MacPro 5,1 upgraded with the Radeon RX580

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Level 1

10 points

MacPro 5,1 upgraded with the Radeon RX580

1) So I upgraded my video card and was able to install Mojave, just one OS higher than High Sierra. However I cannot see any boot screen and I assumed that when Apple listed it as a recommended video card, this would not be an issue. Is there a way to see the boot screen as I must have the option to chose other boot options?

2) Is there a card that has the boot option built in I should have chosen?

3) Finally I know Mojave needs a metal card but will it still work if I keep the old card in as a second video card (for boot purposes)? Does it just need to see one metal card or will it not work in ANY non-metal card is identified on the system, even if there is another metal one there?

Mac Pro, macOS 10.13

Posted on Sep 14, 2020 7:22 AM

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Answer 1

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padams35

Level 4

3,307 points

Sep 14, 2020 8:23 AM in response to aberrebbi

1: The 5,1 requires a custom VBIOS for bootscreen support. However cards with an official mac-compatible vbios ( aka: 'Mac Edition' variants) are now nearly 8-years old, so Apple listed examples of newer cards that worked without bootscreen on their list.

2: One of the three Mac Edition models (or a generic non-mac version if you are willing to flash the VBIOS yourself)

3: Having any non-metal card will block the Mojave upgrade, but once Mojave is installed it should be possible to leave the second video card installed (it just won't be identified).

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Answer 2

Geotrax

Level 3

567 points

Sep 14, 2020 8:28 AM in response to aberrebbi

Hey aberrebbi,

You have a couple of options for a boot screen. You could get a "Mac Edition" video card, one with a Mac Flashed BIOS that will let you see the boot screen, but all of the official Mac Edition cards are going to be far slower than the RX 580, so that isn't a favorable option.

The next option is Opencore, a popular boot loader that lets you change operating systems on boot, and while it is powerful, it is rather complicated to install. If you can manage to do it, it is a great solution.

To answer your third question, I believe that yes, you could install something like an original GT 120 alongside the RX 580, and hook it up to a secondary monitor to get a boot screen.

My recommendation is to check out Opencore, and if you have trouble with it, then look for other solutions.

Hope it helps!

-Geotrax

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