Upgrading graphics card doubt

[carlosnino]

I know there has been a lot of talking about this but i can't find an answer to my doubt.
Can i install and use the Radeon R9 390 or 390X cards in an early 2009 Mac pro (2 x 2.26GHz Quad-Core Xenon, 32 GB 1066MHz RAM, SSD drive and OS X 10.11.6)?
I mean will it simply work or will it REALLY work without problems?
Power consumption issues?, space issues?, PCI issues?

Thanx

 

[Fl0r!an]

Besides the usual "Hawaii" GPU bugs (which range from "everything works fine" up to freezes/crashes, no multi-display support or artifacts), you'll have to deal with the power consumption of those cards. They'll definitely shut down your MacPro when you run demanding apps in case you're supplying them with just 2x 6pin (-> max. 225W according to spec).

Additionally, the R9 390 doesn't have its device ID in the drivers, so you'll need to add them manually (which involves disabling SIP and repeating the same procedure after every update).

To summarize, the GTX 980 is a better alternative.

PS: Be aware that PC GPUs won't show any pre-OS video output, so you might consider getting a flashed GPU from macvidcards.com

 

[carlosnino]

Thank you for your answer.

Do you have information about the R9 290X?

 

[Fl0r!an]

It's the same thing with a different name.

 

[carlosnino]

It's the same thing with a different name.

You mean the 280X, the 290X and the 390X would all behave and perform the same way on my Mc Pro?

 

[Fl0r!an]

290X and 390X are technically identical, AMD just rebadged it.

The 280X is a different story, it has great drivers and is supported well (it's virtually the same thing as the D700in the nMP).