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2009 Mac Pro install CD doesn't include 4870 drivers?

G

Greenhoe

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 17, 2008
199
0
I just got my Mac Pro today and I installed a 1 TB drive as my main drive, and i've noticed everything I do such as typing this question and moving windows around is extremly laggy.

Do you think it is becauese the install CDs that came with the Mac don't included the 10.5.7 custom driver for the 4870 card? I didn't erase the default 640 HD that came with the MP yet so i'm going to reboot using that drive and see if that changes anything.
 
Tallest Skil said:
It's a DVD.

And it's obviously NOT in 10.5.7 for the machine to run at ALL.

You don't need 10.5.7 for the 2008 Mac Pro to run it, why should the 2009 need it?
Click to expand...

Becaues didn't apple ship the Mac Pro's with the 4870 with a special driver for the 4870 that will be included in 10.5.7 which is why the 4870 upgrade kits are waiting to ship till 10.5.7?
 
Greenhoe said:
Becaues didn't apple ship the Mac Pro's with the 4870 with a special driver for the 4870 that will be included in 10.5.7 which is why the 4870 upgrade kits are waiting to ship till 10.5.7?
Click to expand...

They didn't (ship special), it isn't (driver in 10.5.7), and they're not (waiting).

The 2008 Mac Pro can already use the 4870, so there isn't a special driver needed; it's already in 10.5.6. Also, the kit has been changed to say 10.5.6 since launch.
 
Greenhoe said:
I just got my Mac Pro today and I installed a 1 TB drive as my main drive, and i've noticed everything I do such as typing this question and moving windows around is extremly laggy.

Do you think it is becauese the install CDs that came with the Mac don't included the 10.5.7 custom driver for the 4870 card? I didn't erase the default 640 HD that came with the MP yet so i'm going to reboot using that drive and see if that changes anything.
Click to expand...

For the record, I have the stock 640 drive which I wiped to partition. I also have the 4870 and have had no problems with video after re-installing OS. Did you recently get a new monitor? If the only thing different in your setup is your MP, I'd call Apple.
 
Tallest Skil said:
They didn't (ship special), it isn't (driver in 10.5.7), and they're not (waiting).

The 2008 Mac Pro can already use the 4870, so there isn't a special driver needed; it's already in 10.5.6. Also, the kit has been changed to say 10.5.6 since launch.
Click to expand...

The 4870s being used in 2008 Mac Pros are using patched .kext files from what I can see. Apple haven't even shipped their upgrade kits, so there's no way of telling what they "need" either, but their page on the Store clearly requires 10.5.7. Taking a card from a 2009 model currently results in the DVI port working and not MDP. Clearly the drivers are not working properly under 10.5.6.
 
peskaa said:
Since when?
The 4870s being used in 2008 Mac Pros are using patched .kext files, as the drivers are not part of 10.5.6. Apple haven't even shipped their upgrade kits, so there's no way of telling what they "need" either, but their page on the Store clearly requires 10.5.7.
Click to expand...

The 4870 works with no modification in the 2008 Mac Pro. So these patched .kexts must be part of 10.5.6.

As to the page on the store, it CLEARLY says 10.5.6.
 
10.5.6 contains partially working drivers for the 4870, ie: DVI only. 10.5.7 will obviously fix that up to fully working DVI and MDP connections for 2008 owners.

Apple have obviously changed the store listing. When I placed my order for the card it said 10.5.7, and when I ordered the sales rep was blathering on about it being held up for 10.5.7 to be released.
 
Maybe they're shipping an additional CD (OR DVD, or maybe even an LP) with the drivers on it instead of waiting for 10.5.7. Maybe they're saying you're going to need at least 10.5.6 to use these new drivers.

And I wouldn't say for sure that the partially working dvi/analog thing is related in any way to drivers. You're probably reading the people doing the flashing. I would ignore those posts, as those really aren't relevant to the real 4870. I've yet to hear that a real 4870 has any issues with analog signals on the newest Mac Pro's.

And as far as the drivers not being on the 'CD' that comes with the new Mac Pro, I would find that hard to believe. A lot of times Apple will ship the same version (ie 10.5.6) but with a different build with new machines. This media should have all of the newest drivers that are needed for the hardware that it shipped with. Subsequent public releases will bring everything back to the same level. 10.5.7 will have a common build # across all machines, unless they came out with a new machine that ships with 10.5.7, then that one will probably contain even newer drivers and a different 10.5.7 build #.
 
Greenhoe said:
I just got my Mac Pro today and I installed a 1 TB drive as my main drive, and i've noticed everything I do such as typing this question and moving windows around is extremly laggy.

Do you think it is becauese the install CDs that came with the Mac don't included the 10.5.7 custom driver for the 4870 card? I didn't erase the default 640 HD that came with the MP yet so i'm going to reboot using that drive and see if that changes anything.
Click to expand...
Are Quartz Extreme and Core Image enabled and supported? What's your screen resolution?

Yes, the special 10.5.6 build that ships with the Mac Pros has said drivers for OS X. Get the latest Catalyst drivers for Windows otherwise.
 
tobyg said:
And I wouldn't say for sure that the partially working dvi/analog thing is related in any way to drivers. You're probably reading the people doing the flashing. I would ignore those posts, as those really aren't relevant to the real 4870. I've yet to hear that a real 4870 has any issues with analog signals on the newest Mac Pro's.
Click to expand...

The DVI/VGA thing is a ROM flash issue. With a card lifted from a 2009 Mac Pro (ie: official Apple), the digital MiniDisplayPort output doesn't work. Seems there's a problem with the current dual-head support.

Now, on the 2009 Mac Pros, everything works. That'll be because, as you said, a custom build of OS X. My 2005 PowerMac G5 had a custom build from the factory too, but the next version of 10.3 aligned it with every other machine.
 
peskaa said:
The DVI/VGA thing is a ROM flash issue. With a card lifted from a 2009 Mac Pro (ie: official Apple), the digital MiniDisplayPort output doesn't work. Seems there's a problem with the current dual-head support.

Now, on the 2009 Mac Pros, everything works. .
Click to expand...

Hey...did you install the 10.5.7 drivers on that 2008 no MDP machine?

I am curious if the driver package we have been using is in fact complete and functional.

And TS, "The New Black" doesn't mean anything especially notorious. Is kind of a Hollywood/fashion term....like "Wow, this year Silver is the New Black"....I think the joke being that most high fashion clothes seem to be in Black. Is a reference used in movies.
 
The Rominator said:
And TS, "The New Black" doesn't mean anything especially notorious. Is kind of a Hollywood/fashion term....like "Wow, this year Silver is the New Black"....I think the joke being that most high fashion clothes seem to be in Black. Is a reference used in movies.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, and I assume the connotation was that I was claiming that Nehalem would be "all that and a bag of chips", but with the "lackluster" (quotes for a reason) performance gains, my "prediction" (quotes because he's incorrect) was false.

As to the performance of Gainestown, I never. NEVER. said that we would get more than a 40% increase Harpertown Leopard to Gainestown Leopard and no more than 2x increase Harpertown Leopard to Gainestown Snow Leopard.
 
I did a clean install on a new drive and I don't have any lag. Everything is running fine for me.
 
Does this mean I can not migrate my 2006 Mac Pro disks to the new Mac Pro 2009 because my 10.5.6 installation won't have the drivers for the 4870 included?

That sucks! I don't want to re-install.
 
funkahdafi said:
Does this mean I can not migrate my 2006 Mac Pro disks to the new Mac Pro 2009 because my 10.5.6 installation won't have the drivers for the 4870 included?

That sucks! I don't want to re-install.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, you won't have to.

Use Migration Assistant and FireWire Target Disk Mode to move your data exactly as it was, and then use Disk Utility to wipe the hard drives from your old Mac Pro before you put them in your new one.
 
2009 MP has special build of 10.5.6 - 9G3553 ( for example Mac box set build - 9G66)

You can copy all ATI* kexts from it to your old macpro to get 4870 drivers.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Fortunately, you won't have to.

Use Migration Assistant and FireWire Target Disk Mode to move your data exactly as it was, and then use Disk Utility to wipe the hard drives from your old Mac Pro before you put them in your new one.
Click to expand...

Will this really copy everything, or just /user stuff?
 
Tallest Skil said:
I believe it also migrates things associated with your user account.

I know that it doesn't move some system enhancements, though. I had to do a second install of NTFS-3G and MacFUSE after Migration.

You really wouldn't want your system files to move in this case.
Click to expand...

So my best bet would be to do a fresh install of the patched 10.5.6 and then migrate my settings?
 
funkahdafi said:
So my best bet would be to do a fresh install of the patched 10.5.6 and then migrate my settings?
Click to expand...

Wait, wait, wait... Which way are you going?

2006 Mac Pro to a 2009 Mac Pro, right?

Leave the installation that is on the new Mac Pro alone, migrate your data, and then wipe your old Mac Pro's disks if you were going to put them in your new Mac Pro. The 10.5.6 that is already on there will be fine to leave alone.

If you're going the other way for whatever reason, I don't know what to say about what to do, so I hope you're moving forward.
 
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