Decent Video Card for 1,1 Mac Pro?

Ebay is where all the deals are, such as...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XFX-GeForce...538155?hash=item3603f3b8ab:g:UhYAAOSwkl5XcuLR

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NVIDIA-GeFo...774179?hash=item281ac473e3:g:REMAAOSwvg9XZ3hf

and many more.
All of these should work in your MP 1,1 but you'll not have any boot screen, that is unless you get the card properly flashed.

 

Yes it is, just perfect for a very old computer.

 

here's what I did 2 years ago find a good deal on an HD 4870 you can get non flashed ones for 40 or 50 dollars and flash it yourself. theres plenty of info on here about it cheapest way to go for a good card I think.

 

unless you really need a boot screen for some reason why bother flashing it? My 4,1 worked perfect with an nvidia gtx760

 

You can't do that and still stick to your original limitations...
"cheap and used in the $50 range"

 

You don't want much do you.

Look for a 680. I doubt you'll find one for $50 though, and if you do you should probably avoid it.

 

I have a 4870 that I replaced with a 6870 several years ago. If you happen to be in the vicinity of Philadelphia, you could just have it.

 

supply vs. demand
you are proof of that

alternately, a used Apple branded GT-120. not at all a great card but ready to go in a Mac and cheaper than the 5770/5870 you should get.

 

it's the base card that shipped with the 2009 Mac Pros. It wont do any accelerating. all of 32 CUDA cores, 512MB RAM. but it will be better than any card that a 1,1 shipped with. "compatibility" isn't the issue. Adobe doesn't require a minimum. it's just whether the card is good enough to contribute processing via CUDA or Open CL. 2009 also offered an Apple branded HD4870. it's an energy hog but better than the 120.

If you want a card that can accelerate, you need to spend a couple few hundred.

and a WARNING. there have been issues using these 2009 to 2012 Apple cards in earlier Mac Pros. I think it has been resolved in newer operating systems but I don't actually know as I stopped using 1,1 and 2,1 machines years ago. I would do a little research before buying anything and confirm hardware and OS compatibility. I bet if you search right here on MacRumors, you'll find tons of details.

You are probably better off saving your money for a newer computer than trying to get more out of that one.

 

I have an original Apple Radeon HD 4870 lying around. Without defects, used one year, replaced years ago with a Apple Radeon HD 5870. Do you live in Europe?

 

"and future MacOS etc?", wait, I'll need to consult with my crystal ball before answering this one.

 

Then be less cheap. You'll broaden your options.

And more importantly, your computer won't run MacOS Sierra.

 

AMD = ATI. Older cards were ATI before ATI became AMD. EVGA is a name of a third-party company that customizes the cards from ATI/AMD. ATI/AMD is the company that makes the card. EVGA makes custom add-in boards. They generally have better cooling or features than the stock card. EVGA, Gigabyte, ASUS, etc.

Because MacOS Sierra will only run on Mac Pros from 2010 and newer. Your Mac is not supported. They've upped the requirements for Sierra:

iMac: Late 2009 or newer
MacBook: Late 2009 or newer
MacBook Air: Late 2010 or newer
MacBook Pro: Mid 2010 or newer
Mac mini: Mid 2010 or newer
Mac Pro: Mid 2010 or newer

https://www.tekrevue.com/macos-sierra-system-requirements/

 

Problem solved? You're going to encounter issues trying to run MacOS on unsupported hardware and you'll need to be prepared to address those issues should they arise. You don't just use "leet hax" and then expect everything to work. Of course it's possible, but that's hardly what you were saying. You said it runs on Yosemite and El Capitan, so why shouldn't it run on Sierra? You seemed misinformed. I was merely informing you, not being "funny".

And "All you have to do is install a hacked version" ... what does this even mean exactly? You don't seem to realize what it takes to get OS X running on unsupported hardware. There isn't a "hacked version". You do the tweaking yourself. And it's quite an involved process.

 

I've been in a place where I install OS X on unsupported Macs ...

Your budget is $50 and you're asking about cards for video professionals and pulling a card out of an old DELL to flash? The best card would be the one you can spend the most on within your budget. Your budget doesn't really give you many options though. You also seem to be ignoring everyone in this thread.