New GPU king for the Mac Pro

[DestroyF]

I am searching for my GPU upgrade and find out the new RTX2080 has a maximum power consumption about 225W, which means this should be the most powerful GPU for the Mac Pro's within the power safety limit at this moment 2018 October.

Although there's no Webdriver yet available. This is a card you to have to keep an eye on.
Source:Guru3D

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

The web drivers are always buggy, crash, permanently beta and not officially supported and no 10 bit output (that makes it useless for modern pros).

There won’t be any RTX support either because no API exists for it yet on macOS. If or or when a driver comes out by that time there will be better options like Navi with official support and optimum for macOS.

New Mac Pro will be out too. Leave this cheesegrating crap. Get a MacBook Pro and Vega egpu if you can’t wait.

 

[DestroyF]

Yes, it's true. I am hoping for a upgradable Mac Pro 2018 too. The trashcan didn't age well and miss that epic factor. Still, for user with older machines (and using Windows beside OSX). The RTX2080 and the coming AMD Polaris refresh are the only 2 possible choices within the (225W power)limits.

 

[skippermonkey]

@ SoyCapitan: I have a mid-2010 12-core cheesegrater. It has an MVC GTX980Ti and Nvidia web drivers, a boot SSD and two HDs. I run all sort of processor and GPU-intensive apps for CG and this machine is fast and stable running under High Sierra.

I too am looking forward to seeing what the new Mac Pro will do/be, but hoping (probably unwisely) for Nvidia support out of the box.

 

[DestroyF]

I have a Mac Pro 3,1. 2x Quad 2.8 +32Gb, along with a 5,1 2x X5690 +128Gb, SM951 AHCI 512, nVidia 120, 8800GT, AMD 2600, 5770 & RX480. Lately I want to play some games after hours. Thats why I am searching for a "gamers" card. The audio part is coming with Sennheiser headphones, Audeze Mobilus & a Stax. Work, enjoyment and appreciation for the quality of this legendary machine. Thanks Steve...

 

[Naimfan]

We ran a collection of 5,1 boxes with 980s, 1070s, and 1080s for months at a time without crashing or bugs, those machines offering infinitely better performance than anything Apple offered. An experiment with 6,1s with D700s was not a success - every single one would crash and burn out.

And the new MBPs are not a solution, as they are incapable of running at 100% load 24/7 the way the 5,1 can (at the obvious cost of a higher electric bill, but hey, it's taxpayer money).

Ironically, about the only computer Apple makes that CAN be run at 100% 24/7 is the Mini (we haven't bothered trying the iMP - far too expensive for what it offers since it's not available without the screen).

 

[bsbeamer]

Have GTX 1080 FE and official GTX 680 Mac Edition. Both of these can be easily powered internally. The RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 FE specs show 6 pin + 8 pin. It is possible, but not as straightforward as using just the two dual mini 6-pins on the board.

Based on previous track records, you'll likely need to wait at least 6 months for compatible drivers for the latest generation cards on macOS.

 

[orph]

looks like for now Vega is the OSX king
RTX has no driver yet, Nvidia driver dependent cards are just faster in windows never as fast in osx, i cant see any ray tracing games in osx any time soon

for compute workloads windows/linux are kings with that card and when an osx driver comes out will it be as fast? or will apps be designed to use the extra features?

and relay do you want to pair a £1000+ GPU with a 9 year old system?

looks cool tho

 

[fhturner]

New Mac Pro will be out too. Leave this cheesegrating crap. Get a MacBook Pro and Vega egpu if you can’t wait.

Remind me why it is again that you're posting in a subforum targeted at helping fellow Mac Pro users?

 

[DestroyF]

looks like for now Vega is the OSX king
RTX has no driver yet, Nvidia driver dependent cards are just faster in windows never as fast in osx, i cant see any ray tracing games in osx any time soon

for compute workloads windows/linux are kings with that card and when an osx driver comes out will it be as fast? or will apps be designed to use the extra features?

and relay do you want to pair a £1000+ GPU with a 9 year old system?

looks cool tho

I am now in Asia indeed, as now they are DUMPING the graphics cards. For example a 2nd hands Inno3D 1080Ti FE=USD319!!!{{I was too late for this...}, MSI GEFORE GTX 1080 Gaming X 8GB=USD 400 with 2 1/2 years garantee, EVGA 1080TI 1080 TI 11GB usd 575, New NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition 8GB USD 700!!! MSI RX560 usd70 each, all 4 for 242...

Of course you can wait for the new Polaris or a NEW Mac pro for which you have to sell your car first. Or buy NOW if you have found a bargain like that 1080Ti FE for 319...Oh I should have bought that, even if it doesn't fit in my Mac power profile

 

[goMac]

There won’t be any RTX support either because no API exists for it yet on macOS. If or or when a driver comes out by that time there will be better options like Navi with official support and optimum for macOS.

Metal in Mojave added a ray tracing graphics acceleration API to Metal, so there is an API that RTX could pair with. Apple was demoing it on Vega at WWDC.

Will that actually happen? Probably not.

 

[abdyfranco]

The web drivers are always buggy, crash, permanently beta and not officially supported and no 10 bit output (that makes it useless for modern pros).

There won’t be any RTX support either because no API exists for it yet on macOS. If or or when a driver comes out by that time there will be better options like Navi with official support and optimum for macOS.

New Mac Pro will be out too. Leave this cheesegrating crap. Get a MacBook Pro and Vega egpu if you can’t wait.

Metal supports Ray Tracing https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metalperformanceshaders/metal_for_accelerating_ray_tracing

 

[goMac]

Metal supports Ray Tracing https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metalperformanceshaders/metal_for_accelerating_ray_tracing

I think the only question about such a pairing is if Ray Tracing is exposed at the driver level on Metal. My impression is that the ray tracing API generates compute code, which then is handed to the driver. That could prevent the driver from doing any specific work on it's own.

But, it's completely possible that the commands that are encoded are obvious enough that a driver could rework them for an optimized hardware implementation. It's also reasonable to assume that as Apple advances ray tracing in Metal that they might add more hooks for driver side optimization of ray tracing.

 

[sbarton]

I know this is a little off topic, so sorry. I have a 5,1 and 6,1 in my office and have been thinking about whether to invest in another higher end GPU for the 5,1 (which isn't getting much use atm). My use-case for high end GPU is gaming which is probably 25% of my needs for a "home computer". I've been spoiled by 1440p at 32 inches and it would be a drag to go back to an iMac or 27" at this point. For my use-case it's probably a bad move given the bandwidth limitations in the 5,1, so I think I'm going to put it out to pasture soon. Very excited about RTX - if it takes hold and they improve it over time, it will have a dramatic impact on VR and gaming. Still much work to be done though and for a Mac 5,1 a gtx2080 is probably a bad idea given the driver situation on the OSX side and the fact that 1080's run just fine already (which are overkill).

I really wonder about Apples commitment to bootcamp or if it will even be available for new macs in a few years. The state of it these days for many machines is pretty bad already. That coupled with the wet dream that apple has with Metal (in the gaming space at least) is really turning me off to the Mac platform lately. I picked up my used trashcan with d700's for less than 2k and still games pretty well, never had a single issue with stability even with a 15% overclock. It will probably last me another year or so and then I'll need to make a decision on whats next. I've owned Mac computers since the mid 90s which ironically was probably the worst era of Apple (performa anyone?). Apple (to me) is starting to feel like those days again

 

[AidenShaw]

Remind me why it is again that you're posting in a subforum targeted at helping fellow Mac Pro users?

Maybe he's just trying to get people to realize that the end of cheese grater is quickly approaching - and alternatives should be considered.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-will-cmp-support-end.2143880/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/wifi-card-not-working-under-mojave.2127757/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/when-might-the-nvidia-web-driver-for-mojave-drop.2143833/
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-3-pcie-adaptor-works-on-mac-pro-pls.2146593/​

The day is rapidly approaching where the pain and compromises of trying to use a cMP are simply not rational.

Helping "fellow Mac Pro users" to realize that is a service.

 

[flowrider]

Helping "fellow Mac Pro users" to realize that is a service.

A service, I don't think so. He's just doing what he always does. Creating animosity. Yes, the days of the cMP are numbered, and have been for some time now.

Over the weekend, I cleaned my 5,1 with some compressed air. And again, I was impressed with it's elegant design. I will keep using my machine as long as it remains relevant. Yes, IMHO, it is still a relevant computer and when upgraded is still very useful in today's world.

Lou

 

[abdyfranco]

Even if Apple drops the cMP 5,1 support the next year, the cMP still able to use Windows and the hardware is upgradable, so you can get more years of juice out of the machine. It is impressive that a machine almost 10 years old, today with a new graphics card, I can play everything in ultra, in 3K resolution at more than 60fps!

 

[ekwipt]

Personally i wouldnt waste my time with Nvidia on Macs period. Waiting on Drivers, no official support, what's the point? What can't you do with a Vega 64 that you can on any Nvidia. Or to fliup that why choose MAc over Windows and a PC if you really do need Nvidia?

 

[DPUser]

Different workflows call for different tools.

The 5,1 is - and will remain for some time - very viable for those doing audio work. And AMD provides everything an audio pro needs in a GPU.

 

[sbarton]

Personally i wouldnt waste my time with Nvidia on Macs period. Waiting on Drivers, no official support, what's the point? What can't you do with a Vega 64 that you can on any Nvidia. Or to fliup that why choose MAc over Windows and a PC if you really do need Nvidia?

Ironically though, Nvidia has supported the graphics solutions for the cMP over the last several years better than Apple has by a long shot.

 

[MisterAndrew]

I agree with ekwipt. I can’t see there being something you need done on a cMP that requires an Nvidia GPU and can’t be handled by a Vega or even an RX 580. I also don’t agree that Nvidia has been providing better support than Apple & AMD on GPUs for the Mac. Just because they made a buggy beta driver and someone hacked the EFI to allow boot screens on newer cards? That’s hardly good support.

 

[bsbeamer]

If not for NVIDIA GPUs working with cMP’s for several years, I would 100% be on a Windows machine by now. Know MANY more in the same or similar situation.

Buggy drivers, beta, or whatever want to call it, the NVIDIA Web Drivers opened the door to keeping many of these machines going and current, all “unofficially” with current GPUs. They truly kept this community going for a long time, so much that people were going back to these machines and hacking older ones to create new 5,1’s.

Many “pros” have left, but I know many who stayed (or went back to Apple). Many like the OS and are more creative without the handcuffs of Windows.

Ultimately it’s Apple’s fault we are at this point - they could have given us new cMP style towers years ago, but didn’t. I’ll take whatever gifts they want to dole out until we know more about the next generation “pro” machine.

 

[MisterAndrew]

That’s only true for people who were determined to use current Nvidia GPUs though. Many current AMD GPUs could be used since Mountain Lion. All of the device IDs weren’t in the driver, but it could usually be added successfully if it wasn’t there.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^Not true! A few years ago, I went from AMD to Nvidia while I still owned my 3,1 cMP. Started off with a GTX 560, then a GTX 780 and now a GTX 1080. The level of support from the then, ATI, seemed lacking. Nvidia seemed more aggressive with drivers and still seems more customer orientated. With the addition of EFI support from MVC, using Nvidia GPUs seemed like the right thing to do. Over the years Apple and Nvidia have developed a feud that I never really understood.

Late AMD cards do not have boot EFIs, yet Apple is recommending them for cMPs when moving to Mojave? Over the years, I have gotten used to boot screens for a number of reasons.

Some people say the Web Drivers are buggy, I have never experienced this. I am now using the 108 driver that Nvidia pulled because many had problems with it. I was not one of those folks.

Now I wait!

Lou

 

[fhturner]

Maybe he's just trying to get people to realize that the end of cheese grater is quickly approaching - and alternatives should be considered.
Helping "fellow Mac Pro users" to realize that is a service.

Yeah...no.

A service, I don't think so. He's just doing what he always does. Creating animosity. Yes, the days of the cMP are numbered, and have been for some time now.

Yeah...yep!