Radeon HD 5770 or 5870 in Mac Pro 1,1

I am currently running a Mac Pro 1,1 on a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT and am severely unimpressed with the graphics performance. I am looking to upgrade to a ATI Radeon HD 5770, 5870, or even maybe dual 5770's. I know the 5770 is compatible with the 1st gen mac pro, but I'm not sure about the 5870. Looking around, I'm seeing lots of people saying it is compatible, and others saying its not. If I'm running lion on a mac pro 1,1 will a ATI Radeon 5870 work?
Additionally I was wondering how dual 5770's work... Is there a crossfire sort of cable thing between them, do you just plug two of them in, will two 5770's even work in the Mac Pro 1,1?
Any help would be very much appreciated

Today, A PC card flashed with Mac Firmware will only produce a picture after Mac OS X is fully loaded and operational. That is fine, provided when you want to change boot drives, or do maintenance, or re-Install something, or Debug a problem, you can live with nothing on your display. Most Users can not.
Cards released by Apple and fully supported by current versions of Mac OS X were built with EFI firmware ROMs.
"Hacker" sites try all sorts of currently unsupported-by-Apple stuff. Some of it works great. But those sites are not going to provide support for you when things go bad. If you need your Mac to be reliable for doing productive things, stick with what Apple supports TODAY, unless you can provide your own support.
In a few months, the situation may be different. Or maybe not.

Similar Messages

5770 and 5870 in Mac Pro 2009 - noisy PCIe expansion bay fan

I replaced the Geforce GT120 by the ATI radeon 5770 in my Mac Pro Quad 2.66 Nehalem. I had severe trouble with the speed of the fan of the PCI-e expansion bay: 2000 RPM and really noisy. After 30-60 minutes it slowed down and became silent, but upon reboot the noise and the high speed were there again.
I have sent the 5770 back to Apple. I am considering to try the 5870, but I am afraid I will be in trouble again.
With the GT 120, the fan speed is only 800 RPM and the Mac is silent. The ATI Radeon cards require one or two power cables connecting to the logic board.
Could that be the cause of the problems or was the 5770 a bad card? Or is it the logic board. I ran the Apple Hardware Test. everything was OK.
I checked it with Techtool Pro and there were no problems found.
Any help would be much appreciated. I have zapped the PRAM and reset the SMC without result.
Kind regards and thanks of reading.

If it is any consolation I have the same machine and installed the Radeon 5770 and have intermittent high expansion bay fan speeds (1400-2400rpm). I just checked this board today because it seems more noisy today than in a while and the ambient air is listed as 78 degrees F. The card has it's own fan and exhaust slots in the back of the card and the air from them is warm but not what I would consider hot. I had had two video cards and a eSATA card installed and never had a problem. Now with just this card and the eSATA it exists. I'm betting if I call Apple about it they will tell me it's only listed on their site as compatible with the 2010 Mac Pros, so, for now I will live with it.

ATI HD 4870 vs 5770 vs 5870 on Mac Pro (3,1) 2.8 Octo Core

Im sorry if I'm asking a noob question but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out which Video Card I should get. To me it appears the higher the Model number the better the card.
What throws me off is the face that the 4870 cost more than the 5770 which appears to have better specs. I don't think I can afford the 5870 at this time so depending on the replies I might not even consider the 5870.
I want a Video Card to run in Windows 7 under BootCamp for gaming. I also want to just plug in the New 27" Apple LED with no issues - unlike my current ATI HD 2600 card.
These are the questions I have...
(1) Is there a HUGE gaming performance difference between the 5870 and the 5770?
(2) Why does the older 4870 cost more than the 5770?
(3) Why do some recommend using a DVI to Mini Display Port adapter ($200) when you can get a New Video Card for $249.00?
I would also appreciate any links to read up on if you have any.
I plan to sell my 30" Apple Cinema Display to pay for a New 27" Apple LED and a New Video Card.
PS - Any other alternatives to the 27" Apple LED? Any of the competition have a similar product?
Thanks for your time.

The 4870 is a better card than the 5770; more bandwidth.
It just saves a test cycle when one card is already known to be slower than another.
More results:
http://barefeats.com/wst10g.html
http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40254
The only way a 5770 comes close to or beats a 5870 is in a crossfire vs single card situation:
http://www.overclock.net/ati/644665-radeon-5770-cf-vs-5870-vs.html
The 3 cards are on this page:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5770-review-test/14
Get the 5870.

ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT and early Mac Pro

I have been following the debate regarding the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT and old Mac Pro with interest, however my problem is not quite the same. As all the correspondents are located in the USA. I would guess they are referring to Apple part no MB198Z/A. But ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT is sold in the UK by Apple as part no MB198, and I cannot be sure that it has an identical spec. Does one Know the Answer? Please respond if you know
Thank You
For info Below is the response given by ATI
(The specifications are the same. The HD 2000 series cards runs on PCIE 1.1. You will need to confirm this with www.apple.com since the cards are specifically flashed by Apple. These cards may contain different video bios versions.)

M.O.K.,
Based on the ATI information regarding PCIE 1.1, the card is the same and should work. I would call Apple when ordering to confirm.
I have the 2600 XT in my 2.66Ghz Mac Pro and it works very well. Much better than the OEM card.
Keith

Ati radeon hd 4870 for 1st generation mac pros?

unfortunately the ati radeon hd 4870 is working for all mac pros except the first generation: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB999ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ&mco=NDE4NDMxOA
are there any other graphics cards that have a mini displayport connector and are compatible with a mac pro first generation?
thanks for the help!

The information on the AMD/ATI site actually says the 4870 has lower power requirements than the 3870.
The PCIe power limit of 300W is the same for the 2008 Mac Pros as the 2007 8-core Clovertown Mac Pro. Power is not an issue. EFI appears not to be an issue either as Rob's tests have shown.
Can anyone give a logical or technical reason why the 4870 is not being made available to 1st Gen Mac Pros like the 3.0 GHz 8-core. I can't think of anything.
Surely Apple aren't restricting this cards use in an effort to persuade users to upgrade? Are they?

ATI Radeon HD 5770 vs 5870

I just need a quick answer, what is the 200usd difference?
I use motion from my 8core macpro, but only got 512mb GPU, and wants more, I use 2 x 30" apple displays
thanks

Morten Schmidt wrote:
I just need a quick answer, what is the 200usd difference?
I use motion from my 8core macpro, but only got 512mb GPU, and wants more, I use 2 x 30" apple displays
thanks
The only answer is that you can actually obtain the 5770. The 5870 is "unavailable" from Apple and is not listed on any other Mac supplier anywhere. You can purchase any of the PC versions and hack them, maybe. INstructions and caveats are easily researched.
Being able to run 2-30" Apple displays is not a valid criteria; you want significant performance improvements for any investment in cards. See the new monster Mac-only $1,200 Radeon recently announced. Try macrumors.com and look back a few weeks or search their site.
bogiesan

Radeon HD 3870 coming to a Mac Pro near you?

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/04/29/ati-radeon-hd-3870-video-card-for-the-mac-pr o-in-may/
could be a more viable option than the 8800 card for pro apps that use core graphics, also these cards are pretty energy efficient so a couple of these installed should not put too much strain on the system

What are you using these cards for? Do you need more than two monitors? If you are using Final Cut Studio at all, go with the single 4870 video card. Final Cut only supports two monitors, and often has issues if more than one video card is installed, especially if they are the exact same make and model.
If you really (really) need to run 3-4 displays (my only guess as to why you would need three GT120s) you could try the Radeon 3870 (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/ATI%20Technologies/100435928/) as they only require one auxiliary power tap each and take up a single PCIe slot. That would give you four DVI outputs, while using up only two slots, with the only downside being they are a bit noisy. There are some quiet cooling options you might be able to find that could help that. The 4870 is still your best option though, if you are at all concerned about performance, noise, reliability, and compatibility.
JM

ATI Radeon 2600 XT on Mac Pro 2008 has died

Hi All,
I have recently been having issues with one of my ATI Radeon 2600 XT Graphics cards - choppy graphics, artefacts appearing on the display and endless crashes of the OS.
I have read online about a recall program Apple did run which recalled these exact graphics cards, and after checking the serial number of the card in question, it does indeed match one of the 'bad' batch.
The only problem is - the program ended in July 2011
What are the chances Apple would be kind enough to still swap my card for a new unaffected one?
Thanks
Mac Pro (early 2008)
6GB Memory
2 x ATI Radeon 2600XT
2 x 23" Cinema HD Monitors

What are the chances Apple would be kind enough to still swap my card for a new unaffected one?
I'm in the same boat. :\ Mine just died too, would I need to take my tower to an Apple Store? Or how would I go about asking Apple to replace my graphics card?
Also, if I were to put in a different graphics card (say the ATI Radeon HD 5770), how difficult is it to replace? Would my Mac Pro (Early 2008) be able to handle it? I have 2x2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core) processor, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 says it requires Mac Pro (Mid 2010) with PCI Express 2.0 slot and OS X 10.6.4, whereas I'm still on just 10.5 Leopard and have an Early 2008 model...
On another thread, here, The Hatter, said something about baking the card in the oven? Would that work if Apple won't replace it for free?
I have never opened up my tower before (I don't know how!) and I have been wanting to upgrade my RAM as well. I have 4x1GB cards and I wanted to move up to like 8 or 16GB. I was thinking about buying RAM from NewEgg or Amazon, whichever is cheaper, any suggestions?
Thank you for any help and sorry about hijacking the thread! >~< Should I make my own thread or continue in this one? I'm sorry, I just don't want to cause any problems...I will make a new one if need be.

Which is faster at rendering and compressing hd video... the new iMacs or the 8 core Mac Pro

the new iMacs or the 8 core Mac Pro

the 5770 is listed as 2010 only as well. The "anomolies" are with HDCP copy protected content:
Mac Pro: Using ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card with Mac Pro released before 2010
This may be the same story.

Why wont my Mac Pro Start?!?

Hello All
My Mac Pro (Early 2008) has begun acting strange. It wont power on.
I have done some trouble shooting (Removed all attached Devices (USB, ESATA, NETWORK,) Basically the only thing plugged in the rear is USB for keyboard / mouse and 1 DVI Monitor Hook up.
I replaced the power cable (Jug Cord), changed which wall socket the power plugs into.... but still it wont start.
A fix is to Pull Out the power cord from rear of MAC Pro, leave out for about 1 minute and then plug it back in. I hear it click and then it will start up once i press the power button. However once I Power back down, same problem.
Is this a faulty PSU? Or is there an internal Battery that could be causing problem?
I have tried removing the ram sticks also, same problem.
MAX OSX 10.6.8
2x4GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
10GB 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM

Interesting, so putting a ATI 5770 means i cant boot from DVD? How come?! What if i need to re install OS from DVD?
Secondly, i was reading apple website http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3891
Mac Pro: Using ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card with Mac Pro released before 2010
Symptoms
You may notice display anomalies or issues playing back video or other HDCP-encoded content when you use an ATI Radeon HD 5770 video card in Mac Pro computers released before the Mac Pro (Mid 2010).
Resolution
The ATI Radeon HD 5770 video cards are supported only on Mac Pro (Mid 2010) models. They are not supported in earlier versions of Mac Pro. Learn more about graphics card compatibility for Mac Pro.
Then It says:
Graphics cards for Mac Pro (Early 2008)
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (part number 630-9191 or 630-9897)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600
ATI Radeon HD 4870, offered as an upgrade kit
Note: The Radeon HD 4870 card requires Mac OS X v10.5.7 or later for use with the Mac Pro (Early 2008).
Can someone tell me, whats the difference between all the 4870 Cards?
This one is $130
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-EAH4870DK-HTDI-512MD5-Radeon/dp/B001KZOJCE
This one (refurbished yes) Is less than $50: Will this one work in my Mac Pro??!?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150594
I dont really have $200+ for a 5770 Card now.

ATI Radeon HD 5870 + Mac Pro 2,1 (2007).

Hello All!
Is any one known or tried to use HD 5870 in Mac Pro 2,1 which is Octocore ?? Is it works?? If it work, what boot rom version in this mac pro?

Radeon HD 5870 versus 5770
Radeon 5870 5770 2006 Mac Pro
The 5870 works, but not that much better to justify the extra $200 which could be spent on something to boost overall system like an SSD.
I think everyone pretty much knows 2008 intro'd both EFI64 and PCIe 2.0 and of course better for graphics choices.

ATI RADEON 5770 on Mac Pro 2006

Hello,
I am using a MacPro 1.1 (from 2006) and out of the blue my video card which was Geforce 7300GT burned out. I can't find a replacement card which is the same and only combatible one I found is Ati Radeon 5770. Before I move on buying this card I am wondering whether it will work first of all on my mac pro, and if so which exact model should I purchase since I see some differences in each one as far as the memory bus (4800Mhz, 5200 Mhz and 1200 Mhz) and the processor clock speed ( 850 Mhz and 875 Mhz) I would really appreciate some help on this matter since it's already 2 weeks I am trying to solve it.
Thanks!

Well, thank you for that.
If you are lucky or willing, the link I have for 1st gen 8800GT model on ebay. Pricey as can be though.
Also:
http://myworld.ebay.com/macvidcards/
Hopefully 5770s are waiting for drivers or to be replaced with Radeon 6xxx series (but which would then require more retooling of drivers you can be sure).
Last year this time, the 5000's were just coming out. Nvidia was also inbetween the FERMI (GeForce 400s) and older GTX 200 series which caused shortages and when you could find anything, inflated pricing.
When I bought the 8800GT I also picked up ($129) OS X DVD 10.5.6 (had I guessed, I would have waited for Snow Leopard @ $29 maybe). And, you have to call but 10.5.x DVDs can be ordered by phone Apple Store but not online (another peeve, it is almost impossible to buy Leopard now, the last that supports PowerMacs too).
At least the Apple variety of ATI Radeon work in any and all Mac Pro models.
If there is a way to flash or work with PC cards, that would come from MacRumors Mac Pro.
http://forum.netkas.org/
http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

VisionTek Radeon HD2600XT or HD2600PRO Mac Pro compatible?

Does anyone know if the 'Visiontek Radeon HD2600XT 512MB (Model 900183) or the VisionTek Radeon HD2600PRO 512MB (Model: 900181) is Mac Pro (early 2008) compatible? Both are PCIe with 2 port Dvi-i Tv/hdtv Out.

I was hoping to find something on Amazon with Prime shipping. It is difficult for me to get around, so I'm looking for something I can overnight cheaply. They show different versions of the ATI 5770, but I'm not sure which will work in the Mac Pro.

Anyone using the Ati Graphics Card 5770 with a Mac Pro 2.93Ghz (2009)

I would like to upgrade my stock Geforce Gt 120 cards in my Mac Pro 2.93Ghz 8 core (early 2009) to the Ati 5770 card which will be connected to 2 Apple 27inch Retina Displays.
I am aware that Apple states that the 5770 card is not compatible with the 2009 model but I have also read that Barefeats say this is not true and will work on the 2009 machines.
Having read numerous reports from people having problems when using the 5770 in there 2009 models such a faster fan speeds and excessive noise I really don't know what to do?....
Can anyone chime in with their experience and recommendations on the 5770 and also what Mac Pro model and OS version was used?.
I have looked at the Ati 5870 but it is a bit more than my current budget and my graphics power needs.
Many Thanks
Noodlez.

Very few problems. Some try to do something w/ the wrong dual link active adapters or to use HDMI or something else. I know of very few let alone "numerous" reports. But 10's of thousands of Mac Pro 1,1 and above love it and are fine and happy - and you need 10.6.5 (10.6.8 of course has a much improved driver whereas 10.6.4-1/2 was OEM and basic shoddy and not on the retail 10.6.3 DVD).
ML use to be trouble on a 2008 3,1 too. At this day and age unless you have PowerPC apps plugins or drivers and hardware 10.8.3 is the way to go. And 10.8.3 opens up more graphic card choices too. Nvidia GTX series or AMD 79xx and EVGA has Mac Edition as does AMD have 7950.
Barefeasts.com has test results
I think you want to double check but "RETINA" is a MacBook Pro only and might be thinking of Thunderbolt, which will not connect to a Mac Pro. There still is a non-Thunderbolt 27" which is.

How many Sapphire Sapphire RADEON R9 270X can i install in my mac pro 2009?

How many of the graphics cards can I install in my mac pro 2009? Sapphire Sapphire RADEON R9 270X
Thanks

Why? do you use FCP-X? that will benefit from two. Also gaming in Windows where you can use Crossfire
You have two 6-pin power feeds so you will need a small 450W PSU - those come with two 8-pin and two 6-pin.
Those can often fit in the optical drive bay and cost $25-75 range.
"500W" is NOT for the card! that is the minimum PC PSU only!
when buying look for card that uses only two 6-pin and not an 8-pin power.
75W for the PCIe slot, and 150W from two 6-pin cables, most GPUs fall into the 200-250W at maximum stress levels8-pin is basically two 6-pins and 150W feed
> we CrossFired a pair of Radeon R9 270s in our 2010 Mac Pro tower. Under Windows 7 64bit Ultimate, it registered 145 FPS in the Diablo test.
http://barefeats.com/tube06.html
Keep in mind that the Mac Pro tower can't feed enough power to the dual 980s, dual 290Xs, or dual 7950s.
We used an auxillary power supply to compensate.
For the hard core GPU rendering, there are external expansion boxes with their own power supplies.
In an earlier article, we featured the Cubix Xpander which facilitated the connection of 5 GPUs to the Mac Pro tower.
If you favor an AMD GPU like the Radeon R9 290X, MacVidCards can modify it to run at PCIe 2.0 bandwidth in your Mac Pro tower.
The Sapphire Radeon R9 7950 Mac Edition is available from OWC and TransIntl.
February 6th, 2015 -- Dual GeForce GTX 980s vs other Dual GPUs running multi-gpu 'aware' apps
February 6th, 2014 -- (UPDATE) GeForce GTX 980 GPU versus 8 other GPUs running Games and OpenGL Benchmarks
January 29th, 2015 -- GeForce GTX 980 vs 9 other GPUs running Resolve, LuxMark, and Octane Render
December 28th, 2013 -- Does Final Cut Pro X 10.1 render faster on Mac Pro towers with Dual AMD GPUs? What about Motion 5.1?
Things to keep in mind:
The Radeon R9 280X we used was 'un-flashed.' It booted OS X fine but there was no startup screen. Also, when we checked the speed of CPU-to-PCIe-to-CPU communication, it appeared to be running in PCIe 1.0 mode instead of PCIe 2.0. However, unless the GPU intensive app saturates the PCIe 1.0 bandwidth, it will not run any faster in PCIe 2.0 mode. http://barefeats.com/tube12.html
Which is one reason why you might want to buy pre-modified cards from http://www.macvidcards.com

Radeon HD 5770 or 5870 in Mac Pro 1,1

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