HOWTO: Flashing PC version of X1900XT/512Mb to MacPro EFI Version!

[alien2108]

Hey guys, after a lot of testing we have managed to clear everything around the topic of flashing stock PC X1900XT/512Mb (256Mb is NOT working!!) with MacPro EFI ROM. Thank you all guys at Strangedogs!

It WORKS prefectlly!

Ofcourse flashing card with MacPro EFI rom reenders card useless in regular PC, you have to flash it back with original bios to make it work in PC again.

Link to topic on strangedogs:

http://strangedogs.proboards40.com/...ments&action=display&thread=1158739989&page=5

!BE ADVISED: BAD FLASH WILL MEAN YOUR GPU WILL BE UNUSABLE! SO BE CAREFULL! BE SHURE YOU MAKE A BACKUP OR ORIGINAL ROM! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

[MRU]

Which Graphics Card did you use / manufactuerer

Because the X1900 XT from Apple 512mb GPU is €370 with edu discount €410 without.

Here in Ireland, online prices for a 521mb X1900XT PC graphics card are seemingly more expensive, so I dont see the point in buying one and having the hassle


http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=323041

 

[alien2108]

You can get X1900XT/512 for approx. 300EUR (Austria), even less (289EUR) in Germany. You can use basically any kind you can get. All X1900XT are practically same ATI OEM design.

So that's >100EUR cheaper than Apple price.

Don't forget Accelero X2, since stock cooler is NOISY!

 

[eMagine]

Do you need to run power to the video card for OS X?

 

[alien2108]

If GPU requires external power you have to connect it (no matter Win XP, OS X,...). You can either use splitter for power cable from cdrom or get original/compatible Apple GPU power cord (already mentioned several times in forum).

 

[eMagine]

If GPU requires external power you have to connect it (no matter Win XP, OS X,...). You can either use splitter for power cable from cdrom or get original/compatible Apple GPU power cord (already mentioned several times in forum).

Thanks. I just bought one from Newegg for $250. Will try to flash it as soon as I get it.

 

[MRU]

really tempted to give it a try, but a €250 lump of dead plastic/silicon scares me half to death.

 

[pastrychef]

Ofcourse flashing card with MacPro EFI rom reenders card useless in regular PC, you have to flash it back with original bios to make it work in PC again.

What about when booting a Mac Pro in to Windows? Will it work in Bootcamp mode? Thanks.

 

[alien2108]

Card acts exactlly the same as original Apple MacPro X1900XT. Theas means ofcourse that it is working in OS X and XP. XP was never the problem, unflashed PC card worked in XP, it just didn't in OS X.

 

[eMagine]

got my video card today from newegg (sapphire 1900xt/512) - $250
followed instructions and flashed the firmware.
works like a charm.
thanks!
now i have a 1900xt 512

 

[Nermal]

Here in Ireland, online prices for a 521mb X1900XT PC graphics card are seemingly more expensive, so I dont see the point in buying one and having the hassle

I noticed the same sort of thing when I bought my 9800 a couple of years ago: The authentic Mac Edition, including delivery from the US, was about $20 cheaper than the cheapest "PC" one available locally

 

[mjgunn]

got my video card today from newegg (sapphire 1900xt/512) - $250
followed instructions and flashed the firmware.
works like a charm.
thanks!
now i have a 1900xt 512

Could you post a link to the product on newegg? I only see open box sapphire x1900xts, and they're $270. Also, what are you doing for power?

 

[eMagine]

Could you post a link to the product on newegg? I only see open box sapphire x1900xts, and they're $270. Also, what are you doing for power?

i guess they raised the prices on open boxes, which is what i bought. i bought a 6pin pcie power plug from Fry's for 3.99 and connected that to my 2nd CD-rom drive power. (i'm looking to get the actually apple cord that connects directly to the motherboard). but for the time being it works great.

the total price now with the raised price of $270+$4=$274. is that still cheaper than apple's price? yes.

Also, I have a second card sitting around now.. 7300GT. i can use it as backup or sell it.

 

[eMagine]

btw.. be very care of the placement of the video card. make sure there is clearance between the RAM riser housing(metal) and the video card. since the video card is very heavy it tends to dip a little lower.
although it didn't short circuit my motherboard but it did made my os x go to sleep mode a couple of times without warning. so i stuck two piece of non-conductive material between the RAM housing and the Video card.

 

[Monyx]

Here in Ireland, online prices for a 521mb X1900XT PC graphics card are seemingly more expensive, so I dont see the point in buying one and having the hassle

Indeed if you can access Educ or ADC pricing getting the genuine article is great value i.e. the upgrade cost for my x1900xt was USD250 while the PC ver best price is $410, or typically $460 from online retailers. These are equivlaent USD prices, but in the Australian market - hence higher.

 

[pastrychef]

Just curious... How fast have you set your X1900s to run at. I have mine set to 650MHz and 775MHz for memory.

 

[I'mAMac]

What's all this flashing jargon? You have to do something to make the card work on OS X? Am I missing something here? The more I hear about the Pro it seems more and more complicated just to get running. Does it come with the x1900 external power cable?

 

[eMagine]

Just curious... How fast have you set your X1900s to run at. I have mine set to 650MHz and 775MHz for memory.

Same as yours.

 

[adamda]

What's all this flashing jargon? You have to do something to make the card work on OS X? Am I missing something here? The more I hear about the Pro it seems more and more complicated just to get running. Does it come with the x1900 external power cable?

They are referring to buying a PC 1900X/512MB card cheaper than Apple is selling the Mac version, and tweaking it so that it works in the Mac Pro. You don't have to go through any of this if you buy the card from Apple (or whoever else is selling the Mac version of the card).

My two cents as a proud Mac Pro owner, I haven't done anything remotely technical to my machine since purchasing it, and nothing was complicated in setting it up. It works like a charm (got the base model). I should upgrade the RAM if I want it to run like a dream, but it's still pretty dreamy with a gig.

 

[I'mAMac]

They are referring to buying a PC 1900X/512MB card cheaper than Apple is selling the Mac version, and tweaking it so that it works in the Mac Pro. You don't have to go through any of this if you buy the card from Apple (or whoever else is selling the Mac version of the card).

My two cents as a proud Mac Pro owner, I haven't done anything remotely technical to my machine since purchasing it, and nothing was complicated in setting it up. It works like a charm (got the base model). I should upgrade the RAM if I want it to run like a dream, but it's still pretty dreamy with a gig.

Oh, ok thx for clarifying.

 

[slughead]

edit: making into a new topic*

 

[MRU]

*making into a new topic*

?

On topic - well I've been looking far and wide and still cant find an X1900 XT that ships to ireland for less than €370, so I've ordered the mac upgrade kit from apple, just not worth the effort or risc.

 

[slughead]

?

Yeah I edited my post and put it into a new thread.

 

[slughead]

I flashed my x1900!

The method described works perfectly!

Remember that if you're not getting video when booting off the CD, shut off your computer and remove your 7300 if you haven't already. That confused me for a while.

 

[slughead]

I did a write-up on this procedure. Please tell me if I missed anything:

http://www.tenthousandpercent.com/?article=76&section=other