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Flashed vs non-flashed GPU in Mac Pro (HD6850 and MP1,1)


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Input with any experience regarding this would be really appreciated guys!  

I've already posted this topic on "Mac forum" but had no response whatsoever.

 

So, I have bought Sapphire HD6850 for my Mac. I gotta make few music videos in FCPX and treat myself from time to tim with Arkham City and Borderland 2. :)  I didn't plan on flashing bios with mac EFI but after seeing few "bugs" with GPU as is, maybe that is the way to go.

 

That's where i need your input, is this related to being PC card or not?

- Card being recognized as HD6xxx is EFI problem, and thats one thing i know for sure.

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Yosemite is loading: AMD6000Controller, AMDFramebuffer and AMDRadeonX3000 kexts.

 

Next, few benchmarks are working OK, but i don't know if the results are as they should be?

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post-1517990-0-07430500-1456020960_thumb.jpgpost-1517990-0-59966600-1456020967_thumb.jpg

 

But GFXBench and CompuBench are not working at all.

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In CompuBench i can mark benchmarks i want to run, but it just goes through load process, as you can see in this video.

 

Also, i had twice the experience of bad pixelation in OS X and red, yellow and green dots on black screens in all videos (Youtube, FCPX, VLC...). The clock, icons on dock, all was suffering from strange graphics artifacts. It goes back to normal after reboot, and doesn't occur if i prevent OS X from going to sleep. then its all good. But if i keep it on with few sleep/wake cycles it happens. As far as i can tell.

 

So my question, again, is - Does this occurs because my GPU has PC BIOS and will it change with flashing, or is this problem with this particular model of the card?

 

Thank you all, in advance, for participating! :thumbsup_anim:

 

P.S. Here is the link to the original topic, if i forgot to mention anything.

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Just al little update from yesterday.

 

I left it on sleep over night and upon waking, after 8 hours, it developed the same screen blurs and red/green pixels on dark video backgrounds.

I took the screenshots to show them to you, but after log out/in the screenshots were normal looking as was the whole display.

 

So system sees it as it should, screenshots are showing artifacts only when the whole screen is showing them too.

Next time ill take camera pictures. :thumbsup_anim:

 

Past night it was also on sleep, but today everything looks as it should upon wake. :whistle:

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Not sure if this will work

http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,692.0.html

Also check with http://www.macvidcards.com/store/c9/Recommended%3A_Mac_Pro_1%2C1_and_2%2C1.htmlmaybe email them.

On my Mac Pro 2006/2007 flashed 1,1 to 2,1 I am using a Nvidia GT630 and all outputs work including HDMI and DVI.  I debated about flashing but its not my work computer I used it for teaching Elements. I just got tired lugging it around that I opted for a 2012 MacBookPro which IS much lighter.

 

Anyway good luck,

Lou Cioccio

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Thanks Lou, 

I've been reading netkas forum and making plans of flashing my GPU, but i can't do it right now because of my GPU power cable being connected to molex from DVD. So, i don't have working DVD right now and can't successfully make bootable USB for Win BootCamp install. On the other hand, i don't have PC with PSU strong enough for HD6850.

Ill try to do ti with GT7300, as soon as i buy some empty DVDs to burn Win on.  

 

The dilemma  I'm having is  are the artifacts connected to GPU flashing. Will they disappear with flashed GPU or not, and i can't seem to find answer to that question.  

 

In other words, is flashing only for boot screens, proper recognition and all ports working, or does it affect performance of the GPU.

 

I had it happened again today, after few hours sleep:

Screenshot of YT video (after reboot it looks normal, as you can see)

 post-1517990-0-47831000-1456252574_thumb.png

Phone picture of the screen

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Hi, I'm not really sure what is the problem? Card seems working fine, benchmarks are OK for that card. You're lucky it worked as you didn't pick most compatible series of GPU's.

Sorry, totally missed your post.

 

Yes, it works and it is really being improvement on all GPUs i had used so far on my hacks/PCs, just interested why  GFXBench and CompuBenchs are not supported and why sometimes, after a Mac sleep, it shows artifacts as in pictures above. Should flashing EFI fix those tiny problems, or if there's no need to flash it at all.

 

You're right, its not the best card for Mac Pro, but i saw that at netkas forum they're putting it at the same topics with 5770 and 5870, so i thought it would be fine until i get my hands on HD7xxx or R9 card. 

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I wouldn't put high end card like r9 or gtx780 im mp1,1. Way to much CPU and PCI bottlenecks.

You will always get lower benchmarks than people on modern PC's, way way lower. 

Apple branded 5870 would be good in my opinion, or hunt for flashed gtx 680 and enjoy the power.

 

 

Coming back to your question, I think when card is flashed so all ports works and it's correctly recognised and accelerated it will for sure make the difference.

Did you test this card under Windows? You could determine if those are hardware or software glitches.

All the best.

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I was thinking of using MP1,1 just as a "storage" for new GPU until i get new machine, but yours idea might be better.

Get appropriate GPU for 1,1 and then buy new one, when needed.

 

I will test it in Windows ASAP, but i don't think it is a cards problem, as it works great with no artifacts as long as you need it to work. But after computer sleep, in 50% of time, it will wake up with pictured artifacts...

 

Thank you, i really couldn't find any confirmation if flashing affects performance of GPU.

 

I will flash it and report back, maybe then ill see Duckweed FB instead of Radeon...  :)

post-1517990-0-12371500-1456276420_thumb.png

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