Help me choose a video card for my Mac Pro 1,1

[olemed]

Oops, previously posted in the MacBook Pro forum - sorry!

Help me choose a video card for my Mac Pro 1,1. I suspected that indeed my stock NVIDIA card failed on me recently and went to the Genius Bar this weekend to confirm this. Now I'm on the hunt for a replacement card. Love this system and want it to last another 1-2 years. Been a truly wonderful system!

My options are:
ATI Radeon X1900 XT
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
ATI Radeon HD 5770 (read this will work in this model)

I mostly work in Photoshop/Camera Raw on my Mac. I do some video editing now and then. I'm not a heavy user (no gaming or animation). Which card will fit my overall needs? I want decent speed compared with the stock card. My budget is between $150 - $200. Would love an original Apple card (refurb) if possible.

Also, I've been reading about 'flashed PC' cards. I understand that one pro to this is the cost but a con is I won't see my Mac boot up screen. Will this ever be an issue and if so under what circumstances?

My options to purchase are either ebay via reputable sellers, old-macs.com, or http://www.dvwarehouse.com/. Can someone recommend a reputable US seller?

Thanks again!

 

[Macsonic]

Oops, previously posted in the MacBook Pro forum - sorry!

Help me choose a video card for my Mac Pro 1,1. I suspected that indeed my stock NVIDIA card failed on me recently and went to the Genius Bar this weekend to confirm this. Now I'm on the hunt for a replacement card. Love this system and want it to last another 1-2 years. Been a truly wonderful system!

My options are:
ATI Radeon X1900 XT
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
ATI Radeon HD 5770 (read this will work in this model)

I mostly work in Photoshop/Camera Raw on my Mac. I do some video editing now and then. I'm not a heavy user (no gaming or animation). Which card will fit my overall needs? I want decent speed compared with the stock card. My budget is between $150 - $200. Would love an original Apple card (refurb) if possible.

Also, I've been reading about 'flashed PC' cards. I understand that one pro to this is the cost but a con is I won't see my Mac boot up screen. Will this ever be an issue and if so under what circumstances?

My options to purchase are either ebay via reputable sellers, old-macs.com, or http://www.dvwarehouse.com/. Can someone recommend a reputable US seller?

Thanks again!

The Radeon 5770 HD Mac edition would be the better choice. You can check out eBay as there are used 5770s Mac versions for sale. Another is the Radeon 5870 but it costs more. Good luck.