New GeForce GTX 285 Drivers Available Now, Offering Up to 20% Better Gaming Performan

[MacRumors]

NVIDIA has released new drivers for the GeForce GTX 285 aftermarket graphics card which has been available for the Mac Pro. NVIDIA representatives have also informed MacRumors that the new driver will deliver "up to 20% better performance" for gaming compared to previous driver versions.

Also, Mac Pro customers using the GeForce GTX 285 will need to update their card's driver before upgrading to Apple's forthcoming OS X 10.5.8. Failure to upgrade the driver prior to installing OS X 10.5.8 reportedly can cause system hanging.

The GeForce GTX 285 is currently available from the Apple Store for $449.95 and delivers a significant upgrade over the standard graphics card options available on the Mac Pro. The GeForce GTX 285 is not offered as a build-to-order option on new Mac Pros and must be ordered as an aftermarket upgrade. The card is compatible with both "Early 2008" and "Early 2009" Mac Pro models.

Article Link: New GeForce GTX 285 Drivers Available Now, Offering Up to 20% Better Gaming Performance

 

[Pugpuppydude]

Oh good i'm glad this is compatible with the 2008 models.. I have been thinking about getting this card. Hopefully Snow will make it even faster though!

 

[SPUY767]

It's a good card, but there's no reason that it shouldn't be manufactured to be compatible with all mac pro models with a PCI-E slot. I'm running an EVGA 295 under boot camp in my late 2006 mac pro, which has become a dedicated windows machine since I've picked up a new Nehalem Mac Pro, and I get stellar gaming performance.

 

[Architect4122]

Anyone know why this isn't an option for Build-to-Order?

 

[RetepNamenots]

It's the ever-annoying phrase 'up to' again!

 

[dvkid]

Anyone know why this isn't an option for Build-to-Order?

If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with Apple not wanting to directly provide support for these units. If you have to install it yourself, users are more likely to place a disconnect between Apple and the product's service.

 

[admanimal]

Anyone know why this isn't an option for Build-to-Order?

Maybe because it doesn't have a mini displayport connector and therefore doesn't support the 24" LED display.

 

[Architect4122]

Maybe because it doesn't have a mini displayport connector and therefore doesn't support the 24" LED display.

Good point. At the same time I see it as a great way for apple to sell one of their display connection adapters!

 

[Dr.Pants]

Good point. At the same time I see it as a great way for apple to sell one of their display connection adapters!

As far as I know, DVI->MDP does not exist - the other way around does. Personally I do not think this is in Apple's interests, as then their monitor could be used on non-apple computers! *gasp* And well, that just won't do Won't do at all!

[/sacarsm]

 

[Zerozal]

Good point. At the same time I see it as a great way for apple to sell one of their display connection adapters!

Except that there are no adapters to go from DVI out on the card to mini-dp in on the 24" LED. If you want to use the 24" cinema display, you have to have a mini displayport on the computer.

 

[DamnDJ]

And the Mac citizens of Dalaran rejoice.

 

[theBigD23]

I hope Nvidia comes out with a version that supports display port. $450 on a card with no display port is not a good option for me. I'm sure Apple's new Cinema line models will all be display port sooner or later. The other problems for me are the $900 price for a monitor.

 

[mcnallym]

Anyone know why this isn't an option for Build-to-Order?

Would also be nice if available outside USA.

 

[kolax]

How do you upgrade the drivers on OS X? Thought we were locked out?

Or is this firmware?

 

[guzhogi]

How do you upgrade the drivers on OS X? Thought we were locked out?

Or is this firmware?

Here's the address for the new driver:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/GeForce_MacOSX_18.5.2f16.html

 

[Krevnik]

How do you upgrade the drivers on OS X? Thought we were locked out?

Or is this firmware?

We've never been locked out of installing or updating drivers in OS X. This isn't even the first case of video drivers being available from someone other than Apple, the Radeon retail cards have their own driver upgrades.

I'm starting to think it boils down to this:
- If the card is available as BTO, or built-in to the system, then Apple wants the driver updates to only be released via Apple in an OS update.
- If the card is available as a retail only card (like the 285), then the OEM is responsible for providing the driver updates.

There have only been a handful of cards released as retail-only over the last 8 years, so you don't really see updated drivers from someone other than Apple.

There were a couple ATi cards that used drivers that ATi released on their own a few years ago.

 

[ViRGE]

These aren't really new drivers. eVGA (who sells the only GTX285 Mac) had these drivers up back on June 12th. The drivers NVIDIA has up are the exact same build as what eVGA had up: 18.5.2f16.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Why doesn't Apple offer the driver upgrade in Software Update to make sure Mac Pro owners that don't know about or forget about the update before they upgrade to 10.5.8 get the update and the OS doesn't hang? That's fine to offer it from NVidia, but if the card is selling at the Apple store then Apple should be supporting the card from within the OS. It's also ridiculous that you have to buy whatever card from Apple FIRST and then spend MORE money to get a DECENT video card for the machine...as if the Mac Pro didn't cost enough to begin with!

As for Display Port (or rather MINI Display Port) on standard Mac Pros versus this GTX 285, the situation still smells bad. There is literally no reason to have a "Mini" display port on a Mac Pro. The whole idea of a "Mini" version is to maximize space on a notebook computer. Why would you need to do that on a Mac Pro or even an iMac? Secondly, why does Apple's 24" LED monitor have a "Mini" port? Once again, there is plenty of room for a full sized Display Port on a monitor. Their notebooks SHOULD come with a cable or adapter that has a "Mini" connector on one end and a FULL SIZE Display Port connector on the other end and then there would be no compatibility issues with the Display Port standard and users wouldn't have to cry foul all the time. The fact that they seem to want to push the Mini sized connector despite the actual standard and then later try to muscle THEIR connector into the standard (thus creating two competing standards for the SAME THING and no simple mini-to-full-size adapter just REEKS of exclusivity. Hey look! I'm Apple and I don't have to conform to standards. Why don't they just go back to AppleTalk while they're at it and then try to make that the new standard to replace Ethernet?

Of course, half their problems would disappear with a cheap adapter. Mac Pros shouldn't have compatibility problems with any display. Why would anyone want to limit a machine with swappable graphics cards? That's just begging for problems. No Mac Pro should have a "Mini" output to begin with. It should either with a full sized Display Port or a DVI output and an adapter for either/or.

My 24" LG monitor actually came with its own DVI-to-HDMI cable. It is actually Apple's 24" LED monitor that should come with Display Port to Mini or vice versa and DVI to Mini for other users. The fact Apple seems to want to market a monitor with almost no market (only their own limited offerings) also draws MAJOR question marks. I can't help but wonder if Steve and Company are going senile or something.

 

[Peace]

If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with Apple not wanting to directly provide support for these units. If you have to install it yourself, users are more likely to place a disconnect between Apple and the product's service.

The GTX-285 runs on Snow Leopard using Apple's driver. And it works great but only in 64-bit mode. Try it in 32-bit and black screen of death every time. Under Snow Leopard at least. And btw. I'm getting between 150 and 250 FPS playing World of Warcraft. It helped me get to lvl 60!!

Maybe because it doesn't have a mini displayport connector and therefore doesn't support the 24" LED display.

Maybe NVidia and Apple are working on a version that has displayport.

 

[justflie]

The GTX-285 runs on Snow Leopard using Apple's driver. And it works great but only in 64-bit mode. Try it in 32-bit and black screen of death every time. Under Snow Leopard at least. And btw. I'm getting between 150 and 250 FPS playing World of Warcraft. It helped me get to lvl 60!!

Haha, nicely done! As it has been said before, these drivers have been out for a little while now. They're certainly an improvement, but they are nowhere near the driver maturity of ATI cards in OS X. It's certainly still a work in progress. That's just fine by me as long as they keep improving it. In Windows, though, it blows my games away!

 

[ghostface147]

Anyone know why this isn't an option for Build-to-Order?

Good question. I bet it will show up soon and this is strictly for the early adopters at this time.

 

[Strobe]

This is old news. I got excited when I saw UP TOO 20% gain in performance as I definitely get better FPS in Vista on my card and was hoping to semi bridge the gap at least.

That excitedness vanished when I saw that on NVIDIA site that the driver is "18.5.2f16" which is the same thing EVGA released 6/12/09 on their site. UGH, disappointment.

 

[heisetax]

Non Apple Display!

I hope Nvidia comes out with a version that supports display port. $450 on a card with no display port is not a good option for me. I'm sure Apple's new Cinema line models will all be display port sooner or later. The other problems for me are the $900 price for a monitor.

Just purchase a non-Appe DVI display. They may not have as pretty of a case, but they just work. My 30" Apple display displays red sometimes rather than black. At that time colors are way off. Then later it can go back to normal color display. This happens on eithe of my 2 instaled ATI 3870 video cards on my 1st gen, mid to later Intel Mac Pro.

At the present time I plan to purchase a non-Apple 30" display. I have no need for a mini displayport of Apple's. LED back lighting looks & sounds good, but not if it is going to take a non-standard connector. Apple calls it a standard, but until other display manufactures use it on a good usable display & other computer manufactures use it on some of their video card it will just reain a freek display connector that does not belong on any main video card on an Intel Mac Pro. or any Mac that calls itself a "Pro" model.

 

[heisetax]

Microsoft & Apple to make their own standards!!

Why doesn't Apple offer the driver upgrade in Software Update to make sure Mac Pro owners that don't know about or forget about the update before they upgrade to 10.5.8 get the update and the OS doesn't hang? That's fine to offer it from NVidia, but if the card is selling at the Apple store then Apple should be supporting the card from within the OS. It's also ridiculous that you have to buy whatever card from Apple FIRST and then spend MORE money to get a DECENT video card for the machine...as if the Mac Pro didn't cost enough to begin with!

As for Display Port (or rather MINI Display Port) on standard Mac Pros versus this GTX 285, the situation still smells bad. There is literally no reason to have a "Mini" display port on a Mac Pro. The whole idea of a "Mini" version is to maximize space on a notebook computer. Why would you need to do that on a Mac Pro or even an iMac? Secondly, why does Apple's 24" LED monitor have a "Mini" port? Once again, there is plenty of room for a full sized Display Port on a monitor. Their notebooks SHOULD come with a cable or adapter that has a "Mini" connector on one end and a FULL SIZE Display Port connector on the other end and then there would be no compatibility issues with the Display Port standard and users wouldn't have to cry foul all the time. The fact that they seem to want to push the Mini sized connector despite the actual standard and then later try to muscle THEIR connector into the standard (thus creating two competing standards for the SAME THING and no simple mini-to-full-size adapter just REEKS of exclusivity. Hey look! I'm Apple and I don't have to conform to standards. Why don't they just go back to AppleTalk while they're at it and then try to make that the new standard to replace Ethernet?

Of course, half their problems would disappear with a cheap adapter. Mac Pros shouldn't have compatibility problems with any display. Why would anyone want to limit a machine with swappable graphics cards? That's just begging for problems. No Mac Pro should have a "Mini" output to begin with. It should either with a full sized Display Port or a DVI output and an adapter for either/or.

My 24" LG monitor actually came with its own DVI-to-HDMI cable. It is actually Apple's 24" LED monitor that should come with Display Port to Mini or vice versa and DVI to Mini for other users. The fact Apple seems to want to market a monitor with almost no market (only their own limited offerings) also draws MAJOR question marks. I can't help but wonder if Steve and Company are going senile or something.

Because Apple seems to be mdoeling themselves after Microsoft, they want to be in the standards making like Microsft thinks they are.

We need standard standards, not Appe or MS standards.

 

[voyagerd]

What happens if you buy a Mac Pro in the coming months and it comes with 10.5.8 on it? Can you install these drivers after 10.5.8 is installed and not have issues? I guess there will probably be another driver update before 10.5.8 comes out anyway. It's awesome to see an OSX driver on Nvidia's site.