Fastest Mac GPUs with full EFI boot screens, etc, GTX570 & GTX580

[MacVidCards]

Originally Posted by AKDigital

Any input on this? I'm assuming that since this is actually being sold on the MacVidCards ebay store it will work...

Absolutely, will work fine to run 4 displays.

Please note that there are 2 versions of 570, one with Dual DVI and one with DVI and Displayport. If you have Apple LED displays, you obviously want the Displayport one.

The 2.5 GB version only comes in Displayport right now, but you can use DP to DVI to run up to a 24" DVI display from the DP.

[AKDigital]

Thanks. I thought this would work, just wanted to make sure. I'm running Dell U2711s which have both Dual Link DVI and displayport inputs. I should be able to connect right up with no adapters. I was using two dual link DVI to MDP adapters before with my stock 5770.

Would you recommend holding on to my stock 5770? I plan on fully switching to gtx570 + gt120. Could you foresee an update or a similar situation where I would need to put my stock card back in?

[MacVidCards]

Even if Apple pulls another fast one and has 10.7.5 kill the GTX5xx support, I think we have seen that Nvidia will just very quickly release a fix again. (Kudos to Nvidia, someone there seems to give a dxxn)

And if Nvidia is busy for a few days at the time, I can do patches to unbreak what Apple breaks.

The nice thing about GT120 is that it is an Apple specific product, i.e. it will ALWAYS have support. So even if Apple releases 10.7.5 and it kills GTX5xx cards again, and Nvidia is getting their house tented and I am at the dentist, a GT120 will continue working as always. The EFI GTX5xx cards will continue to output to display, just with no 3D.

I don't see any reason to keep a 5770. Sell it while it is still worth some $$$.

[AKDigital]

Awesome, keep up the great work! I'll post an update when I get my GTX570 + GT120 package that I just bought from the MacVidCards ebay store. Thanks.

[MallardRider]

Originally Posted by MacVidCards

Nvidia will likely have a new update in next few days.

I will upload a fixed kext here in a little while until they do.

It may even be possible to run the Nvidia 10.7.3 driver ON TOP of 10.7.4, it worked with the betas.

Nvidia should be commended that they updated their drivers a day after 10.7.4 was posted. Now I got the acceleration back.

[ekwipt]

I'm probably going to wait it out and see if the new macro drops with any faster cards than a Nvidia 570, if not i'll buy one of these.

[undir]

While Nvidia's newest drivers work with 10.7.4, OpenCL does not (confirmed it with Luxmark), which seems to have been broken again.


Does anyone know if Netkas nvidia kext modification (patching GeForceGLDriver and libclh.dylib) for 10.7.3 would work on 10.7.4 too ?


Cheers!

[braindeadfool]

Originally Posted by MacVidCards

Not correct in OSX.

Apple, being bad sports, don't have OpenCl turned on for Fermi cards. They flip a couple bytes to turn it off and help keep the 5870 looking good. If you can't win a fair race, CHEAT !!!

But by going here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?p6w1xeh9et3m8e5

You can download the "fixed" driver kext.

And then the mid-range 570 is equal to the "top'o'the'line" 5870. And it can run CUDA which is Greek to the 5870. But OpenCl looks to be about dead even. Pretty sure a GTX580 would seal the deal on the 5870.

Yeap, you're right. The 580 does just fine...

[rklm]

Originally Posted by undir

While Nvidia's newest drivers work with 10.7.4, OpenCL does not (confirmed it with Luxmark), which seems to have been broken again.


Does anyone know if Netkas nvidia kext modification (patching GeForceGLDriver and libclh.dylib) for 10.7.3 would work on 10.7.4 too ?


Cheers!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm pretty new to this stuff. I just bought a gtx570 for a mac pro, unfortunately already updated to 10.7.4. What do I have to do besides installing the latest NVIDIA driver to get cuda + opencl support? Just install this…
http://www.mediafire.com/?p6w1xeh9et3m8e5
… "fixed" driver kext?

[bjdthomas]

Does anyone know where you can buy the pcie cables in Los Angeles? Tryed frys and Mac mall and neither one of them carry the dual male 6pin pcie cables that will connect to the Mac. Installing a gtx580 on a 2007 Mac pro. Trying to find a way to get power to this thing this weekend. Read in other threads where you can order the cables online, but was hoping someone in LA would know where to get it local. Thanks in advance for the help.

[MacVidCards]

Originally Posted by rklm

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm pretty new to this stuff. I just bought a gtx570 for a mac pro, unfortunately already updated to 10.7.4. What do I have to do besides installing the latest NVIDIA driver to get cuda + opencl support? Just install this…
http://www.mediafire.com/?p6w1xeh9et3m8e5
… "fixed" driver kext?

The OpenCl fix that is current I just posted in the other thread on the drivers.

CUDA you just need to install CUDA drivers.

[phiphika]

Does this card require extra cables for power in the MacPro?

[Asgorath]

Originally Posted by phiphika

Does this card require extra cables for power in the MacPro?

Yes, you will need two 6-pin cables like this one:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/9227128/

[phiphika]

What if I'm removing the existing card and only using the GTX570? Also, will any 6-pin work, I see some less expensive cables on Amazon? Thanks.

[phiphika]

Originally Posted by Asgorath

Yes, you will need two 6-pin cables like this one:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/9227128/

Also, why do I need two? Thanks.

[Asgorath]

Originally Posted by phiphika

Also, why do I need two? Thanks.

Because the card has 2 6-pin power connectors, both of which need to be plugged in for the card to operate:

http://www.dvhardware.net/article46907.html

The Mac Pro has a special low-profile connector on one end (the one that plugs into the motherboard), so the cable has to be compatible with the Mac Pro. Can you link the ones from Amazon? If they don't specifically mention the Mac Pro they might not work.

If you already have one cable, then obviously you just need to buy one more.

[phiphika]

Originally Posted by Asgorath

Because the card has 2 6-pin power connectors, both of which need to be plugged in for the card to operate:

http://www.dvhardware.net/article46907.html

The Mac Pro has a special low-profile connector on one end (the one that plugs into the motherboard), so the cable has to be compatible with the Mac Pro. Can you link the ones from Amazon? If they don't specifically mention the Mac Pro they might not work.

If you already have one cable, then obviously you just need to buy one more.

Thanks again for the help. This is the cable I was looking at...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[Asgorath]

Originally Posted by phiphika

Thanks again for the help. This is the cable I was looking at...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I think the one you want is this:

http://www.amazon.com/PCIe-Power-Cab...7024410&sr=8-1

Since it says:

* Provide prower from internal logic board mini 6 Pin to PCI Express Vdieo Card standard 6 pin
* Works with any PCI Express-based MAC 2.0/2.3 Ghz Dual-Core or 2.5Ghz Quad-Core G5 and all Intel Mac Pro Tower machines

[phiphika]

Originally Posted by Asgorath

I think the one you want is this:

http://www.amazon.com/PCIe-Power-Cab...7024410&sr=8-1

Since it says:

* Provide prower from internal logic board mini 6 Pin to PCI Express Vdieo Card standard 6 pin
* Works with any PCI Express-based MAC 2.0/2.3 Ghz Dual-Core or 2.5Ghz Quad-Core G5 and all Intel Mac Pro Tower machines

Ok, also, I have the early 2009.

[Asgorath]

Right, it says "all Intel Mac Pro Tower machines" so it should work fine. The mini plug on the motherboard has been the same since the PowerPC days.

[phiphika]

Originally Posted by Asgorath

Right, it says "all Intel Mac Pro Tower machines" so it should work fine. The mini plug on the motherboard has been the same since the PowerPC days.

Great, just pulled the trigger on 2 power cables and the card. Thanks again. Now i can play Diablo 3!

[mr12]

What brand are you using? Does it matter if its Asus, EVGA, MSI, etc?

[Asgorath]

Originally Posted by mr12

What brand are you using? Does it matter if its Asus, EVGA, MSI, etc?

Honestly, brand shouldn't make a difference here. I'm using an EVGA board, simply because that's what my local computer store had at the time. It's not like the EVGA boards will work but the Asus ones will not.

[ReallyRedCobra]

My evga 570 came with 6pin to molex connectors so you can just use the power from the second optical slot bay if you want.

[MacVidCards]

Originally Posted by ReallyRedCobra

My evga 570 came with 6pin to molex connectors so you can just use the power from the second optical slot bay if you want.

Keep in mind that later Mac Pros used SATA ODD so this won't work. Also, you may want to flip an ODD over and see how many watts of 12V it uses. Typically under 10. A GPU expects 75Watts on that connector.

When talking about a $300+ GPU in a $700+ computer, why is dropping $20 for a pair of the proper cables such a stretch?

Crazyconn, S-Video and other vendors sell these things for $7/each. This isn't the place to cheap out. Aside from which, using the real cables looks a lot less "ghetto".