2nd video card, 130w dual cpu's 2009 Mac Pro, power question

[Jeff Troiano]

Recently found this forum, have a million questions. Been reading lots of different threads getting all kinds of answers to those million questions. Sme I haven't found.

Have a 2009 Mac Pro. Recently flashed the firmware up to 5.1, in preparation for a CPU upgrade. Mines an 8 core, 2.26. Looking to upgrade to dual 3.33 (x5680's I believe).

I have a Quadro 4000 Mac video card installed, and am getting ready to add a GTX 580.

Naturally with the GTX 580, ill be adding a 2nd psu, in the 5.25 bay. And running both cards.

My question is about power.

My current cpu's draw 80w each. The upgraded 3.33's draw 130w each.

When I add my 2nd PSU, which is designed to run 2 gpu cards, would it be a good idea to run both the Quadro, and the GTX off this psu (disconnecting the Quadro power from the macs motherboard), to make the load of jumping up from 80w CPU to 130w CPU?

Does that make any sense, and would it be any help?

[Tutor]

Originally Posted by Jeff Troiano

Recently found this forum, have a million questions. Been reading lots of different threads getting all kinds of answers to those million questions. Sme I haven't found.

Have a 2009 Mac Pro. Recently flashed the firmware up to 5.1, in preparation for a CPU upgrade. Mines an 8 core, 2.26. Looking to upgrade to dual 3.33 (x5680's I believe).

I have a Quadro 4000 Mac video card installed, and am getting ready to add a GTX 580.

Naturally with the GTX 580, ill be adding a 2nd psu, in the 5.25 bay. And running both cards.

My question is about power.

My current cpu's draw 80w each. The upgraded 3.33's draw 130w each.

When I add my 2nd PSU, which is designed to run 2 gpu cards, would it be a good idea to run both the Quadro, and the GTX off this psu (disconnecting the Quadro power from the macs motherboard), to make the load of jumping up from 80w CPU to 130w CPU?

Does that make any sense, and would it be any help?

I once thought the same as you, but found that my 2009->2010 ran better with each GPU's 6 pin power connector connected to the motherboard and each 8 pin connector connected to this:a FSP Group Booster X5 450W Independent/Supplementary SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Dedicated Multi.GPU Power (Newegg -~ $90.00 [ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104054 ) + Tronixin 15 Pin SATA Male to 4 Pin Female IDE HDD Power Cable [ http://us.dinodirect.com/Tronixin-15...FQq0nQodGhMARQ (>$3-4) ]

[Jeff Troiano]

Originally Posted by Tutor

I once thought the same as you, but found that my 2009->2010 ran better with each GPU's 6 pin power connector connected to the motherboard and each 8 pin connector connected to this:a FSP Group Booster X5 450W Independent/Supplementary SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Dedicated Multi.GPU Power (Newegg -~ $90.00 [ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104054 ) + Tronixin 15 Pin SATA Male to 4 Pin Female IDE HDD Power Cable [ http://us.dinodirect.com/Tronixin-15...FQq0nQodGhMARQ (>$3-4) ]

The FSP Group Booster x5 is the exact unit I was looking at. It's been a while since I installed my Quadro 4000, so I don't remember if it had both a 6 pin and an 8 pin.

Any thoughts on the 130w cpu's am I gambling with them?

Also I'm looking at getting my GTX from macvidcards.com. If in not planning on hooking a monitor up to the gtx, is there another advantage to getting one of these cards over the standard card from a place like newegg?

[Tutor]

Originally Posted by Jeff Troiano

The FSP Group Booster x5 is the exact unit I was looking at. It's been a while since I installed my Quadro 4000, so I don't remember if it had both a 6 pin and an 8 pin.

Any thoughts on the 130w cpu's am I gambling with them?

Also I'm looking at getting my GTX from macvidcards.com. If in not planning on hooking a monitor up to the gtx, is there another advantage to getting one of these cards over the standard card from a place like newegg?

That's not a big gamble. I had them in mine until I replaced them with X5675s and put the X5680s into a pc build. The TDP wasn't a real issue, except that I used SMC fan control to better cool them. If you get a card with more that 2g ram from Newegg, you can make the mod yourself to allow the ram above 2g to be recognized. Just follow MacVidCards' instruction on this forum - just search for it.

[Jeff Troiano]

Originally Posted by Tutor

That's not a big gamble. I had them in mine until I replaced them with X5675s and put the X5680s into a pc build. The TDP wasn't a real issue, except that I used SMC fan control to better cool them. If you get a card with more that 2g ram from Newegg, you can make the mod yourself to allow the ram above 2g to be recognized. Just follow MacVidCards' instruction on this forum - just search for it.

I quess what I was asking about a MacVidCard.com vs regular card is.....

From what I understand, they install some sort of chip that allows a boot screen. Im trying to figure out what the other benefits are, of the macvidcard over regular? I have no problem paying for their card, just looking to find what benefit, other then getting a boot screen?

Im wondering if thats all it does? and if so, does it matter, when buying, say, a card from a place like new egg, if I dont plan on hooking a monitor up to this card?

[Tutor]

Originally Posted by Jeff Troiano

I quess what I was asking about a MacVidCard.com vs regular card is.....

From what I understand, they install some sort of chip that allows a boot screen. Im trying to figure out what the other benefits are, of the macvidcard over regular? I have no problem paying for their card, just looking to find what benefit, other then getting a boot screen?

Im wondering if thats all it does? and if so, does it matter, when buying, say, a card from a place like new egg, if I dont plan on hooking a monitor up to this card?

Having never purchased a card from macvidcard, I do know what all of the differences would be regarding any particular card purchased elsewhere vs. there. That question is better put to the seller.