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UAD Power Mac G5 Compatibility

A note about PCI-X and PCI Express (PCIe)

PCI or PCI-X should not be confused with PCI Express (also known as PCIe). PCIe is not compatible with PCI or PCI-X because PCIe uses a completely different connector. The UAD-1 will ONLY work in PCI and PCI-X slots, and the UAD-1e will ONLY work in PCIe slots.

The most recent G5 systems have PCI Express expansion slots, but most have PCI-X slots. Please see our PCI Express support page for centralized support information on our PCIe products, and our UAD-1e Expert PAK and UAD-1e Express PAK pages for UAD-1e product information.

General Apple Power Mac G5 System Notes

  • The UAD-1 works with all G5 systems that have either PCI or PCI-X (but not PCIe) slots.
  • The UAD-1e works with the most recent G5 systems that have PCIe (but not PCI or PCI-X) slots.
  • The best performance with the UAD-1 is obtained with G5 systems that DO NOT use the AMD-8131 PCI controller chipset.
  • The best G5 model for UAD-1 performance which we have tested and recommend is part number M9747LL/A, Power Mac G5 Dual 2GHz, with three PCI (not PCI-X) slots.
  • The most recent G5 system without PCIe slots is part number M9749LL/A, Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz, with three PCI-X (not PCIe slots).
  • G5 systems that use the AMD-8131 PCI-X controller will likely get lower plug-in instance counts than those shown in the instance count charts.
  • Deep sleep is not currently supported on G5 systems that do not have the AMD 8131 PCI-X controller chipset. We are looking into resolving the issue. On these computers, set the Sleep mode to "Never" in the System Preferences>Energy Saver>Options panel.
  • For additional G5 information, please review the following Support Report articles in the UA Webzine:

Known UAD issues on G5 systems

  • For improved performance on systems with two PCI busses when using a PCI-based audio I/O interface, install the UAD-1 and audio card on separate PCI busses. On dual-PCI bus systems, slots 2 and 3 are on one bus and slot 4 (furthest from AGP slot) is on a different bus.

    Note: The following G5 models have only one PCI bus:

    1.6GHz (M9020LL/A, August 2003)
    1.8GHz (M9555LL/A, October 2004)
    Dual 1.8GHz (M9454LL/A, June 2004)
    Dual 2.0GHz (M9747LL/A, April 2005)
  • At high UAD DSP loads, inserting an additional UAD plugin can cause a very high host CPU load and/or audio dropouts. The point at which this occurs can vary depending on the total number of UAD plugins that are running. Additionally, some audio I/O interfaces may not allow UAD CPU loads as high as those when using only built-in audio.
  • Firewire and USB audio interfaces may not perform as well as PCI-based audio interfaces. High host loads and/or low UAD DSP loads may result.
  • Power Mac G5 models without the AMD-8131 PCI-X controller chip will not properly awake from sleep if the UAD card is installed but the UAD driver is either not installed or manually unloaded.

    Workaround: Leave the UAD drivers loaded and/or don't put the computer to sleep.
  • For optimum performance, set the G5 Processor mode to "Highest" in the System Preferences>Energy Saver>Options panel.
  • AMD-8131 Mode is automatically enabled as needed on G5 systems. If you use the UAD-1 in a PCI expansion chassis connected to a G5 system, AMD-8131 mode should be disabled in the UAD Meter Configuration window. See Chapter 3 of the user manual for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions about UAD / G5 Compatibility

Does the UAD-1 work with the Apple Power Mac G5?
Yes. The UAD-1 works with all Power Mac G5 models with either PCI or PCI-X slots (NOT PCIe or the iMac G5). However, due to Apple motherboard design differences, some Power Mac G5 models perform better with the UAD-1 than others. Please read our detailed articles on Power Mac G5 compatibility (links above) to understand how to best optimize the UAD-1 for use with specific Power Mac G5 models, and UA's recommended G5 models for the best UAD-1 performance:

Does the UAD-1 work with PCI-X?
Yes. The UAD-1 PCI card will function in PCI-X slots, since PCI-X is design to be backwards compatible with PCI universal signaling cards supporting 3.3v & 5v. The UAD-1 will run in its normal 32-bit PCI 33Mhz mode and will pull the PCI-X bus to this speed for all cards on the same bus. Therefore, on machines that support multiple PCI or PCI-X busses, it is recommended to use the faster bus for audio cards or cards that specifically support higher speed modes and the slower bus for the UAD-1. Additional detailed information about PCI-X is available here.

Does the UAD-1 work with latest G5's which have PCI Express (PCIe) and no PCI or PCI-X slots?
No, but the UAD-1e does! PCI Express, also known as PCIe, should not be confused with PCI or PCI-X. PCIe is not compatible with PCI or PCI-X because PCIe uses a completely different connector. The UAD-1 will ONLY work in PCI and PCI-X slots, and the UAD-1e will ONLY work in PCIe slots. See our PCI Express support page for the latest support information about our PCIe products, and our UAD-1e Expert PAK and UAD-1e Express PAK pages for product information.

Which Power Mac G5 models are best for the UAD-1?
The UAD-1 performs best with G5 models that DO NOT use the AMD-8131 PCI controller chipset. The best recent model for optimum UAD-1 performance is the newer Dual 2GHz G5 with 3 PCI slots (Model M9747LL/A). The prior Dual 1.8GHz G5 with 3 PCI slots (Model M9454LLA) is also an excellent performer.

Is there any way to use my existing UAD-1's with a PCIe computer?

Possibly. Please visit our PCIe information page for the latest information about PCIe systems and compatibility.

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