Install a Radeon HD 4890 PC in a Mac Pro Without Flashing It!, 04/05/2009 - Your reactions

[linathael]

We were dreaming about it, and Netkas did. Originating from the Hackintosh projects, those "extensions" can be installed on most PC version of Radeon without requiring to flash the BIOS of those cards. How does it work? In summary, those extensions works like the EFI code and force the card to be recognized by the Mac and to have them active in Mac OS X. Hereafter are results obtained after installing a Radeon HD 4890 PC version in a Mac Pro 2008:





Hereafter is the procedure to get to this point:

• Install Radeon HD 48x0 drivers shipping with Mac Pro 2009: http://www.sendspace.com/file/gvsi12
• Install extensions allowing recognition of those PC version cards: http://rapidshare.de/files/46982841/ATI_Init.pkg.html
• Install patched extension to activate 3D acceleration (only for cards not recognized by the system as HD 4890):  http://rapidshare.de/files/46893369/accel.tar.bz2.html You can also for those cards use the application kexthelper.

This procedure works with most Radeon: HD 4870, 4870X2 (recognized as 2 HD 4870), HD 3870, HD 4890, ... On our card, the first DVI works perfectly as a DVI Dual Link port, while the second one is only a single link. Beside this detail, everything is just working fine. Unlike with the Mac Edition card, such extension-activated card is becoming only active during the loading of Mac OS X and all components, and not immediately after the boot. This could be a problem is you want to boot from another partition or as a single users, however, it is so much easier than flashing the original BIOS of the card, that it should be considered by most users.


[update] With the release of Mac OS X 10.5.7, one does not need the previous non-official drivers provided for Radeon HD 48x0 with Mac Pro 2009. Thanks to Netkas, patched extensions are now available, you simply need to download and install the following package: http://rapidshare.de/files/47140484/...cards.pkg.html. without this patch, you will not benefit from Quartz acceleration.

By linathael, original by Lionel

[JemmX]

Execellent!!

Wich card are recomendable?

Can´t download files from rapidshare, the download breaks in differents browsers.

Thank you.

[linathael]

Execellent!!

Wich card are recomendable?

Can´t download files from rapidshare, the download breaks in differents browsers.

Thank you.

it should work
otherwise try the following link:
http://www.filedropper.com/atiinit

[alineliodor]

Hi ! And how exactly did you did that ??? And how did you succeed to bring power to the card ? Because mine it needs 2 cables for power (I make it work though with 2 cables and in windows side is working great).Can you be a little more specific and add some pictures if you can it will help a lot !!! I have a Radeon hd 4890 and I installed everything from the links provided but it doesn't work ! When I try to start the computer after the "chime" is a black screen and that is all I got . I have a 2008 Mac Pro 2.8 Ghz . Thanks !!!

[Tobsen]

Does anyone know, if this also works with Snow Leopard?

[linathael]

Hi ! And how exactly did you did that ??? And how did you succeed to bring power to the card ? Because mine it needs 2 cables for power (I make it work though with 2 cables and in windows side is working great).Can you be a little more specific and add some pictures if you can it will help a lot !!! I have a Radeon hd 4890 and I installed everything from the links provided but it doesn't work ! When I try to start the computer after the "chime" is a black screen and that is all I got . I have a 2008 Mac Pro 2.8 Ghz . Thanks !!!

additional information here: http://www.hardmac.com/news/2009/05/09/add...pc-in-a-mac-pro

[AaronD12]

Great bidouille, guys! Please keep up the great work!

-Aaron-

/100th post!

[andrei]

Hi.
I like to know is the XFX Radeon HD4890 XXX 1GB GDDR5 fine whit this procedure?
I mean do it works if i buy it?

Thanx.