Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

NVGA GTX 285: where can I buy one?

R

Ricko101

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 5, 2009
74
0
I've been looking all over for it... any suggestions ?

I want a new one, not used...

Thanks
 
Unless you need CUDA, you're much better off with the 5770/5870. And yes, it has been discontinued.
 
J the Ninja said:
Unless you need CUDA, you're much better off with the 5770/5870. And yes, it has been discontinued.
Click to expand...

The 5870 is a better card than the 285, but the 285 crushes the 5770.
The 285 was a 512-bit card (!!!) where the 5770 has measly 128-bit memory.
(The 285 only had GDDR3 tho, but still it's in another league)
 
Thanks guys... but i forgot to mention I have a 2008 Mac Pro Octo... I guess the 5870 is not "compatible"... I am reading the thread on it as I type this.
 
5870 works in all MPs. Apple just doesn't "officially" support them. So if you need service on your machine, just take it out and keep an old card handy.
 
Hey guys... good news on the 5870. Thanks, but what do you make of this comment I found it on the Apple site reviewing the 5870:

The default 2008 Mac Pro contains two 6-pin 75-watt PCIE power cables for graphics cards. Unfortunately, the 5870 requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin 125-watt power cable. Unless you 1) buy a separate power supply and run another wire through a hole in the back of your Mac 2) take out your optical drive and splice the 4-pin 12V with one of the 6-pin PCIE to a bare 8-pin PCIE male connector.

Short answer: no, unless you are confident in your modding abilities.

Is this guy for real ?

I'll post it on the thread "So, who has tried their 5870 in a 2008 or 2006 Mac Pro?"
 
Ricko101 said:
Hey guys... good news on the 5870. Thanks, but what do you make of this comment I found it on the Apple site reviewing the 5870:

The default 2008 Mac Pro contains two 6-pin 75-watt PCIE power cables for graphics cards. Unfortunately, the 5870 requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin 125-watt power cable. Unless you 1) buy a separate power supply and run another wire through a hole in the back of your Mac 2) take out your optical drive and splice the 4-pin 12V with one of the 6-pin PCIE to a bare 8-pin PCIE male connector.

Short answer: no, unless you are confident in your modding abilities.

Is this guy for real ?

I'll post it on the thread "So, who has tried their 5870 in a 2008 or 2006 Mac Pro?"
Click to expand...

Seeing my Mac Pro only has two 6-pin connectors and it's listed as compatible with the Mac Pro 2009, I'm pretty sure whoever answered that is bull S'ing.

Even if you did need to splice anything, you would just get a 6-in to 8-pin adapter for like $2.
 
Ricko101 said:
Hey guys... good news on the 5870. Thanks, but what do you make of this comment I found it on the Apple site reviewing the 5870:

The default 2008 Mac Pro contains two 6-pin 75-watt PCIE power cables for graphics cards. Unfortunately, the 5870 requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin 125-watt power cable. Unless you 1) buy a separate power supply and run another wire through a hole in the back of your Mac 2) take out your optical drive and splice the 4-pin 12V with one of the 6-pin PCIE to a bare 8-pin PCIE male connector.

Short answer: no, unless you are confident in your modding abilities.

Is this guy for real ?

I'll post it on the thread "So, who has tried their 5870 in a 2008 or 2006 Mac Pro?"
Click to expand...

It's rubbish.
 
If you try ebay, be advised there are some people selling PC versions of the GTX 285 that have been re-flashed. The issue isn't the flashing, the issue is these sellers are telling the full story; the cards are represented as "seller refurbished" that have been updated with "the latest Apple ROM". The implication is these cards are used Apple GTX 285s - and they are priced as if they are original cards - when in fact they are not. I noticed one seller sourcing (buying) used GTX 285s off ebay. They show up a week or two later after he's flashed them; usually at a $150+ premium. (That $150 gets you a $2 flash ROM, 2 in-expensive power cables and a few minutes labor for soldering and flashing.)

Ask the seller exactly what you're buying so you're comfortable (or not) with the card.

Sam
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back