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r6mile

macrumors 65816
Feb 3, 2010
1,004
501
London, UK
Only one choice - GeForce GTX 680, which you can flash. See the specific threads for the best variants to choose.
 

jngphoto

macrumors member
Jan 21, 2009
48
4
I currently have an ATI 5770 in my Mac Pro 3,1. Will upgrading to the GTX 680 be a big improvement? I do mainly photo editing and video with FCPX.
 

theodor12

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2020
20
2
Hi,
is a Nvidia 680 really my only choice? Because, there is a lot of Metal GPUs on the market.
 

Borowski

macrumors regular
Oct 22, 2018
136
27
No, you could also get a (variant of) AMD HD7950 or 7970, if startup screen is mandatory.
 

theodor12

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2020
20
2
Hi everyone, I found this:


A Nvidia 680. If I bought it and flashed it with the Mac Edition 680 FirmWare, would it work with full graphics acceleration and EFI boot screen?

No, you could also get a (variant of) AMD HD7950 or 7970, if startup screen is mandatory.
By the way, these and a 680 are the ONLY options for a Metal GPU for Mac Pro 3.1? Thanks
 

Dayo

macrumors 68000
Dec 21, 2018
1,962
1,111
Actually, there is no need to flash cards any more these days.

If you implement THIS, you will get a pre boot configuration screen, AKA "boot screen", with virtually any card produced in at least the last six years ... certainly with a GTX 680. The boot screen will not be the native Mac version but equivalent.

if you are running Mojave and newer, the RX580 is the poster child GPU.
Conventional wisdom is to use the Sapphire Pulse version.
The XFX version, which I use, is not recommended although mine works very well.

GTX680 is well regarded since it is possible to flash it for native bootscreen but as said, that was a major consideration before developments over the last year or so that have made boot screen widely available and has made flashing cards redundant.
 
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theodor12

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2020
20
2
Thanks Dayo!
Saddly, my budget for a new GPU is around 140$. And for that money, you can't get a RX580. As far as I know. But I found a GTX680 for around that money.
And yes, I need to run Mojave or newer on my 3.1 Mac Pro. So I need a card, with support of Metal and the Mac its self.

Plus concidering, that I want the original Mac boot screen and I have the resources to do it, It's easier and cleaner to do it as I wrote earlier. Just flash the card with a Mac Edition FirmWare, which is currently free to download.
 

Borowski

macrumors regular
Oct 22, 2018
136
27
By the way, these and a 680 are the ONLY options for a Metal GPU for Mac Pro 3.1? Thanks
No, but the only "genuine" made-for-Apple-cards.
Some newer gpus will also have metal-support, but in most cases without startup-screen and partially/complete unsupported by driver in OS.
 

theodor12

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2020
20
2
Hi everyone,
thanks for all of your great answers and recommendations!
So, I’m really close to buing a Nvidia 680. But do I need a Mac Edition card to have Metal support?
When I was thinking about the answer, I thought it could be “no”. Because, why would Nvidia made two versions of the GPU chip, one with Metal support and vice versa. But I’m not 100%:sure about that idea.
So I’m here, again, asking for your profesional opinion. :D
 

theodor12

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2020
20
2
There are several offers on eBay of flashed GTX680. Be bold and go for it.
I just buy a old PC GTX 680 2GB and flash it.
The remaining issue is how you gonna power it. Have you got the power cable already?
Hi,
my plan is to buy a PC 680 and flash it for Mac boot screen support.
And I think, that all 680s have a double 6-pin connector. And my Mac has also double 6-pin plug.
So powering the card shouldn’t be a problem. ?
 

Nguyen Duc Hieu

macrumors 68020
Jul 5, 2020
2,311
680
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Thank you, but they will give me boot screen. If i will flash them. Right?

There are several offers on eBay of flashed GTX680. Be bold and go for it.
I just buy a old PC GTX 680 2GB and flash it.
The remaining issue is how you gonna power it. Have you got the power cable already?
Hi,
my plan is to buy a PC 680 and flash it for Mac boot screen support.
And I think, that all 680s have a double 6-pin connector. And my Mac has also double 6-pin plug.
So powering the card shouldn’t be a problem. ?

Really? Mine needs 6-pin+8-pin combo.
If you already have the cable, that would be good.
Other wise, you will need to buy one or two cables.
It's called mini 6-pin to 8-pin PCIE power cable. Check well with the seller before ordering.

New mini 6pin male to pcie 8pin male video card 6 pin to 8 pin power cable for Mac Pro G5 GTX680 GTX480|pcie mini|pcie to pciemini pcie to pcie - AliExpress

Mini 6 Pin to PCI E 6Pin Graphics Video Card Power Cable Connector for Apple IOS Mac G5 Mac Pro Computer Accessories|Computer Cables & Connectors| - AliExpress

Check this post for more options:

GPU Compatibility List for cMP | MacRumors Forums
 
Last edited:

MVMNT

macrumors 6502
Apr 28, 2010
444
595
Hmm looks like 680 GTX Mac Edition still commands a decent price 2nd hand?
 
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