5870 up and running 64 bit natively

[xgportal]

Hi all,

 

here's how I got it working:

 

GFX Card model used is Gigabyte HD5870 1024mb (but should work on any with the same specs as the XFX rom posted by netkas).

 

Mind that before plugin in the card, I did the install with an old Nvidia 8500GT that was lying around.

 

1: Installed leohazard client (can be any distro, even retail if you use some [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url] or something).

2: Installed Snow leopard server on top of it (because I need a server for my hosting projects).

This is optional and not required in any way to make it work!!

3: Updated to 10.6.4 combo.

4: Installed Graphics Update.

5: Flashed the card with the XFX5870_1.rom from netkas blog with the latest ATIFlash from TechPowerup.

6: Placed the rom into /Extra/ with its bios name. In my case I had to name it 1002_6896.rom.

7: Installed Traumas boot9 found here http://redirectingat.com/?id=292X457&x...9646%26st%3D460.

8: Added UseAtiROM=yes to com.apple.boot.plist (mind the spelling, it didn't work at first because I used UseAtiRom at first, but rom HAS to be ROM, not Rom!!). I also added GraphicsEnabler=yes (not =y).

9: Added "-v" to com.apple.boot.plist to boot default in 64 bit mode and have an overview of what happens during boot.

 

I rebooted with 2 screens connected to DVI ports, hoping it wouldn't get stuck, black screen and fans at 100%.

BUT, no way, it booted straight away, 2 screens active, 64 bit mode!!

 

I hooked up another display to the HDMI output and guess what, that also worked!! As did the mini display port!!

 

I tried a couple of 3D apps and some game demo's and, man, it just rocks!!

 

The fan speed adjusts accordingly, so no noise when in normal idle modes and gradually go's up as it should, slowing down when cooling off again.

 

No more need of ATY_INIT!! And most of all, 64 bit mode works snappy!!

 

Many thanks to netkas and Trauma for making this possible, they really saved me a lot of money!!

 

I need a mac to run final cut studio 3, Logic Studio and the Adobe Master Collection CS5 and thanks to those guys and many others in the community I can now run it on my pc at not even half the price of a real mac pro with the same kind of performance.

 

Hope this helps.

[FKA]

I suspect 'inject VBIOS to device properties' support will be coming soon

Should make things easier

[cairo_sc]

did anyone else tried this steps,

i really need a 64 bits running, but,

with my 5870 it's kind of complicate.

[xgportal]

You have the same config I do, so I don't see why it wouldn't work on your hackintosh.

 

Just make sure you use the rom from netkas and flash it wit atiflash and the following commands:

 

ATIFLASH -fa -fm -fs -fp -p 0 XFX5870.rom

 

Assuming you renamed the rom that way and that the card is in the top pci-e port.

 

Strangely I manage to hook up a working display on every port (DVI x2, HDMI, and the minidisplay one) at the same time. Even tough ATI says this can't be done, but that is under Windows, maybe OSX has a different approach on how to address the card.

[flyguy]

Does the card still work in windows too, even though you're using netkas bios for it?

[xgportal]

Absolutelly.

 

It works just fine as before, but it is impossible to hook up all the ports with displays, that only works in OS X for me.

[scott_donald]

well my gtx 285 just died so need to take the plunge for a new graphics card...

 

never bought ati but with the real pros having them i think this would be the way to go - but what make and model to go with???

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/199922

 

v

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176038

 

v

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/231353

 

havent got a clue...

[cairo_sc]

I have an Asus 5870, and it works fine,

but if you buy a MSI R5870 Lightning 1GB, it gonna fly!!

I w'd go, with no doubt, for a MSI R5870, and plus:

you gonna save £78.38 =D

 

p.s.: can't tell you about the compatibility with OSX, but

i'm sure it gonna work like any other R5870.

 

take a look on this screen, is a final thoughts about this

card on Guru3d.com

[Trauma!]

5: Flashed the card with the XFX5870_1.rom from netkas blog with the latest ATIFlash from TechPowerup.

 

I don't see the point of doing it since Netkas only modified the EFI part of the ROM ?!i

 

And also, try the bootloader from kabyl, it should exempt you from using a ROM file

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...231768&st=0

[cairo_sc]

You have the same config I do, so I don't see why it wouldn't work on your hackintosh.

 

Just make sure you use the rom from netkas and flash it wit atiflash and the following commands:

 

ATIFLASH -fa -fm -fs -fp -p 0 XFX5870.rom

 

Assuming you renamed the rom that way and that the card is in the top pci-e port.

 

Strangely I manage to hook up a working display on every port (DVI x2, HDMI, and the minidisplay one) at the same time. Even tough ATI says this can't be done, but that is under Windows, maybe OSX has a different approach on how to address the card.

 

 

5: Flashed the card with the XFX5870_1.rom from netkas blog with the latest ATIFlash from TechPowerup.

 

I don't see the point of doing it since Netkas only modified the EFI part of the ROM ?!i

 

And also, try the bootloader from kabyl, it should exempt you from using a ROM file

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...231768&st=0

 

Yeap, i've go it working on 64 bits mode =D

no UseAtiROM needed, and i should probably not have flashed my card.

Just used bootloader from kabyl, thx Trauma! for the tip!

 

And thx xgportal for your tutorial!

[xgportal]

No thx needed, we are here to help each-other out

 

Thx for the tip Trauma, it does work with the new boot.

 

One question: why do I have to switch resolutions for the main resolution to stay stable?

 

Let me explain:

 

once booted up, my main display will go dark and up again every 10 seconds, unless I switch to a lower res and then back to the main res. After that, all stays stable.

 

Thx for any advice.

 

EDIT: I removed the UseAtiROM from com.apple.boot.plist and the going black seems to be gone.

 

I also reflashed the card to a backed up rom, but the result was that I could not use all ports at once.

So I reflashed it with netkas's rom and now I can use all ports again.

Weird stuff, but I do have 4 displays connected and working with netkas's rom.

Some glitch?

 

One more thing:

 

I ran a couple of intensive 3D apps and some games to see if the fans react.

So far so good.

Could it be possible to make some kind of fan speed controller like Catalyst has?

Just to make sure we don't burn out the card when it gets to hot?

 

I used to put the card to 70% fan speed when using intensive apps, but now its all automatic.

Maybe thats a good thing, but still, I like to have control over it.

[scott_donald]

so simply you can buy a 5870(ANy models that wouldn't work? this is the one i am really thinking of getting http://www.ebuyer.com/product/199922)

 

set up a clean vanilla install to 10.6.4 using chameleon rc5

 

boot with an older graphics card (9600gt for me)

 

update to latest graphics update(anyway to do that without having to boot with the old card?)

 

replace the boot file with traumas or Kabyl this is where i am confused...

 

then re boot into osx and get both DVI working as normal....

[cairo_sc]

replace the boot file with traumas or Kabyl this is where i am confused...

 

kabyl's boot is the one to be used,

here the boot's link:

kabyl's boot file

 

and here is the topic:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...231768&st=0

[scott_donald]

thanks i think i am going to sleep on it tonight and probably bite the bullet and buy -

 

i was thinking this -

 

Sapphire HD 5870 VAPOR-X 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E graphics Card

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/190143

 

Corsair 750W HX Modular PSU

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164950

 

edit - ordered....

 

the hdd is ready for the new can... even managed to download the graphics update... so a complete updated fresh install to try when the card arrives...

[xgportal]

I use a Gigabyte one myself and am very pleased with the results it is giving me.

 

Although I use the rom from netkas, because without it, I can't use all 4 ports.

 

So basically, I'm running a XFX rom on a Gigabyte card and the fan is working better then it did with the original rom also.

 

When I used the original rom, the backplate was steaming hot and now it feels like very cold actually.

As if it isn't even on.

 

It only starts to heat up a little when doing intense 3D and thats the only time the fan goes up in speed, keeping everything smooth.

 

I'm using the Kabyl boot file, but am still suffering from the screen going black once and a while at boot up.

As mentioned before, that goes away when I switch resolutions back and forth.

[php75]

Hi,

Is anyone succeed to get more than 3 running screen on 5870 eyefinity 6 card ?

[scott_donald]

well i got mine working first time tonight - thanks guys very much

 

using -

 

set up a clean vanilla install to 10.6.4 using chameleon rc5

 

updated using combo update

 

update to latest graphics update 1.9 using dmg

 

replace the boot file with Kabyl 's one

 

then re boot into osx and get both DVI working as normal

 

well i get 2 outputs working at once -

 

2xDVI or DVI and HDMI cant try display port...

 

everything is working good...

[charlzm]

Awesome work, and thanks for the tutorial! I too just built a Hackintosh expressly for FCP, CS5 (also Pro Tools and Avid MC5) with the ATI 5870 card. Chameleon hasn't really worked out so far - I still get full speed fans and no video signal despite setting it up with [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url]; I have to boot from an [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url] CD. That prevents me from using all my RAM ([url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url] limits you to 4 gigs) AND from identifying the system as a MacPro.

 

Your tutorial will go a long way towards helping me get the 64 bit audio/video workstation I know this hardware can be!

[Brisc0]

I got a 5870 up and running this weekend on 64bit as well.

 

1.) Install via Kakewalk and use kabyl's boot file with uakari flag on the install drive

2.) Software update to current via Software Update tool

3.) Done

 

 

 

It was so bloody simple too bad I spent about 15 hours on every other insanely complex and difficult solution first... figures.

 

#Cheers!

[editguy17]

I've currently got an 800GT in my early 2009 Mac Pro.

 

Which 5870 cards are you guys using (model #, manufacturer)? I'd like to do this too since Apple doesn't seem to want to release the card, and theirs costs so much more. I've seen models with one and two fans. Some have different Core Clocks (850MHz or 870MHz) and memory sizes (1gig or 2 gig). If I pluck down the money, I'd like to get the card that most closely matches the specs that Apple will put out (or at least a superior one that will still work in the Mac Pro (quiet would be good too )).

 

thanks in advance

[blackwalker]

I got a 5870 up and running this weekend on 64bit as well.

 

1.) Install via Kakewalk and use kabyl's boot file with uakari flag on the install drive

2.) Software update to current via Software Update tool

3.) Done

 

 

 

It was so bloody simple too bad I spent about 15 hours on every other insanely complex and difficult solution first... figures.

 

#Cheers!

 

i also used kabyl boot file

And worked perfect, but

the performance of my hd 5870 are really too low and

Compared with a 5770 my results are ridiculous...

 

33.12 fps ONLY with a Gigabyte hd 5870, I7 920 @3.2....

while a hd 5770 with a Q9550 @3.1 have 29.79 fps...

 

so i have to try another way!

 

 

hey gxportal i have your same vga "Gigabyte HD 5870 - GV-R587D5-1GB-B"

maybe i'll check flashing bios like you do..

 

i see that there are several bios for xfx, do you use last?

[Altimeter88]

I currently have a Dell u2711 running at 2560x1440 and a second Dell 24" @ 1920x1200 on my hackintosh w/ ATI 4890.

 

Is this resolution supported using the methods described here (64-bit/kabyl boot file/5870).

 

I have been waiting since the 5870's came out for the Mac Pros to put one in my hackintosh but want it to run with my monitor setup without issues before I buy the 5870.

[mishak]

I got a 5870 up and running this weekend on 64bit as well.

 

1.) Install via Kakewalk and use kabyl's boot file with uakari flag on the install drive

2.) Software update to current via Software Update tool

3.) Done

 

 

#Cheers!

 

Could you help me with "uakari flag on the install drive"?

In which file do you put this flag and what would be the exact syntax?

Thanks

[kizwan]

Does monitor connected to HDMI port work?