New Monitor ... Should I Get a New Video Card?

[tamvly]

I just retired my trusty old Apple 23" ACD (I'll keep it as a backup) in favor of a new Apple 30" display for my 2008 Mac Pro Octo 2.8.

The new monitor is great (it's HUGE!). But ... it seems that movement of windows about the display is a little less smooth than on the old monitor (yup, it could be just my imagination). I am wondering if the ATI Radeon 2600 is really up to the task of driving this monitor. It was recently replaced after the original 2600 died (another sad story).

Also, the new 2600 seems also to be a bit noisier than the original - where my Mac Pro was almost silent before, it now seems to constantly whisper from the fan of the video card.

Any recommendations on a new video card? I am not a gamer and don't want to spend a ton of $$$, although I do watch an occasional video on the machine. Most of my work is financial, spreadsheets, word processing, browsing and some iPhone development.

 

[nanofrog]

You could take a look at the HD3870, but you'd want to use a cooler with it (stock fan is loud IIRC; there's an optional fan kit for the cooler as well). The other option would be the HD4870.

In either case, it's possible to flash or use injectors with a PC version to save on funds. It's up to you, and there's plenty of information on how-to within MR.