WX 4100 GPU

[Jeffe7FQ]

Hi there.

If you are using Mojave the RX580 will work, but I'm pretty sure the WX4100 workstation card won't

Yes, my RX580 (Sapphire Pulse) works like a charm. I'm looking to get another if I can't get the 4100 to work. They're just a bit on the pricy side. I bought mine for about $200 a little over a year ago. Not a problem. $600+… yeah… that's "genuine Apple" money.

Your response here is the first I've seen to suggest the WX4100 won't (likely) work with Mojave … after multiple searches. In fact, it was a search here that led me to believe it should work, and why I bought it.

Depending on how much you want to learn/know the guides around here are the best there are with easy to follow structures and lots of added help from other users. For example the AMD Radeon GPU guide is here.

I want to learn "it all"… but I don't intend to make a career of it. So… I want to learn enough to not be afraid of bricking my computer because I want to swap out this or upgrade that. You know?

Most people who have built a Hackintosh get by with their first one and then learn a little more from their second etc. I'm currently on my 15th I think. Reading my early builds it's clear I was as green as they come, still am some would say, but by reading and absorbing I've become more proficient. There's no single guide-book because PC hardware combinations are almost infinite.

This is my 4th (?)… rather 3.5th. The current is a fresh-install upgrade of a previous Hack on most of the same equipment. I think the gfx card was the only thing I had to change… because Metal. The aforementioned laptop kinda doesn't count. I got it to boot, but the built-in screen never worked right.

My learning has often hit walls. As above, I'll get a less-than-helpful answer, get frustrated, and not want to deal with the community for a while. That's why I've ultimately ended up mostly following step-by-step instructions on specific hardware. It get's the job done, but I don't learn much.

The current build was one of those. Even though they are written for a specific motherboard, the steps seemed fairly non-specific. My plan is to adapt those instructions as much as possible. We'll see.

That black-screen problem is caused, even with a supported/native GPU, because of the way a PC boots compared with a real Mac. There is a process called Radeon-DeInitialisation which just means, basically making the jump from boot graphics to fully-accelerated desktop graphics, on screen. This doesn't happen on a real Mac so macOS doesn't know how to handle it. We have to add "tweaks" to get that process working properly. The bootloaders we use, like Clover or OpenCore, have a certain amount of support for this, but the biggest help is usually the Whatevergreen.kext along with it's host Lilu.kext.

All that makes sense. After searching and reading, I came to understand that Lilu / Whatevergreen were probably the key. My versions of those were fairly old, so I attempted to replace them with newer ones. Yeah… that didn't work.

So question:
Should just replacing the old kexts in the UEFI partition work, or is there some voodoo that needs to happen to get those updated files registered properly?

Keep asking and we'll keep trying to help, but remember - Search is your friend on this site

Thanks!

 

[trs96]

Here's a comparison of the FirePro D500 (Late 2013 MP) and the WX 4100 that came out in 2016. The WX 4100 draws a lot less power and is intended for lower end workstations. The MP had dual D500s and up to a 12 core Xeon CPU. The WX 4100 was meant more for less power hungry workstations that performed more basic tasks than FCP X video editing that the MP 2013 was made for. As Apple stated in around 2017 the achilles heel of the 2013 MP was thermals. Dual FP cards produced a lot of heat and consumed a lot of power. All within that small cylinder with a single fan pulling hot air out.

Radeon Pro WX 4100 vs FirePro D500 - Technical City

Comparing AMD Pro WX 4100 with AMD FirePro D500: technical specs, games and benchmarks.

technical.city

 

[UtterDisbelief]

These are workstation cards like the older AMD Fire Pro cards that were in the 2013 Mac Pro. The WX4100 is still fully supported in Catalina. Many people have reported success with using them in hacks. Will just take, like you said WEG and Lilu plus a possible boot flag or two.

Thanks for setting me straight on that. I didn't know the WX4100 was related to the Fire Pro .

That's what's good around here - and how we all learn. From others.

I tried to practice what I preach and scanned our AMD Compatibility guide. I get the impression now that going for a more "domestic" GPU in a Hackintosh is probably a safer route than the 'professional".

Are the WX 4100 being snapped-up by miners?

 

[UtterDisbelief]

So question:
Should just replacing the old kexts in the UEFI partition work, or is there some voodoo that needs to happen to get those updated files registered properly?



Thanks!

Sounds like you have experience enough already of this complex game. These apparently small and tricky problems can be a pain to get sorted and occasionally seem insurmountable. But barring hardware incompatibility can usually be overcome.

Yes, that's the good thing about the EFI partition kext location. Double-check in case you put duplicates in Library/Extensions etc. I'd recommend only keeping hackintosh kexts in EFI, especially with the most recent macOS versions.

Check which version of the bootloader you are using too.

Remember you can always create a bootable USB stick and use that for testing various different configurations. That way you don't continuously mess with the main set-up.

 

[trs96]

Are the WX 4100 being snapped-up by miners?

AFAIK no. They don't provide hash rates like the RX 570/580s. The prices would be much higher if they did. If the card uses less than 50W of power and could provide hash rates similar to the aforementioned cards, you couldn't even find one for purchase.

The WX 5100 usually gets included with the 4100 in hackintosh buyer's guides all over the net even though it's not any part of our BG.

 

[trs96]

The WX 5100 is selling for around 500 USD and has 8GB of vram. I would only buy one for specific CAD programs if I were doing that to make money. They're not as good for video editing as the Polaris 500 series cards. For general hackintosh use the WX 4100 is the better choice.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3MBSCJ/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

The WX4100 has 4 mini DP 1.4 ports so it can drive two 5K monitors quite easily.
Here's proof that the WX 4100 is fully supported. A 2019 MP user left a review on Amazon.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

The WX 5100 is selling for around 500 USD and has 8GB of vram. I would only buy one for specific CAD programs if I were doing that to make money. They're not as good for video editing as the Polaris 500 series cards. For general hackintosh use the WX 4100 is the better choice.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3MBSCJ/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

The WX4100 has 4 mini DP 1.4 ports so it can drive two 5K monitors quite easily.
Here's proof that the WX 4100 is fully supported. A 2019 MP user left a review on Amazon.

View attachment 511108

And if they are bus-powered that might be very useful in certain builds

I suspect they might be noisy though with that single small fan. Would like to try one - if I didn't have to pay for one.

 

[Jeffe7FQ]

Sounds like you have experience enough already of this complex game. These apparently small and tricky problems can be a pain to get sorted and occasionally seem insurmountable. But barring hardware incompatibility can usually be overcome.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I wish I shared the sentiment

Yes, that's the good thing about the EFI partition kext location. Double-check in case you put duplicates in Library/Extensions etc. I'd recommend only keeping hackintosh kexts in EFI, especially with the most recent macOS versions.

I've made sure to not futz with the macOS side of the scenario, other than to make sure the relevant stock kexts where present. (they are) I don't want an Apple software update to send be back to non-functionality.

Check which version of the bootloader you are using too.

Wil do.

Remember you can always create a bootable USB stick and use that for testing various different configurations. That way you don't continuously mess with the main set-up.

Now THAT is a fantastic idea!!

Regarding the Miners gobbling up equipment… Well that explains why the going price of my current card has blown up so much over the past year. Had I known, I would have bought two!

 

[deeveedee]

Most people who have built a Hackintosh get by with their first one and then learn a little more from their second etc. I'm currently on my 15th I think. Reading my early builds it's clear I was as green as they come, still am some would say, but by reading and absorbing I've become more proficient. There's no single guide-book because PC hardware combinations are almost infinite.

Great advice! I still laugh when I see my early posts (and even my recent posts).

 

[trs96]

Polaris based, 4GB GDDR5. Compatible with i5 Gen 10 build?
Need solid info please.

For all interested the following post gives an excellent summary of the use of a WX 4100 in a hackintosh running macOS Big Sur. Should also work in a similar way with High Sierra through Catalina.

[SUCCESS] AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 4GB in Big Sur

I have tested a Radeon Pro WX 4100 graphics card on macOS Big Sur 11.2.3. These are its main characteristics: 4GB of 128-bit GDDR5 memory GPU architecture: Polaris PCIe x16 bus with 50W TBP 4x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 card width: single slot card length: 168mm release date: july 2016. It's a small...

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