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Need help choosing graphics card on mac pro for video editing.

R

ryanlaing

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2007
16
0
Hi.

I'm going to be getting a mac pro sometime soon, mainly for video editing. Ive heard that the basic video card that comes with the computer right now is pretty crappy, but since I'm not going to be gaming much i was wondering if i should still upgrade or not. I'll mostly be using the final cut studio 2 stuff they just came out with, maybe a little bit of 3D stuff, but not too much. So anyone who knows more about how important graphics cards are for rendering video and all that, any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.
 
I'm not a "serious" video editor but I have found the basic 7300 GT suitable for my needs.

No doubt the X1900 recommended by fivetoadsloth having 512 Mb of video ram would be more desirable.

FJ
 
How important is the video card for video editing? I know it doesn't do anything for apps like photoshop and aperture.
 
As far as I know the video card does most of the rendering and video processing.

But as I often say "I could be wrong ...... I usually am" :mad:

FJ
 
The video Card accelerates OpenGL and 2D scrolling speeds -- and even then in 3D a lot of the geometry calcculations are handled by the processor.

Be aware that if you put the X1900 in you'll not see much difference between it and the stock GeF7300. Where you will see a difference is in gaming frame rates they should approximately double.

But, as you've said you don't play games (me neither).

Also be aware that if you choose the X1900 you'll transform your beautifully quiet Mac Pro into a screaming, rattling wheezebox. The fan reall is that noisy.
 
spetznatz said:
Also be aware that if you choose the X1900 you'll transform your beautifully quiet Mac Pro into a screaming, rattling wheezebox. The fan reall is that noisy.
Click to expand...

I have a 2.66 Quad with the ATI card. No noisy problems for me. In fact, after the initial boot up, I hardly hear the system at all. Maybe you should get your system checked out..
 
spetznatz said:
The video Card accelerates OpenGL and 2D scrolling speeds -- and even then in 3D a lot of the geometry calcculations are handled by the processor.

Be aware that if you put the X1900 in you'll not see much difference between it and the stock GeF7300. Where you will see a difference is in gaming frame rates they should approximately double.
Click to expand...

The place where having a good graphics card comes into play is when you use Motion, and especially now that Final Cut Studio 2 has Motion 3 which is now a 3D based app.

If you are looking at this side of video editing the ATI card will pay off. It will not help however with standard video editing, only with the special effects side of things.
 
Get the 1900 over the 7300... if u look at the system recommendations for FCS2 the 1900 is all over the place..
 
If you can hold out a bit longer, I know ATI is releasing their new cards this month, or so go the rumors. Perhaps by the end of May, or even during the WWDC we may see updated Mac Pros with different video card options.
 
strydr said:
I have a 2.66 Quad with the ATI card. No noisy problems for me. In fact, after the initial boot up, I hardly hear the system at all. Maybe you should get your system checked out..
Click to expand...

The same with me. In fact, I just recently upgraded my memory and was testing the system with the door off. I was within 3 ft of the 1900. It fired up, went back down and the noise was barely perceptible. I never hear noise from the MP.
 
strydr said:
I have a 2.66 Quad with the ATI card. No noisy problems for me. In fact, after the initial boot up, I hardly hear the system at all. Maybe you should get your system checked out..
Click to expand...

In a perfectly silent environment the x1900 DOES at noise to the system. It makes it a good bit louder then without it. However the system is still way quieter then a PC.
 
I have the 1900, and yeah its a good card... but... the fan is a little loud. I know that when I hear the fan, its that card, but my Mac Pro is in a hole/slide in cupboard thing, so the noise gains an echo/reverb... nice..
 
marvinsum said:
How important is the video card for video editing? I know it doesn't do anything for apps like photoshop and aperture.
Click to expand...

FYI - the video card is actually VERY important for Aperture. VERY. Aperture uses the GPU for a lot of it's work. I also heard last week that CS3 is using some of the GPU if you have enough of it there to use. Need to follow up on that though.

But CS2 - doesn't use it. Aperture - yes.
 
ryanlaing said:
Hi.

I'm going to be getting a mac pro sometime soon, mainly for video editing. Ive heard that the basic video card that comes with the computer right now is pretty crappy, but since I'm not going to be gaming much i was wondering if i should still upgrade or not. I'll mostly be using the final cut studio 2 stuff they just came out with, maybe a little bit of 3D stuff, but not too much. So anyone who knows more about how important graphics cards are for rendering video and all that, any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Apples "core" APIs are using the GPU more and more. Apple's applications are moving to using the core APIs. They are not all there yet. Maybe Leopard will move this process along farther. The way Core Image works is for each function it looks to see which would be faster the CPU or the GPU and then goes with the faster one. It is so unpredictable that Apple designed it so that it checks on your system rather than hard coding it. Will Studio 3 use the GPU? Cerainly Motion will. Will the new FCP?

One option is to simply buy the stock" graphic card and reserve the option to upgrade later. The longer you wait to upgrade the better the upgade will be as next year I'm sure they will have faster and cheap cards
 
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