The Apple Core

Jason D. O'Grady & David Morgenstern

Mac Pro: Apple (finally) addresses problems with some ATI X1900 XT video cards

By | September 27, 2010, 3:17pm PDT

Summary: In a recent support note, Apple offers to replace certain, problem ATI X1900 XT video cards found in a range of older Mac Pros. Users had complained for several years of distorted video from the cards.

In a recent support note, Apple offers to replace certain, problem ATI X1900 XT video cards found in a range of older Mac Pros. Users had complained for several years of distorted video from the cards.

If your Mac Pro experiences distorted video and has an ATI X1900 XT card in it, you will need to bring your computer’s serial number and the graphics card itself into an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple Retail Store location for verification and to exchange the affected graphics card for a new one. Affected graphics cards have “V6Z” in the last part of the card’s serial number. See below for details.

Note: If your Mac Pro has an ATI X1900 XT card but is not exhibiting any signs of distorted video, you do not need to exchange it.

Apple didn’t detail what card would be provided with the swap. In addition, the company said the exchange program “covers affected ATI X1900 XT video cards three years from the original date of purchase or until January 31, 2011, whichever provides longer coverage.”

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David Morgenstern has covered the Mac market and other technology segments for 20 years.

Disclosure

David Morgenstern

Freelance journalist/blogger David Morgenstern has nothing to disclose.

Biography

David Morgenstern

David Morgenstern has covered the Mac market and other technology segments for 20 years. In the recent past, he founded Ziff-Davis' Storage Supersite, served as news editor for Ziff Davis Internet and held several executive editorial positions at eWEEK. In the 1990s, David was editor of Ziff Davis' award-winning MacWEEK news publication as well as its successor title, eMediaWEEKly, which focused on multiplatform professional content creation. His byline can be found online and in print publications including CreativePro.com, Peachpit Press' Mac Bible and Popular Photography.

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RE: Mac Pro: Apple (finally) addresses problems with some ATI X1900 XT video cards
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
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0 Votes
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Oh My Gosh...
Steve@... 27th Sep 2010
You just can't beat apple service ! The genius' are absolutely unmatched in responsiveness, technical expertise and are just plain the friendliest support on the planet.
How can you fan boys live with yourselves ?????
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that is funny
FADS_z 27th Sep 2010
@Steve@...

btw, how could zdnet never reported this issue?
0 Votes
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Because it is not an issue!
wizard57m@... 27th Sep 2010
@FADS_z
This report is a total fabrication! Any perceived shortcomings in the video of the Mac were totally due to user error...they were looking at the screen wrong, or holding the mouse incorrectly, or perhaps suffer from strabismus (cross-eyed). That's why these "mis-users" have only until January 31, 2011, to attempt to appropriate an unnecessary replacement.
@FADS_z
They did, and it was a big deal-- years and years ago. 2007 I believe.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous that it has taken Apple so long to address this problem. These customers are spent a lot of money on Apple's top of the line Mac system only to be plagued with video problems for years! Unacceptable Apple!!
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There is no problem with our 1st gen Mac Pro's video
Laraine Anne Barker 28th Sep 2010
and it ISN'T top of the range. It's bottom, in fact, though it does have this video card. Why do journalists on this stupid zdnet blow everything out of all proportion?
@Laraine Anne Barker : You a fangurl? First, you can always stop reading zdnet if you don't like them. Second. As Masari Jones said, the question is why did it take Apple so long to admit there is an issue and to correct the problem? "Isn't top of the range"? Blame that on Apple. They are the ones that used the card in the Macs. If Apple was smart, they'd at least swap out the cards for something more recent. Even a low end "HD" card would be better than this old card.
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Well of course it's an old card!
Laraine Anne Barker 2nd Oct 2010
Its an old machine! Idiot!
Is it me or Apple seems to have a history of using defective GPUs? Didn't they start to use a NVIDIA GPU even though it already had a recall on the card [i.e. they continued to include the card even after it was known to be defecvtive]?

I don't think AMD even makes the X1900 XT series cards anymore. The new ones are all beginning with "HD".
0 Votes
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Too little too late
bws605 4th Oct 2010
So what are the ones of us that had the defective card suppose to due since the card degradation became so bad that the card eventually caused my computer to become unbootable. That defective card has been long since replaced and put where it belongs, in the dumpster.
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Finally, 2 X1900 later.
sderman 4th Oct 2010
I've been to my Apple store, they are ordering me a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT to replace my X1900. I've already replace one X1900, luckily, I kept the original.
0 Votes
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RE: Mac Pro: Apple (finally) addresses problems with some ATI X1900 XT video cards
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
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