5870 Availability!?!??!!?!?

[brock2621]

Ok, I haven't heard ANY news of the 5870 availability. Has anyone heard anything other than "dunno..." since the ipod event? I'm quite perplexed and eager... :/

Maybe anybody heard from chatting with Apple tech support?

[Yukon Joe]

Ok, I haven't heard ANY news of the 5870 availability. Has anyone heard anything other than "dunno..." since the ipod event? I'm quite perplexed and eager... :/

Nobody has heard a thing.

[xispec]

Only available in configure to order on new Mac Pro 2010. Every store and person I contact from Apple has no idea when they are going to be available.

[brock2621]

Only available in configure to order on new Mac Pro 2010. Every store and person I contact from Apple has no idea when they are going to be available.

ugh... I haven't found any to pop up on Ebay either....

[philipma1957]

here you are
http://www.applecomponents.com/items/661-5719_card-video-ati-radeon-hd-5870-1-gb/0000004965?pn=3&cmp=0174&per_page=30
http://www.applecomponents.com/items/661-5718_card-video-ati-radeon-hd-5770-1-gb/0000004964?pn=3&cmp=0174&per_page=30

[svale]

here you are

Never heard of these guys. Anyone ordered from them before? Are they trustworthy?

Curious to know where these cards are sourced from.

[R.OG]

Never heard of these guys. Anyone ordered from them before? Are they trustworthy?

Curious to know where these cards are sourced from.

AppleComponents is very reliable, i bought most of my parts from them when i built my macpro.

[philipma1957]

here is their ebay store http://stores.ebay.com/AppleComponents

99.9% feedback from 2367 sales

I purchased 7 items for my mac mini mod business all good all pretty fast shipping. I have a lot of part sources for mac parts. I have no problem saying he has done well with me.

[xispec]

ahh its tempting to buy it. i really need a new card ASAP. gah! can't make up my mind.

[brock2621]

Dang! Has anyone contacted him and asked if he has them ON HAND? And they are the mac versions and not the pc (hdmi) versions that have been ghetto-flashed?

[xispec]

Sent an email and waiting for a response, I also tried calling and seems to always go to a answering machine. Will let you know if I get a response.

[Yukon Joe]

I'm not saying this means it's a scam, but as far as I can tell they only took Paypal. I was going to throw them a CC number as you can always complain to the CC company to reverse charges if you get screwed, by you can't do the same for Paypal.

So I'm out.

[brock2621]

Sent an email and waiting for a response, I also tried calling and seems to always go to a answering machine. Will let you know if I get a response.

awesome. thanks.

[brock2621]

I'm not saying this means it's a scam, but as far as I can tell they only took Paypal. I was going to throw them a CC number as you can always complain to the CC company to reverse charges if you get screwed, by you can't do the same for Paypal.

So I'm out.

Use your CC through paypal?

[Yukon Joe]

Use your CC through paypal?

As I understand it, that doesn't work.

Visa: Did you intend to give Paypal your money?

Joe: Yes.

Visa: sorry - Paypal took the money as you agreed.

[brock2621]

As I understand it, that doesn't work.

Visa: Did you intend to give Paypal your money?

Joe: Yes.

Visa: sorry - Paypal took the money as you agreed.

Dang really? I thought it added an extra layer of protection against stuff... I need to call AMEX...

[DaveAmbler]

I have the my card here ready to buy one from them, but I can't justify the risk at the moment. I don't know if they actually have any in stock for example, they say 5, but then when you search their actual ebay page, none come up. How annoying!

[Vylen]

As I understand it, that doesn't work.

Visa: Did you intend to give Paypal your money?

Joe: Yes.

Visa: sorry - Paypal took the money as you agreed.

you're meant to use paypal dispute.. not go to your CC company.

[peskaa]

Yeah, but PayPal are idiots and never get it right...

[Vylen]

Yeah, but PayPal are idiots and never get it right...

better than getting nothing done at all cause you complained to the wrong company, right?

[ventro]

As I understand it, that doesn't work.

Visa: Did you intend to give Paypal your money?

Joe: Yes.

Visa: sorry - Paypal took the money as you agreed.
What are you talking about? You're supposed to use paypals dispute process, not your cc's.

[Enrico]

I paid a 5770 yesterday with Paypal, didn't get the Order confirmation email from them. They didn't even answer to an email that I wrote, nor they are answering the phone (always voicemail)

Not a good start, but I'm willing to wait for today before opening a Paypal dispute...

[Yukon Joe]

Thanks for the update Enrico. Let us know how it turns out.

[xispec]

Here's the response I received:

as far as I know my vendor has these ready to ship - so yes!
however can't discount - sorry :[

thanks!

Apple Service Parts
www.AppleComponents.com

[xispec]

I paid a 5770 yesterday with Paypal, didn't get the Order confirmation email from them. They didn't even answer to an email that I wrote, nor they are answering the phone (always voicemail)

Not a good start, but I'm willing to wait for today before opening a Paypal dispute...

Let us know how it goes.

[Enrico]

I just received a reply too - he doesn't know if it works in 09 machine, but they have 14day return if I want to try it. He also said he would be interested too to know if it works, to use it in his personal machine :eek:

Still no word on my payment/order, though....

Edit: the 5770 page now shows 3-14 days delays....might cancel and order from Apple if that's the case

[brock2621]

Uh oh... 14 day delay is no good... Thanks for the updates for sure! Let us know how it goes!

[davelanger]

Uh oh... 14 day delay is no good... Thanks for the updates for sure! Let us know how it goes!

Is that for a new pro with the 5870?

[ovrlrd]

Is that for a new pro with the 5870?

I don't even know what he is talking about. I am guessing that it's a reference to the shipping time on the one eBay seller discussed in this thread.

[davelanger]

I don't even know what he is talking about. I am guessing that it's a reference to the shipping time on the one eBay seller discussed in this thread.

OH ok, so the backorders are only for the people trying to get the card by itself?

[ovrlrd]

OH ok, so the backorders are only for the people trying to get the card by itself?

In terms of the Apple store, they aren't even selling the card by itself yet. It is marked as "unavailable" for ordering on the store. The only way to get the 5870 right now, if you are ordering from Apple, is through the custom order option when buying a new Mac Pro. From doing a quick check on the Apple store, it says 3-5 business days to ship the Mac Pro if you pick that order option.

[crw]

As I understand it, that doesn't work.

Visa: Did you intend to give Paypal your money?

Joe: Yes.

Visa: sorry - Paypal took the money as you agreed.

That is not entirely correct. The credit card company will reverse the charge if the PayPal transaction was for a specific purchase and there is no tracking number provided by the shipper.

[Sumfun]

I spoke with Mac Connection by phone, and they said they will have the 5870 and 5770 in stock by Friday (Sep 10). Let's see if they follow through.

[xispec]

I spoke with Mac Connection by phone, and they said they will have the 5870 and 5770 in stock by Friday (Sep 10). Let's see if they follow through.

That's great news! hopefully they follow through so I can place my order for one soon so I can replace my Geforce 120's.

[brock2621]

Thanks sumfun! Definitely keep us updated... i'm very eager to get my hands on one...

[Videographer]

Anyone want to guess if these will work in a "classic" 2006 MP? :)

[Ricko101]

Anyone want to guess if these will work in a "classic" 2006 MP? :)

I suggest you look at these threads:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=998134

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1002692

[Videographer]

Yeah I just saw 'em actually. Thanks. Maybe it's time for an upgrade...

[Sumfun]

Just spoke with Mac Connection again. Now the 5770 is backordered until Sept. 17. It's Sept. 21 at Mac Mall. I think they don't really know until the packages physically arrive from Apple.

[Yukon Joe]

Thanks for the info. If they actually had the cards in stock I'd cancel my order with Apple in a heartbeat. BUt it sounds like they're just being given random dates.

[xispec]

I had my hopes up too.... gah! It's already been a month since they announced and put these cards up. I want my 5870!

[ovrlrd]

I had my hopes up too.... gah! It's already been a month since they announced and put these cards up. I want my 5870!

It is beyond ridiculous at this point that they can't even give us a date and let us put our orders in. I don't even care if that date is sometime next month.

[Ricko101]

I must say I am very disappointed. I was looking forward to getting it today as well...

Not cool Apple, NOT COOL ! :mad:

[Mackilroy]

I must say I am very disappointed. I was looking forward to getting it today as well...

Not cool Apple, NOT COOL ! :mad:

Apple never promised it today. Why get mad about something which you can't control?

[ovrlrd]

Apple never promised it today. Why get mad about something which you can't control?

You have to admit that it is somewhat painful for people waiting for this. I agree it's nothing worth getting mad over, but to see new Mac Pros with 5870 cards shipping at a fairly reasonable pace, you have to wonder what they are waiting for.

[Ricko101]

You have to admit that it is somewhat painful for people waiting for this. I agree it's nothing worth getting mad over, but to see new Mac Pros with 5870 cards shipping at a fairly reasonable pace, you have to wonder what they are waiting for.

Not only that, considering the card has been around a year or so, why taking so long to make a compatible Mac one? Also. being a $450 item (a substantial premium when compared to a PC model), and knowing the margins Apple is accustomed to, goes against business sense in loosing potential "upgrades" sales... but it's Apple... oh well!

I love their products regardless. I would not be here otherwise. I guess I've got to live with it :rolleyes:

[goMac]

Not only that, considering the card has been around a year or so, why taking so long to make a compatible Mac one?

They did. It's shipping right now with the 2010 Mac Pro.

The problem is ramping up the production volume to meet all the 2010 Mac Pro orders and all the individual card upgrade orders. IIRC, there has been a shortage of the 5870 in general, PC and Mac, but of course on the Windows side they didn't just have to fill a massive order for Mac Pros.

[Justinf79]

I wonder why the 5870 is so hard to come by. I wonder if the manufacturer of the card is just really slow, or if Apple is just ordering small quantities of them. There's no way that the new MP is selling like crazy, to warrant a supply issue (from demand).

[ovrlrd]

I wonder why the 5870 is so hard to come by. I wonder if the manufacturer of the card is just really slow, or if Apple is just ordering small quantities of them. There's no way that the new MP is selling like crazy, to warrant a supply issue (from demand).

Like others have said the actual card itself has issues with manufacturing. The process has been plagued with issues since the card was originally introduced. Still, I don't see why it is so hard for them to meet demand. The new Mac Pro has shipped for awhile now, I wonder if they are just in preparation for releasing the upgrade kit now. Maybe next week. :(

Sigh, I just hope we see something happen soon.

[wonderspark]

They can take their time, as far as I'm concerned. I don't need a jacked-up card that won't play nice with my dual monitor setup. I want one, but I want it to work right, and in my opinion, too many people are having problems with it running dual monitors.

[ovrlrd]

They can take their time, as far as I'm concerned. I don't need a jacked-up card that won't play nice with my dual monitor setup. I want one, but I want it to work right, and in my opinion, too many people are having problems with it running dual monitors.

Then don't buy one, more for people who want one. To be honest if there truly is a problem I am sure a firmware/driver update can fix it.

[Mackilroy]

Also. being a $450 item (a substantial premium when compared to a PC model), and knowing the margins Apple is accustomed to, goes against business sense in loosing potential "upgrades" sales... but it's Apple... oh well!:

Actually $450 is pretty reasonable for Apple. Most PC 5870s are around the $400 mark, and if you have an education discount Apple's 5870 is only about $20 or so more.

[Yukon Joe]

I wonder why the 5870 is so hard to come by. I wonder if the manufacturer of the card is just really slow, or if Apple is just ordering small quantities of them. There's no way that the new MP is selling like crazy, to warrant a supply issue (from demand).

Issues with manufacturing. Apparently AMD/ATI has problems with the 'yield' on the 5870 - they have to throw out far too many chips for not meeting specs. This leads to supply issues.

[Owyn]

The argument about supply issues delaying the introduction of the 5870 makes sense, but it also makes me nervous. :) Also, after looking at some of the gaming benchmarks that barefeats published, I realized I'm probably going to be CPU bound with my 2.8ghz octo as much as anything else and the 5770 is a HUGE step up from the 2600 I've got.

So I finally stopped waiting and ordered a 5770... I'll always have the option of selling it later and upgrading if the 5870 ever ships... And even though the web site says 2-4 weeks, I ordered it yesterday and got my shipping confirmation today!

[ovrlrd]

So I finally stopped waiting and ordered a 5770... I'll always have the option of selling it later and upgrading if the 5870 ever ships... And even though the web site says 2-4 weeks, I ordered it yesterday and got my shipping confirmation today!

If that works for you, awesome! I am still waiting for the 5870 myself. The good news about your shipment (and other people's in this thread) might mean that their supply is starting to settle down now and the demand for new Mac Pros are starting to settle down as well. This could be good for the 5870 because maybe they will get enough control to start selling the upgrade kits!

I am not going to get me hopes up but next week could be good!

[brock2621]

Anybody gotten any more emails? I'm getting more than anxious... i'm seriously tempted to buy a 5770.... but then I would feel dumb when the 5870's are online tom... :rolleyes:

[ovrlrd]

Anybody gotten any more emails? I'm getting more than anxious... i'm seriously tempted to buy a 5770.... but then I would feel dumb when the 5870's are online tom... :rolleyes:

What do you have right now? If you have a card that works and can wait for the 5870 I don't see the point in not waiting. Or are you losing work time or something? Personally I am fine waiting. The GT120 I have is really slow but I can definitely battle through it for now.

[brock2621]

What do you have right now? If you have a card that works and can wait for the 5870 I don't see the point in not waiting. Or are you losing work time or something? Personally I am fine waiting. The GT120 I have is really slow but I can definitely battle through it for now.

I have a 4870 + GT120 in a dual monitor setup, and yes, AE & C4D utilize 100% of my system when rendering, and therefore I can't edit in FCP... I've been tempted to build a windows machine purely for rendering.

Anyhoo, another day goes by...

[xispec]

brock isnt the only one. I'm also tempted to get the 5770 but I decided to wait. sticking with my geforce 120s till the 5870 comes out.

[alphaod]

Like others have said the actual card itself has issues with manufacturing. The process has been plagued with issues since the card was originally introduced. Still, I don't see why it is so hard for them to meet demand. The new Mac Pro has shipped for awhile now, I wonder if they are just in preparation for releasing the upgrade kit now. Maybe next week. :(

Sigh, I just hope we see something happen soon.

I'm pretty sure they reported manufacturing delays about 10 months ago… wouldn't think that would have passed by now?

[ventro]

So seriously. where is it.

I assumed they would release the 5870 the same day as the 27" ACD. I've now got a 27" ACD on order but no videocard to plug it in to. :/

[brock2621]

So seriously. where is it.

I assumed they would release the 5870 the same day as the 27" ACD. I've now got a 27" ACD on order but no videocard to plug it in to. :/

yeah... i've gotten to the point almost of giving up hope. haha

[seek3r]

yeah... i've gotten to the point almost of giving up hope. haha

It occurred to me today that we may all be waiting for 10.6.5, and the drivers contained therein.

[ovrlrd]

It occurred to me today that we may all be waiting for 10.6.5, and the drivers contained therein.

Why are they selling the 5770 then? They could always just release a graphics card update that is seperate from OS updates, oh wait they already did that.

Then again, the 5770 says "2010 mac pro only" and the 5870 says "2010 mac pro and 2009 mac pro only" in terms of their "official" compatibility. So maybe you are right, maybe they are holding it back while they wait for an update for 2009 mac pros.

This is all besides the point that it has been confirmed that both cards work fine with older mac pros. Considering the issues people have had with these cards and certain display issues (check the other threads), maybe a driver update is really needed.

[DaveAmbler]

It is certainly somewhat annoying having the card listed there when it has never actually been available to buy. Why not wait until they have stock to actually sell before listing it? They should have just let us know that its coming and not list it on the store. Arrgh!

That said... I'll be buying one as soon as it becomes available :p

[ovrlrd]

It is certainly somewhat annoying having the card listed there when it has never actually been available to buy. Why not wait until they have stock to actually sell before listing it? They should have just let us know that its coming and not list it on the store. Arrgh!

That said... I'll be buying one as soon as it becomes available :p

Yeah it is kind of annoying, but I suppose their reason is that they want to avoid having to take the Apple store down just to add it. Granted they could have just snuck in the SKU data and just posted it when it was available (like they did with the 27 inch Apple LED display recently). I suppose since they were already putting up the 5770 though, they just went ahead and added the 5870 as well so that people knew the difference between the two.

Bleh, I am even tired of talking about this already. I just want my 5870 now. :(

Hurry up Apple!

[alphaod]

I just hope by the time they sell it to the rest of us, ATi doesn't release the 6000 series. :(

[Vapor matt]

Its a pain in the rear end all this waiting, by the time apple have the 5870's for upgrade they will be old tech as the 6000 series will be out and the PC 5870's will fall in price.

I found a 5770 for PC at £99.00 yet mac version £199.00 double the price? so theres enough profit in a 5770 at £99.00 to make a profit, yet the apple version needs to be double the price! for even more profit!

Your better off flashing a 4890 than buying the over priced 5770

Come on apple stop ripping off your customers!

[DaveAmbler]

I could just flash a card, but tbh I'd rather not the hassle and would rather not be fearful of os updates killing it. I have no problem waiting for something, I'd just like to a) the reason they are unavailable (I guess they are all going into Mac Pro orders?) and b) when they are going to become available so at least I don't have to check every day. Pain. In. The. Ass.

[seek3r]

I could just flash a card, but tbh I'd rather not the hassle and would rather not be fearful of os updates killing it. I have no problem waiting for something, I'd just like to a) the reason they are unavailable (I guess they are all going into Mac Pro orders?) and b) when they are going to become available so at least I don't have to check every day. Pain. In. The. Ass.

Yeah, that's my problem. I'm itching to buy a bios 5870 and flash it, but I dont want to have to worry about updates, I use this machine to work, cant have it down because MacOS 10.6.* stopped my video card from working. If the card isnt available in another couple days I'll buy a 5770 and upgrade to a new, faster card in a year or so, blech :mad:

[DaveAmbler]

Yeah, that's my problem. I'm itching to buy a bios 5870 and flash it, but I dont want to have to worry about updates, I use this machine to work, cant have it down because MacOS 10.6.* stopped my video card from working. If the card isnt available in another couple days I'll buy a 5770 and upgrade to a new, faster card in a year or so, blech :mad:

You can guarantee that as soon as you receive your 5770, the 5870 will become available :P What card are you upgrading from?

[alphaod]

What card are you upgrading from?

2x 8800GT ;)

[Owyn]

You can guarantee that as soon as you receive your 5770, the 5870 will become available :P What card are you upgrading from?

Yeah, I sat on the fence because of that... I figured they'd make it available "soon", why else would it be on the site? Anyway, I finally ordered a 5770, which is a huge upgrade from the 2600 I had before... When I got my mac pro, I ordered the very base model 2008, which was a pretty good deal, figuring that I'd upgrade the memory, disk and video card on my own, but there were never any really great video options, so I sat on the fence for years. Now I can finally play modern games again...

Portal timedemo with old card: 39 / 50 / 49 / 58 / 17
Portal timedemo with new card: 171 / 230 / 165 / 245 / 67

I forgot to take a pic of the two cards next to each other... Ha.

[sparkie1984]

Is there much difference in the 4870 I have in my macpro to the 5770? I use mine as a gaming machine mostly and didn't know if it was worth upgrading or waiting for the 5870

[DaveAmbler]

@sparkie1984: I read that the performance of the 5770 is pretty much on par with the 4870... although the 5770 is a lot quieter. 5870 on the other hand will offer a massive performance increase.

[sparkie1984]

Thanks Dave :)

Guess I'll wait it out then :(

Although I could flash one I guess there's just something nice about having one that'll support everything fine

[MythicFrost]

Get the 5870. The 5770 is half as good.

[seek3r]

Get the 5870. The 5770 is half as good.

And half the price. And available!

Yeah, I sat on the fence because of that... I figured they'd make it available "soon", why else would it be on the site? Anyway, I finally ordered a 5770

Yeah, I just ordered a 5770, I think I'll pocket the $200 and save it for another upgrade down the line, the 5770 is good enough for now, and I can get it *now* (especially important as my remaining 8800 started flaking out today :mad: )

You can guarantee that as soon as you receive your 5770, the 5870 will become available :P

Yeah, I know :-(. Well, maybe my ordering the 5770 then will be good luck for ya'll still waiting! :-p

[DaveAmbler]

I must admit, I am starting to think that way too. Anyone have a clue how much of a performance upgrade a 5770 will be from my GT 120?

[MythicFrost]

And half the price. And available!
True, but for powerful gaming performance the 5870 is the best, the 5770 is better than the 4870 IIRC however it's only the 5750 (5850M) in the high end iMacs. If now suits you better than later, go for it then :p

[Topper]

I just hope by the time they sell it to the rest of us, ATi doesn't release the 6000 series. :(

Maybe they are waiting to make sure we remain a generation behind the PCs.

[seek3r]

I must admit, I am starting to think that way too. Anyone have a clue how much of a performance upgrade a 5770 will be from my GT 120?

General answer: It'll kick the crap outta the GT120

More specific answer: My 5770 is scheduled to show up tomorrow, my current setup is 1xGT120 and 1x(Failing)8800GT. I'll be pulling the 8800 and keeping the 120, so I can, if you'd like, post a couple benchmarks comparing the two (I was planning to anyway, to see if there were performance issue with having both in vs. just the 5770)

True, but for powerful gaming performance the 5870 is the best, the 5770 is better than the 4870 IIRC however it's only the 5750 (5850M) in the high end iMacs. If now suits you better than later, go for it then :p

The best is useless if I can't drop it in my tower. I figure I'll have the 5770 now and I'll grab a 6770 or somesuch next year, for the same price combined as a 5870 now, plus I get the 5770 tomorrow as opposed to whenever Apple decides to ship the 5870s :-)

[DaveAmbler]

seek3r if you could do that, that'd be awesome! Just any info you can provide would be great.

[Ferazel]

Geez, I was waiting for an easy flash, but it sounds more complicated than that. So I think I'm going to buy this and pay $50 surcharge. However, when is it going to ship???? It's quite annoying to be waiting on something that is already shipping in new Mac Pros. :\

Civ5 on my PC is already chugging when running at native resolution.

[xispec]

Apple needs to give a date. I am tired of waiting! Already been tempted to get the 5770 3 times already, but I am on the edge of waiting for the 5870. Maybe a little longer... I hope it's soon.

[ovrlrd]

I will wait as long as it takes until the 5870 is available.

I hope it's soon. It seems like the 5770 supply is starting to stabilize, but I fear that the 5870 supply hasn't changed much. At some point though the amount of new Macs being sold has to slow down enough for them to finally get a handle on things.

It has taken this long though, I worry about it.

[dallas112678]

Ok, I haven't heard ANY news of the 5870 availability. Has anyone heard anything other than "dunno..." since the ipod event? I'm quite perplexed and eager... :/

Maybe anybody heard from chatting with Apple tech support?

5870 Hamburgerz!?!??!!?!?

[macz1]

I think Apples 5870 will be available just in time for the release of the 6870. It would be untypical for apple to offer a current-gen GPU!

[Gomff]

Apple may well be holding back the 5870's to make a total machine upgrade more appealing to those with the money or others who are trying to get another year or two out of their aging Mac Pro's.

The more I think about it and look into the advantages of a 5870 over a 4870/5770, the more inclined I am to stick with my current GPU. The 5870 seems to offer great gains for gaming (which I'm not that bothered about tbh) but it's questionable how much real advantage there is to be had in other areas like 3d Apps and so on.

Truth is the 4870 seems to be doing OK for me at the moment and £370 for a new GPU could be put to one side as funds towards a complete machine upgrade a couple of years down the line. In that sense, Apple's strategy would have backfired as had the 5870 been available immediately, I'd have pulled the trigger.

[vogelhausdesign]

My two-cents , to those holding out for a 5870. I've now officially had all 3 cards from Mac, 4780-5770-5870 , I do 3d/graphic design and I'm also an avid gamer. I currently own a 12 core system and here are my thoughts.

4870 handles 3D better than 5770, it's a solid card although a bit sluggish.

5770 is just awful, better than 4870 on paper but this not a card worthy of a Mac Pro.

5870 it's fast, for gaming. Not worth the extra money for 3D/gaming currently. It's better all around but for those holding out, hold out for something better. The gains on paper were much greater than the gains while using it.

Short: get a stock 5770 or stay with 4870. Hold out for better tech, it's coming soon. Avoid the apple tax on this one.

EDIT: Is their any reason why we don't have a 2gig apple card available to apple users in 2010?

[Gomff]

4870 handles 3D better than 5770, it's a solid card although a bit sluggish.

5770 is just awful, better than 4870 on paper but this not a card worthy of a Mac Pro.

5870 it's fast, for gaming. Not worth the extra money for 3D/gaming currently. It's better all around but for those holding out, hold out for something better. The gains on paper were much greater than the gains while using it.

Short: get a stock 5770 or stay with 4870. Hold out for better tech, it's coming soon. Avoid the apple tax on this one.

Thanks for chiming in...Useful to hear another opinion from a 3D pro, and confirming what I've been thinking for a little while now.

I think there are better things to do with £370 right now....The 5870 is a nice card but it's expensive and won't be the new kid on the block for much longer.

I have to say though that it's probably going to be the best thing that Apple offers for quite some time to come yet.....Given their track record on GPU upgrades.

[ovrlrd]

My two-cents , to those holding out for a 5870. I've now officially had all 3 cards from Mac, 4780-5770-5870 , I do 3d/graphic design and I'm also an avid gamer. I currently own a 12 core system and here are my thoughts.

4870 handles 3D better than 5770, it's a solid card although a bit sluggish.

5770 is just awful, better than 4870 on paper but this not a card worthy of a Mac Pro.

5870 it's fast, for gaming. Not worth the extra money for 3D/gaming currently. It's better all around but for those holding out, hold out for something better. The gains on paper were much greater than the gains while using it.

Short: get a stock 5770 or stay with 4870. Hold out for better tech, it's coming soon. Avoid the apple tax on this one.

EDIT: Is their any reason why we don't have a 2gig apple card available to apple users in 2010?

Cool but for me the upgrade from a GT120 to a 5870 is huge and I need every extra bit of performance I can get because of 2560x1440 on the 27 inch.

[vogelhausdesign]

Cool but for me the upgrade from a GT120 to a 5870 is huge and I need every extra bit of performance I can get because of 2560x1440 on the 27 inch.

Honestly, you'd be better off getting a stock 5770. GT120 to a 5770 is pretty large as well, and you could save the extra $$ for an even better card down the road if you decide the 5770 isn't enough for you.

Aside from 3D/Gaming , the 5770 is very suitable for blu-ray and casual non-fps intensive gaming if thats what you're worried about.

I'm using it on my 30" ACD without any trouble, aside from performance issues related to my work.

[ovrlrd]

Honestly, you'd be better off getting a stock 5770. GT120 to a 5770 is pretty large as well, and you could save the extra $$ for an even better card down the road if you decide the 5770 isn't enough for you.

Aside from 3D/Gaming , the 5770 is very suitable for blu-ray and casual non-fps intensive gaming if thats what you're worried about.

I'm using it on my 30" ACD without any trouble, aside from performance issues related to my work.

Unfortunately this is not just for casual gaming. When my Mac Pro isn't being used for work I use it is used for all sorts of games and I like to run them all at the maximum settings possible. So 2560x1440 plus maximum detail settings is not something to joke about and definitely not something I would even think about using a 5770 for. Even as is the 5870 will be getting a real work out with some games, but every bit of FPS I can get helps. I am not worried about the money, I already set aside the money months ago.

[Gomff]

Unfortunately this is not just for casual gaming. When my Mac Pro isn't being used for work I use it is used for all sorts of games and I like to run them all at the maximum settings possible. So 2560x1440 plus maximum detail settings is not something to joke about and definitely not something I would even think about using a 5770 for. Even as is the 5870 will be getting a real work out with some games, but every bit of FPS I can get helps. I am not worried about the money, I already set aside the money months ago.

For hardcore gaming the 5870 is the best Mac Pro option IMHO. But if I was a hardcore gamer, I'd have a PC rig specifically for that purpose and not be constrained by the GPU scraps Apple throws from the table.

[ovrlrd]

For hardcore gaming the 5870 is the best Mac Pro option IMHO. But if I was a hardcore gamer, I'd have a PC rig specifically for that purpose and not be constrained by the GPU scraps Apple throws from the table.

I used to do that and have a separate PC, but it just ended up taking up too much space that I didn't have and also didn't help when I wanted to play games in OS X (which I find myself doing more and more every year as it gets better).

If all I did was gaming on my computer then it would make a lot more sense, but I use it for work primarily, and gaming as secondary. It has worked out great so far except for the video card, which will be solved when the 5870 is finally available.

[Gomff]

I used to do that and have a separate PC, but it just ended up taking up too much space that I didn't have and also didn't help when I wanted to play games in OS X (which I find myself doing more and more every year as it gets better).

If all I did was gaming on my computer then it would make a lot more sense, but I use it for work primarily, and gaming as secondary. It has worked out great so far except for the video card, which will be solved when the 5870 is finally available.

Fair enough, I hope it works out for you....I'm sure it will. My flashed 4870 copes with the odd bit of gaming I do on my machine so the 5870 should rock.

[vogelhausdesign]

Do as you please, wasn't trying to stop you. Just saying, for all the effort it't taking to just get a 5870 to your door step, you might as well wait a month or two and buy a card with twice the specs.

Also, what gaming do you do that you like full graphical settings? Being a hardcore FPS player, even though my machine is the best you can buy from apple I run very minimal settings to maximize package/fps usage.. the "sweet spot" if you will, for the game engine.

PS: I have both cards, and I'm having hardware problems with both of them.. I think apple jumped the gun on this 5### Line up.. I'll be waiting for better before I get back into caring about Apple GPU's

[ovrlrd]

Also, what gaming do you do that you like full graphical settings? Being a hardcore FPS player, even though my machine is the best you can buy from apple I run very minimal settings to maximize package/fps usage.. the "sweet spot" if you will, for the game engine.

I only choose the maximum settings that the game can allow while still running at fully locked 60fps with vsync enabled. With a 5870, that should be possible with no problems in some games. With certain games that might be pretty hard though, especially in 2560x1440, so I will probably have to drop the settings down a little bit. I still want every bit of power I can have, no reason to settle for less just to get a card sooner, and money isn't the issue for me at all.

Oh and I already stated I don't mind waiting as long as it takes. The Radeon 6xxx cards seem nice but flashing them is out of the question for me. It sucks because I am left at the mercy of Apple's choosing, but I like to run on fully supported hardware and so even if I am running an older card I don't care. If Apple releases a better card next year I will just sell the 5870 and buy that one. It's not really that big of a deal to me.

[w00tini]

I only choose the maximum settings that the game can allow while still running at fully locked 60fps with vsync enabled. With a 5870, that should be possible with no problems in some games. With certain games that might be pretty hard though, especially in 2560x1440, so I will probably have to drop the settings down a little bit. I still want every bit of power I can have, no reason to settle for less just to get a card sooner, and money isn't the issue for me at all.


i've been able to run every game i have at 2560x1440 with all of the advanced video settings set to max. the only time i had to dumb down was going from 8x/16x in Bad Company 2 to 4x/8x. Solid 60+ fps the entire time once i tweaked that bit.

the Mac Pro is a beast of a PC gaming machine.

[DaveAmbler]

Feck it, ordered the 5770. I'm done with waiting.

[Caviar]

I can't believe that Apple doesn't even have estimated released date....
Still just says "Currently Unavailable".

What are the guys doing over there.
There isn't even a heads up...

[Fiete5401]

I can't believe that Apple doesn't even have estimated released date....
Still just says "Currently Unavailable".
What are the guys doing over there.
There isn't even a heads up...

I guess they're waiting for the 6870 being released in November. Remember we always get last years tech! ;)

[thermodynamic]

Feck it, ordered the 5770. I'm done with waiting.

Unfortunately, the 5770's performance is virtually identical to that of the 4879.

I will be most happy once the 5870 comes out. :D

[Caviar]

I guess they're waiting for the 6870 being released in November. Remember we always get last years tech! ;)

Man... That means I need to wait till November....

I see myself looking at the flashing thread these days...
My patience is wearing out...
Maybe I should of gotten the official GTX285 when they were available...
Looks like this is gonna be a long wait :(

[DaveAmbler]

Unfortunately, the 5770's performance is virtually identical to that of the 4879.

I will be most happy once the 5870 comes out. :D

Nice upgrade from my crappy GT120 though ;)

[RebootD]

Nice upgrade from my crappy GT120 though ;)

I'm 'this close' to ordering the 5770 to replace my craptastic GT120 since the 5870 is still 'unavailable'.

[goMac]

Nuthin wrong with my 8800, so I'll be waiting as long as it takes.

[Yukon Joe]

Nuthin wrong with my 8800, so I'll be waiting as long as it takes.

I noticed a definite improvement going from the 8800 to the 5770. I don't think I'd make the move if I was running the 4870, but for any other graphics card it'll be a definite improvement.

[3587]

Well, I'm trying to dump my GTX 285 for a 5770, since I'm getting the ACD 27"... Let me know if you want it... Maybe we can work something out...

[xispec]

I just bought the 5770 couple days ago cause I couldnt stand waiting... and WOW huge improvement from the GT120 lolz but now I can't use it as I sold both my 24" LED cinema displays and going to return the 5770 for now and keep my GT120 going till the 5870 comes out. But it is seriously worth the upgrade to a 5770 if you are coming from a GT120 or Geforce 7300.

[DualShock]

FWIW, someone posted on the 5870 product page at the Apple US online store, saying that he/she contacted AMD, and they said 2 weeks from Sept 29. So that places it at or around Oct 13.

http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/product/MC743ZM/A?mco=MTQzMzA4NTI&pqid=QJK2CFDU24U97UK27T2XYP2UD97J2K9YC

Just posting as a FYI, since there's no real way to verify this.

[goMac]

I noticed a definite improvement going from the 8800 to the 5770. I don't think I'd make the move if I was running the 4870, but for any other graphics card it'll be a definite improvement.

I'm sure there was a definite improvement, but there is an even bigger improvement with the 5870. :)

[Binford]

the 5770 is showing as shipping within 24 hours now! just wondering, if i get a 5770 or 5870 for my 2008 mac pro, will i need to get a second power cable or will the card come with one?

[ovrlrd]

the 5770 is showing as shipping within 24 hours now! just wondering, if i get a 5770 or 5870 for my 2008 mac pro, will i need to get a second power cable or will the card come with one?

It comes with the cables.

[ventro]

Ok I'm starting to crack. Thinking about getting a 5770.

I don't really game much (all I forsee playing in the near future are Portal 2 and DNF). Mainly I want a fast videocard so that expose, spaces, and all the fancy UI animations will work smooth with one or two 27" displays.

Will the 5870 provide much better OSX smoothness compared to the 5770 or can I settle for the 5770?

[svale]

Ok I'm starting to crack. Thinking about getting a 5770.

I don't really game much (all I forsee playing in the near future are Portal 2 and DNF). Mainly I want a fast videocard so that expose, spaces, and all the fancy UI animations will work smooth with one or two 27" displays.

Will the 5870 provide much better OSX smoothness compared to the 5770 or can I settle for the 5770?

The 5770 is a capable card and is absolutely fine for those purposes.

[jjahshik32]

The 5770 is a capable card and is absolutely fine for those purposes.

Yup, more than enough.

[Ferazel]

I just thought I'd bump this puppy because people are starting new threads.
I'm still waiting Apple.. even with the 6870 it will only be on par with the 5870 so I'm still waiting to plop it in my Mac Pro so it is still worth it. Please release it soon?:(

[Bob Kiwi]

I gave up on waiting, as I got an ebay alert for an Apple 5870. Someone was selling a card with the power cables, instructions, 30 day return/90 day warranty, and was quite thorough in explaining compatibility and the only issue (no boot screen except VGA). Also it has 2xDual-link DVI, HDMI, and Displayport so you can triple monitor without 30$ adapters. All for 500$

I really wanted to buy from Apple, but to announce a product and keep it unavailable for so long just isn't cool by me- especially since aside from being authentic Apple, it isn't the best combo of ports in my opinion.

[ovrlrd]

It has been 65 days since Apple put the Radeon 5870 on the Apple Store. It has sat this long as unavailable, and yet it is still listed on the store. It is pretty obvious they are going to make it available at some point. I just don't understand how it's taking this long. The supply has to have eased up by now, I doubt they are having trouble meeting the demands of new Mac Pro orders.

They clearly are waiting for some reason, but what could that reason be?

10.6.5?

The fact that the 5870 is officially listed as compatible with the 2009 models, while the 5770 is listed as only compatible with the 2010 (regardless of the real compatibility that people have figured out) might be the key to the reason for the delay.

[DualShock]

A few days ago Apple's online store (in the US anyway) started showing the price of the 5870 kit when you look at it in the list view (go to main store pg, click "Display and Graphics" on the left). Previously you could only see the price if you clicked on the item itself and viewed it in detail.

Probably wishful thinking, but maybe this means the release date is imminent?

[goMac]

It has been 65 days since Apple put the Radeon 5870 on the Apple Store. It has sat this long as unavailable, and yet it is still listed on the store. It is pretty obvious they are going to make it available at some point. I just don't understand how it's taking this long. The supply has to have eased up by now, I doubt they are having trouble meeting the demands of new Mac Pro orders.

They clearly are waiting for some reason, but what could that reason be?

10.6.5?

The fact that the 5870 is officially listed as compatible with the 2009 models, while the 5770 is listed as only compatible with the 2010 (regardless of the real compatibility that people have figured out) might be the key to the reason for the delay.

Given that it already works under 10.6.4, I'd say it's not a software issues. More likely it's a supply issue, there were supply constraints on the PC side as well.

[ovrlrd]

Given that it already works under 10.6.4, I'd say it's not a software issues. More likely it's a supply issue, there were supply constraints on the PC side as well.

Yes, but I really doubt it's still a supply issue anymore. A month ago I would agree, but it's been 65 days now, the new Mac Pro shipments have slowed by now, and so the only thing that there is a possible worry about is having enough for when they make it available.

Another thing is that you would think it would be made available, but with a shipping estimate of a few weeks or something. The fact that they aren't doing that means they are not sure the exact day they are going to start shipping them. If it is supply, then they are waiting for the lead time to get shorter, and so they wouldn't know when that would be exactly.

So it could be supply, but you have to think it would be resolved by now. Somewhere there is a warehouse full of 5870s that are actively being put into custom Mac Pros, but they can't start selling the upgrade kits yet. It's just odd.

[xispec]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

Getting tired of waiting... But I'll keep waiting as I'll endure it with my GT120 till it comes out. Even if AMD/ATI plan on releasing new card I'm thinking apple won't provide upgrade kits for those cards as knowing apple is always behind in the trend.

[goMac]

Yes, but I really doubt it's still a supply issue anymore. A month ago I would agree, but it's been 65 days now, the new Mac Pro shipments have slowed by now, and so the only thing that there is a possible worry about is having enough for when they make it available.

Another thing is that you would think it would be made available, but with a shipping estimate of a few weeks or something. The fact that they aren't doing that means they are not sure the exact day they are going to start shipping them. If it is supply, then they are waiting for the lead time to get shorter, and so they wouldn't know when that would be exactly.

So it could be supply, but you have to think it would be resolved by now. Somewhere there is a warehouse full of 5870s that are actively being put into custom Mac Pros, but they can't start selling the upgrade kits yet. It's just odd.

Depends entire on how much attention Apple is paying to shipping these things.

There was a report that someone called ATI a few weeks ago, and ATI indicated it was still a supply issue, and that the supply wasn't scheduled to be ramped up until later. I think it was possibly this week the supply was to be ramped up.

[RebootD]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

Getting tired of waiting... But I'll keep waiting as I'll endure it with my GT120 till it comes out. Even if AMD/ATI plan on releasing new card I'm thinking apple won't provide upgrade kits for those cards as knowing apple is always behind in the trend.

Apple generally doesn't provide new cards until there is a model refresh. The only hope is that NVIDIA announces new cards for the Mac but there hasn't even been a rumor yet. It just seems very strange than nearly three months have passed since it launched and not one has been made available as OEM.

That said I feel your pain being a GT120 holder myself. I really want a beefier card and I'd rather pay $70 Apple Tax on the 5870 (over the PC variant) vs $110 Apple Tax on the 5770. (Currently around $129-139 for PC)

My patience is wearing out though.

[Caviar]

Still no sign of 5870 shipping...
I hate you Jobs... :(

[spaz8]

I wonder what is going to happen with the Ati 6800/6900 releases in the coming weeks.

Is Apple going to skip the 5870 and make the 6870 available in a couple weeks. Or is Apple waiting to get cheap 5870's after the 6800's roll out next Friday and there is no demand for them on the pc side so they could have some crazy profit margin.That would be pretty brutal.

Or is Apple waiting for 10.6.5 cuz the graphics driver issues have been pretty bad lately. 10.6.4 plus the graphic drivers update, has made my 8800 GT pretty temperamental. I've never had issues with it except for the last 2 months, and now certain 3d apps can give me flashing monitors if I do something too taxing.

[umgoblue2008]

I wonder what is going to happen with the Ati 6800/6900 releases in the coming weeks.

Is Apple going to skip the 5870 and make the 6870 available in a couple weeks. Or is Apple waiting to get cheap 5870's after the 6800's roll out next Friday and there is no demand for them on the pc side so they could have some crazy profit margin.That would be pretty brutal.

Or is Apple waiting for 10.6.5 cuz the graphics driver issues have been pretty bad lately. 10.6.4 plus the graphic drivers update, has made my 8800 GT pretty temperamental. I've never had issues with it except for the last 2 months, and now certain 3d apps can give me flashing monitors if I do something too taxing.

0 chance they skip 5870. They'll wait till next year this time for an update. Apple's not afraid to be behind on the graphics curve, they are about the profit curve.

Can you imagine the backlash from those who just got the 5870?

[Caviar]

I'd rather pay $70 Apple Tax on the 5870 (over the PC variant) vs $110 Apple Tax on the 5770. (Currently around $129-139 for PC)


About the Apple Tax which RebootD was talking about,
they actually may be waiting for the Apple Tax to increase...

[ildondeigiocchi]

Well hopefully Apple's Mac Media event "Back to the Mac" announced for October 20th will bring good news for the 5870. My 2009 system has been "dying" to have one for the past two months. :D

[ovrlrd]

Well hopefully Apple's Mac Media event "Back to the Mac" announced for October 20th will bring good news for the 5870. My 2009 system has been "dying" to have one for the past two months. :D

I really hope so, but if they do release it there will definitely be no mention of it in the keynote, so I am not sure why they would wait until then.