Video card in bootcamp

[rhettd]

I have a 2009 Mac Pro, and was wondering if it would be possible to put a PC 4870 video card in it and only use the 4870 in windows with bootcamp, and use the GT120 in OS X?

 

[FRKT]

I have a 2009 Mac Pro, and was wondering if it would be possible to put a PC 4870 video card in it and only use the 4870 in windows with bootcamp, and use the GT120 in OS X?

... err, why would you not want to use the HD4870 in both operating systems? It's compatible and vastly superior to the GT120.

 

[rhettd]

Well, that would require flashing the 4870, would it not? Would I still be able to use ATI's latest drivers in windows with a flashed 4870?

 

[FRKT]

Well, that would require flashing the 4870, would it not? Would I still be able to use ATI's latest drivers in windows with a flashed 4870?

Mac Pros from 2009 (ie. 'Nehalem'-variants) can be configured with a HD4870 from the Apple Store. To my knowledge, these are ordinary 4870s with a different ROM that enables them to work with Mac OS X and Windows (otherwise one wouldn't be able to run Boot Camp with these cards). If you can get a copy of this ROM and flash your non-Apple HD4870 with it, it should offer the exact same functionality as HD4870s ordered from Apple.

I have no experience with flashing video cards, however, so you may want to confirm this with someone who does.

 

[rhettd]

I should also add that I'm curious about this as well for video cards that aren't supported by OS X

 

[FRKT]

I should also add that I'm curious about this as well for video cards that aren't supported by OS X

Until I realized that a poster called "Whiteyez" in the managed to have OS X recognize an ATI Radeon 4890 (the 4870's successor), I didn't think this was possible. I am also very interested in this.

 

[10THzMac]

with a 120 booting the mac you might have more fun with an nvidia GTX card on the windows side - one set of drivers makes life a lot easier and both cards available if you want, for GPU stuff...