NVIDIA 8800GT for Older Mac Pros Now Available

MacRumors · Apr 15, 2008

Keeping good on Steve Jobs' email promise, Apple has released a new graphics upgrade kit today. The $279 NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (1st Generation) Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro appears to finally offer a video upgrade path for previous generation Mac Pro owners.

The card is distinct from the previous Nvidia 8800GT upgrade kit which was available only for Early 2008 Mac Pros:

Note to owners of Mac Pro (early 2008): Please select the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (early 2008) Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro.

When Apple released the Early 2008 Mac Pro, they offered the NVIDIA 8800GT as an upgrade option, however due to firmware issues, the 8800GT was not compatible with previous generation Mac Pros -- until today.

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Eidorian · Apr 15, 2008

Quite possibly the best video card in recent memory. The price isn't that bad either.

Dreamer2go · Apr 15, 2008

that's great news!
Glad to see Apple keeping their promise!

Spanky Deluxe · Apr 15, 2008

Now do I buy this or do I wait and upgrade my whole machine...

bigandy · Apr 15, 2008

Good news, even if it hasn't hit the international stores yet.

JG271 · Apr 15, 2008

That is going to make a lot of people here happy!

usasalazar · Apr 15, 2008

Woo-Hoo!

So I thought this applied to me and called 1-800-My-Apple to order.

Since I just wanted to justify the cost with better performance, they let me speak with a systems engineer who told me to stick with what I currently have (ATI Radeon X1900) since the apps I run are mainly Motion and FCP. In fact, Motion was optimized for the ATI card.

WOW!

They did not try and pressure me to spend $$$ -- and they soooo could have. I'm stupid, I would have bought it!

Some will and should get this card but not everyone -- I was so blown away that they let me speak with a systems engineer who was honest with me.

Gunga Din · Apr 15, 2008

Congrats to those with older Mac Pros. I have this card in my Dell and it rocks !

Freyqq · Apr 15, 2008

100 more vs the pc card..nice

iFizz · Apr 15, 2008

It's about time!

I'm ecstatic! Glad Apple made the right decision, finally. I hope there aren't any bugs in the drivers/EFI though.

KindredMAC · Apr 15, 2008

Why is it that Firmware on video cards has to be so complicated for the Macs and cause us to not have a wide selection???

P-Worm · Apr 15, 2008

I would consider getting this if it wasn't for the fact that it is NVidia. Apple's Color was made to work with ATi cards specifically and they recommend the X1900 for that program. I suppose that it is only a matter of time before the program is updated to better support multiple cards.

P-Worm

Cromulent · Apr 15, 2008

Wow, lets see what it costs in the UK.

I'll reserve judgement until then, but I might just get one.

iFizz · Apr 15, 2008

KindredMAC said:
Why is it that Firmware on video cards has to be so complicated for the Macs and cause us to not have a wide selection???

Three letters: E F I

notjustjay · Apr 15, 2008

That's interesting that Apple is so tight-lipped on product releases and upgrades in the official channels (the press, etc), yet Steve himself (or his aides) are often willing to provide hints on upcoming releases or fixes by personal email. This at least the second or third example in recent months -- this, the iPhone calendar adding events, the Leopard Time Machine network drive issue, etc.

arkitect · Apr 15, 2008

Cromulent said:
Wow, lets see what it costs in the UK.

I'll reserve judgement until then, but I might just get one.

Probably the usual US$1 = GB£1

twoodcc · Apr 15, 2008

awesome! and since my birthday is coming up....might have to think about this one

QCassidy352 · Apr 15, 2008

really nice to see apple following through on something they said they'd do. Seems to me you'd have to be a pretty hardcore gamer to shell out for this if you already have an x1900, but if you are, or if you have a 7300, this is pretty great.

bigmc6000 · Apr 15, 2008

arkitect said:
Probably the usual US$1 = GB£1

Quick question - when the dollar was valued at more than the Euro or a GB did Apple increase the prices to account for that? If not you really have no reason to complain at all. You're not getting paid any less than you were yesterday and you're still getting paid in your native currency. If Apple did base their prices off the value of the dollar the prices in the US should have skyrocketed since it's not worth much anymore. The price of these products isn't based on the value of the dollar - it's based on the value of the product in your particular country and they think 1 Euro is worth as much to Europeans as 1 dollar is to Americans.

happydude · Apr 15, 2008

notjustjay said:
That's interesting that Apple is so tight-lipped on product releases and upgrades in the official channels (the press, etc), yet Steve himself (or his aides) are often willing to provide hints on upcoming releases or fixes by personal email. This at least the second or third example in recent months -- this, the iPhone calendar adding events, the Leopard Time Machine network drive issue, etc.

yeah, but who's going to fire steve if he lets something slip . . .

Mattww · Apr 15, 2008

Keeping good on Steve Jobs' email promise, Apple has released a new graphics upgrade kit today. The $279 NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (1st Generation) Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro appears to finally offer a video upgrade path for previous generation Mac Pro owners.
generation Mac Pros -- until today.

Now I can have more confidence in buying a Mac Pro that it can have a long enough useful life.

iFizz · Apr 15, 2008

Mattww said:
Now I can have more confidence in buying a Mac Pro that it can have a long enough useful life.

For most users, this update absolutely extends the life of a 1st Gen Mac Pro by a few years.

mike12806 · Apr 15, 2008

how about an upgrade kit for my late 2006 iMac?!?!

Just kidding guys

iZac · Apr 15, 2008

Cromulent said:
Wow, lets see what it costs in the UK.

I'll reserve judgement until then, but I might just get one.

well, since both the 1st gen. and early 08' graphics updates are the same price, in $ i would definitely expect to see it priced the same as the 08' card in the UK

thats £220

The trouble is, now i have to decide if i should buy a graphics card or an newly cheap iphone. or new monitors. or a bigger HD. or new digital optical speakers *sigh* i bought a pro so i could save money in the long term!

arkitect · Apr 15, 2008

bigmc6000 said:
Quick question - when the dollar was valued at more than the Euro or a GB did Apple increase the prices to account for that? If not you really have no reason to complain at all. You're not getting paid any less than you were yesterday and you're still getting paid in your native currency. If Apple did base their prices off the value of the dollar the prices in the US should have skyrocketed since it's not worth much anymore. The price of these products isn't based on the value of the dollar - it's based on the value of the product in your particular country and they think 1 Euro is worth as much to Europeans as 1 dollar is to Americans.

Apple's exchange rates have always been "uncompetitive" for buyers outside the USA.
The relative value of a US$ vs a € or £ has never had anything to do with Apple's pricing.

And no, taxes do not make up the difference…

NVIDIA 8800GT for Older Mac Pros Now Available

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