nMP video card upgrade?

Fell out of my chair laughing.

$1,000 for ONE of the cards.

Good luck finding "B".

You are better off selling your nMP and buying one with D700s already in it.

Or wait a few months, we should have eGPU solutions for nMP by summer, hopefully. But those will be external. The chances of reasonably priced GPU upgrades that work internally is 0.00%, as myself and many others predicted in June of 2013. There were some Sunshine Boys from Cupertino predicting easy upgrades available at the Apple Store but I think they finally ran out of Kool-Aid and realized that Apple has no intention of doing any such thing.

Apple doesn't want you updating ANYTHING any more. Buy it, use it for a year or 3, then buy a new one.

Haha...

It seems the same seller is also selling Card "B" at the same price. That's nearly 2 grand just to upgrade to GPUs that over 2 years old now. Heck, you can probably even buy a new one with the D700s already in it, sell your old machine and still come out ahead.

Its funny because its only 1000 for BOTH CARDS via custom order at apple's online store.

That guy is scalping to the max.

Your best bet is to just sell your machine and put it towards a new one that has the cards in it already

poematik13 said:

Its funny because its only 1000 for BOTH CARDS via custom order at apple's online store.

That guy is scalping to the max.

Click to expand...

of note is these are brand new / unopened gpus which are going through (i presume) legal channels.. it's not a d700 which was stripped from a mac pro.

the price will come down.

flat five said:

of note is these are brand new / unopened gpus which are going through (i presume) legal channels.. it's not a d700 which was stripped from a mac pro.

the price will come down.

Click to expand...

Yes, well, where are the multitude of upgrade options you predicted?

You went so far as to predict that not only Apple would be selling GPUs and PCIE SSDs, that even Best Buy and Fry's would have them. That because the nMP was constructed with screws therefore there would be upgrades aplenty.

How's that working out?

Here is the thread where you actually said this sad situation wasn't going to happen:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665155/

And yet, here we are. As the 8 sane people in that thread explained, there is no point to an easily disassembled computer if there are no better parts available to put back in there.

I have one right now, I have pulled it apart for amusement, but not much you can do but put it back together again.

Maybe Apple would have brought out those updates if they hadn't had to have their Engineers designing Mickey Mouse watch bands for the last year.

MacVidCards said:

Yes, well, where are the multitude of upgrade options you predicted?

You went so far as to predict that not only Apple would be selling GPUs and PCIE SSDs, that even Best Buy and Fry's would have them. That because the nMP was constructed with screws therefore there would be upgrades aplenty.

How's that working out?

Click to expand...

who are you trying to convince? your fans(?) here? yourself? you think by just making stuff up it somehow becomes truth? (well, it does if the people listening to you don't know the original arguement-- ie-straw man -- ie.. quote me saying you will be able to buy gpus for nmp at best buy or fry's.. please)

Here is the thread where you actually said this sad situation wasn't going to happen:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665155/

Click to expand...

wait what? you really can't see the things i said in that thread are now known to be true?

(but hey, i guess if i really wanted to, i could dig up another old thread with me making a prediction that this is what would happen in a few years (now))

And yet, here we are. As the 8 sane people in that thread explained, there is no point to an easily disassembled computer if there are no better parts available to put back in there.

Click to expand...

all of the 6.1s are still under warranty.. nobody (i'm guessing) is going to upgrade a gpu right now.. if a gpu breaks, they're not going to go buy a replacement, they're going to have applecare fix it.. this is the same thing that happened when the first mac pro came out.. no gpus for a couple of years.

Maybe Apple would have brought out those updates if they hadn't had to have their Engineers designing Mickey Mouse watch bands for the last year.

Click to expand...

yeah.. apple is weird like that.. they have one team of engineers that bounce around all their projects.. right now, i think they're tied up designing the elevators for apple campus.

flat five said:

all of the 6.1s are still under warranty.. nobody (i'm guessing) is going to upgrade a gpu right now.. if a gpu breaks, they're not going to go buy a replacement, they're going to have applecare fix it.. this is the same thing that happened when the first mac pro came out.. no gpus for a couple of years.

Click to expand...

Your penchant for inaccuracy and just plain old being WRONG continues.

First ones shipped in December 2013, they are 5 months out of warranty.

Go ahead and squirm out of that.

And if someone with an out of warranty D700 has one die, looks like it's $1,000 to get a new one.

Feel free to read that thread, you REALLY DID predict that Best Buy would soon be carrying Apple Upgrades.

MacVidCards said:

Your penchant for inaccuracy and just plain old being WRONG continues.

Click to expand...

you're obviously trying to fight as opposed to debate.. if you're seriously thinking the things i said in that thread are WRONG then so be it.. there's nothing i can do about it.. you're making the rules here

First ones shipped in December 2013, they are 5 months out of warranty.

Go ahead and squirm out of that.

Click to expand...

who here has an out of warranty nmp? raise hand
(we'll have to wait a little while to see me squirm)

Feel free to read that thread, you REALLY DID predict that Best Buy would soon be carrying Apple Upgrades.

Click to expand...

they do carry apple upgrades and replacement parts.. already.. just like they did back when i said that originally.. i didn't predict anything. was just stating a simple fact.

edit-(though i could still be wrong about the ssd upgrades.. just like i was back then re the macbook pro or air ssd (thinking they were mac specific ssds when they were actually standard).. they definitely sell replacement parts though).

flat five said:

you're obviously trying to fight as opposed to debate.. if you're seriously thinking the things i said in that thread are WRONG then so be it.. there's nothing i can do about it.. you're making the rules here


who here has an out of warranty nmp? raise hand
(we'll have to wait a little while to see me squirm)



they do carry apple upgrades and replacement parts.. already.. just like they did back when i said that originally.. i didn't predict anything. was just stating a simple fact.

Click to expand...

The fact that you were and are 100% in error remains, no matter how you try to weasel out of it.

Someday you might even admit it.

MacVidCards said:

The fact that you were and are 100% in error remains, no matter how you try to weasel out of it.

Someday you might even admit it.

Click to expand...

about what, exactly?
you're full of hot air.. you're talking about facts and 100percents and WRONG and error and weasels..

but-- that's all you're saying.. it's your entire post. you see that, right?

flat five said:

about what, exactly?
you're full of hot air.. you're talking about facts and 100percents and WRONG and error and weasels..

but-- that's all you're saying.. it's your entire post. you see that, right?

Click to expand...

Have another beer

MacVidCards said:

Have another beer

Click to expand...

i don't drink beer.. whiskey or wine or sake or rum sometimes. i mostly just smoke weed.

gotta catch a morning flight.. adios/
til next time

flat five said:

i don't drink beer.. whiskey or wine or sake or rum sometimes. i mostly just smoke weed.

gotta catch a morning flight.. adios/
til next time

Click to expand...

a rocketship to uranus

and a pocket rocket to yours?

MacVidCards said:

Here is the thread where you actually said this sad situation wasn't going to happen:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665155/

Click to expand...

heh.. from that thread:

me.. from that thread said:

it's the word games that some people choose to play as an attempt to save face which is annoying.. as in- when this thing is released and it's shown to be upgradeable etc, i'll still have been wrong all along if a few of these guys have anything to say about it.. you'll see.

Click to expand...

you see? no. of course not

flat five said:

heh.. from that thread:



you see? no. of course not

Click to expand...

What I DON'T see are the "upgrades" you spent pages predicting would be here.

There are no GPU upgrades other than over-priced repair parts and used pulls on EBay. There is only ONE (1) SSD upgrade offered, at an insane price and half the speed of the "pulls" on Ebay.

So, you were 100% wrong, like you were about the Mini SATA drive, like you were when you said the lack of GPU parts wasn't a problem since all nMPs were still under warranty. So despite being clearly on the wrong side of reality, you have stuffed your head further in the sand and keep posting nonsense and empty words.

There is an incredible wealth of GPU upgrade options for the cMP, and essentially nothing for the nMP.

My 2010, if it were stuck with its original 5770 card, would be useless to me now 5 years later (I wonder how slow the 2013 nMP will feel in late 2018). Thankfully the cMP isn't stuck with it's original 5770--it has PCIe slots. Two years ago I simply dropped in a GTX 680 and it was like having a new machine again. I just ordered a GTX 980 and expect to get another 2-3 years out of this machine.

What's incredible is the total cost of ownership (TCO) for my GPU upgrade. I bought the GTX 680 4GB two years ago for $370. Checking Ebay, where I intend to sell this card, the lowest price that these sold for in the last 30 days was $340. So the TCO for keeping my cMP relevant to my needs for two years is $30! That's about the cost a Thunderbolt cable. That's INSANE value.

When I look at the GPU "upgrades" available for the nMP, and the cost, it's pretty sad. Unlike others, I don't laugh...it's not funny to me--the undeniable fact is that some day my cMP's CPU is going to hold me back. On that day I will have to face the fact there is no longer a suitable Mac for me.

Apple has had their way. Slots and bays are dead to them. Expensive external boxes and cables are the new PCI slot. I hope MacVidCards can succeed and help you guys out with nMP GPU upgrades.

Concerning the warranty, nMP in EU is nowhere near expiration (yup, it's this tiny, insignificant part of the planet again, that is not US). EU has a regulation that every computer has a minimum of 2 years of warranty, so even if someone bought the nMP during the first days of launch, it is on warranty at least until december 2015, without applecare counting.

Now, concerning that most of the EU machines arrived well in 2014 due to apple being unable to catch up with the demand, it means that most warranties will start expiring sometime in 2016. Again, without applecare (which, of course, starts automatically after the initial warranty expires). So...yeah.

Now knowing that the GPU on the nMP is not upgradable do you guys built/buy your nMP having AMD FirePro with 2GB or the 3GB !?

There is no way I will damage my bank account with the AMD D700 @ $ 1,000

vsighi said:

Now knowing that the GPU on the nMP is not upgradable do you guys built/buy your nMP having AMD FirePro with 2GB or the 3GB !?

There is now way I will damage my bank account with the AMD D700 @ $ 1,000

Click to expand...

Macs are always at their best value immediately when released. This is because Apple doesn't bring the price down over time even though the value of computer components in it typically plummet over that same time. This is particularly bad for Mac Pros because the release cycle is often longer than other Mac models.

So the longer you buy a Mac Pro after release, the worse off you are from a value standpoint. People could argue about whether or not the D700 upgrade price was worth it 1.5 years ago when the current MP released, but today the price looks ridiculous.

My advice is, if it's at all possible, keep using whatever you are using until the next MP is released. The price will probably still be about the same, but the components will be a lot better. Keep in mind that it could be many months before this happens.

I know it can be tough to wait, but don't forget that those ultra expensive D700's are from AMD's old Tahiti line--a line that was released in late 2011 for crying out loud.

If you absolutely cannot wait, well...sorry man. Do what you have to do.

ActionableMango said:

My 2010, if it were stuck with its original 5770 card, would be useless to me now 5 years later (I wonder how slow the 2013 nMP will feel in late 2018). Thankfully the cMP isn't stuck with it's original 5770--it has PCIe slots. Two years ago I simply dropped in a GTX 680 and it was like having a new machine again.

Click to expand...

what software do you use? does every update basically mean you need to get a new gpu in order to utilize the further developed software? what type of features/code are being added to the software every year which puts so much emphasis on the gpu?

what happened between 2010 and 2015 that makes the 5770 useless?

in what way did the gtx680 make it seems as if you now were using a computer which is 3yrs newer?

GTX680 vs 5770.....slaughter

http://barefeats.com/gpu680v.html

so if i'm a gamer or benchmark software user, i should consider upgrading my gpu?