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Macpro 1st Gen Graphics Card Upgrade

boogieman

boogieman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 10, 2004
187
7
After reading through several pages of post's on here I am still at a stand still on upgrading my original macpro 2.66ghz quad core. The reason I am upgrading the stock card is I cant handle the grainy look on my photos after using my same moniter with my new macbook pro. Also I am going to be using my bootcamp vista side to play bluray and hd dvds. I recently purchased the new buffalo dual external drive but the images are blury and after a hd video test my graphics card failed misserably. Can someone point me in the right direction. I want to spend around 275-300 shipped. My lcd display supports hdmi and all recent standards.
 
 
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You could try the ATI HD3870 (Mac & PC ed.). :)
It performs quite well, would work in a single card solution if necessary, and I think you'd really like the price. ;)
Just keep the old card, as you would currently need it to reinstall OS X.

Catch Them beat me to it. :p
 
nanofrog said:
You could try the ATI HD3870 (Mac & PC ed.). :)
It performs quite well, would work in a single card solution if necessary, and I think you'd really like the price. ;)
Just keep the old card, as you would currently need it to reinstall OS X.

Catch Them beat me to it. :p
Click to expand...

from all the recommendations i gave, i think the 3870 would also be a perfect choice to go with.
Does well under XP (games, photoshop etc)
Does extremely great under OSX esp with CoreApps and Photoshop, Imaging, Video etc.


;)
 
Catch Them said:
from all the recommendations i gave, i think the 3870 would also be a perfect choice to go with.
Does well under XP (games, photoshop etc)
Does extremely great under OSX esp with CoreApps and Photoshop, Imaging, Video etc.
;)
Click to expand...
Exactly! :D
Best bang-for-the-buck ATM for a Mac Pro. ;)
 
Catch Them said:
from all the recommendations i gave, i think the 3870 would also be a perfect choice to go with.
Does well under XP (games, photoshop etc)
Does extremely great under OSX esp with CoreApps and Photoshop, Imaging, Video etc.


;)
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention I am running Vista on bootcamp. Also you all seem to follow the ati over the nvidia. I just thought that since the nvidia is higher I would have expected it to be better.
 
boogieman said:
I forgot to mention I am running Vista on bootcamp. Also you all seem to follow the ati over the nvidia. I just thought that since the nvidia is higher I would have expected it to be better.
Click to expand...

For gaming performance, it is. For CoreImage performance in OS X, it is not… at least for now.
 
boogieman said:
I forgot to mention I am running Vista on bootcamp. Also you all seem to follow the ati over the nvidia. I just thought that since the nvidia is higher I would have expected it to be better.
Click to expand...
Not on a Mac Pro. ;)

The drivers for nVidia cards in a Mac Pro (OS X) aren't that great, and the ones available for ATI cards seem to work quite well in OS X. If the nVidia drivers were to improve, allowing the cards to perform as one would expect, the bias toward ATI could diminish, or even disappear I think. ;)
 
nanofrog said:
Well, if one is willing to wait, then get the 4870. ;) :p
Click to expand...
I'll admit that I prefer dual slot performance video cards but the 4850 is probably the best all around video card for the price right now.

Below that it's a fight between the 4670, 9600GSO, and 9600GT.
 
Eidorian said:
I'll admit that I prefer dual slot performance video cards but the 4850 is probably the best all around video card for the price right now.

Below that it's a fight between the 4670, 9600GSO, and 9600GT.
Click to expand...
True, but why not go crazy? :D ;)
 
boogieman said:
The reason I am upgrading the stock card is I cant handle the grainy look on my photos after using my same moniter with my new macbook pro. Also I am going to be using my bootcamp vista side to play bluray and hd dvds. I recently purchased the new buffalo dual external drive but the images are blury and after a hd video test my graphics card failed misserably.
Click to expand...
I've had ****ty experience with ATI cards, but I also don't believe my experience is the same as everyone else's, so the 3870 is probably a good all-around card for you. But I have to think that your problems aren't necessarily because of the GPU, even if you have the 7300GT that the original Mac Pros came with by default. It should be capable of playing HD-DVD/Bluray fine, unless I'm severely underestimating the GPU requirements of those formats?

The "grainy look" you mention doesn't sound at all like the graphics card (unless it's defective), but something else. I think you out to look into that before simply spending upwards of $300, unless you're wanting a better performing card regardless.
 
apfhex said:
I have to think that your problems aren't necessarily because of the GPU[/B], even if you have the 7300GT that the original Mac Pros came with by default. It should be capable of playing HD-DVD/Bluray fine, unless I'm severely underestimating the GPU requirements of those formats?

The "grainy look" you mention doesn't sound at all like the graphics card (unless it's defective), but something else. I think you out to look into that before simply spending upwards of $300, unless you're wanting a better performing card regardless.
Click to expand...

+1. The majority of Mac Pros that have been sold will be using the base cards and there don't seem to be issues of grainy 2D images being reported. It may be something as simble as a resolution issue.
 
This thread is perfect timing for me. I know the original post was about the stock card, but if I got the x1900 when I bought my Mac Pro, is it going to be much of a difference to upgrade to the 3870. I don't play games, but I will be using the CS4 Production suite extensively, mostly Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere.

I looked at the tests, and there doesn't seem to be much difference. However, I'm not that in the know when it comes to Video Cards, and all of their technical details. So I may be missing something.

Or would it be better to just keep the x1900 and invest in more RAM? (Currently at 4Gigs, definitely going up to 6 before the CS4 release)

Thanks for any help.
 
Umbongo said:
+1. The majority of Mac Pros that have been sold will be using the base cards and there don't seem to be issues of grainy 2D images being reported. It may be something as simble as a resolution issue.
Click to expand...


Let me clairfy that resolution is fine. I only have problems doing video editing rendering stuff like that major photo editing in adope and others. The main reason I have to upgrade is my factory card will not play blurays properly. I want the best of both worlds but can sacrifice some on the windows side. I really am leaning toward the 8800. I have the nvida 8600 in my macbook pro here and love it. Just one last thing can someone point out the major diff between the 8800gt and the ati 3870. Then I can fully decide.
 
boogieman said:
Just one last thing can someone point out the major diff between the 8800gt and the ati 3870. Then I can fully decide.
Click to expand...

The long and the short of it - the 8800 GT is faster for gaming and under Windows. The HD3870 is faster for Core Image-based applications, and slightly slower for gaming.
 
Mackilroy said:
The long and the short of it - the 8800 GT is faster for gaming and under Windows. The HD3870 is faster for Core Image-based applications, and slightly slower for gaming.
Click to expand...

Sorry for sounding plum stupid but what use's core image based? Vista will primeraly be used for viewing hd dvds and blurays, does that help anymore with my question. Thanks!!!!
 
Here's an even easier process

If heavy gaming = Yes then 8800
If heavy gaming = No then 3870

Can't break it down further than that. The 8800 is better for gaming, and that's it. The 3870 is cheaper and runs run-of-the-mill stuff just peachy. Now, keep in mind also that your components will need to be hdcp (is that right?) compliant, or your high def material will all run in lower res.
 
belunos said:
Here's an even easier process

If heavy gaming = Yes then 8800
If heavy gaming = No then 3870

Can't break it down further than that. The 8800 is better for gaming, and that's it. The 3870 is cheaper and runs run-of-the-mill stuff just peachy. Now, keep in mind also that your components will need to be hdcp (is that right?) compliant, or your high def material will all run in lower res.
Click to expand...

I can play bluray's and hddvd's now but it really stresses (Pixelated in intense scenes) out the stock card on the macpro but in turns does fine on my macbook pro with the 512 nvidia in it.
 
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