Next Gen Mac Pro Video Card (again)

[Topper]

If that one person was me, I was mearly taunting wild bill

I found it...it was you.
You were replying to a Wild-Bill post by saying, "How would you feel if Apple went with an all FireGL line up, offering a great priced and performing lineup for non-gamers, but basically giving gamers the finger?"

Wild-Bill didn't reply but I had two sleepless nights

 

[Topper]

Video Card Prices

That's a good job of rounding up information.

Thank you.

I was looking for a web site that has one manufacturer of video cards with the prices of the high-end consumer video cards.
I found one and the manufacturer is Asus.
Going by these prices, I think we can eliminate the 8800 GTX and 8800 Ultra from the next Mac Pro. I think the prices are too high for Apple.
For what it is worth, here is a sample of Asus video card prices:

Asus 8800Ultra 768MB - $699
Asus 8800GTX 768MB - $590
Asus HD2900XT 512MB - $420
Asus 8800GTS 640MB - $398
Asus 8800GTS 320MB - $316

 

[Wild-Bill]

Thank you.

I was looking for a web site that has one manufacturer of video cards with the prices of the high-end consumer video cards.
I found one and the manufacturer is Asus.
Going by these prices, I think we can eliminate the 8800 GTX and 8800 Ultra from the next Mac Pro. I think the prices are too high for Apple.
For what it is worth, here is a sample of Asus video card prices:

Asus 8800Ultra 768MB - $699
Asus 8800GTX 768MB - $590
Asus HD2900XT 512MB - $420
Asus 8800GTS 640MB - $398
Asus 8800GTS 320MB - $316

I just checked pricegrabber and found a Gigabyte 8800GTX for $499.00 Let's not forget that Apple doesn't pay retail for their components anyway, so I don't think we can rule out an 8800GTX just yet.

As an aside, many a benchmark have shown that even the 8800GTS (640MB) competes just as well, if not better, than the ATI HD 2900xt.

I'd say they should let ATI supply the low-end card and workstation card and have nVidia furnish the 1900xt replacement.

 

[Topper]

I just checked pricegrabber and found a Gigabyte 8800GTX for $499.00 Let's not forget that Apple doesn't pay retail for their components anyway, so I don't think we can rule out an 8800GTX just yet.

As an aside, many a benchmark have shown that even the 8800GTS (640MB) competes just as well, if not better, than the ATI HD 2900xt.

I'd say they should let ATI supply the low-end card and workstation card and have nVidia furnish the 1900xt replacement.

I'm not trying to imply that those are the prices that Apple would pay, they are not.
My objective was to find one manufacturer (turns out to be Asus) who makes those video cards so I could (just out of curiosity) compare prices.

I want those high-end 8800 cards as much as you do but knowing Apple, I just doubt that Apple will want to spend that much money when they can get the 8800 GTS and HD2900 XT so much cheaper.
Apple has to factor in exactly how many people are there that are willing to spend big money on the 8800GTX or 8800Ultra cards.

With that being said, I see people wanting to buy 8800GTX cards even if all they will do is run on the windows side of OS X.

I will be sitting down when the new Mac Pro is announced because I don't want to fall down when I find out the high-end consumer card is the 8700 GTS.

p.s. Yes, I would much rather have the 8800GTS 640MB than the HD2900 XT.
But if the HD2900 XT is announced I will be grateful just knowing that it could be worse.

 

[Eidorian]

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3056&Itemid=34

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3057&Itemid=34

 

[Topper]

Interesting!

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3056&Itemid=34

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3057&Itemid=34

Right off the bat, I think they are wrong in calling it a R600Pro.
I think it is the new RV630 chipset with 65nm process, right?
320 shaders like the HD2900 XT, very nice.
I will be very interested in seeing the final specs.
What do you think?

p.s. You are so long winded I am afraid your fingers will become strained from all that typing.

 

[Eidorian]

The current R/RV 6x0 GPUs are 65nm already.

 

[Topper]

The current R/RV 6x0 GPUs are 65nm already.

Unfortunately I don't think so.
The HD2900 XT has R600 architecture with a 80 nm fabrication process.
The HD2600 XT has RV630 architecture with a 65 nm fabrication process.
The HD2400 XT has RV610 architecture with a 65 nm fabrication process.

Unfortunately after reading the specs of the HD2900 Pro, it has the same R600 architecture of it's more powerful brother the HD2900 XT and it has the same 80 nm fabrication process.
They were correct in calling it an R600Pro.

 

[Eidorian]

Unfortunately I don't think so.
The HD2900 XT has R600 architecture with a 80 nm fabrication process.
The HD2600 XT has RV630 architecture with a 65 nm fabrication process.
The HD2400 XT has RV610 architecture with a 65 nm fabrication process.

Unfortunately after reading the specs of the HD2900 Pro, it has the same R600 architecture of it's more powerful brother the HD2900 XT and it has the same 80 nm fabrication process.
They were correct in calling it an R600Pro.

You're quite correct.

 

[Topper]

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3056&Itemid=34

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3057&Itemid=34

1GB 2900 Pro.
Your article did make mention of it yesterday.
Strange Fudzilla comment: "Performance wise it will be slower than Radeon HD 2900XT and at the same time it will be slower from Geforce 8800 GTS."
I wonder if he really meant to say it that way.
Otherwise he would have said, "It will be slower than Radeon HD 2900 XT and Geforce 8800 GTS."

(EDIT) I contacted Fudo at Fudzilla. He told me that he thought the 1GB 2900 Pro will be slower than the GeForce 8800 GTS.

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3070&Itemid=34

 

[Topper]

ATI Radeon HD2950 XT

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/01/ati-rv670-beat-r600
http://www.digitimes.com/mobos/a20071001PD211.html

 

[ndriver182]

I'm a total noob at what video cards are compatible with intel macs, so please don't give me too hard a time. Would any of these new cards potentially work in one of the current-gen mac pro's or are you all just speculating that one of these cards *may* be in the new mac pro leaving everybody else without the option to upgrade?

 

[Eidorian]

I'm a total noob at what video cards are compatible with intel macs, so please don't give me too hard a time. Would any of these new cards potentially work in one of the current-gen mac pro's or are you all just speculating that one of these cards *may* be in the new mac pro leaving everybody else without the option to upgrade?

Any of these cards will work just fine as long as they sport an EFI compatible BIOS for the OS X side.

 

[TantalizedMind]

Dual Nvidia GeForce 8700 GTS Superclocked w/ SLI

 

[Topper]

Dual Nvidia GeForce 8700 GTS Superclocked w/ SLI

The 8700 GTS has been renamed to 8800 GT.
8800 GT as SLI would be really nice but I doubt Apple will use same.
If they did I'd be in line to get one.