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radeon 3870 - crossfire mac version and pc version?

D

DualShock

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 29, 2008
570
124
Has anyone tested this scenario? Since PC versions of the 3870 are cheaper than the PC+Mac version, I was wondering if I'd be able to crossfire the PC+Mac version, and a regular PC version. (Obviously I'd only be looking to run Crossfire on the Windows side.) Would this setup cause problems with either the OS X or Windows side?

BTW, I've got the 2008 Mac Pro with 2 PCI-E x16 slots.

Thanks!
 
You can buy a 3870 PC card and flash it with Mac firmware. I'd avoid doing this simply because the sales of the 3870 Mac card would be low, and ATI and Nvidia would have little incentive to keep developing good graphics cards for us. Basically yes you can do it, but don't come running to us if the next Mac Pro's best card available is a 6200le or something :p

As to your original question, it sounds like it should be fine.
 
nick9191 said:
You can buy a 3870 PC card and flash it with Mac firmware.
Click to expand...

I wasn't thinking of flashing a PC version with Mac firmware. I already have the Mac 3870 on order. I just wanted to buy another 3870 for crossfire under windows, namely, a cheaper PC only 3870.
 
That's a damn good idea. I wonder if it's possible. Perhaps you should contact ATI and ask them?
 
DualShock said:
Has anyone tested this scenario? Since PC versions of the 3870 are cheaper than the PC+Mac version, I was wondering if I'd be able to crossfire the PC+Mac version, and a regular PC version. (Obviously I'd only be looking to run Crossfire on the Windows side.) Would this setup cause problems with either the OS X or Windows side?

BTW, I've got the 2008 Mac Pro with 2 PCI-E x16 slots.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

There should be nothing preventing this. Before I received my Mac edition 3870, I had a standard Sapphire 3870 running through boot camp. But I wanted to play it safe, so I installed 2 Mac edition cards. I was worried about the fan noise of running a PC 3870 under OS X.

The dual Mac edition cards are running without a problem under boot camp so far (although I can't get 3DMark Vantage to get past the scanning system screen - games are running fine). I am almost certain that I could replace the card that is monitor-less with the Sapphire card and run crossfire fine under OS X. But at this point, I am sorta tired of tearing my system apart to run tests.

My guess is that when you boot into OS X, that second card might run with a full-speed fan, though.
 
Running a Mac&PC ed. 3870 w/ 3870 PC (only) in Cross Fire, should work quite well. :)

As for flashing a PC version, according to this thread, it won't work. The ROM is too small (64K), instead of 128K required. :(

If sirnh is willing, he could try it and report back. :D
Mac/PC + PC version vs. Mac/PC +Mac/PC. ;) :cool:
 
If you used the search function, you would have found that several people have already tried extracting the ROM with no success.
 
m1stake said:
If you used the search function, you would have found that several people have already tried extracting the ROM with no success.
Click to expand...

I was not referring to flashing the ROM.

I was referring to my original question, which was if anyone is using a Mac/PC 3870 and a PC one in Crossfire in Windows, and if there are any issues in OS X when doing this.
 
I want to do this too...
I ordered my ATI 3870, BUT it's been two weeks now with not even shipping estimate ... How long till you got yours guys??
 
hms84 said:
I want to do this too...
I ordered my ATI 3870, BUT it's been two weeks now with not even shipping estimate ... How long till you got yours guys??
Click to expand...

Did you order from OWC? I waited and waited with them only to have my order bumped back again. Finally cancelled and ordered direct from ATI and got the card in a few days.
 
Nope, that is directly from ATI...
NOTHING until now... since first of Aug.
 
I just bought my 3870 Mac today => not OWC, but from MacWay (France), so does it work in CrossFire (under Windows of course) with a PC-only 3870?

This would be good news, because 2nd hand 3870s can be had very cheaply.

That being said I'm not sure if I wouldn't go with a 4870 X2 to complement the 3870 Mac, as it ships I believe with the special motherboard -> PCI-E power cable and I already have one from my 8800GT. The only thing I would need now for the 4870 X2 to work is a Molex -> PCI-E adapter.
 
Digital Fury said:
I just bought my 3870 Mac today => not OWC, but from MacWay (France), so does it work in CrossFire (under Windows of course) with a PC-only 3870?
Click to expand...
Yes, from what I've read in other threads. ;)
IIRC, other members have had success using different ATI cards in crossfire under bootcamp as well. :eek:
Digital Fury said:
The only thing I would need now for the 4870 X2 to work is a Molex -> PCI-E adapter.
Click to expand...
Pre-made cables are available. :)
 
I can confirm that a PC version 3870 works fine with a Mac version for X-fire in windows. What I did not expect is that the pc card which until now has not been recognised by OS X is now working fine it is reported in the system profiler and I have put a 3rd monitor on it and its working fine. The profiler reports the same rom reversion, device id and strangely efi driver version for both cards so I wonder if it is something to do with the way X-fire works
 
ktbken said:
I can confirm that a PC version 3870 works fine with a Mac version for X-fire in windows. What I did not expect is that the pc card which until now has not been recognised by OS X is now working fine it is reported in the system profiler and I have put a 3rd monitor on it and its working fine. The profiler reports the same rom reversion, device id and strangely efi driver version for both cards so I wonder if it is something to do with the way X-fire works
Click to expand...
As both cards are the same besides a bit of firmware, perhaps once the Mac/OS X loads the EFI from the main (Mac) card, it "applies" it to both? (i.e. not expecting a non-Mac card anyway).

If I get a 3870 PC, I'll be getting the same exact card, the "blue" Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 with DDR4, which I believe is the one being sold directly by ATi.

This might be interesting if Core Video in Snow Leopard could (?) use more than one GPU.
 
mine is a power colour card, the over clocked one with the big nonstandard heat sync. don't think they are working together like in X-fire. How whould you tell ?
 
Would any 3870 work on the mac pro in such case? I can get a Sapphire 3870 for $145, but no refund policy. Although, I *can* buy a Diamond 3870 for $180 with 30 day refund policy. Its a little more but id rather keep $35 lol.

All this news though, is *very* strange....
 
ktbken said:
mine is a power colour card, the over clocked one with the big nonstandard heat sync. don't think they are working together like in X-fire. How whould you tell ?
Click to expand...


There's no way crossfire is going to work in OS X - its dependent on the ATI control panel and drivers enabling it inside Windows -

Not saying somehow a second windows card isnt working for mutlimonitor as above noted , but thats nothing along the lines of crossfire
 
kahine said:
There's no way crossfire is going to work in OS X - its dependent on the ATI control panel and drivers enabling it inside Windows -
Click to expand...
We know. :p
The OP was wondering if using a PC + Mac/PC ed. of the HD 3870 would crossfire under windows without problems. ;)
 
I don't understand why some people keep mentioning that CrossFire or SLI doesn't work in OS X, everybody knows this by now that Jobs hates gaming and thus it's a weak afterthought under OS X.

People want to be able to play games under Windows (through Bootcamp) on the Mac Pro because it's already a powerful and quiet machine, amongst other things. Thus we need to know the ways (that work, to "supplement" the old Mac-based video cards shipping for the Mac Pro, since Apple is always behind on this.

A crappy old-school (a less than $30 or 40 part?) ATi 2600 XT by default on a $2800 computer, no really what gives?
 
Digital Fury said:
I don't understand why some people keep mentioning that CrossFire or SLI doesn't work in OS X, everybody knows this by now that Jobs hates gaming and thus it's a weak afterthought under OS X.
Click to expand...
The post I replied to apparently hadn't realized that the OP knew this, and was asking specifically for the windows environment. No need to get upset. ;)

Digital Fury said:
People want to be able to play games under Windows (through Bootcamp) on the Mac Pro because it's already a powerful and quiet machine, amongst other things. Thus we need to know the ways (that work, to "supplement" the old Mac-based video cards shipping for the Mac Pro, since Apple is always behind on this.
Click to expand...
True. :)
In my case, I could care less about games. I use applications that rely on 3D processing. OpenGL (3.0 thread) would also help this along, which as of yet, is unsupported. Hopefully, this will change in the future. Perhaps in an update to Snow Leopard.

Digital Fury said:
A crappy old-school (a less than $30 or 40 part?) ATi 2600 XT by default on a $2800 computer, no really what gives?
Click to expand...
Apple trying to maximize profits perhaps? Seriously.
I'm hoping the base GPU will be better in the next Mac Pro, preferably the HD 3870, though I'm not holding my breath. ;)
 
nanofrog said:
We know. :p
The OP was wondering if using a PC + Mac/PC ed. of the HD 3870 would crossfire under windows without problems. ;)
Click to expand...

Actually look at the two posts above mine by ktbken - he specifically said he knew Xfire was working in his windows and found out he could use his windows version 3870 for an extra monitor in OS X - then went on to ask

"mine is a power colour card, the over clocked one with the big nonstandard heat sync. don't think they are working together like in X-fire. How whould you tell ?"


Then
He was then asking if it was possible it was working under OS X , as he had already just stated he knew it was working ok in Windows

Next apfex asks

"That's really strange! I also wonder if it has to do with the xfire setup (if OS X sees it, can it work for xfire gaming under OS X?)"



Thats what I was correctly responding to , and maybe Digital Fury if you would read the entire thread you would see someone WAS referring to it and thats why I mentioned to him it wouldnt work

So reading the entire thread before bitching would be a good idea as everybody DOES NOT know that and I was simply letting them know - as two posters right above asked that very question
 
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