Can I change the graphics card?

Maybe someone should buy a X1900XT PC version and put it in and see if it works?

If it does - and its just the driver - can you boot into MAC OSX with a MAC gfx card - and then install drivers for a certain card - shutdown - put in the certain card - and it will work?

I am a PC user from way back so I don't know how drivers work on MAC OS X.

Deducting from what I've read in multiple places it appears that Apple needs to update their drivers to support more cards. Because it appears that legacy Apple drivers present in the system from old Nvidia, and ATI cards are driving some cards that are not EFI-compliant on the Mac Pro. Which should not happen supposedly, but it is - so essentially this is good news to all, but we should get updtaed drivers for higher level cards like the 7900, and the 7950gx2.

But get a load of this.

On the PC side (bootcamp side) PC users are buying the Mac Pro, and turning away from OS X completely just to run their own card under bootcamp using the windows drivers, which seems unfair to Mac users IMHO because they are buying our hardware and kicking our tails on our home court. That just doesn't seem right.

Mac OS X (10.4.7) 1.5GB RAM

867MHz G4 QuickSilver

867MHz G4 QuickSilver

...I have a ATI 1900 XTX PCI Express card out of my Windows XP home built PC and put it in my Mac Pro, it works fine...

Interesting. That makes you the first person that has successfully gotten an off the shelf PC Graphics card to work in OSX, that I know of. It's also the first report of trying a PC ATI x1900 that I've heard of. ATI says it won't work BTW. All the other cards I've heard of being tested are the nVidia 7300, 7800, 7900, and the ATI x1600. None of these cards have worked in OSX.

So, seeing as how you're the only person on the Web that has had success with PC cards in OSX on a MacPro, why don't you go over to the MacRumors Forum and report how you got it to work, since this is where most of us posting this total crud has been getting their information. I'm sure the people over there would really appreciate it. Just post of your success in one of the threads over there, I'm sure the word will spread rapidly. I really hope your success can be duplicated, it would be a big plus for the Mac community.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=222939
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=223663
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=223222
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=224169
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=224287

Thanks. I knew you could use html, but didn't think you could also use graphics.

Just FYI you can have both the Geforce 7300 video card and the PC version of X1900 on the machine. The ATI X1900 XT or XTX will work in windows without any problems and if you want to switch over to OSX you can use the Geforce 7300. Both Video cards will operate in windows as long as you have the drives.

What brand ATi X1900XTX are you using or is it a regular ATI Branded one?

Mac Pro 2.66 stock Mac OS X (10.4.7)

What brand of x1900 card are you using? Can you tell us the specifics so that we can try it ourselves? Thanks.

It's normal that ATI cards show up in System Profiler as ATY. This has been the way it is for years.

Wait wait wait.

Can I take the Geforce 7800GTX out of my PC, stick it into a Mac Pro, and it will work fully (the system has an auxiliary card power connector?

If so, I'll be stopping by the Christiana Mall on the way home from work.

If not, I'll wait. Given that the lead times on the X1900XT BTO option are a month, I'd be waiting even if I wasn't cranky.

How are you guys powering the PC X1900 cards ? Where can you get the power cbale that goes from that small molex power connector to the large style the ATI X1900XTX's use ?

Ok I put the Mac Pro next to the PC and ran the power tap out of there. This is a stock from ATI X1900xtx .

No go booting with only it. Black screen.

System boots with 7300gt in first slot and x1900 in second. ID'd as a x1900 card under windows but, as just 'Display' under OSX.

Display:

Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
Slot: Slot-2
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x7249
Revision ID: 0x0000
Displays:
Display:


All of them Mac OS X (10.4.4)

OK I played with this for an hour and give up. Even checked thru the x1000 Info.plist files and the card vendor and device ID was actually already listed in there.

I'm not sure how to set it up under XP but, it is seen and correctly ID'd. Probably need two monitors to set it up.

From what I've heard, the four companies now working as a team as far as Intel-based Macs are concerned (Apple, Intel, ATI, and NVidia) are all being as hush as they can about unofficial upgradeability.

Thing is, all four of these companies are putting as much effort into these new Macs as possible. I mean for chrissakes, guys, the Mac Pro just came out one day without a big fanfare beforehand to speak of, unlike most products from any of the above four companies... The Mac Pro seems to be a law unto itself.

Maybe the problem with getting new graphics cards to work isn't the firmware and drivers alone: maybe it's also a matter of whether the given graphics card is an ASUS version or a Crucial version, etc... If their chipset expectations don't include that of the Mac Pro's northbridge, then it should not work at all with a Mac Pro, no matter what.

On the other hand, if ASUS is taking the path of the Enthusiast's Friend and is making their cards Mac Pro-friendly, then there will be a difference...

Don't hear my words without taking a grain of salt too. I am simply pontificating, making these ideas about as likely as any other educated rumor. Then again, the rumor mill is quite a well-oiled machine... 😀

MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8) I need a better one... 😟

I understand that I (we) can change our own graphics card. But does it void the warranty? MO

mac pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

mac pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

On the PC side (bootcamp side) PC users are buying
the Mac Pro, and turning away from OS X completely
just to run their own card under bootcamp using the
windows drivers, which seems unfair to Mac users IMHO
because they are buying our hardware and kicking our
tails on our home court. That just doesn't seem
right.

I wouldn't having to use Windows, "kicking our tails!"
I MUCH rather use OSX!