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Orig. Mac Pro Quad now with 4870x2
- Thread starter wsgroves
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If you want to max out crysis you have to build a pc with 3x nvidia 280 cards in SLI...Crytec are Nvidia whores, and the drivers for the 4870 x2 are new and a bit **** (I don't care about playing crysis maxed out, I always stuck it on lowest settings on my 8800gts 640MB PC, and as a result kicked ass, turn on your car headlights and watch the opposition die by losing 15fps), so if you want to game to the max, get a PC (although I would still put it on lowest settings). If you want to be a Professional, get a MacPro (its in the name). Or if you want to be a professional and game to the max you could get a mac and a PC, and then you won't have to cry when you Nuke your lovely MacPro by hot rodding it.
My next PC upgrade is going to be the next version of the Mac Pro as I no longer care enough to spend all my money on a never ending GPU war, and I don't mind scaling, crysis on an 8800 still looks much nicer then anything on the PS3 or XBOX.
My next PC upgrade is going to be the next version of the Mac Pro as I no longer care enough to spend all my money on a never ending GPU war, and I don't mind scaling, crysis on an 8800 still looks much nicer then anything on the PS3 or XBOX.
I have mine powered off the Mac Pro's PSU. I have two of the adaptor cables to convert the micro 6-pin on the motherboard to the standard mini 6-pin. One of these is connected directly to the 4870x2 and the other is connected to a 6-pin to 8-pin adaptor which subsequently connects to the 4870x2.
Let me get this right...
Sorry, how does this work again? I thought there was only one header on the motherboard. From your description you are connecting the two required power cables off two motherboard headers (one each): You say you have two of the adapter cables to convert micro 6-pin (mobo) to mini 6-pin (6-pin port on the card, same as the 8800GT, X1900XT, Quadro), "one of these is connected directly to the 4870x2" you say, so I assume the other end is connected to the motherboard(!), and "the other is connected to a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter which subsequently connects to the 4870x2", so OK, 6-pin to 8-pin adapter then into the 8-pin port on the 4870x2, but where does the other end go? Where does the 6-pin micro end plug into if the only 6-pin micro header on the board is already taken up with the other cable?
If this is actually doable without hax0ring the machine as with external powersupply etc. I will be out buying one of these tomorrow!
(I will donate my 8800GT to my friend to upgrade his 8600GTS and buy a low-end card which requires no additional power cable for using OSX until they bring out drivers for the 4870x2 on OSX).
Could you please explain the situation? Am I getting it totally wrong and there are in fact 2 suitable headers on the mac pro motherboard?
I'm using an 8-core 2.8 based Mac Pro.
Sorry, how does this work again? I thought there was only one header on the motherboard. From your description you are connecting the two required power cables off two motherboard headers (one each): You say you have two of the adapter cables to convert micro 6-pin (mobo) to mini 6-pin (6-pin port on the card, same as the 8800GT, X1900XT, Quadro), "one of these is connected directly to the 4870x2" you say, so I assume the other end is connected to the motherboard(!), and "the other is connected to a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter which subsequently connects to the 4870x2", so OK, 6-pin to 8-pin adapter then into the 8-pin port on the 4870x2, but where does the other end go? Where does the 6-pin micro end plug into if the only 6-pin micro header on the board is already taken up with the other cable?
If this is actually doable without hax0ring the machine as with external powersupply etc. I will be out buying one of these tomorrow!
(I will donate my 8800GT to my friend to upgrade his 8600GTS and buy a low-end card which requires no additional power cable for using OSX until they bring out drivers for the 4870x2 on OSX).
Could you please explain the situation? Am I getting it totally wrong and there are in fact 2 suitable headers on the mac pro motherboard?
I'm using an 8-core 2.8 based Mac Pro.
Sorry, how does this work again? I thought there was only one header on the motherboard. From your description you are connecting the two required power cables off two motherboard headers (one each): You say you have two of the adapter cables to convert micro 6-pin (mobo) to mini 6-pin (6-pin port on the card, same as the 8800GT, X1900XT, Quadro), "one of these is connected directly to the 4870x2" you say, so I assume the other end is connected to the motherboard(!), and "the other is connected to a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter which subsequently connects to the 4870x2", so OK, 6-pin to 8-pin adapter then into the 8-pin port on the 4870x2, but where does the other end go? Where does the 6-pin micro end plug into if the only 6-pin micro header on the board is already taken up with the other cable?
If this is actually doable without hax0ring the machine as with external powersupply etc. I will be out buying one of these tomorrow!
(I will donate my 8800GT to my friend to upgrade his 8600GTS and buy a low-end card which requires no additional power cable for using OSX until they bring out drivers for the 4870x2 on OSX).
Could you please explain the situation? Am I getting it totally wrong and there are in fact 2 suitable headers on the mac pro motherboard?
I'm using an 8-core 2.8 based Mac Pro.
There are two 6-pin micro connectors on the motherboard, they are next to each other. If you have another graphics card connected to your system such as the 8800GT (minus the 2600XT as this doesn't require extra power), then it will be using one of those connectors.
Thanks for the info!
Awesome, so if I get another of these cables (it was virtually impossible to find one when I upgraded my 7300GT in my previous Mac Pro Quad 2.0 to a PC based X1900XT, I hope the situation has changed now!), then I can run with the 4870X2 using up both ports!
So, I would have to pull the 8800GT and swap in a 2600XT (that's the current low-end card for current mac pro's isn't it?) that won't need to utilise either of the micro sockets, in order to use OS X again.
I can live with that, I only want blazing performance in Windows for gaming.
I wonder, will the 8800GT coming out of my Mac Pro work in a standard PC (Core 2, PCI-Express etc.) with Vista? If so my best mate is about to get a sweet upgrade
Plan of action
OK guys, here's what I'm going to do.
I shall buy a 4870X2 from ebuyer.com for £349 and I've found a seller on ebay who will ship the cable I need over from the USA for £15 + P&P and a UK seller at £19.99 for the 6-pin to 8-pin connector needed.
If I can get that working then I'll also buy in a 2600XT from apple.com/uk/thestore for £80 to get OSX available again.
I'm sure I can flash the ROM on the 8800GT for a regular PC in just the same way as you can flash the ROM on a PC 8800GT for the Mac (apparently). So when it's available for messing with, I'll experiment getting that to work for my mate and let you all know, in the interests of science.
The general consensus on the net seems to be, "no", from my research over the last few months when it comes to running a 4870X2 on a Mac (unless you're hacking the box with an external PSU), so to have this confirmed here would be a great find for people who are dead set (like me) on having a huge Mac Pro gaming experience I'm sure
OK guys, here's what I'm going to do.
I shall buy a 4870X2 from ebuyer.com for £349 and I've found a seller on ebay who will ship the cable I need over from the USA for £15 + P&P and a UK seller at £19.99 for the 6-pin to 8-pin connector needed.
If I can get that working then I'll also buy in a 2600XT from apple.com/uk/thestore for £80 to get OSX available again.
I'm sure I can flash the ROM on the 8800GT for a regular PC in just the same way as you can flash the ROM on a PC 8800GT for the Mac (apparently). So when it's available for messing with, I'll experiment getting that to work for my mate and let you all know, in the interests of science.
The general consensus on the net seems to be, "no", from my research over the last few months when it comes to running a 4870X2 on a Mac (unless you're hacking the box with an external PSU), so to have this confirmed here would be a great find for people who are dead set (like me) on having a huge Mac Pro gaming experience I'm sure
Hi Murphx, Im trying to do the same, I have the ATI lead on order from the USA. What is the other lead I need and do you have a link please?
TIA
Gary
Hello mate, yes I sure do. It was something I picked up on from Macest's post about one of the cables going into a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter (the 4870X2 requires two power cables as of course you are aware), but one of them is not 6-pin but rather 8-pin. This adapter will attach to the ATI lead you have ordered. The cable already in your Mac Pro attached to your 8800GT will just connect directly without an adapter into the new card.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260310782578
There you go, rather expensive but cheaper than a trip to my mate's house 100 miles away for him to make me one
I'm hoping this lot all works! Macest has had success so I can't see why we won't.
Where did you buy your ATI lead from? Was it direct from ATI? I'm still pretty gutted I can't just find one in the UK. It's a cable!!
Edit: Ah, yes, indeed. Well you just need to search for the part number and hey presto, the UK provides... http://www.applemacparts.co.uk/store/product_info.php?cPath=7445_7624_7639&products_id=65524
Don't worry, I have ordered mine now, let the deluge of orders begin
So you ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables, one for a direct logic board to card connection, and the second to use with the 6 pin to 8 pin adapter cable?This adapter will attach to the ATI lead you have ordered. The cable already in your Mac Pro attached to your 8800GT will just connect directly without an adapter into the new card.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260310782578
Gets the job done.
connoleg might not have ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables to make this work though, and might be in for a disappointment if he didn't.
So you ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables, one for a direct logic board to card connection, and the second to use with the 6 pin to 8 pin adapter cable?
Gets the job done.
connoleg might not have ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables to make this work though, and might be in for a disappointment if he didn't.
Possibly so, that would suck, but now he knows he can order them from the UK it will be a lot easier and quicker to grab another one from the UK supplier
The way I'm rolling is that I'm tossing out my 8800GT (donating to my housemate) and therefore have one of the two 6-6 cables I need already. I've just ordered the other one I need, along with an 8-pin to 6-pin adapter to go with it
Get's the job done as you say. Never did like solder. Credit of course to macest for this solution.NB: People need to take note, that unless they already have an 8800GT they will in fact need 2 of the 6-6 cables. Also remember you will need an ATI 2600XT to be installed in order to continue to use your MacOSX as the 4870X2 does not boot OS X. The 8800GT will of course be without power and therefore useless to boot OS X with. There's no way to get the 8800GT power again unless you jury rig some power down from the optical bay enclosure, which didn't exactly look easy to me when I tried, and is what you are trying to avoid in the first place by using both mobo power ports for the X2 ;P So the 2600XT which requires only the power it sucks up through the PCI-E slot is the only way to go to retain access to OS X, that's another £80. I'm going to test first though
Other members have used a Y power splitter with the 4 pin molex connector in the 2nd optical bay, assuming it's empty. Then attached the 8 pin PCIe power cable to that. Perhaps not as elegant, but it does work, and the 8 pin may have come with the graphics card. Y splitters are cheap and easy to come by.
Just a thought for those who may already have the 8 pin to molex cables on hand.
Then attached the 8 pin PCIe power cable to that. Perhaps not as elegant, but it does work, and the 8 pin may have come with the graphics card. Y splitters are cheap and easy to come by. Just a thought for those who may already have the 8 pin to molex cables on hand.
Other members have used a Y power splitter with the 4 pin molex connector in the 2nd optical bay, assuming it's empty.
Just a thought for those who may already have the 8 pin to molex cables on hand.
That's not quite true is it? Look back to page 1 of this thread and read all the posts and doesn't it say that in fact you cannot use one mobo connector and one molex connector for the 4870X2? And why the guy added a 2nd PSU to his system? Hence why Macest's method of using both the mobo headers with his standard built in PSU is the revolution we're singing about?
Looking back, you advised wsgroves that he could do this (splitter method) and he tried it and he failed after wasting his money on the attempt. The question of staggered spinup was a bit confusing. It's not drives themselves but boards/psus that work with staggered spin-up. It's a technique to spin up all the drives if you have many of them not all at the same time, as a drive uses more current to start spinning than at any other time, so it can overdraw the 5V rail on initial power button press. wsgroves was having Vista bomb on him at the desktop, indicating that his power problem was far later than staggered spin-up could have helped with and at the moment that Vista tries to initialise some more power consuming aspects to the card.
Appreciated he had more kit running in the machine and so that is likely why your method didn't work, but it's fair to say that a lot of people may have a lot of power hungry kit in their machine already and that if you use the mobo ports for their intended purpose with these cables, the power issues are solved. This is the big deal
IIRC, it's been done with other cards as well, including the 280GTX.
The trick might be using two separate 4 pin connectors are required rather than a Y splitter, depending on the power draw from the 12V rail that supplies the optical bay (other devices using the same rail).
So you ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables, one for a direct logic board to card connection, and the second to use with the 6 pin to 8 pin adapter cable?
Gets the job done.
connoleg might not have ordered two of the 6 pin to 6 pin cables to make this work though, and might be in for a disappointment if he didn't.
Ahh I did wonder if I needed two cables?
Here's what my plan is: keep the existing 8800gt in for OSX and add a GTX260 or 280 for Vista gaming. I'm a bit confused what I need to achieve my goal. Please can you guys tell me definitively what I need to do this.
It would be good if I could just use the 2nd connector on the motherboard to acheive it but if I need to pickup from the 2nd drive bay molex then so be it.
I ordered one of the ATI cables from here svideo.com yesterday and so I doubt if they processed it yet, so cancelling or adding to the order is still an option.
TIA
Gary
Isn't the 4870X2 more power hungry (dual GPU) than the 280GTX?
As agreed, with enough current available after jury rigging power away from the optical bay you may well be able to get the system working, but the joy of these couple of cables is that you just get to use the standard headers and you don't need to start doing silly things with power. I think this will appeal more to most people (it certainly did for me). Also then you don't need to worry about adding more stuff like a Blu-Ray drive and then needing your redirected cable back.
The original Mac Pro case made it virtually impossible that I could tell to get that cable down from the optical bay into the main case anyway
The big downside to this is that you have a redundant 8800GT (unless your Mac Pro already has a 2600XT graphics card in which case seriously, just buy these cables and you're laughing).
The 4870X2 blows the barn doors off the 280GTX in terms of performance and it needs the same two connectors as the X2. The GTX260 uses two connectors as well, but this time 2x 6-pin connectors.
The 4870 non-X2 also seems to use 2x 6-pin connectors.
There appears to be no way to keep the 8800GT alongside another 2-connector card unless you try the method of bringing power down from the optical bay which makes me uncomfortable.
I would rather drop a grand on a dedicated gaming PC and get one of these cards in that and leave my Mac alone If you do wish to do this however, I'd recommend that you power the 4870X2 (or whatever you buy) from the main logic board headers, and then run the 8800GT off the optical bay hang-down.
Yes.
I went searching for the power requirements, and it wasn't listed in the specs section on ATI's web page.
nVidia claims the 280GTX requires 236W. While searching, I found a review that did a comparison of the two, and listed the power consumption.
280GTX used 125W idle, and 301W load
4870X2 used 175W idle, and 440W load
What a pig! After seeing the power used under load, it doesn't really seem practical to draw the power from other sources than the two 6 pin PCIe power connectors. Even if it can be done, the setup macest presented would certainly be the way to go.As agreed, with enough current available after jury rigging power away from the optical bay you may well be able to get the system working, but the joy of these couple of cables is that you just get to use the standard headers and you don't need to start doing silly things with power. I think this will appeal more to most people (it certainly did for me). Also then you don't need to worry about adding more stuff like a Blu-Ray drive and then needing your redirected cable back.
Cheaper, and more elegant. And, as you mention, it leaves the optical bay available.
Yes.
I went searching for the power requirements, and it wasn't listed in the specs section on ATI's web page.
nVidia claims the 280GTX requires 236W. While searching, I found a review that did a comparison of the two, and listed the power consumption.
280GTX used 125W idle, and 301W load
4870X2 used 175W idle, and 440W load
After seeing the power used under load, it doesn't really seem practical to draw the power from other sources than the two 6 pin PCIe power connectors. Even if there was a way to draw it from other sources, the setup macest presented would certainly be the way to go.
And, as you mention, it leaves the optical bay available.
Great research nanofrog, nice one.
That's some serious power consumption! To think, some people even run two of these in crossfire mode for a quad-GPU experience in their PCs; that's 880W! lol
Thanks. Which forces a 1100+W PSU. Expensive. OK if they already own such a beast, but to tack on an extra few hundred, ouch!
Yes, I believe it's officially announced that the 4870 will come to the Mac, but NOT the 4870X2.
I'm hoping that with support for the 4870 that you can at least run one side of the card, as such, while in OS X. I'd be happy with that!
This does seem to be the case.
There could be technical issues that won't allow it though.