Have 2 monitors hooked up to my mac pro- want to add another...

[marklight]

I'm just wondering what the cheapest way to go about this is. Currently my graphics card is the 8800, but I think I've read that you don't have to have the same graphics card to add more monitors (the ATI base graphics card will do just fine). So do I just need to purchase one from apple or am I able to get one cheaper from anywhere else?

Also all of the supported graphics cards output 1920X1080 right? And on a side not - this output will be going to my television - is there any way to make front row default to the television output?

 

[Tallest Skil]

Grab an HD 2600 if you need to run more than two. If you need to do extensively graphical stuff, grab another 8800 GT, but the HD 2600 is the cheapest option. You MUST buy an HD 2600 from Apple, but there is quite a list of success with flashing PC 8800 GT with the Apple ROM, and even overclocking of both Apple and PC cards has been done using this ROM.

 

[marklight]

Grab an HD 2600 if you need to run more than two. If you need to do extensively graphical stuff, grab another 8800 GT, but the HD 2600 is the cheapest option. You MUST buy an HD 2600 from Apple, but there is quite a list of success with flashing PC 8800 GT with the Apple ROM, and even overclocking of both Apple and PC cards has been done using this ROM.

Wait, why would getting another 8800GT help my performance. I might have been informed wrong but I didn't think the second card on a mac really affected performance. In any case, all I'm using the new card I will be getting for is to output to a TV to run front row. If I get the lesser card (the HD 2600) it shouldn't affect my current performance correct? (im not going to be using front row at the same time I'm working on my computer)

 

[jjahshik32]

Just get the hd 2600xt if you already dont have one...

 

[Tallest Skil]

The 8800 GT is a better card than the HD 2600. Anything plugged into an 8800 GT will have better performance than the same thing plugged into an HD 2600. Since you're only going to be running your TV/Front Row off of it, just go for the HD 2600; you won't need any more power than that.

If you, say, ran one monitor on a 8800 GT and a second on a 2600, you'd have slightly worse performance for the second monitor than if you had two 8800 GT and ran one monitor off of each.

 

[jjahshik32]

I have an 8800gt and a hd 2600xt since I ordered the mac pro with the 2600 and separately ordered the upgrade kit for the 8800gt. I want to do dual monitors later with the mac pro but if I want 3 I'd just plop in the 2600 and it should run just fine for most things.