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5870 in Mac Pro

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I started reading up on Eyefinity and got excited. Really think that is the future , for more than games. Certainly a VR world will be more immersive.

In any case, grabbed an XFX 5870 and tossed it in the 1st Gen. No workie in OSX, but that was expected. Will have to keep an eye on future OS builds and see when Dev ID = 6898 shows up.

It dwarfs even the fullsize 4870 cards. In pic you see it next to an ATI 2600. Makes 2600 look like a USB Dongle.

Meanwhile, in Windows it is joy. Eyefinity with the 30 ACD and 24" Dell is rough, really need a 3rd monitor and thus either a DP monitor, or a display port active adapter.

I might get the Apple one to check my theory that it is same deal as the Bizlink one Windows folks use. (Will require a DP to MDP adapter, but I think they exist now)

More news to come.
 

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The Rominator said:
I started reading up on Eyefinity and got excited. Really think that is the future , for more than games. Certainly a VR world will be more immersive.

In any case, grabbed an XFX 5870 and tossed it in the 1st Gen. No workie in OSX, but that was expected. Will have to keep an eye on future OS builds and see when Dev ID = 6898 shows up.

It dwarfs even the fullsize 4870 cards. In pic you see it next to an ATI 2600. Makes 2600 look like a USB Dongle.

Meanwhile, in Windows it is joy. Eyefinity with the 30 ACD and 24" Dell is rough, really need a 3rd monitor and thus either a DP monitor, or a display port active adapter.

I might get the Apple one to check my theory that it is same deal as the Bizlink one Windows folks use. (Will require a DP to MDP adapter, but I think they exist now)

More news to come.
Click to expand...

Do you think the eyefinity version (with MDP ports) will driver the 24" LED ACDs? Do you think that'll be cheaper or be released earlier than an Apple's version (presumably coming next year) ?
 
Rominator - thanks for this - I was just wondering what the story is on 5800 series. Can I take it that "no workie" includes trying all netkas' stuff?

Also, is the card physically bigger than a 285, or around the same?
 
Please put flashed HD4870 as 1st card and then HD5870 as 2nd card. All in Crossfire. Test if Mac OS X will boot 🙂
 
Fan noise

Please tell us about fan behavior! If only it didn't rev up to max when in Os X! I wouldn't need my separate gaming PC any more. It would be great to have the 5870 for even Windows gaming only.😉
 
10THzMac said:
Rominator - thanks for this - I was just wondering what the story is on 5800 series. Can I take it that "no workie" includes trying all netkas' stuff?
Click to expand...

even if you would make osx boot with the card, you will have no drivers to run it. you can't just throw in a magic netkas kext and hope to get support for a totally new generation.
 
Ok, so it does fit. I too, want to know about heat, since it seems the 5870 dumps a lot of heat back into the case. What does the ambient temp in the expansion card chamber get to? Does the case fan ever speed up when the card is under load?
 
Cindori said:
even if you would make osx boot with the card, you will have no drivers to run it. you can't just throw in a magic netkas kext and hope to get support for a totally new generation.
Click to expand...

He could write a driver for it, after all the card isn't a different architecture from the 4870/4890 which should also ease the task.

Secondly m8 have you tried or thought about the connectors that come directly from the psu and get 2 six pin connectors directly from there to power a second card, like a tesla/cell card or a second graphics card.
According to the 2006 mac pro's service manual, the psu is modular as it connects to multiple adapters near it, splitting the correct ones et voila 2 six pin connectors.
Before flaming keep, in mind that the 300w limit applies to both pci-e slots and the 2 six pin connectors on the board, on this case one of the cards is fed directly from the psu.
The mac pro's psu is 980w.
For the 2006 mac pro's service manual, I've seen one around here a couple of days, but you can always disassemble your mac pro's psu and post pics 🙂.
Also, post a picture of the "Pci Cards" bracket of the system profiler.
 
Interesting to see that it fits, and works under Windows. Tempted to replace my non-booting GTX 275 with one of these for Windows use, although the loss of PhysX would be annoying.
 
Cindori said:
even if you would make osx boot with the card, you will have no drivers to run it. you can't just throw in a magic netkas kext and hope to get support for a totally new generation.
Click to expand...
Well I can always live in hope on the basis that it might have been a PCI ID limitation only. Probably dumb, I agree, based on the GTX200 story.
 
10THzMac said:
Rominator - thanks for this - I was just wondering what the story is on 5800 series. Can I take it that "no workie" includes trying all netkas' stuff?

Also, is the card physically bigger than a 285, or around the same?
Click to expand...

Same basic size as GTX285.

I have been in Eyefinity HELL !!!

I could not locate one of the official Bizlink (Accell ?) Display Port to DVI adapters. It turns out that Eyefinity requires that of three ports used at once, one MUST be a displayport. Using an adapter that is passive does not work for this, needs to be an "active" adapter....$100 if you could find one in stock somewhere. Meanwhile, I thought I would be clever and use Apple's DUal Link adapter for Minidisplayport and get a female MDP to Male DP.

It works......sorta.....

I have gotten it to work once or twice, really jaw dropping in Crysis, but most times I enable the 5760 x 1200 desktop, it crashes the adapted monitor out of the "group". The 5870 can do a 3840x1200 desktop without help from DP or an adapter. Nice except that all the action in games happens in center, right where bezel breaks up 2 displays. Gotta be 3.......

Not sure if squirrelyness comes from the infamous Apple adapter, or from the CCC software from ATI.

So close.......have tried a variety of adapters and configs...not fun.
 
The Rominator:
Could you please say something about 5870 fan noise in OS X? I am only bugging you with this, because I have a decision to make and your opinion could help me. Thanks.
 
Pretty sure he is aware of that, but wants a solution with 1 Apple card to boot osx and the 5870 in 2nd slot to use in windows. Since the 5870 is not properly detected, it might give 100% fan noise, making the solution worthless
 
Major Reeves said:
He could write a driver for it, after all the card isn't a different architecture from the 4870/4890 which should also ease the task.
Click to expand...

In the quiet words of the virgin Mary, come again?

They do not share anything that resembles each other in any way. You do not "just" write a driver.
 
I want you to know that I really appreciated that Snatch reference.

Know anybody with a DP monitor or ACD you could borrow, Rominator? They're increasingly present on newer monitors (especially Dells). The ACD could be adapted with a passive DP to MDP cable, I'm willing to bet.

I expect that the 5870s will support ACDs; after all, the Eyefinity edition has 6 MDP ports.
 
I don't hear fan in 5870, but then I never do unless one is running 100%. I will boot with the 5870 in OSX to check today, but I can't imagine leaving it in on a regular basis.

When the Mac 5870 comes out, I want to be ready to flash. I may even pre-install a larger ROM chip in advance.

I don't know if any of you understands how cool Eyefinity is. Lots of sites have video clips, it really is an incredible experience. Makes old games semi-new again.

And the amazing thing is that MANY games support it, without an update or patch. ATI software defines my desktop as 5760x1200. WHen I boot into games that are several years old, I am offered that screen res as an option. (In FEAR I had to add it in config file, easy once you know how)

So there is a good likelyhood that once we have a Mac version, many of our games (and other Apps) will support it as well, right from Day One.

I have GTX285 here to play with too. It is very nice but 5870 is better on all fronts. The fact that Newegg still has GTX285s for $400 is ludicrous. Only a dyed-in-wool Nvidia fanboi would buy one for Windows now.

It will be a golden day when Apple intros 5870. And if they only have one MDP on Apple card, should be an easy flash. But we need to create serious good Karma NOW....and hope that ATI keeps using EBC firmware. If 5870 comes out as EFI64 only we will either:

1. Offer Netkas sainthood in return for an EFI32 workaround

2. Sell off EFI32 machines EN MASSE and all buy EFI64 machines at once.

The 5870 is good enough for that. WHen Mac version arrives we will have a few heady days. I'm ready. With my luck, I'll be buried in some large project and unable to tinker. I'm gonna predict January 18 2010 for Mac 5870 release. No particular reason, just happens to be my birthday and an EBC 5870 ROM would make an awesome BDay present.
 
Matrixfan said:
The Rominator:
Could you please say something about 5870 fan noise in OS X? I am only bugging you with this, because I have a decision to make and your opinion could help me. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Booted into OSX 10.6.1 with an 2600XT to "see" from.

The 5870 is idling it's fan, certainly nowhere near 100%.

A sleeping giant.
 
Apple 24 LED with a 5870

I just received my mini DV (female) to DisplayPort (male) adapter. The 5870 is on the way. Any already tested (in windows - for now) the 24 LED on a DisplayPort for functionality? ..... Daz

This would be in an 09 Mac Pro
 
One other note

Did anyone notice that apple has listed a GTX285 1Gb Mac Edition on the web site? It's 3 weeks form shipping, but only DVI ports. Why is gods name would they do that and make it impossible for 24 LED owners to use it......Daz
 
The 285GTX was released in June.

Apple does not have anything to do with the card, it is EVGA who makes it.
 
Still the question remain - why can I order I new Mac Pro and the best Monitor and video they make, and not use them together...

Also, any input on the other questions I had would be welcomed... Thanks... Daz
 
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