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Verdenshersker

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
94
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hey,

I'm thinking about replacing my Crossover 290M (21:9 - 2560x1080) monitor to a 4K monitor, but in order to do so, I will need a new video card, I believe.

Currently, I have these two in my machine:

GTX 570 1.25 GB
GT 120 512 MB

What would be the cheapest video card to get new/used that would be able to run 4K @ 60 Hz?

Best,
Mike
 

SDAVE

macrumors 68040
Jun 16, 2007
3,574
601
Nowhere
That sounds stupid expensive... I am not gonna game on the machine. I just need it to run a 4k monitor, is that really needed?

Not a chance, it could run on a GT740 video card or so?

I paid $280 for mine. Is that too expensive?

My buddy has a GTX680 with a 4k monitor and its super sluggish.
 

Verdenshersker

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
94
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
But I can see that with Displayport, you should be able to run 4K on GT 720, GT 730 and GT 740 as well, so it's overkill with a GTX 780...

Some of the small AMD FirePro (lower than $200) can run 6 x 4K monitors, so I want to know if the GT 740 works...
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
A 2nd hand 7950 can do that with less than $100. Of course, don't expect any 3D work in 4K with this card.

If you need the boot screen, get a ref model and flash it should be relatively straight forward.
 
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Verdenshersker

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
94
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
A 2nd hand 7950 can do that with less than $100. Of course, don't expect any 3D work in 4K with this card.

If you need the boot screen, get a ref model and flash it should be relatively straight forward.

Yeah good idea... I just though of the GT 740 4 GB for about $100 - but if I can get a HD7950 for about $100 then I should go for that, but I haven't flashed a video card before though. I picked the GTX 570 because it was plug and play... I dont have boot screen on it and it doesn't matter for me. If I need a boot screen, I kept my GT 120...
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
Yeah good idea... I just though of the GT 740 4 GB for about $100 - but if I can get a HD7950 for about $100 then I should go for that, but I haven't flashed a video card before though. I picked the GTX 570 because it was plug and play... I dont have boot screen on it and it doesn't matter for me. If I need a boot screen, I kept my GT 120...

The PC 7950 should be plug and play as well, just no boot screen, at least the ref model is quite safe on this matter.
 
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ilikewhey

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2014
3,579
4,616
nyc upper east
any 600 series nvidia will work, i have a gtx 660 borrowed from a friend and it works fine at 4k 60hz. you can get a 650 ti or something even cheaper and it will support 4k.
 

Verdenshersker

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
94
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
any 600 series nvidia will work, i have a gtx 660 borrowed from a friend and it works fine at 4k 60hz. you can get a 650 ti or something even cheaper and it will support 4k.

So 650 would work?
I guess 640 will too?

Maybe I should find someone who wants to trade my GTX 570 for a GTX 650 Ti or so....

Or trade my GTX 570 for a HD7950 3 GB and give some money as well...
 
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ilikewhey

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2014
3,579
4,616
nyc upper east
So 650 would work?
I guess 640 will too?

Maybe I should find someone who wants to trade my GTX 570 for a GTX 650 Ti or so....

Or trade my GTX 570 for a HD7950 3 GB and give some money as well...

actually now that i look around it seems only some selective 600 series like the 660 and above is 4k,

the gt 740 is 4k as well. im surprised the 650 ti doesn't.

so i guess your options are 660, 740.
 

MacVidCards

Suspended
Nov 17, 2008
6,096
1,056
Hollywood, CA
Hey, don't forget that you will need my little hack to enable 60Hz on an Nvidia card in 4K.

Thank your "We know what's best for you" friends up North.
 

northernmunky

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2007
829
295
London, Taipei
Hey, don't forget that you will need my little hack to enable 60Hz on an Nvidia card in 4K.

Thank your "We know what's best for you" friends up North.

There's a hack? I'm running a 4k monitor via my MacBook pro with nvidia GT 750M and works fine at 60Htz as long as I use displayport cable. HDMI won't work you'll be reduced to 30Htz.
 

Verdenshersker

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
94
1
Copenhagen, Denmark
There's a hack? I'm running a 4k monitor via my MacBook pro with nvidia GT 750M and works fine at 60Htz as long as I use displayport cable. HDMI won't work you'll be reduced to 30Htz.

I have a Retina as well - but the one with GT650 (First version of Retina) and I don't think that can run 4K at all?
Maybe with an active Display adaptor?
 

Pending

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2014
199
22
Hey, don't forget that you will need my little hack to enable 60Hz on an Nvidia card in 4K.

Thank your "We know what's best for you" friends up North.

Hack? What hack?
I mean take a gtx680 for example, the displayport outputs 4096 x 2160 (3840 x 2160 as well) at 60Hz.
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
Hack? What hack?
I mean take a gtx680 for example, the displayport outputs 4096 x 2160 (3840 x 2160 as well) at 60Hz.

I know the card capable to do that. However, did you actually do that with Yosemite?

I am with the AMD card now, and want to know more about the N card (thinking about the 980).

Do you mind to make a screen capture that in the system report to show that the card is doing 4K 60Hz? Thanks!
 

Pending

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2014
199
22
Hack? What hack?
I mean take a gtx680 for example, the displayport outputs 4096 x 2160 (3840 x 2160 as well) at 60Hz.

Sorry I've been living in windows for too long now! I'm referring to windows of course for 4k60Hz support.

----------

I know the card capable to do that. However, did you actually do that with Yosemite?

I am with the AMD card now, and want to know more about the N card (thinking about the 980).

Do you mind to make a screen capture that in the system report to show that the card is doing 4K 60Hz? Thanks!

See my post above for clarity.
I guess outside of some sort of hack referred to by Mvc, we have to hope Nvidia include Yosemite 4k60Hz support in their future drivers.
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
Got it! So it seems there was some confusion between "4k 60Hz capable card" and "a card than can actually run 4k 60Hz in the current OSX OOTB". ;)
 

xav8tor

macrumors 6502a
Mar 30, 2011
533
36
If, by 4K, you mean UHD at 3840x2160, my unmodified PC variant of the GTX 670 SC works just fine at 60 Hz. SST via DP to the new Dell 24 inch UHD monitor (P2415Q) on my 4.1 (flashed to 5.1). Booted right up in Win 7 at native rez. In OS X, apparently Apple decides what is best based upon screen resolution and size. Therefore with a relatively small UHD monitor, it defaults to 1080p Retina, and native rez cannot be seen as a scaled option either, unless you press the scaling button AND the option key. Then, just click 3840x2160, and you've got it running natively at 60 Hz. The 27 inch variant of the same monitor does not seem to have this issue. UHD appears as an option without using the option key.

OTH, if by 4K, you mean DCI 4K, that's an acquisition format and has, at present, a single common use: one to one pixel viewing of digital footage acquired in 4K. In all but what might be the rarest of cases, that eventually gets horizontally or vertically cropped to the final aspect ratio. Don't let consumer monitor and TV companies trip you up with this "true 4K" hoopla. For all practical purposes, both resolutions are "4K" but are not equally supported. There are two DCI 4K monitors and maybe one DCI 4K TV. Apple did recently do something with LG to get the LG 4K monitor working in OS X, but officially, only at 50 Hz. I did see the OP is in LAX, so maybe he's one who actually uses DCI 4K.

There are plenty of UHD "4K" 3840x2160 monitors out there, with more on the way. Name brand UHD monitors with IPS panels, SST at 60 Hz., can now be had for down around 500 bucks. The Dell I have is own sale for 529.99 USD last time I looked this week.
 
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