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XFX RX 5700 DD not compatible with mac osx

Paolo7297

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Nov 5, 2019
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Hello!
I bought the XFX RX 5700 DD Boost Up Ultra, then noticed that the XFX bios isn't compatible with mac (lastest catalina)
So the only solution is to flash another rx5700 bios.
Do you suggest to try a flash or to change GPU?
With the budget i have, i can't afford any other rx5700 custom...
And, if i can flash, what bios should i flash?
Thanks a lot!
 
Or you can take it back for a refund if you bought it from a retailer.

Flashing the bios may void your warranty.
 
Hello!
I bought the XFX RX 5700 DD Boost Up Ultra, then noticed that the XFX bios isn't compatible with mac (lastest catalina)
So the only solution is to flash another rx5700 bios.
Do you suggest to try a flash or to change GPU?
With the budget i have, i can't afford any other rx5700 custom...
And, if i can flash, what bios should i flash?
Thanks a lot!
Currently MacOS has no support for RDNA based card. Only supports upto GCN 5.0 Vega architecture.
 
But if i restore the original bios, it is noticeable or not?

There is no reason to flash it, and once you brick it, your warranty is voided, send a private message to @XFXSupport here and see if they have anything for you. You can't just put any old bios on and expect it to work. If card makers wanted us to there would be a bios gui to do that like there is for motherboards, but there is not so stop and contact @XFXSupport (click the name and send a message)
 
Currently MacOS has no support for RDNA based card. Only supports upto GCN 5.0 Vega architecture.
Catalina 10.15.1 has added rx5700 support, first time i installed the card it was in 10.15 and it booted successfully without accelleration. I updated Catalina and now nothing works, so the card is recognized in some way.
There is no reason to flash it, and once you brick it, your warranty is voided, send a private message to @XFXSupport here and see if they have anything for you. You can't just put any old bios on and expect it to work. If card makers wanted us to there would be a bios gui to do that like there is for motherboards, but there is not so stop and contact @XFXSupport (click the name and send a message)
I'll try, thanks!
 
XFX GPU's are notoriously bad in macOS. usually because they deviate further from the reference cards layout I believe, ie, changing port types and quantities. Navi 5700 series are now supported under latest Catalina as you know, don't listen to other users incorrect info on that. But whether it's a real Mac or a Hackintosh XFX brand custom cards have a tendency to be more problematic compared to getting an reference card (any brand) or if a custom card one from Sapphire or Gigabyte for example would be recommended over XFX. you may only have certain ports working so if possible check every output port
 
XFX GPU's are notoriously bad in macOS. usually because they deviate further from the reference cards layout I believe, ie, changing port types and quantities. Navi 5700 series are now supported under latest Catalina as you know, don't listen to other users incorrect info on that. But whether it's a real Mac or a Hackintosh XFX brand custom cards have a tendency to be more problematic compared to getting an reference card (any brand) or if a custom card one from Sapphire or Gigabyte for example would be recommended over XFX. you may only have certain ports working so if possible check every output port
So it's difficult also with a flashed bios?
 
from my understanding, it is because some XFX custom BIOS is different enough from the reference design to cause issues in macOS. so a BIOS flash to a more suitable/compatible BIOS may help. even if it works, it could still limit you to only certain ports working

i've never done any GPU flashing. if you don't have a card that has a dual ROM switch to get you out of a jam in the event of a bad flash, or bricking one, i'd recommend returning it for a different brand. if you're expierenced in GPU flashing then that's great you know the deal and the risks, if not, I won't recommend you to do something that could turn your $400 GPU into a paper weight. the safer option is to sell/return and get a model that will work OOTB for macOS
 
Catalina 10.15.1 has added rx5700 support, first time i installed the card it was in 10.15 and it booted successfully without accelleration. I updated Catalina and now nothing works, so the card is recognized in some way.
Didn't know. Though Apple has no product with RDNA GPU, so their support for it maybe in beta stage.
Maybe you need to rollback to use that GPU. Have you tried to rollback previous version of OS that worked with the card.
 
from my understanding, it is because some XFX custom BIOS is different enough from the reference design to cause issues in macOS. so a BIOS flash to a more suitable/compatible BIOS may help. even if it works, it could still limit you to only certain ports working

i've never done any GPU flashing. if you don't have a card that has a dual ROM switch to get you out of a jam in the event of a bad flash, or bricking one, i'd recommend returning it for a different brand. if you're expierenced in GPU flashing then that's great you know the deal and the risks, if not, I won't recommend you to do something that could turn your $400 GPU into a paper weight. the safer option is to sell/return and get a model that will work OOTB for macOS

I believe the XFX data is dated information.

The XFX 5700 I have works great in MacOS with a hackamac/Clover setup. I needed the pikera BIOS string (because I 'have' an iMac Pro) but that was the extent of my work required.
 
I believe the XFX data is dated information.

The XFX 5700 I have works great in MacOS with a hackamac/Clover setup. I needed the pikera BIOS string (because I 'have' an iMac Pro) but that was the extent of my work required.
Was adding pikera all you needed to do? I have it running quite well but quite often get kernel panics related to Graphics. Could you share your EFI?
 

I'm simply using PastryChef's EFI, .66.
 
XFX GPU's are notoriously bad in macOS. usually because they deviate further from the reference cards layout I believe, ie, changing port types and quantities.
More like macOS does a half-assed job at supporting video cards. I've never seen a case on Windows or Linux where a card wasn't supported because of a different layout.
 
More like macOS does a half-assed job at supporting video cards. I've never seen a case on Windows or Linux where a card wasn't supported because of a different layout.
Does the vendor support MacOS? If not, it's a bit hard to complain.

That said, I've not had any issues with my XFX 5700. A lot of it is just the UFI configuration settings used.

If building a Hackintosh, this sort of thing is a bit expected, as it's all hacked hardware, rather than Apple hardware.
 
Does the vendor support MacOS? If not, it's a bit hard to complain.
The vendor does not have the option to support the card. Apple took it upon themselves to write the drivers for macOS. In typical Apple tradition, they pick a handful of things to support and everything else gets the shaft.
 
The vendor does not have the option to support the card. Apple took it upon themselves to write the drivers for macOS. In typical Apple tradition, they pick a handful of things to support and everything else gets the shaft.
So just to be clear you are upset with Apple for their lack of support for a card they don’t make inside of a system they didn’t make and don’t support ? :).
 
So just to be clear you are upset with Apple for their lack of support for a card they don’t make
I'm not upset with anything. But someone claimed XFX is at fault here, I was just pointing out macOS' half-assed support is the real culprit.

I mean, how on earth do you not support a card just because it has a different physical layout? It's not like the driver controls each and every VRM individually. It's for more likely Apple's driver has some thing hardcoded in or just works on a (short) list of PCI IDs.
inside of a system they didn’t make
The OP didn't specify what system he's installing this in, but macOS has the habit of working only on stuff Apple makes.
and don’t support ? :).
Not much of an argument there, Apple always picks and chooses what they want to support.
Do I need to unearth the article about Apple denying support because the user smoked next to their laptop? Or maybe the article about users suddenly being denied access to publish in the AppStore, because they didn't buy a recent enough macbook?
 
Yall realise this is a necro right
dclive posted 4 months after the thread stopped
and now its a argument
 
Yall realise this is a necro right
dclive posted 4 months after the thread stopped
and now its a argument
You mean 16 months after...
 
I'm not upset with anything. But someone claimed XFX is at fault here, I was just pointing out macOS' half-assed support is the real culprit.

I mean, how on earth do you not support a card just because it has a different physical layout? It's not like the driver controls each and every VRM individually. It's for more likely Apple's driver has some thing hardcoded in or just works on a (short) list of PCI IDs.

The OP didn't specify what system he's installing this in, but macOS has the habit of working only on stuff Apple makes.

Not much of an argument there, Apple always picks and chooses what they want to support.
Do I need to unearth the article about Apple denying support because the user smoked next to their laptop? Or maybe the article about users suddenly being denied access to publish in the AppStore, because they didn't buy a recent enough macbook?
Apple's support for AMD hardware is reasonable, given the constraints. No 6x00 support, but 5x00 support is fine.
If it were placed into a Mac, the 5700 would work fine. XFX 5700s are generic, and once MacOS supported it, it should work on all iterations. I have heard these "Don't use XFX" comments, and I've also heard comments that it works fine. My own personal experience, as I wrote, is that it works flawlessly. I suspect most "It doesn't work" comments had other issues, like putting it into an unsupported OS, unsupported machine, or something similar. The XFX cards, like all the AMD cards, use normal reference drivers, so Apple's "reference" (for MacOS) drivers work fine.
For a hackintosh, some special switches (pikera's one) may be required. That's life with a Hack; it's harder to support and harder to use than a real Mac. Expecting Apple to support any of that is silly.

MacOS only works on stuff Apple makes? Errrr....no.
 
Apple's support for AMD hardware is reasonable, given the constraints. No 6x00 support, but 5x00 support is fine.
If it were placed into a Mac, the 5700 would work fine. XFX 5700s are generic, and once MacOS supported it, it should work on all iterations. I have heard these "Don't use XFX" comments, and I've also heard comments that it works fine. My own personal experience, as I wrote, is that it works flawlessly. I suspect most "It doesn't work" comments had other issues, like putting it into an unsupported OS, unsupported machine, or something similar. The XFX cards, like all the AMD cards, use normal reference drivers, so Apple's "reference" (for MacOS) drivers work fine.
For a hackintosh, some special switches (pikera's one) may be required. That's life with a Hack; it's harder to support and harder to use than a real Mac. Expecting Apple to support any of that is silly.

MacOS only works on stuff Apple makes? Errrr....no.
ITS A NECRO stoppp
 
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