DonMega · Jan 20, 2013, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxHarryson

Since 10.8.3 is in beta, maybe the best thing to do is wait for it to be officially released and see if the card still work before buying ?

You're right. That's probably a good idea. I just couldn't wait...

MaxHarryson · Jan 21, 2013, 12:28 PM

Gonna give this thread one last bump and ask: Any brands to stay away from when buying a 7950 ?

handheldgames · Jan 21, 2013, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxHarryson

Gonna give this thread one last bump and ask: Any brands to stay away from when buying a 7950 ?

I'd stick with a reference board design: 1 DL-DVI, 2-MDP, 1 HDMI to be safe. They are usually stamped with the AMD logo. Asus is known to design their own board so may be worth avoiding. I'd also avoid single fan solutions.

XFX has a lifetime warranty, Gigabyte has a quiet 3 Fan solution. YMMV

scottrichardson · Jan 22, 2013, 04:26 AM

Does the 7970 work just as easily? Or does it require additional power supply?

Does the 7950 literally just 'slot into' a 2009 Mac Pro?

Yebubbleman · Jan 22, 2013, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadmon

So are you saying it does not work with the latest official version of OSX (10.8.2)? As far as I know, 10.8.3 has not been released.

10.8.3 is supposedly going to bring a ton of AMD Radeon HD 7xxx drivers along with it. This is likely why a 10.8.3 beta at minimum is required.

jenzjen · Jan 22, 2013, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottrichardson

Does the 7970 work just as easily? Or does it require additional power supply?

Does the 7950 literally just 'slot into' a 2009 Mac Pro?

Look at card page for power min, some 7970 requires 2 8 pin vs only 2 6 pin in the MP. User in these forums used an 7970 that had 1 8 pin and 1 6 pin and is reporting no issues, but forum experts advise against it fearing damaging the MP motherboard.

skywiseca · Jan 22, 2013, 10:55 AM

I just tried putting a 6970 (also 1-6 pin and 1-8 pin) into a 2008 MP and the card whined loud N long (didn't even know it had a speaker) and would not show itself to the OS.
The other 2 pins are just ground so I'm whipping up a cable that will provide the extra 2 pins out to a molex (CD/HD) power connector for the extra ground.
Testing on a normal PC shows the hybrid cable works, no whine and the card powers up fine, will be testing on the MP tonight.

handheldgames · Jan 24, 2013, 08:58 PM

Another 7950- success in 10.8.3.

InuNacho · Jan 26, 2013, 10:57 PM

Ugh, might finally have to take the plunge and get Mountain Lion.

handheldgames · Jan 27, 2013, 07:46 PM

The drivers are looking fully baked.

Jan 19, 2013, 07:02 AM	#1
MaxHarryson macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	So, does 7950 work out of the box? Hey! Im running a Mac Pro 2008, 8x2,8, 4 gigs ram and 8800gt for OSX and 6870 for windows. I realized that I am in need of a PC for gaming. However i will keep the MP for music production in Logic. The card I want for my gaming pc is 7950, and a quick google search mentioned something about it working in 10.8.3. I saw alot of threads talking about it but i couldnt understand most of it. Does it work? In that case i will buy the card now and the rest of the PC later. If it doesnt, is there alot of work making it work or is it something the somewhat avarage joe could pull off? Edit: Or does it only work if i boot it up in windows? Last edited by MaxHarryson; Jan 19, 2013 at 07:08 AM.
	0

Jan 19, 2013, 10:24 PM	#6
handheldgames macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2009	+1 for the 7950. I pulled the trigger over at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125414 at $299 w/ 3GB ram, it's a great value. It should be a nice jump from the 6870. __________________ 2009 MacPro i7-990x 3.46 Oct, 32GB RAM, AMD 7950, Dual 30" Dell 3007wfp-hc, VelocityX2-Samsung840, FrescLogic USB3, Software Developer / Hardware Designer
	0

Jan 22, 2013, 04:26 AM	#12
scottrichardson macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2007	Does the 7970 work just as easily? Or does it require additional power supply? Does the 7950 literally just 'slot into' a 2009 Mac Pro? __________________ Mac Pro 8 Core 2.93Ghz 32GB RAM, OWC 240GB SDD, 2 x OCZ 120GB RAID 0, 2 x 24" LED, R4870. MacBook Air 13" 2012 i7 2GHz, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM.
	0

Jan 24, 2013, 08:58 PM	#16
handheldgames macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2009	Another 7950- success in 10.8.3. __________________ 2009 MacPro i7-990x 3.46 Oct, 32GB RAM, AMD 7950, Dual 30" Dell 3007wfp-hc, VelocityX2-Samsung840, FrescLogic USB3, Software Developer / Hardware Designer
	0

Jan 26, 2013, 10:57 PM	#17
InuNacho macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: In that one place	Ugh, might finally have to take the plunge and get Mountain Lion. __________________ I am currently taking wagers on whether or not Finder will be killed off in 10.9.
	0

Jan 19, 2013, 03:31 PM	#3
MaxHarryson Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	It sure does ! 10.8.3 is a must if i want it to work, tough ?
	0

Jan 20, 2013, 04:18 AM	#8
MaxHarryson Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	Since 10.8.3 is in beta, maybe the best thing to do is wait for it to be officially released and see if the card still work before buying ?
	0

Jan 21, 2013, 12:28 PM	#10
MaxHarryson Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	Gonna give this thread one last bump and ask: Any brands to stay away from when buying a 7950 ?
	0

Jan 22, 2013, 10:55 AM	#15
skywiseca macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2012	I just tried putting a 6970 (also 1-6 pin and 1-8 pin) into a 2008 MP and the card whined loud N long (didn't even know it had a speaker) and would not show itself to the OS. The other 2 pins are just ground so I'm whipping up a cable that will provide the extra 2 pins out to a molex (CD/HD) power connector for the extra ground. Testing on a normal PC shows the hybrid cable works, no whine and the card powers up fine, will be testing on the MP tonight.
	0

Jan 27, 2013, 07:46 PM	#18
handheldgames macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2009	The drivers are looking fully baked. Attached Thumbnails __________________ 2009 MacPro i7-990x 3.46 Oct, 32GB RAM, AMD 7950, Dual 30" Dell 3007wfp-hc, VelocityX2-Samsung840, FrescLogic USB3, Software Developer / Hardware Designer
	0

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