MP 7,1 Mac Pro 2019 Screen freezes & lags with gaming (RX 6800 XT)

[SoyMAC]

Hi everyone,

I’m running a Mac Pro 2019 (Tahoe 26.2) and having issues with my new RX 6800 XT Gigabyte Gaming OC.

The problem:

• In macOS, the screen freezes or locks during gaming or graphic-intensive tasks, while the system itself and audio continue to work.
• Occasionally I notice minor system lags outside gaming, but it’s more noticeable during gameplay.
• No issues in Windows (bootcamp), everything runs perfectly there.
• There are no console errors and no kernel panics.

What I’ve tried:

• Tested both BIOS profiles: Silent and OC.
• Reflashed the card with the original BIOS.
• Swapped cables and tried different PCIE ports to rule out connection issues.
• Reset NVRAM + SMC
• Disabled FileVault and SIP to ensure full system access and no NVRAM restrictions.

Additional info:

• With my old RX 5700 XT, I don’t have these problems at all — it runs like a charm.

Has anyone experienced something similar with the RX 6800 XT on Mac Pro 7,1 ?
Any tips on stabilizing it for gaming would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[keksikuningas]

I would try a clean install. Preferably an older macOS like Sequoia and then a fresh Tahoe if it works in Sequoia. Did you buy this card to replace rx5700xt and it immediately started doing this or you had it for a week or so and it started freezing?

 

[SoyMAC]

I would try a clean install. Preferably an older macOS like Sequoia and then a fresh Tahoe if it works in Sequoia. Did you buy this card to replace rx5700xt and it immediately started doing this or you had it for a week or so and it started freezing?

Hi, thanks a lot for your reply!

To answer your questions: I initially did a clean install of Tahoe 26.2 using my RX 5700 XT, and everything worked perfectly. After that, I bought an RX 6900 XT (reference desing) from my cousin, but it immediately (~1 or 2 hours) caused kernel panics and the screen showed blue and green artifacts, so I returned it.

I then went back to the RX 5700 XT without any issues and later bought the RX 6800 XT Gigabyte Gaming OC Rev. 1 (the one with the correct device-ID). With this card, I’m experiencing sporadic system lag, and during gaming the display freezes while the system and audio continue to run. Sometimes parts of the system recover in the background, but the image remains frozen, and eventually I have to force a reboot.

I’ll definitely try your suggestion and test a clean install with Sequoia first, then move to a fresh Tahoe if it’s stable. I’ll give it a try over the weekend and see how it goes.

Thanks again for the suggestion 👍

 

[reader50]

It almost sounds like overheating. The 6900XT uses more power than a 6800XT, so it would mess up sooner. MPX modules are specifically designed for the 7,1 cooling system, but retail cards will be dependent on the case fans.

I don't own a 7,1 - can you operate it with the case removed? Or put a desk fan in front as a test, to increase air flow temporarily?

If it is a hot-GPU problem, a software solution like MacsFanControl might address such a problem.

 

[SoyMAC]

It almost sounds like overheating. The 6900XT uses more power than a 6800XT, so it would mess up sooner. MPX modules are specifically designed for the 7,1 cooling system, but retail cards will be dependent on the case fans.

I don't own a 7,1 - can you operate it with the case removed? Or put a desk fan in front as a test, to increase air flow temporarily?

If it is a hot-GPU problem, a software solution like MacsFanControl might address such a problem.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’m already using TG Pro (Ultimate Mac Fan Control & Temperature Monitoring), and I’ve been closely monitoring GPU and system temperatures. So far, I haven’t noticed any overheating issues or abnormal temps when the freezes happen.

 

[SDAVE]

There's a whole thread about 2019 MP and Tahoe.

If you don't want to downgrade to Sequoia (recommended) then get .3 Beta 2, it will solve some problems for you. Or else, downgrade.

I have the 6900XT Stock and it has worked great for many years with 0 issues. I don't think it's specifically GPU related, but if you open Activity Monitor you will see random GPU spikes even while idle or doing small tasks.

 

[SoyMAC]

There's a whole thread about 2019 MP and Tahoe.

If you don't want to downgrade to Sequoia (recommended) then get .3 Beta 2, it will solve some problems for you. Or else, downgrade.

I have the 6900XT Stock and it has worked great for many years with 0 issues. I don't think it's specifically GPU related, but if you open Activity Monitor you will see random GPU spikes even while idle or doing small tasks.

I’ve already done a clean install of both Tahoe 3 Beta 2 and Sequoia, in both cases without restoring any backup, and the issue still persists. So at this point I don’t think it’s related to a dirty install or leftover configs.

For now I’ve gone back to the RX 5700 XT, which works fine, but I honestly don’t understand why the 6900/6800 fails when it works perfectly under Windows.

 

[SDAVE]

I’ve already done a clean install of both Tahoe 3 Beta 2 and Sequoia, in both cases without restoring any backup, and the issue still persists. So at this point I don’t think it’s related to a dirty install or leftover configs.

For now I’ve gone back to the RX 5700 XT, which works fine, but I honestly don’t understand why the 6900/6800 fails when it works perfectly under Windows.

Maybe it's because it's flashed?

I don't have such issues with the 6900XT Stock card (been in use for years now). It was a simple drop in and it worked out of the box.

 

[SoyMAC]

Maybe it's because it's flashed?

I don't have such issues with the 6900XT Stock card (been in use for years now). It was a simple drop in and it worked out of the box.

The GPU has a dual BIOS (OC / Silent) and both are stock.

I’ve also tested other official Gigabyte BIOS versions and the official Gigabyte firmware, with exactly the same result every time.

The same issue happens when the card is used as an eGPU on my iMac 2019 running Sequoia, while under Windows it works perfectly (no crashes, FurMark and games run fine, tested for many hours).

I think this is clearly macOS-related, not a BIOS, flash, or firmware problem.

 

[SDAVE]

The GPU has a dual BIOS (OC / Silent) and both are stock.

I’ve also tested other official Gigabyte BIOS versions and the official Gigabyte firmware, with exactly the same result every time.

The same issue happens when the card is used as an eGPU on my iMac 2019 running Sequoia, while under Windows it works perfectly (no crashes, FurMark and games run fine, tested for many hours).

I think this is clearly macOS-related, not a BIOS, flash, or firmware problem.

I really think its your GPU and it's firmware. The OC version cards (that run at higher wattages above stock) with dual bioses generally always gave me issues back in the day when I used to build PCs. Also I always avoided Gigabyte mobos and GPUs, just remember always having issues with them.

Putting in a Mac Pro adds an extra layer of issues since they are not MPX modules, although there are drivers.

If you are able to get a 6800XT stock from AMD to try somehow to remove the GPU from the equation...I recommend a 6900XT though if you can maybe find a used one eventually?