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MacVidCards

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Original poster
Nov 17, 2008
6,096
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Hollywood, CA
Posted originally at Netkas.org, this new functionality is in DP4 and also likely in the OS on the new MBPs.

Some good news to break up the absurdist "Retro Mac Pro" release.

While the card itself can do 4 displays, apparently the drivers are still limited to 2 at once.

And it is currently no faster than our GTX470, but seeing the screens light up was really something.

Thanks again to Nvidia for making SUPERB cards and keeping Mac drivers up to date, even if Apple wants to keep Mac Pro in 2009.

Will likely be an update or two until this is truly useable, but function is there.

Now I just need to figure out an EFI for it.

Anyone have a NEW MBP running Windows?
 

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steveOooo

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2008
743
89
UK
I'm a super noob - Will nvidia be good for adobe cs5 ? How can I get a decent nvidia card on a mac pro 5,1 running 10.6.8? Like yours above?
 

MacVidCards

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Original poster
Nov 17, 2008
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Best Nvidia card for 10.6.8 is a GTX480.

If you move up to 10.7.4 you can use a GTX570 with 2.5GB, currently the best card for CS6 on a Mac.
 

derbothaus

macrumors 601
Jul 17, 2010
4,093
30
All of a sudden my complaining has turned to tears of happiness:D
Thanks for the freaking great news!!! Too bad PC distros will get my money. Oh well. All in the game
 

fox10078

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2009
467
86
Keep us posted! Really great news this might push me over the edge on the purchase.
 

netkas

macrumors 65816
Oct 2, 2007
1,198
394
Still we need somebody with new mbp, to share with us two folders from it.

It may help 6970 too
 

simplymuzik3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 29, 2009
589
0
If 3 monitors will work (I have 3 cinema displays, so there needs to some way to get each running at full res with mini-displayport), then I'll buy one right away!

Please keep us updated!
 

peabo

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2008
201
0
Can you tell me what is the best unofficial card for the 2012 Mac Pro compared to the 5870? I'd like to get the most I can out of this new machine. I also don't want to have to use an external PSU if possible!
 

steveOooo

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2008
743
89
UK
Best Nvidia card for 10.6.8 is a GTX480.

If you move up to 10.7.4 you can use a GTX570 with 2.5GB, currently the best card for CS6 on a Mac.

Is there a lot more power consumption vs the 5770/5980 amd (ati) cards in running the GTX480?

What would be the advantages / disadvantages of running GTX480 vs ati 5980 - Ive also seen amd hd 6870- would this be better than the GTX480? I'd like to still run 10.6.8.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-AMD-R...eo_TV_Cards&hash=item20bcd1c7c5#ht_3568wt_922
 

MacVidCards

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Original poster
Nov 17, 2008
6,096
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Hollywood, CA
Is there a lot more power consumption vs the 5770/5980 amd (ati) cards in running the GTX480?

What would be the advantages / disadvantages of running GTX480 vs ati 5980 - Ive also seen amd hd 6870- would this be better than the GTX480? I'd like to still run 10.6.8.

Not sure why you are including "5980"?

Not really a Mac option.

The GTX480 is power hungry. We have either the REGULAR version which runs at usual speeds and voltages and thus requires external power, or a slightly down clocked 480 that can live in a Mac Pro with no external power.

This is why the 570 is such a nice card. Fast like a 480, lower power and heat.

As far as the 6870 you linked from a seller in San Diego, I am a little disappointed that he has "borrowed" our PCIE 2.0 fix without giving credit where it is due. I always saw him as one of the few honest card flashers, I guess I was wrong.

We offer the same card, the difference being we DO give credit where it is due. Netkas made all of the 6870s possible by writing and distributing the EFI, I am the only seller who lists this in the ad. Everyone else forgets somehow......

The 6870 is SLOWER than a 5870 by 10% or so. It's BIG ADVANTAGE over a 5870 is ability to run 4 displays.

The 570 runs circles around either one of them. But soon you won't have to take my word for it. Barefeats.com has asked for some cards for review.

The GTX680 is slow right now because drivers are in their infancy. Give it a few months to get up to speed. Please note that we are getting drivers 3 months after PC s did, kind of a record. Usually it's 8 months to a year. Thanks Nvidia !!!
 

Asgorath

macrumors 68000
Mar 30, 2012
1,573
479
Cause of bad drivers?

Early drivers that probably don't have a lot of tuning yet. I think it's a safe guess to assume the main focus has been on the GT 650M in the new MBPs, and the support for the GTX 670/680 will mature over the coming months. The fact that the cards boot up and work right off the bat with Mountain Lion is a great sign, however.
 

steveOooo

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2008
743
89
UK
Not sure why you are including "5980"?

I meant the ati 5870 offered as a upgrade with the 5,1 mp.

The 6870 is SLOWER than a 5870 by 10% or so. It's BIG ADVANTAGE over a 5870 is ability to run 4 displays.

The 570 runs circles around either one of them. But soon you won't have to take my word for it. Barefeats.com has asked for some cards for review.

The GTX680 is slow right now because drivers are in their infancy. Give it a few months to get up to speed. Please note that we are getting drivers 3 months after PC s did, kind of a record. Usually it's 8 months to a year. Thanks Nvidia !!!

So does the nvidia use less power than the ati 5770 ? I essentially just need something more powerful than the stock ati 5770 but don't want to consume more electricity if I can help it.
 

lixuelai

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2008
956
321
Not sure why you are including "5980"?

Not really a Mac option.

The GTX480 is power hungry. We have either the REGULAR version which runs at usual speeds and voltages and thus requires external power, or a slightly down clocked 480 that can live in a Mac Pro with no external power.

This is why the 570 is such a nice card. Fast like a 480, lower power and heat.

As far as the 6870 you linked from a seller in San Diego, I am a little disappointed that he has "borrowed" our PCIE 2.0 fix without giving credit where it is due. I always saw him as one of the few honest card flashers, I guess I was wrong.

We offer the same card, the difference being we DO give credit where it is due. Netkas made all of the 6870s possible by writing and distributing the EFI, I am the only seller who lists this in the ad. Everyone else forgets somehow......

The 6870 is SLOWER than a 5870 by 10% or so. It's BIG ADVANTAGE over a 5870 is ability to run 4 displays.

The 570 runs circles around either one of them. But soon you won't have to take my word for it. Barefeats.com has asked for some cards for review.

The GTX680 is slow right now because drivers are in their infancy. Give it a few months to get up to speed. Please note that we are getting drivers 3 months after PC s did, kind of a record. Usually it's 8 months to a year. Thanks Nvidia !!!

I find it rather unlikely that a GTX570 "runs circles" around a HD5870. I had the GTX480 at one point along with the HD5870. The GTX480 was a bit faster unless running benchmarks with extreme tessellation usage (not many games is that heavy on tessellation, maybe Metro) but was less efficient so I kept the HD5870. Looking around online for "HD5870 vs GTX480" seems to corroborate what I remember as the HD5870 was considered an alternative. The GTX570 is about the same performance-wise as a GTX480.

Now if you meant a GTX680 that is a different story...
 

Derpage

Suspended
Mar 7, 2012
451
194
I find it rather unlikely that a GTX570 "runs circles" around a HD5870. I had the GTX480 at one point along with the HD5870. The GTX480 was a bit faster unless running benchmarks with extreme tessellation usage (not many games is that heavy on tessellation, maybe Metro) but was less efficient so I kept the HD5870. Looking around online for "HD5870 vs GTX480" seems to corroborate what I remember as the HD5870 was considered an alternative. The GTX570 is about the same performance-wise as a GTX480.

Now if you meant a GTX680 that is a different story...
I and pretty much everybody else who submitted to passmark would disagree.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
 

lixuelai

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2008
956
321
I and pretty much everybody else who submitted to passmark would disagree.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

I assumed that he was talking about gaming performance

The 6870 is SLOWER than a 5870 by 10% or so

That would be false according to the Passmark scores you linked. However it is true in games.

p.s. This is assuming those Passmark scores are even accurate because it does not track CF SLI usage and relies on premise that the # of single card scores will outweigh the outliers (aka CF SLI) as stated on that site. Some of the results are vastly different from 3dmark which is a much more widely accepted benchmark for graphics cards.
 
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MacVidCards

Suspended
Original poster
Nov 17, 2008
6,096
1,056
Hollywood, CA
Back on topic......

The GTX680 is currently slower than GTX470, but my guess is that that will change within 2 months.

I think it quite likely that before Lion is laid to rest there will be decent GTX6xx performance.

And that it will blossom and grow with Mountain Lion.

Have a look at the Big Picture folks....we only have ATI/AMD support up through the middle of 6xxx cards. NONE of the 7xxx cards are working.
Meanwhile, we have solid, stable Nvidia support through GTX5xx and now the beginnings of GTX6xx.

Unless Apple or AMD decide to benevolently add more 6xxx support, Nvidia GPUs are going to be the best and fastest Mac GPUs for the foreseeable future. It is a fact.
 

andrejkw

macrumors newbie
Jun 28, 2010
28
9
Ugh... now I'm not sure whether to wait for MVC to release a GTX680 with EFI or just go ahead and purchase a flashed GTX580. The only annoyance is having to download drivers from nVidia. Will the GTX680 work with built-in ML drivers?
 

tcwdoggy

macrumors newbie
Jun 13, 2012
3
0
This is why the 570 is such a nice card. Fast like a 480, lower power and heat.

Hi MacVidCards, just wondering what is the status of the 570 card I ordered from you at eBay. I have not received any update from you since paying 2days ago.
 
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