I have a 2006 Mac Pro, still have the original 2x 2.66 GHz Dual core Xeons, 8 GB RAM, a couple of 7200 RPM hard drives, and a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT.
I've been holding out on buying a new Mac Pro since the current models are a bit long in the tooth but it seems like the newer models might not be out until the end of the year.
The main problem I'm having right now is that my 8800 GT seems to be giving out. I went through quite a few Radeon X1900 XTs due to overheating before Apple finally replaced it with the 8800 GT. This card has lasted the longest of any of my previous cards by far. But the fan is almost constantly spinning now and performance, especially in gaming, is down. I keep the case cleaned out so there's not a huge amount of dust or anything in there that is contributing to the overheating as far as I know.
I originally believed I was limited to the Radeon 5770 or 5870 as upgrades but have since found some of the options on this site. I know that my choices are still limited but I'm looking for the best graphics card I can get that will run fairly quiet and provide good performance, including while gaming. I'm not picky about the DVD player not working but would like games to work under Steam. Blizzard games running well would also be a huge plus. Spending $250 or $450 on the two "official" ATI cards just seems like a lot.
Other than the graphics card, I've heard the best bang for my buck in terms of upgrade options for this computer, especially in the short term, would be a SSD.
What would you advise I do in this situation? Any help is greatly appreciated!
I've been holding out on buying a new Mac Pro since the current models are a bit long in the tooth but it seems like the newer models might not be out until the end of the year.
The main problem I'm having right now is that my 8800 GT seems to be giving out. I went through quite a few Radeon X1900 XTs due to overheating before Apple finally replaced it with the 8800 GT. This card has lasted the longest of any of my previous cards by far. But the fan is almost constantly spinning now and performance, especially in gaming, is down. I keep the case cleaned out so there's not a huge amount of dust or anything in there that is contributing to the overheating as far as I know.
I originally believed I was limited to the Radeon 5770 or 5870 as upgrades but have since found some of the options on this site. I know that my choices are still limited but I'm looking for the best graphics card I can get that will run fairly quiet and provide good performance, including while gaming. I'm not picky about the DVD player not working but would like games to work under Steam. Blizzard games running well would also be a huge plus. Spending $250 or $450 on the two "official" ATI cards just seems like a lot.
Other than the graphics card, I've heard the best bang for my buck in terms of upgrade options for this computer, especially in the short term, would be a SSD.
What would you advise I do in this situation? Any help is greatly appreciated!
