MP 1,1-5,1 RX6600XT Sequoia

[GreenGuy783]

Hi, I’ve been running a PowerColor RX 6600 XT in my Mac Pro 5,1 with macOS Monterey without any issues, but I’m looking into upgrading to Sequoia and wondering if anyone has had success getting this GPU working. Since Navi 23 drivers have been removed I’m not sure what the best approach would be.

For those who have tried, have you had any luck with OpenCore patches, WhateverGreen or NootRX? When I tried building Opencore for it, it failed to find a path for it. I’m also wondering if spoofing to a MacPro7,1 would make any difference in getting the card recognized properly?

I would appreciate any insight from anyone who’s experimented with this or has a working setup and if there’s absolutely no chance of this working what might be a good alternative?

 

[avro707]

If I’m not mistaken the card is supported, it’s just that the drivers for it don’t support your old CPU. You need a more modern Intel CPU.

So you don’t have any options.

 

[krakman]

Since Navi 23 drivers have been removed I’m not sure what the best approach would be.

The issue is that the latest drivers require AVX2 capable CPU which is not possible in a 5.1.

Your options are,

1. stick with Monterey
2. buy a RX580 or Vega card for Sequoia
3. buy a 7.1 Mac Pro.

 

[bombardier10]

I Successfully use RX 6600 and RX 6650 XT on last Sequoia version with hackintosh . So I think that RX 6600XT can works too. Only RX 6650 XT need special patch RX 6600 / XT are native compatible.

 

[tsialex]

I Successfully use RX 6600 and RX 6650 XT on last Sequoia version with hackintosh . So I think that RX 6600XT can works too. Only RX 6650 XT need special patch RX 6600 / XT are native compatible.

Hackintosh.

MacPro5,1 does not support AVX and the Ventura -> NAVI drivers require AVX2.

 

[bombardier10]

Yes that is not possible.

 

[GreenGuy783]

So it seems here that I need to downgrade to something like an RX580

 

[GreenGuy783]

So it seems here that I need to downgrade to something like an RX580

And I’m really disappointed too because the 6600 is the perfect card for it (and I believe AVX2 was adding in just one generation newer CPUs) oh well.

 

[tsialex]

And I’m really disappointed too because the 6600 is the perfect card for it (and I believe AVX2 was adding in just one generation newer CPUs) oh well.

Not for Xeons.

AVX2 was added with Haswell based Xeons, so, two generations later and not all models have it. While MacPro6,1 have AVX support, AVX2 is not supported yet.

 

[GreenGuy783]

I assume there’s no way to emulate it?

 

[tsialex]

I assume there’s no way to emulate it?

While everything is possible and several people tried different ways to do it, no one ever got it working.

So, for all effects, the answer is no.

 

[GreenGuy783]

Thanks for your advice everyone seems I’ll need an rx580

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for your advice everyone seems I’ll need an rx580

Not just the RX 580, see below, but any Polaris family GPU (RX 460/470/480/560/570/580/590) sold officially in the Western market will have OCLP modified drivers to have Ventura/Sonoma/Sequoia support with the MacPro5,1.

Do not forget that Chinese/Eastern Asia market made with binned GPU processors with less CUs/SPs are not supported by Apple drivers at all, like the RX 580 with 2048SPs instead of 2304SPs of the standard and supported RX 580 model. The 2048SPs GPUs are now commonly sold by AliExpress/overseas eBay vendors, even Sapphire rebadged these binned 2048SPs made by AMD to be installed to the RX 570 as the Sapphire Pulse RX 580 2048SPs.

Do not buy a RX 580 with 2048SPs, you will have to find a compatible RX 570 firmware to make it work with macOS, sometimes is not possible to do it and even if you get one that is possible to re-flash back to RX 570 firmware, you will waste too much time to get it working again.

There are other Eastern Asia "specials" that also does not work with macOS, like the RX 550 made with Lexa GPUs instead of Baffin ones.

 

[Tratkazir_the_1st]

Just got pair Radeon VII for both MacPro's . Enabled Direct GopRendering in oclp config - all works . Both cards far quiter than previuos - RX6600. Size strictly matches 2 PCI slots (one RX6600 is a bit thicker).

 

[equals]

Thanks for your advice everyone seems I’ll need an rx580

You can go with Radeon VII for example. In most cases it has nearly exactly the same performance as RX 6600 XT. On top of that, it has 16 GB of HBM2 memory, which is a nice touch. It draws much more power, so it definitely requires Pixlas Mod. But it's based on Vega architecture, so its drivers can be easily patched via OCLP.