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Can the new MacPro do SLI???
- Thread starter flinstone
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Windows SLI would probably work, but we don't know yet. Oh, and do a search before posting, as I created a thread about this on launch day. Thanks!
The simple answer is no, you won't be able to run SLI on your current machine.
The detailed answer is you won't be able to run it because of your motherboard. SLI will only work with nForce chipsets, and since it's awfully unlikely your current mainboard has one, you'll only be able to take advantage of the second GT by using it to drive additional displays, as Umbongo said previously. Your cards are SLI-ready, and SLI will work on all flavors of Windows XP and Vista (even Linux) but not any of the Mac platforms, in case you were wondering.
The detailed answer is you won't be able to run it because of your motherboard. SLI will only work with nForce chipsets, and since it's awfully unlikely your current mainboard has one, you'll only be able to take advantage of the second GT by using it to drive additional displays, as Umbongo said previously. Your cards are SLI-ready, and SLI will work on all flavors of Windows XP and Vista (even Linux) but not any of the Mac platforms, in case you were wondering.
Nvidia does it to keep their motherboard business afloat. And yes, its really just a driver line that is used to enable/disable it, but Nvidia has encoded that sucker heavily.
ive seen alot of mac pro users on the previous mac pro enable sli in boot camp very easily with two 7300s
I thought you needed two PCI Express x16 slots and that the Mac Pro only had 1 x16 and three x4s. Either way, Apple doesn't really seem to be trying to be gamer-friendly anymore.
The 8800GT is lightyears ahead of the overpriced, underpowered, two-and-a-half generation-old X1900XT, but they're charging $100 more than the retail on the PC-side... and you can't even SLI. I do see the 8800GT as the perfect top-of-the-line card for Apple (as to get a faster card you'd have to move up to the GTX, which is a lot more, and not always faster, if not the Ultra which is obscenely expensive), but the lack of in-between cards is sad (a 2600XT is not a mid-way between a 8800GT and a- oh right.. there's no low-end...)
The 8800GT is lightyears ahead of the overpriced, underpowered, two-and-a-half generation-old X1900XT, but they're charging $100 more than the retail on the PC-side... and you can't even SLI. I do see the 8800GT as the perfect top-of-the-line card for Apple (as to get a faster card you'd have to move up to the GTX, which is a lot more, and not always faster, if not the Ultra which is obscenely expensive), but the lack of in-between cards is sad (a 2600XT is not a mid-way between a 8800GT and a- oh right.. there's no low-end...)
Maybe, but OSX doesn't support it (I assume you still need application support). It would be interesting to get an answer on though.
To do SLI with two 8800s, if its possible, you'd need the SLI bridge for one.
Also, you'd have to have hacked drivers that allow SLI on any chipset, like they had for the 7300GT.
Also, you'd have to have hacked drivers that allow SLI on any chipset, like they had for the 7300GT.