MACVIDCARDS.COM
  • Home
  • Store
  • FAQ/Installation
  • Drivers
  • Blog

Back to basics, power and drivers

1/8/2018

28 Comments

 


To get off to an easy start, first step is power. Here is a simple rule, IF YOUR CARD HAS 14 PINS FOR POWER, ALL 14 NEED TO BE CONNECTED ! If it has 12, then 12 need to be connected. These pins are not optional, nor are they mix & match. About once a month we get an email along the lines of "I hooked up one cable and I know it's enough because the fan lights up and spins so the card is defective" In point of fact, the fan will light up and spin with no cables connected, this is a simple failsafe to keep card from catching fire, even if it has troubles. There is another simple failsafe built in that doesn't let the card start up unless all the pins are connected.

The second most common power issue we have is that people can't see that the cables we send can either work as a 6 pin or an 8 pin. The last 2 pins slide off, just have a look. Again, IF YOUR CARD HAS 14 PINS FOR POWER, ALL 14 NEED TO BE CONNECTED ! There are no optional pins, no "only if you feel like it" pins, they all have to be connected.

Some cards will be damaged if you try running them with just one cable connected. Using a PC Dual 6 to 8 adapter with just one side connected will sometimes work, and sometimes not. Better to get the proper setup from us or whoever. Just get the right ones.

High Sierra created some new driver issues. 10.13 and the 10.13.1 update were especially tricky.

A classic sign of the High Sierra trouble is a solid white dock, instead of translucent. This is a partially working driver that will drive you bonkers. This is frequently caused by a partially failed install due to Library install issues. SIP needs to be enabled when you install the drivers. 

In the last 2 weeks I have emailed back and forth with three disgruntled customers all convinced their cards were bad. All 3 returned cards are perfectly functional when tested here. This is a massive waste of customer's time and ours.

All Nvidia cards after the GTX 680/780 and Original Titan have required the Web Driver. This is Apple's fault.

People fall into a trap thinking this is some giant puzzle. It isn't.

In "About This Mac" you will see "Version Number" click on this and it will show your "Build Number". So, as an example, 10.13.2 has more than one Build Number. Apple makes a subtle update and doesn't feel like bumping the main number up so they change just the Build Number.

The Web Driver has a simple check in it that compares Build Number. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE to install the wrong driver. ONLY THE RIGHT DRIVER WILL INSTALL OR LOAD. Here is the tricky part to understand for many people. BOTH DRIVERS ARE INSTALLED. One kext loaded at boot looks to see if you have the Web Driver turned on or off. If it is on, it loads the Web Driver. It is is off, it loads the one Apple sent out as OSX Default.

So when Apple issues a Security Update that changes the Build Number from 17C88 to 17C89 the next boot will switch back to the OSX Default Driver. No big deal if you have a GT120 or 8800GT or GTX780 but a completely different story with GTX980Ti or GTX1070, etc.

Anything not covered by OSX Default driver will only work via our EFI on next boot. Typically only one display will work, and the screen redraws will be very choppy, with bands of horizontal black lines coursing up the screen.

It is also possible if someone else uses your machine and does a PRAM reset they will "turn off" the Web Driver. It just needs to be turned back on.

Super easy way to check is to click on that Nvidia Icon in top Menu Bar. It will show which driver is being used.


28 Comments
Yojiro
1/9/2018 04:25:36 am

My MacPro 2009 with 1080ti will get into boot freeze even after checking all the things mentioned in this blog. Of course all the cables were attached.

Hardware side
1) Motherboard SATA to GPU 6-pin
(Sata to 8-pin) connected to (8-pin to 6pin)

2) Motherboard 2 mini6-pin to GPU 8-pin
(2 mini6-pin to 6-pin) connected to Y cable(2 6-pin to 8-pin)

Software side
1) MacPro 2009 converted to 2010
2) Original GPU; GT120
3) OS 10.13.2 (17C88) which was been clean installed with SIP enabled.
4) The home dock is transparent when GT120 is used, but when 1080ti is used, it's solid.
5) Nvidia Web Driver version; 378.10.10.10.25.102.
6) Tried installing Nvidia web driver in either SIP enabled or disabled.
7) Tried the Nvidia web driver installation with either GT120 or 1080ti in the machine.

So my question is,
On hardware side
1) The 8-pin of Y cable won't slide in much that the notches on the cable and the GPU won't match up. I can feel it has been plugged in until the end. Any problem?
2) The GPU has 3 led indicator near cable plug. Do they indicate the power for proper install? Currently, very right side is bright, other 2 is kind of off.

On software side
1) Is there any specific order I have to install CUDA driver and the Web driver
2) CUDA driver needed?
3) When installing, which GPU should be used, original GPU or flashed GPU.
4) SIP enabled or disabled while installation?

Reply
David
2/26/2018 12:09:47 am

I just upgraded to OS 10.13.3 and made sure I did all of the upgrades to Sierra for all of my apps. After the firmware upgrade I then logged into my system using Endovia Screens to log into my computer and did the NVIDIA driver upgrades and it went perfectly. No problems and no need for my old video card.

Reply
David
3/12/2018 09:26:17 pm

As of today the latest driver version is 387.10.10.10.25.161 and it is very good with 10.13.3

No problems on Mac Pro 2009 upgraded

David
4/3/2018 08:10:31 pm

I performed the upgrade to 10.13.4 and upgraded to 387.10.10.10.30.103 and it is working well. I noticed I had some colour artefacts from time to time but this seems to be cleaner running. No lag or artefacts so far.

Dave
1/9/2018 04:27:50 am

If you have white dock, you have the driver issue.

See previous blog posts.

Make sure security center doesn't have an option to enable the driver.

You'll get there.

Reply
Yojiro
1/10/2018 04:42:48 am

Your last comment and the previous blog posts are saying the opposite.
>Make sure security center doesn't have an option to enable the driver.
>If you update and see a white dock, look in "Security" center to see if there is a notification that the Nvidia driver has been blocked, obviously you need to "allow" it. (from 10.13.1 update post)

I've read the previous blog posts and tried installing drivers from clean install of OS 10.13.2 again, but couldn't make the GPU to work.

The process of installing web driver
SIP "enabled"
Check SIP status by "csrutil status" on terminal
PRAM before installation
Check SIP status again
Installed the driver
Click "Allow" in popped up Security & Privacy pane
Restart

Got into Boot freeze

What I have noticed is that the Security pane popped up before restart saying it interrupted the restart process.
I have no access to get 10.13.0, so I can't do the easy installation.

Just please tell me what's wrong and what I need to do.

Reply
Thomas Geist link
1/9/2018 04:32:09 pm

It's taking NVIDIA a bit this time to provide the driver for macOS 10.13.2 (17C205).

I feel they usually come out the same day that Apple provides their update.

Fingers crossed it'll be here soon. My 4k monitor won't work until then ...

Reply
John Graham
1/10/2018 09:48:58 am

The new driver was up last night. It's 378.10.10.10.25.104

Reply
Nizmo
1/10/2018 01:08:14 am

What about the window server crashing issue with two cards and two displays?

Reply
Jason Lawrence
1/15/2018 11:19:20 pm

Wow, you answer emails now? I ordered a card from you, a GTX 1070 on November 25th, and you never sent it. You certainly charged me though! You’ve basically stolen $855CDN from me. Your business is bullshit. Refund me right the fuck now.

Reply
EliDeuce
1/17/2018 06:47:52 pm

You guys do great work. Would love to see you start selling the GTX 750Ti and the GTX 960 again - these perform quite well for me, particularly in dual GPU setups. One quick technical note. I am using OS X 10.11.6, build 15G18013. Thus, the NVIDIA driver listed for OS 10.11.6 on http://www.macvidcards.com/drivers.html needs to be updated. I am using 346.03.15f11 and it can be downloaded from http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/127671/en-us

Reply
James
1/22/2018 09:47:44 pm

dear macvidcards

i read on macrumors you do flashing of titanX (maxwell)
gpu for a service.

please let me know how i can schedule a local los angeles appointment?

i would be most grateful and pay you a bit extra as i really need this card to be stable and possibly allow me to upgrade past yosemite 10.10.8

i had built a system that works with the web driver
until the secirity update from apple made the webdriver default back to default driver.

its a real hassle now as my computer will default at random times and i need to access wi5h my laptop

i contacted NViDia and would you believe the tech support rep and i got into an argument saying that NVIDIA did not have web drivers on its website, only PC! i went bonkers because i knew all the lists discuss the newest webdrivers etc. and well i did not realize that certain NVIDIA departments do not know anything about the Mac.

i apprecitate what you guys do as a service because i now see the flashing helps skip that process of having to update web drivers.

or am i confused. does your flashing not do this for Titan X maxwell gpu?

if so let me know how much or i can paypal you at the time of service in Hollywood.

i just wanted Resolve 14 and right now im locked at yosemite.

i look forward to hearing from you

Reply
flowrider
1/23/2018 07:47:16 am

I'm sure MVC can help you. Nvidia updated their Web Driver HS to cover the last security update. available here:

http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/129756/en-us

Lou

Reply
Thomas Geist
1/25/2018 03:14:34 pm

I've always tried to find the Mac drivers on their website but never succeeded. When you select to show all operating systems on their drivers page it shows Windows and Linux but not macOS.

How do you find the Mac drivers?

John Graham
1/25/2018 03:33:03 pm

Go to Quadro series. Then the Mac K5000 card. Then other systems.You will see the Mac OS version list at the bottom.

dave
1/25/2018 08:18:24 pm

Or just use our driver page

Reply
Thomas Geist
1/26/2018 03:53:51 am

Anybody has downloaded the 387.10.10.10.25.156 driver yet that they could email me (or get to me some other way)?

NVIDIA's Mac-website is down ...

Thank you!!!!

Reply
EliDeuce
1/28/2018 08:51:35 am

Another place to find the NVIDIA drivers is https://www.tonymacx86.com/nvidia-drivers/

BTW, OS X 10.11.6 has been upgraded to build 15G19009 and the appropriate NVIDIA Web Driver is 346.03.15f12

EliDeuce
1/29/2018 07:45:26 am

Anyone have problems with using two non-identical NVDIA GPUs in the same Mac? I have added a GTX 750Ti to Mac 3,1s that already have an ATI 5770 or 5870 with no problem. However, when I add a GTX 750Ti to a Mac 3,1 that already has a GTX 680 or GTX 770 the best case is a a slowdown of both video cards (relative to a single-card setup) and the worst case is a complete refusal to boot (freezes after startup chime and blank screen) that cannot be resolved by NVRAM reset or SMC reset. In the worse case, the Mac cannot be booted into safe mode or recovery mode. Any ideas?

Reply
Rick
1/29/2018 05:27:23 pm

Having problem getting a gtx 960 to work on MP4,1
Am on 10.13.2 with proper up to date Nvidia web driver for my specific build. But screen is blank. Using screen mirror on iPhone I can look at stuff. No matter what I do Nvidia prefs stay on OS X driver and will not change to Nvidia driver. Card works as have tried it in a PC. It is not flashed.

Reply
EliDeuce
1/29/2018 05:48:56 pm

My understanding is that a GTX 960 has to be flashed in order to work in a MacPro. I have several NVIDIA cards (GTX 680, 750Ti, 770, and 960) installed in MacPro 3,1 and 4,1 units and all have been flashed in order to work in a MacPro 3,1/4,1/5,1..

Reply
Richard Hoffman link
3/24/2018 02:37:24 pm

No, GTX 960 does not need to be flashed to work in a cMP (nor does 970, 980, etc). What flashing gets you is the Apple boot screen, and the ability to access the Startup Manager (what you see when you hold the Option key down on boot). An unflashed card works fine once the web drivers are loaded, but this can be a pain when you are trying to install new drivers, or switch back and forth between different boot drives (such as MacOS and Windows), since you may have to swap in a flashed card (I use an old Mac Edition ATI 5770), or run a second video card for that purpose.

Mike
2/4/2018 08:28:25 am

I installed two gtx 1080 in the macpro 5,1 with osx 10.13.3 build 17d47 web drivers 387.10.10.10.156

My problem is that opencl only works on one cuda works on both.
Anyone know how to get opencl to work on both cards?

Reply
Thomas Geist
2/10/2018 04:37:07 am

Anybody know what the (17D2047) 387.10.10.10.25.157 driver is for?

It wouldn't even install under the current macOS 10.13.3 I have on my machine.

Thank you!

Reply
flowrider
2/11/2018 04:31:07 am

That driver is for certain model of the iMac. It's also used by a number of folks on Hacks that are identified by the OS as iMacs.

Lou

Reply
utah62
2/21/2018 10:23:20 am

I noticed that on my Mac Pro 5.1 Safari does not display sites correctly of text is missing. ( Firefox works well). I use the Nvidia GTX780. Installed latest update. When I switch to the default macOS driver safari works well. Can you explain?

I also noticed that Nvidia has no Mac OS High Sierra update for the GTX 780 and that you have to install the GTX 680 driver instead? Strange ? Will Nvidia come with un update for the GTX 780 driver for OS HS?

Reply
Mark
2/21/2018 01:53:14 pm

Uninstall the web driver. Not needed for 780

Reply
utah62
2/22/2018 12:08:13 am

Hi Mark, so you suggest to use the Default macOS Graphic Driver instead of the Nvidia Web Driver? Will this make no influence when working with FCPX?




Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Contact Us
About Us
​
Blog
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Store
  • FAQ/Installation
  • Drivers
  • Blog