7900GTX Working in MacPro!!!

[CyberDoberman]

I Am Sparticus.

This is a repeat of a post from the original MacRumors MacPro Update Thread:

Surely the Mac Pro has 4 pin connectors tucked away inside somewhere? if so if you do find one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812189120

I AM SPARTICUS! I AM SPARTICUS!!!!!

Ok... it's working. Flawlessly


Well, sort of.

Here's the scoop.

I have the Stock 7300 GT card in the top PCIe slot, connected to monitor number 1.

I have the PC nVidia 7900GTX card in the bottom 16x PCIe slot, connected to monitor number 2.

I have my old PC sitting open, next to the MAC PRO that is open, and I'm running the power cables from my old PC to the 7900GTX in the Mac... 3 in all (one for the new fan, 2 for the power).

Now... when I boot WINDOWS XP, it works automatically off the 7900GTX on Monitor #2. Works Great.

When I boot into OS X, it works automatically off the 7300GT on Monitor #1.

Both 19" LCD off DVI.

Funny thing.

When in Windows, XP does NOT see the 7300GT.

When in OS X, the Mac does NOT see the 7900GTX.

What a wild, weird, convoluted thing THIS is:

You know, there has GOT to be an easier way than this

 

[ksz]

Wonderful! I've been waiting for someone to fully carry out the experiment.

Looks like a Mac on life support.

You know, there has GOT to be an easier way than this

Under the circumstances I would just buy a nice cheap PC power supply and run the wires through a PCIe opening.

 

[CyberDoberman]

Wonderful! I've been waiting for someone to fully carry out the experiment.

Looks like a Mac on life support.


Under the circumstances I would just buy a nice cheap PC power supply and run the wires through a PCIe opening.

Well, I'd LOVE to do this.

However, most powersupplies I'm aware of will not turn ON unless the motherboard connecter is hooked up... and a "machine" is running.

Anyone know how to get around this?

 

[ksz]

Anyone know how to get around this?

Hmm, time to dig a PC motherboard out of its grave and give it new life and new purpose.

 

[jdwl]

I've no idea how to get power to the card - but as for getting the 7900 working in OsX, the osx86 guys found it was possible to add additional card support to the apple drivers for ati cards by editing the drivers .plist file and adding the device id for the card. perhaps this will work for the nvidia .kexts as well?

 

[tobyg]

Holy crap you made that Mac Pro look ugly with the wires and that other 'pc' sitting next to it.

I was just writing up my own experiences with my 7800 GTX also. Same thing, 7300GT in the top, 7800 GTX in the bottom. Windows seems to only find the graphics card in the bottom slot first, and doesn't even see the other graphics card. OSX sees the 7300 GT and 7800 GTX but won't light up any monitors if I plug them into the 7800 GTX.

And do what everyone else is doing (well, me and a couple other guys...) Get the adapter, 4 pin molex (from the optical drive) to the 6 pin connector. It's not easy to route down though, but you can try to squeeze it through the same place the other cables are coming down near the front of the case.

 

[CyberDoberman]

Holy crap you made that Mac Pro look ugly with the wires and that other 'pc' sitting next to it.

I was just writing up my own experiences with my 7800 GTX also. Same thing, 7300GT in the top, 7800 GTX in the bottom. Windows seems to only find the graphics card in the bottom slot first, and doesn't even see the other graphics card. OSX sees the 7300 GT and 7800 GTX but won't light up any monitors if I plug them into the 7800 GTX.

And do what everyone else is doing (well, me and a couple other guys...) Get the adapter, 4 pin molex (from the optical drive) to the 6 pin connector. It's not easy to route down though, but you can try to squeeze it through the same place the other cables are coming down near the front of the case.

Thats weird.

My 7300GT works fine on monitor #2 while monitor #1 is plugged into the 7900GTX while I'm in OSX.

Hmmm you are the second person I've heard say this... wonder why I'm not having the issue?

 

[tobyg]

Thats weird.

My 7300GT works fine on monitor #2 while monitor #1 is plugged into the 7900GTX while I'm in OSX.

Hmmm you are the second person I've heard say this... wonder why I'm not having the issue?

My 7300 GT works fine too... the 7800 GTX doesn't show any video even though OSX does detect it as a graphics card.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

This was the first thing I thought of when I saw that picture...

Seriously though, that is pretty brilliant stuff, I'd never have the guts to do something like that. It shows what is possible though, and it's pretty darn neat.

 

[NYmacAttack]

This was the first thing I thought of when I saw that picture...

Thats hysterical. lol

 

[Makosuke]

That is one funny captioning job there.

I have to congradulate the original poster on the mad science, but also comment that that is the single gnarliest computer setup that I have ever seen. I'm sure worse has been done, but that's pretty severe, with bonus points for taking a box that was the ultimate in clean internal design and turning it into something kludged and hideous.

It makes perfect sense from an "I need power here, how do I get it." standpoint, but man, is that ugly.

 

[xPismo]

I Am Sparticus.

I'm Sparticus!

Ok ok, I know. Someone had to do it. Great job getting it to work... to bad about the win box bit.... I bet it will be cracked asap. That pic is hillarious!!