Upgrading my gpu, no boot screen, dual boot?

[studio_music_guy]

I've got a Mac 5,1 12 core that apparently needs a faster gpu (it has the gt120 and has lag on some of our software). I'm finding all the good info on gpu options out there, but it seems for the money I want to spend, either the rx550 or 560 fit the bill, but neither provide a boot screen. I do need the option to choose another startup disk (10.6.8) for some older client sessions.

If you go to system prefs and choose startup disk, will OSx let you choose a disk as old as 10.6.8 and then actually go there upon restart? And vice versa, will you be able to get back to 10.13.6?

I could leave both cards installed I guess (for boot screen purposes only) but I kind of hate to do that for the reasons of extra heat and power draw/tax on my Mac.

Thanks!

 

[flowrider]

MacVidCards provides RX580 and RX480 cards with a boot screen:

MacOS 10.14 Mojave Compatible

The #1 place for Mac Pro graphics cards. GPU upgrades from AMD and Nvidia.

www.macvidcards.com

Scroll to bottom of listings.

Lou

 

[LuisN]

I've got a Mac 5,1 12 core that apparently needs a faster gpu (it has the gt120 and has lag on some of our software). I'm finding all the good info on gpu options out there, but it seems for the money I want to spend, either the rx550 or 560 fit the bill, but neither provide a boot screen. I do need the option to choose another startup disk (10.6.8) for some older client sessions.

If you go to system prefs and choose startup disk, will OSx let you choose a disk as old as 10.6.8 and then actually go there upon restart? And vice versa, will you be able to get back to 10.13.6?

I could leave both cards installed I guess (for boot screen purposes only) but I kind of hate to do that for the reasons of extra heat and power draw/tax on my Mac.

Thanks!

Yes you can, pay attention though that osx 10.6.8 doesn't "see" APFS partitions so you are limited, at most, to High Sierra.You can also consider older GPU as the Nvidia GTX 680 with Mac rom that will be a lot cheaper than arx550 or 560 unless your software is heavy in graphics

 

[studio_music_guy]

Well, I tested the theory to restart selecting the startup disk, and I think due to the fact you mentioned bout APFS, I was unable to go from Snow Leopard to High Sierra.

Here's a possible easy solve- can we just memorize the position of the non default disk on the boot menu? Say we leave it defaulted to launch Snow Leopard, but if someone wants to use High Sierra they restart, hold option, wait 20s (or whatever) then hit arrow right once and enter? Would that work in theory? Then I could keep the card for diag.