Dual Radeon 4870 in 2009 Mac Pro

Can I install 2 Apple supplied Radeon 4870's in the new 2009 Mac Pro?

Hey just look & found even better this will power both 4870's leave your mac some more power for the other stuff OUTPUT.CONNECTORS: STANDARD PCI-EXPRESS 6.PIN :: 2 OUTPUTS
ADVANCED PCI-EXPRESS 8.PIN :: 2 OUTPUTS Just what you need on the Mac Pro & use the other slots that need power as well
LINK
*http://www.fspgroupusa.com/BOOSTERX.asp*
DEDICATED MULTI.GPU POWER |:
BOOSTERX 5 QUAD PCI.E OUTPUT |:
45O.WATT (500.WATT MAX.) TOTAL OUTPUT ::
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:|: FEATURES : :|: SPECIFICATIONS :
:|: QUAD PCI-EXPRESS 2X(6.PIN)+2X(8.PIN) :|: EFFICIENCY: 85%+
:|: INDEPENDENT POWER.BOOST TO ATX PSU
:|: LOW RIPPLE | LOW OPERATING NOISE
:|: DUAL FRONT IN.TAKE COOLING FANS :|: OPERATING TEMPERATURE: 0 TO +50C
:|: .99 ACTIVE.PFC | ULTRA-HIGH EFFICIENCY :|: STORAGE TEMPERATURE: -20 TO +65C
:|: 5.25" STANDARD DRIVEBAY TYPE ADD.ON :|: HUMIDITY: 10-90% NON.CONDENSING
:|: NVIDIA SLI READY CERTIFIED :|: OVP: OVER VOLTAGE OUTPUT PROTECTION
:|: 7-COLOR SWITCHABLE FRONT PANEL :|: OCP: OVER CURRENT OUTPUT PROTECTION
:|: DUAL FRONT IN.TAKE COOLING FANS :|: SCP: SHORT CIRCUIT OUTPUT PROTECTION
:|: AUTO POWER RECOVERY SYSTEM :|: 100% HI.POT TESTED
:|: COMPLETE INSTALLATION KIT :|: MTBF: 100,000 HOURS @ 25C AMBIENT
OUTPUT.CONNECTORS: STANDARD PCI-EXPRESS 6.PIN :: 2 OUTPUTS
ADVANCED PCI-EXPRESS 8.PIN :: 2 OUTPUTS
INPUT : FULL RANGE INPUT (U.S.) | WORLDWIDE
PATENTED INPUT FUSE PROTECTION BUILTI-IN
UNIT : DIMENSIONS | WEIGHT : 7.5"W X 1.63"H X 5.69"L @ 3LBS
RETAIL BOX : DIMENSIONS | WEIGHT : 13.75"W X 3.5"H X 7.65"L @ 4LBS
SHIPPING BOX : DIMENSIONS | WEIGHT : 29.0"W X 8.0"H X 14.5"L (8 UNITS PER CARTON) @ 40LBS
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Similar Messages

Can I add a second ATI 4870 to my 2009 Mac Pro?

1. Can I add a second ATI 4870 to my 2009 Mac Pro? Sorry if posted already, I searched and Googled and could not find it.
2. What is the general consensus on the EVGA GTX285? Will this out perform the 4870?
I read somewhere that the ATI needs additional power from the power supply and the GTX does not? Is this true? If this is the case are there extra power supply connectors for an additional 4870 (hence my first question).
The GTX has dual DVI out connector and this is my preferred solution to get 2 x 30" Cinema Displays.
Thanks in advance,
MIke
Message was edited by: Michael710

1. Can I add a second ATI 4870 to my 2009 Mac Pro? Sorry if posted already, I searched and Googled and could not find it.
No. Each ATI 4870 needs two auxiliary power connectors. There are only two in the Mac Pro.
I read somewhere that the ATI needs additional power from the power supply and the GTX does not? Is this true?
No. Both use two per card.
If this is the case are there extra power supply connectors for an additional 4870 (hence my first question).
No.
The GTX has dual DVI out connector and this is my preferred solution to get 2 x 30" Cinema Displays.
You can use an adapter to connect a second 30" to the Mini DisplayPort
<http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ&mco=MjkyNjI0Mg>
(The latest adapters have new firmware, and shouldn't have problems.)
If you only need two displays, stick with one graphics card.

Boot Camp, Vista Ultimate x64 SP1, 2009 Mac Pro Quad 2.93, ATI 4870 HD

Hello All,
I’ve run into a problem installing Boot Camp with Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 on my early 2009 Mac Pro Quad 2.93 with Apple’s ATI Radeon 4870 HD (the one with one DVI and one mini-display). I followed the instructions from the Boot Camp Installation and Setup Guide, and everything was going great until I hit page 12 of the Guide (Step 3). The Boot Camp drivers installed without error, and prompted me to reboot. Upon rebooting onto the newly installed Vista x64 partition, the screen went black after the chkdsk screen appeared. I can boot into Vista safe mode, but booting into Vista normally results in the black screen. On a hunch, while in safe mode, I uninstalled the ATI video drivers installed by Boot Camp. I was then able to boot Vista normally, but only with the standard VGA adapter. Then I tried installing the latest 9.4 ATI drivers from the chipset vendor, AMD, http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx. Booting normally after the ATI chipset drivers were installed left me with a mostly black screen, and a few swizzles of horizontal color, but not enough to make out any sort of image. Once again, I was able to boot normally by first booting into safe mode and then uninstalling the ATI driver, leaving me with the standard VGA driver.
The displays I have tried so far are 1) Apple Cinema HD 23”, and 2) Apple Cinema 20”. Also, I have tried all 6 permutations with the ports on the Apple version of the ATI Radeon 4870 HD with both displays (using the mini-display to DVI adapter), 2 permutations with both displays, and 4 permutations with single displays. All permutations result in the same black screen after installing Boot Camp drivers.
Am I missing something? It seems to me that there is a display driver that needs to come from Apple that will work with the Apple version of the ATI Radeon 4870 HD in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 attached to an Apple display. I’ve installed Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 and many other operating systems in the past 27 years of working with computers, and typically with video cards I’ve had to get the drivers from the vendor that shipped the card, not the chipset vendor. Sure, occasionally the opposite is true, and I don’t mind spending a few days to figure out what works best for me as long as I believe I am making progress.
Has anyone else run into this problem with his or her early 2009 Mac Pro Quad 2.93 with Apple’s ATI Radeon 4870 HD? I’m posting this in the Boot Camp forum as I think this problem is rooted in the Boot Camp drivers, specifically for the Apple ATI Radeon 4870 HD. Please let me know if I should post elsewhere.

You are the second person I think I've seen with trouble using Mac Pro and ATI drivers (other was on Mac Pro forum).
When updating graphics, there are extra steps that insure you get the best working drivers.
I've always found Apple to be behind the curve on Windows support. Drivers that come with a card from the vendor ususally means ATI or Nvidia, and even then, you go to the web and download and install the latest tested / beta / qualified drivers. Some people try a variety of driver versions to find the one that works best.
Apple has not been updating Boot Camp drivers for Late 2008 and on Macs. Boot Camp 2.1 is now over a year old. What is on your OEM Leopard DVD is the only drivers I would use - if at all! try without is what some do, and then see if you can selectively install. Under Windows 7, I don't need or install, and now with the RC/7077 version of 7, Microsoft 'blocks' installing Apple Boot Camp drivers as known to cause problems.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unistall the various Apple services, drivers, startup items that you can live without or until you narrow it down. iTunes 8.1+ in Windows can break and prevent ability to even use optical drives and devices for instance.
Some tips for upgrading drivers, one from eVGA forum but should translate.
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=396474
http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1655

2009 Mac Pro will not boot up under Windows

I have an Early 2009 Mac Pro system (Mac Pro 4,1) and I've had this system for 3 years already and have been working under OS X with this system ever since I purchased it.
However, when I tried to boot off my Windows disk, something very interesting happens. The Mac Pro WILL NOT boot up off the Windows disk or a known working Windows partition if two monitors are connected. Upon holding down the option key and selecting the Windows partition, I will get a black screen on one monitor (the one connected via Mini Displayport) and the other screen receives no signal and will enter standby and the system is halted. It does not respond to keystrokes, there is no hard drive activity, no measured power increase on the UPS, no apparent network activity, nothing. The only way to exit this scenario (from what I can tell) is to power off the machine, disconnect the display on DVI, power on the machine again, select the Windows partition wait for the system to reach the login window and reconnect the DVI monitor (at which time Windows recognizes it immediately and the system works fine again).
My question to the community is, does anybody know why this is happening and is there a known fix for this? Quite frankly, having to disconnect a monitor just to restart is very tedious and frustrating.
I have two Samsung P2350 monitors attached to an ATI Radeon HD 4870 (512MB, from Apple). One is monitor is connected via directly DVI and the other is using a Mini Displayport to DVI adapter. Both monitors work fine under OS X with no issue. At first, I thought that this may be a driver issue on the Windows side and after installing all the latest updates and drivers the issue is still apparent. From what I can tell, this doesn't seem like a software issue but rather a firmware or EFI issue as this happens before Windows even loads.
If anyone knows of a fix or what to do in this situation, or if you are also having this issue, I would love to hear your input!
Thank you!
For the record, I am running all the latest software builds on the OS X side (10.7.4, not that it would really matter at this point). I have also disconnected all unnecessary equipment in a trial and error scenario but the results are still the same.
The system passes all ASD testing.
The full specification of the computer and all connected equipment are as follows:
2009 Mac Pro (4,1) 8-Core
2x Intel Xeon Nehalem 2.66GHz Quad-Core CPUs
16GB DDR3 ECC 1066MHz RAM (Apple Branded)
Two OWC 120GB SSDs (One for OS X, the other for Windows 7 x64) - These are in place of my optical drives.
4x 2TB WD Black Hard drives for storage.
Two Samsung P2350 Monitors connected via DVI. (One using a Mini Displayport to DVI adapter).

In Windows I am using the latest (12.4) Catalyst Software Suite, 64 bit of course, downloaded directly from AMD's site after installing the drivers from Boot Camp.
As for installing Windows I used an original (not burned) installation media (Disk is in a pristine condition). And yes, Windows is fine, the problem just seems to be getting the system to boot up Windows with that second monitor. However if the "problem monitor" is disconnected the system boots fine 100% of the time and connecting it later after booting the system will still operate properly.
For the sake of arguement I swapped monitor cables and connected the "second" monitor to the mini displayport adapter to verify that it wasn't a cabling issue and I'm still yielding the same issues.
As for GPU testing, I've played games (Crysis, Grand Theft Auto IV, Battlefield 3, etc.) and I've had no issues with the card or stability.
You would think that Apple would try to find a fix for this, especially considering the caliber of this machine.

2009 Mac Pro upgrading graphics card to GTX 680 mac. What is the best version of AE and PP and OSX to have?

Hello,
I have a 2009 Mac Pro 4.1
Mac OSX version 10.6.8
Processor - 2 x 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Memory - 24GB
Graphics Card - ATI Radeon HD 4870
I use After Effects and Premiere Pro daily for my work. I am not too technically minded. I want to update and improve my machine as much as possible and am thinking of buying an SSD drive to replace my current start up disk. I also am thinking about getting the GTX 680 mac version graphics card. I have read many online discussions regarding OpenCL and CUDA, many discussions with mixed feelings about the improvements the 680 gives an older Mac Pro - some people say it is amazing others say the improvements seem minimal or worse.
What I want to know is if I purchase the SSD and 680 graphics card what is the optimal OSX - 10.8 or 10.9? and what is the optimal versions of AE and PP to have - CS6 or CC? Also what settings and what additional drivers would I need to consider?
I contacted an independent authorised mac reseller and he thought it was a bad idea to put a new graphics card and get the latest OSX in an old machine and tried to sell me a used 2010 Mac Pro, but I think it would be more cost effective to get the SSD and 680 instead, it's just I read the occasional horror story on a forum and I worry about making the wrong choice, I rely on my Mac Pro to make a living!
Thanks in advance

Thank you for the valuable information Eric, I think I will go with the 680 but I understand that it wont be fully utilised on my old Mac Pro.
Perhaps I will replace my startup/applications hard drive with a 480GB SSD. My other 3 bays are full with 3 x 2TB Hard drives that have media on them so I have no spare room for a dedicated SSD drive for AE cache. But could I put a 250GB SSD into one of the PCI-E slots using something like - SSD SuperSpeed Upgrade Kit for Apple Mac Pro 2008 2009 2010 2012 | eBay
Would this be my best solution? Is it a relatively simple installation, does anyone have any experience of a similar setup?
cc_merchant, thank you for the reply, I am aware you have to pay monthly payments for CC, that is no problem.

2009 Mac Pro - Graphics Glitches/Freezing in Yosemite

Hi,
I have a 2009 Mac Pro that is running 10.10.1. It is using a Radeon 4870 still from the factory. I have had a mostly flawless experience in the last 5 years with the system, but it has lately been displaying graphical problems and then freezing completely. After the display does quirky stuff that I am attaching in the image, I can only move the cursor. No other actions can be performed, and the only option I have is a hard shutdown with the power button. Usually after I do this, the machine will boot with the chime, but no startup screen will ever appear. It just sets blank. The only way I have found around this is to hold the option key, then boot to my primary drive.
I notice this seems to happen after the computer has woken from sleep. But, the issue originally appeared for the first time after updating to the newest Logitech Control panel for my mouse. I thought it was that, so I removed it and am no longer using that at all. The issue still exists.
Here is an image of what the screen typically does.

My condolences.
Time for a new GPU.

Upgrading Early 2009 Mac Pro to Yosemite

I need an upgrading for dummies tutorial I want to upgrade some applications that I use and can not do that with Mountain Lion which is currently on my Early 2009 Mac Pro. (Processor 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon - Memory 12 GB - Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512 MB - OSX 10.8.5). My monitor is a NEC MultiSync P221W and I use Spectraview II to calibrate. I also have an older Dell monitor attached that I only use for palettes, etc.
I have discovered I can not upgrade to Mavericks and will need to go to Yosemite. I am nervous about the process and undecided what is the best way to tackle this. I assume I will first need to do a full backup and do have a bootable drive that I can use. Can I then just install Yosemite or is it best to do a clean install? I have heard so many negative things about installing Yosemite that I am really uncertain of the best way to tackle this. I am particularly concerned about the reports of system slow down.I have an even older MacBook Pro that is also running Mountain Lion but I have no plans to attempt an upgrade on it. It has had problems since it was fairly new and right now I use an external keyboard and a mouse because using the track pad or keyboard on the laptop cause it to lock up. (Long story and multiple rebuilds during and after Apple Care). So at this point the only machine I am concerned about is the desktop. I use it mainly for Photoshop and Lightroom and Quicken. If someone can give me some advice I would be most appreciative. I am an older gal with casual computer knowledge, living out in the sticks and really have no one available for help. Thanks in advance

Depending on how hard you push your system, size of files you work with.
You may want to look into 5,1 firmware; a W3690 or X5690 3.4GHz 6-core even to help more.
2009 Mac Pro 12-Core CPU Upgrade (Dual 3GHz Xeon X5675)
2009 8-Core Upgrade... The De-Lidded Route - MacRumors Forums
More memory, 24-32GB
OWC http://www.macsales.com is probably best place for DDR3 ECC
Macintosh Performance Guide Articles & Reviews
A faster better boot drive, and for plugins and cache. SATA II or III or PCIe-SSD blade
Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD your cheapest boot drive with a huge return and packs a punch in performance - booting, launching apps and large files, and saving.
A fast dedicated SSD device for Lightroom as well as something for working in Photoshop for scratch, unless you go with 500-1TB device.
SATA Express meets the '09 MacPro - Bootable NGFF PCIE SSD - Page 12 - MacRumors Forums
Samsung SM951 M.2 PCIe SSD Released StorageReview.com - Storage Reviews
SATA Express meets the '09 MacPro - Bootable NGFF PCIE SSD
SSD starts at just $80 + adapter for drive sled if talking Samsung 850 EVO (but I would get at least 250GB for a few dollars more as minimum).
A Samsung XP941 PCIe-SSD can't be beat with higher than SATA III speeds at 900MB/sec, $290 w/ adapter.
Samsung XP941 512GB M.2 80mm PCIe x4 SSD - MZHPU512HCGL
Samsung XP941 256GB PCIe 2.0 x4 M.2 SSD MZHPU256HCGL at Amazon
For graphic card, OWC can be over priced for even AMD 7950 Mac Edition or GTX 680.
MACVIDCARDS
More video memory helps of course, and a more modern card with either CUDA or better OpenCL
GeForce GTX 980 vs 9 other GPUs

Can I use a new CPU in my early 2009 MAC PRO Single 2.8 Quadcore

Is it possble to replace the CPU Module with the latest CPU moduels on off for the Mac Pro?
The current one is below
Header 1
Header 2
Mac Pro4.1 Quad Core Intel Xeon 2.66
i Processor Early 2009

Hello. I have done this many times. When I originally had the 2009 Nehalem single quad, it was a 2.66 processor as well. I bought the w3580 which is the top of the line of that generation and runs at 3.33 ghz with turbo boost up to 3.60. The procedure to change the 2.66 to say the 3.33 is the same as for the 2010 series processors 2.8(also nehalem w3530) and the 3.2 which is a w3565. The only processors you would not be able to upgrade with the original 2009 boards are the hex core, or w36xx series. This is because of the firmware upgrade which recognizes Westmere or B1 stepping.
Think of it this way.. any w35xx will work in the 2009 and or 2010 mac pro(single quad only) while the w36xx series will only work in the 2010 series.
Mind me asking what you currently use your mac pro for of which would warrant the need to go with a higher speed processor? You could very well just max out the memory and or pick up SSD drives and that alone will help to dramatically speed things up. W3580 3.33 will run you about 400-600 dollars, sometimes even less. The w3580 is the max you can go with the 2009 mac pro series.. then its getting the dual boards if you want to go even further, but I don't recommend that as the processor board and processors themselves are about as close to a 2010 mac pro.

Speeding up an early 2009 Mac Pro

This is not a question - it is an answer.
Starting configuration: Dual quad core 2.26GHz early 2009 Mac Pro (4,1) already expanded to 12 GB RAM; 175GB SSD, 1TB RAID 0 internal HD configuration, 2 1TB external d2 Quadra HDs (1 for cloned backup, the other for Time machine) connected via FW 800. A Superdrive, and an LG Blu-Ray burner, both internal.
My uses: Frequent business use of Microsoft Office and Acrobat Pro; occasional use of Adobe Photoshop Elements, frequent internet access via Safari and Mail; much use of iTunes and iPhoto, some Aperture, and occasional creation and burning of movies and slide shows to DVD and Blu-Ray with iDVD, Final Cut Express, Toast Titanium.
Problem: Extremely slow from power on to the first open program with a usable menu (usually 2-1/2 minutes). Extremely slow changing from one menu item to the next and very slow opening files. Glacial at performing those operations if a backup was ongoing.
Earlier efforts: Followed conventional wisdom for speed by adding 6 GB of RAM, bringing it to 12 GB (though my RAM usage rarely exceeded 3 GB). Added a small SSD containing only the OS and all applications; mapped the home folder to the internal 1 TB RAID 0 comprising 2 540GB 7200 rpm SATA 2 drives (but - having to access the internal RAID for all data files made the addition of the small SSD a futile exercise). The external drives are also 7200 rpm.
Here is what worked!! I replaced the 175GB SSD with a 1 TB Samsung EVO 840 SSD ($565) and re-mapped the home folder back to the SSD; added a Newer Tech MaxPower eSATA PCIe card ($87); connected the two external 1TB drives via eSATA rather than FW 800, which tripled their speed. My OS, applications and data files are around 600 GB, so the 1 TB SSD was large enough to handle everything, while the 175 GB drive wasn’t.
While the EVO 840 SSD and the eSATA card are SATA 3 rated (6Gb/s), the internal bus of the early Mac Pro is SATA 2 (3Gb/s), which is the maximum at which the system will operate. In addition, the internal and external hard drives drives themselves are also SATA 2 (the Superdrive and Blu-Ray burner are SATA 1, but slow nothing down when not being used; and SATA 1 is plenty fast for burners limited to 16X anyway).
The result: It now takes 60 to 61 seconds from power on until Safari opens with a useable menu (including the 5 seconds or so to select the user and log in), a speedup of 90 seconds. In more stark terms, from power on to the log-in screen appears under the old setup was 46 seconds, and with the new, 41 seconds (system and RAM checks take roughly the same amount of time regardless of the drive used); but once the user is selected and the access code is entered, the new setup takes 14 to 15 seconds vice 1 minute 45 seconds! Even better, moving from one menu item to the next in an open application is immediate. Files open quickly. And, there is NO detectable slowdown while any of the frequent backups are ongoing. Performance is now very fast, again.
My Mac Pro cost $3400 when new, and has of course been improved. A used 2012 Mac Pro 6 core with 3.33 GHz chipset would have run $2800 or more, and provided slightly higher GeekBench scores operating single-core, but slower multi-core speeds than I already have. A 3.33GHz 12 core machine refurbished by Apple would have run $5400, and provided 1/3 faster single core speeds, and the multi-core speeds would have been twice as fast, according to GeekBench. The new late 2013 4-core Mac Pro, while beautiful, would have run $4200 delivered (my upper limit), and would have required more investment to put the Superdrive and Blu-Ray burner into enclosures. Here is what amazed me: While its single-core speed would have been 78% faster, its multi-core GeekBench score was slower than my current machine! I guess those extra 4 cores make a difference.
The GeekBench scores heavily weigh processor-intensive functions, such as video compositing and editing, or working with large photo and graphic files. Those are not my primary uses, and spending money for significant performance gains in those areas made no sense for my use. But the $650 I spent for the 1TB SSD and eSATA PCIe card completely solved the slowdown I was experiencing. For my uses, that $650 was a much wiser investment than any of the other options. It gave me speed where I needed it, and not where it would have done little for me.

True but I catch all the Mail, Cache, /SyncServices and /Application Support - and for some reason the /Preferences folder is getting hit a lot.
The reason I use CCleaner is just to wipe clean all the brower type caches in one fell swoop. They get large and unwildly and harder to manage. Easy and faster to just download. Use to use a RAMDisk for the "web.cache" file or folders at one time to speed up system and surfing.
The entire ~/Library is 3GB for me
So even if it was 10GB it would still be fine and make sense to include the "home user account" ~/Library (you can of course include more)
Only saying to locate my 700GB of documents, media files and libraries "elsewhere" - pefect for a 2TB hdd. Or a pair of 10K WD VR 1TB drives though even they are limited if using SATA2 AND you have the system on same bus you start to hit the 700MB/sec that Mac Pro controller can handle.
So the ideal would have high access and to allow concurrent searches and IO in memory first, in cache memory buffers to drive controller and drives, and then use an SSD, before getting to the actual slower hdd. The choise of hdd also matters. Some 500GB drives are more like 85MB/sec at best vs 145MB for a single 2TB Seagate Constellation ($200) or WD Black. And no need to take up two drive bays.
Back to case in point, if you want to put the entire user account on its own SSD, fine but its cost for what performance is not what I would do. Even a small 128GB or spend another $70 for 250GB SSD instead, and leave all the user home account's media files on a slow 7.2K drive. Some 7.2k drives can do much much better on SATA3 / 6G. The 1TB 10K WD VR gets writes as well as reads in the 180-200MB/sec. which is about as good as it gets outside of SSD on a SATA2 bus and is only $200 (4-8X the storage of the SSDs I was talking about).

Poor performance with Yosemite and early 2009 Mac Pro

I have an early 2009 Mac Pro with the following specs:
- 2.66 GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon
- 10 GB of 1066 MHz RAM
- NVidia GeForce GT 120 512 MB
- 256 MB solid state drive for my system partition
- Two monitors connected, each at 1680x1050 resolution
Back when I was running OS X 10.7 or 10.8 I found that for every day tasks the performance using my computer was adequate. However, starting around 10.9, and even worse since upgrading to 10.10, thinks have gotten painfully slow. To give an example, activating Mission Control can take upwards of four seconds, with the animation being very choppy. Changing tabs on a Finder window can take two seconds for the switch to happen. Just switching between different windows, it can take several seconds for a window to activate. It's gotten to the point where I'm having difficulty working. So I'm thinking of upgrading some of my hardware.
Given my specs the weakest link seems to be my graphics card, and all of these issues do seem to be related to graphics. So my questions are:
- Do you think upgrading my graphics card will substantially improve things, and is there anything else I should upgrade?
- Is this slowness just the result of the computer being nearly six years old, and no upgrades will really improve things that much?
Thanks in advance!

Between Setup Assistant, and your existing system "untouched" (or use CCC if say you want to use an existing SSD for the system) there is no reason it should be a lot of work setting up. Have you ever used Migration or Setup? it has also gotten better.
Also, having 10.9.5 on another drive and running DU - and TRIM _now_ would be helpful.
Looking at just what gremlins you have running around inside your current system is not bad but.... sometimes the "long road" turns a shortcut into a dead end, and avoiding doing what seems the long road and hardest gets you where you want to go: a solid stable system.
Less is more. Most systems have more than needed and they get in the way and can cause trouble. Even handy "widgets" and those things that monitor system functions, even disk status. Which is why I like seeing a separate small system maintenance volume just for the weekly checkup. 30GB is more than enough so just slice out a partition somewhere - on another drive/device.
Those things, more so than and a lot cheaper than a new GPU. If your SSD is two years old, the 840 EVO from Samsung is down under $120 for 250GB, or use one for Lightroom / Aperture / iPhoto or scratch.
One person was complaining about sluggish window issue and thought it was the driver. Turned out It happened in ONE APP, not everywhere - very telling - and the app in question needs update. Adobe updated CC (for Windows) last month to finally support dual Dxx and some of the newer AMD GPUs - can the mac be far behind?
10GB RAM? that would not be 3 x 4GB or any combination using triple channel memory.

I work on dual screens on a new mac pro but when I do the 4 finger swipe it moves both screens, is there a way to move just the screen that is active?

I work on dual screens on a new mac pro but when I do the 4 finger swipe it moves both screens, is there a way to move just the screen that is active?

Multiple desktops and dual screens really aren't meant to work together. Apple came up with this multiple desltops feature and never really thought about users that use a dual monitor setup. So use either multiple desktops OR dual monitors but not both. Also don't try to use any App in Full Screen Mode as that doesn't work with dual screen setups either.

How to install Snow Leopard on a 2009 Mac Pro which has Mountain Lion?

The 2009 Mac Pro that I just bought has Mountain Lion. For many reasons, I do not want to have Mountain Lion on my machine. I have been using Snow Leopard for years and I like it fine. I have my Snow Leopard install DVDs. I cannot get this machine to accept Snow Leopard, which must be just another undesirable aspect of Mountain Lion, bacause this machine must have shipped with some variant of Leopard/ Snow Leopard to begin with. Here's what happens when I put the Snow Leopard Install DVD in the Superdrive:
1) First, I held down the "C" key at startup to start from a disc. It showed me a window which said "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer".
2) Then I started it with Mountain Lion and then put in the Snow Leopard DVD. Got a window which said "The disc you inserted was not readable by this computer". It also had 3 buttons to choose from: "Initialize", "Ignore" and "Eject". So I clicked on "Initialize" and Disc Utility opened on the First Aid page. I assume I'm supposed to erase the startup disc, but I thought maybe I should ask the experts here before I do that.
This machine has two 2TB HDDs that the previous owner has configured as a level 1 RAID. If I am to erase the startup disc do I erase both drives of the RAID set? If I'm not supposed to erase the startup drive, what do I need to do to get back to Snow Leopard? Thanks and thanks again!

The built-in checks will keep you from clobbering 10.8 Mountain Lion by Installing Snow Leopard over it (literally, 10.6 Snow Leopard Installer will see a later version in place, and knows it cannot install over a later version). So it says "Mac OS X cannot be installed on this computer..." and leaves off "... "in its current state."
You will need to Install on a 10.6 Snow Leopard-erased drive. Mac OS X Erase function proceeds to install a Partition scheme and a default Volume after erasing, because a truly blank drive is useless for most Users.
When you boot to the Installer DVD, you are running off the DVD, so all Hard Drives are available to be erased if that is your choice. All data on them will be discarded. If you erase one drive in a mirrored RAID set, normally the other drive would survive and the set would be degraded. But a new version of RAID was introduced right AFTER 10.6, and it is likely that 10.6 cannot read that RAID at all under any circumstances.

2009 Mac Pro 2.66 Xeon Quad Core or 2013 Mac Mini 2.66 Quad Core i7 ?

2009 Mac Pro 2.66 Xeon Quad Core or 2013 Mac Mini Server 2.66 Quad Core i7 ? I have a choice between these two for running Final Cut Pro X. Price is nearly the same.
The Mac Pro has a ePCI 512 display adapter, 16 GB RAM, more hard drive expansion and faster 1tb 7200 rpm conventional hard drive. FW 800.
The Mini Server has two 1 tb 5400 rpm conventional drives, 16 GB RAM and an integrated display adapter. Has thunderbolt and FW 800.
My primary concern is the performance of the processors. Does anyone happen to know how they compare in video editing?

This may give you some ideas.
There are some folks on this forum who report very saticfactory results editing on Minis.
Perhaps they will chime in with first hand experience (which I can't give).
Russ

TS3048 My early 2009 Mac Pro does not connect via bluetooth to my sound bar or bluetooth mini speakers. Both my wireless keyboard and mouse have no problems connecting. What do I need to do to connect to external bluetooth devices?

My early 2009 Mac Pro does not connect via bluetooth to my sound bar or bluetooth mini speakers. Both my wireless keyboard and mouse have no problems connecting. What do I need to do to connect to external bluetooth devices?

I would always have a wired keyboard and mouse on hand (need not be expensive ... any cheap wired devices will work). "Emergency recovery" procedures can activate features in random order, so the opportunity to select a recovery partition may pass before the wireless devices are recognized.
That will let you select the "turn on Bluetooth" icon.

I am having a problem with very slow start up after expanding RAM on my 2009 Mac Pro.

I am having a problem with very slow start up after expanding RAM on my 2009 Mac Pro (8 Core 2.93GHz). When I run the Mac Pro with 2 x 2Gb RAM it takes 4 seconds before the gray screen, chime and spinning wheel appear.However when I expand the RAM to 20GB the grey screen and chimes appear after a long 20+ second black screen.
The RAM modules are paored 2 x 4GB Crucial CT51272BA1339.M18FMR and 6 x 2GB SAMSUNG M391B5673FH0-CH9, all DDR3 ECC.
Reading articles on the internet, I thought it may be damaged RAM modules, but I have completed memtest and all are okay. I have tried changing the pairs around and if I use any paired 2 modules the Mac Pro starts normally, only when I try running more than 2 modules the delayed start up happens. (black screen 20 Seconds)
I also have tried PRAM and SMU resets after changing the RAM setups, and the issues always occurs when I have more than 2 modules. As you can see I have 6 SAMSUNG modules and even with identical modules the issue happens, when increasing the RAM to more than 2 modules.
The Mac Pro runs fine after the start up screen and can see all the modules, but has anyone else come across this issue, or have any ideas as to why my Mac Pro is taking 20 seconds to start up with 20 GB RAM?

Hi there. Thanks for your comments.
I have tried all the different combinations of RAM setup, and as stated in my initial topic, the Mac Pro boot up time only slows when I have more that 2 modules. Where I place these does not seem to make a difference.
I have taken the Mac Pro to an Apple Reseller technician yesterday and they where not able to find any RAM errors. Apparently the boot up time is within Apple's acceptable parameters for this set up.
Could anyone that is running a Mac Pro 2009 with more that 4 modules of RAM, please let me know if the boot up time is normal. ( the time it takes from pressing the power button to seeing the gray screen around 16 - 20 seconds)
Or is anyone else having the same issues?
thanks for your responce

Dual Radeon 4870 in 2009 Mac Pro

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