mac pro 2.9 2008 o.s.and video card graphics

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Level 1

4 points

mac pro 2.9 2008 o.s.and video card graphics

I need to know if i need an operating system on a mac pro 2.8 2008 in order to see if the video card is working or not and if the Mac Pro desktop is functioning correctly !!! The video card is a Nvidia 8800 GT 512 MB and works on my windows desktop but will not work on a Mac Pro 2.8 ghz dual quad core Xeon's 2008 i just purchased !!! Also there is no operating system on the Mac Pro,however i was under the assumption that the Mac Pro should still boot up to a screen showing some kind of icon,essentially showing that the video card is being recognized,but it is not !!!

Mac Pro

Posted on Mar 22, 2019 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

141,035 points

Mar 22, 2019 8:56 AM in response to berdoo08

Hold down the Option key as you restart. this invokes ROM-based software called the Startup Manager.

You Mac should sound a multi-timbral chime sound, synthesized in software, when the Power-On Self Test passes. That chime signals that the processor, the ROM, and some RAM are working.

Startup Manager draws a gray screen (not a no-screen) and over the period of several minutes adds an Icon for each potentially-bootable device it finds. During this period, the watch cursor or the wait cursor may be seen. At the end of this discovery period, the pointer arrow should appear.

If no potentially-bootable devices are found, No Icons will be shown.

If the gray screen appears, the BASIC functions the display card are working.

A further test is when the system boots up fully. At the desktop or the login screen, the system switches to the accelerated driver, and at that point some cards will fail.

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Answer 2

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Mar 22, 2019 8:52 AM in response to berdoo08

My guess is the Nvidia 8800 GT is a PC card since it works in a PC. WIth a PC card nothing will show until the drivers Are loaded which is right before the log in screen. A Nvidia 8800 GT should be support by most macOS versions since a Mac version of the Nvidia 8800 GT was available as an option in the 2008 MP.

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Answer 3

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Mar 22, 2019 12:13 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Note that if you do not have a Mac card the boot manager will not show.

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Answer 4

berdoo08 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 23, 2019 6:51 PM in response to lllaass

Well i did what you suggested with pressing the option key during start-up and it worked, as it's kinda like windows as the rom will invoke the software on m.b. and i finally got the white Apple screen with just a file question mark,but that was all i needed to make sure that the Mac Pro was working with the video card and now i got the rest as i just need to put an operating system on the hard drive !!! Im not really an Apple enthusiast as ive mostly done the Microsoft/Windows/Linux scene most of my life as i'm just kinda of experimenting with these Mac Pro's 2.8 machines !!! Also do you know what the highest o.s. that this Mac Pro 2.8ghz dual quad core Xenon 2007 OR 2008 will take or any suggestions of which would be the better o.s. for them ? Thanks as i will be waiting for your response !!! "berdoo08"

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Answer 5

Mar 23, 2019 7:02 PM in response to berdoo08

The 2008 models top out at 10.11 El Capitan with Apple's support.

There are some hobbyist hacks that can push them a little farther, but built-in Wi-Fi drops aways as the factory standard card is not supported.

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Answer 6

berdoo08 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 22, 2019 8:29 AM in response to berdoo08

I meant 2.8 Ghz above !!!

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Answer 7

Mar 22, 2019 12:21 PM in response to lllaass

Thanks, for that Lllaass. I left out the punchline.

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Answer 8

berdoo08 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 22, 2019 10:02 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I think that was the answer i was looking for as i have not held down the option to invoke the Rom-based software on the M.B.,plus there is no hardware i.e. hard drive but i will put one in there not that it has anything to do with the boot because it is passing the power on self test and there are no blinking lights on the memory riser cards or motherboard so i will try the above with the option key held down and see if i get any results and will get back with you on this possible solution !! Also ive got three different Nvidia 8800 GT 512 video cards same specs and tried them all which is what brought me to this forum out of confusion as i had the same problem with the other Mac Pro M.B. 2.8 as i two of them !!! Will return shortly !! "berdoo08"

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mac pro 2.9 2008 o.s.and video card graphics

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