Metal Supported Graphics Cards for Mojave

As you consider upgrading your graphics card to support Metal on Mojave, it's essential to understand which cards are compatible and what issues you might encounter. In this article, we'll delve into the details of metal-supported graphics cards, highlighting the pros and cons of each model.

GCN 3 and Older: Support for Metal in Mojave

Cards from the GCN 3 and older generations theoretically support Metal on Mojave, but due to fragmentation issues, some cards may not work as expected. This is often caused by an odd VBIOS that doesn't communicate well with macOS. A flashing of another VBIOS might be necessary, which isn't ideal.

Polaris Series: Supported GPUs

The Polaris series has every model supported, provided it runs on a Polaris core. However, cards like the RX550, which run on a Lexa core, don't support macOS.

Radeon 400 Series (Polaris) and Highest Supported OS

Cards from this series have a highest supported OS of Current/Mojave 10.14.6.

Rx Vega VII: Support in MacOs 10.14.5 Beta 1

The Rx Vega VII supports MacOs 10.14.5 Beta 1, but not the final version of Mojave.

Power Draw Monitoring and Recommended Software Settings

To get power draw monitoring, set PP_DisablePowerContainment to 0. The recommended software settings for RPM and power play tables are VGTab. This is because VBIOS communication issues can't be easily solved with a reference BIOS due to how Vega's powerplay table interacts between the OS and GPU.

Avoid XFX and Sapphire GPUs

When it comes to the Vega series, avoid XFX and Sapphire GPUs as they may cause issues with viewing Clover and macOS booting. However, many users have found workarounds for these problems.

Fan RPM Settings

Regarding fan RPM settings, there's no need for additional kexts from VGTab as MacOs 10.14.5 now automatically manages fan speeds. So, all Vega cards are natively supported, excluding the new Radeon VII, which has some support in the newest MacOs 10.14.5 beta.

In conclusion, when choosing a graphics card for Mojave, it's crucial to consider the compatibility and potential issues that may arise. This guide aims to provide an overview of metal-supported graphics cards, highlighting the pros and cons of each model. Remember to avoid XFX and Sapphire GPUs in the Vega series and set PP_DisablePowerContainment to 0 for power draw monitoring.

Disclaimer

Please note that this article is no longer updated as it has been deprecated. For more information on GPUs and their compatibility with Mojave, please refer to the Catalina GPU Buyers Guide.

Metal supported graphics cards