Nvidia 8800 GTX on a Mac Pro with bootcamp

[bartacus]

The lack of new videocards for the mac pro are starting to frustrate me so I am interested in buying a windows videocard, the Nvidia 8800 GTX to be precise.

Is it possible to run the Nvidia card on the Mac Pro under bootcamp at full speed? So that windows will work perfectly with the 8800 GTX on my Mac Pro.

Second, Is it possible to put my 7300 card in another PCI-E slot so that i don't have to switch cards everytime I reboot my system to OSX or XP?

 

[Eidorian]

It'll work just fine in Windows.

I'm unsure if the 8800 GTX will let you boot into OS X though. You might get stuck with a gray screen.

 

[bartacus]

Oke, Cause I saw that in some cases they couldn't get the Nvidia card to work even in windows. I know that it won't work in OSX, I accept that, I wanna play the new games like Call of Duty 4 and my videocard simply lacks the quality for that.

If Apple lacks bringing out new videocards for their high end machine, then I will lack starting OSX on my Mac Pro.

Long story short, I wanna be totally sure that it will work in my Mac Pro at full speed under XP/Vista.

 

[Eidorian]

Long story short, I wanna be totally sure that it will work in my Mac Pro at full speed under XP/Vista.

Why wouldn't it?

 

[bartacus]

Why wouldn't it?

If I knew for sure I would start this thread to begin with

It's all new to me so I don't know for sure, that's all. From what I have read you have to make sure that u have extra power for the card cause it uses more watt then the Mac Pro can handle so you have to buy an extra cable.

So that's one of the reasons why I aint sure.

 

[Eidorian]

The power cable can be found online.

What bothers me is that users seem to think a Mac runs Windows slower then other machines. You're not the first person.

 

[bartacus]

The power cable can be found online.

What bothers me is that users seem to think a Mac runs Windows slower then other machines. You're not the first person.

I don't think that, I know it runs the same speed, it's just the hardware isn't alway fully compatible and the Mac Pro simply isn't build for and Nvidia card officialy so that's why I HAD doubts, but they are starting to fade

 

[Eidorian]

I don't think that, I know it runs the same speed, it's just the hardware isn't alway fully compatible and the Mac Pro simply isn't build for and Nvidia card officialy so that's why I HAD doubts, but they are starting to fade

My only worry would be power but then again you have the 6-pin external for the card.

It's just another Windows machine otherwise once you boot into it.

 

[bartacus]

My only worry would be power but then again you have the 6-pin external for the card.

It's just another Windows machine otherwise once you boot into it.

Yes...I Am thinking about selling the Mac Pro and buying a PC gamestation and iMac for all the mac stuff, research turns out that I don't have to lose any cash on it. If I buy a 8800 GTX for my Mac Pro I can only run XP and it will cost me 500/600 bucks so it sounds like a lose/lose situation.

The iMac is enough for the software I wanna use like CS3 and FCP and a little Maya so it sounds doable.

But first things first, let's wait what Leopard brings us, it's not impossible that it comes with a lot of new drivers/cards for the Mac Pro and also a better OpenGL, the current one is 1.4 if I'm not wrong and that's really really OLD!

Thx!

 

[Eidorian]

That sounds like a solution as well.

 

[psingh01]

I think people have gotten this to work, check some old threads around april/may. The problem was always getting to work with OSX or co-exist with a card that works with OSX (i.e. you couldn't have the 7300gt and the 8800 in at the same time and boot into mac).

 

[bartacus]

I think people have gotten this to work, check some old threads around april/may. The problem was always getting to work with OSX or co-exist with a card that works with OSX (i.e. you couldn't have the 7300gt and the 8800 in at the same time and boot into mac).

Yeah I know, that's the whole problem of it all, I didn't buy a Mac Pro just to run XP on it or to switch my cards depanding on the OS, I know for certain my expansive motherboard won't like that.

So in that case it's better to buy a good GamePC and a iMac for al the mac stuff.

Or as I am doing the forthcomming weeks....waiting what Leopards will bring for new drivers/cards for OSX. If nothing new comes then it's certain, I'm switching to an iMac and GamePC

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Or as I am doing the forthcomming weeks....waiting what Leopards will bring for new drivers/cards for OSX. If nothing new comes then it's certain, I'm switching to an iMac and GamePC

Did you buy your Mac Pro with the Radeon X1900XT or the GeForce 7300? If you bought the 7300 you must have known it was a turkey for games...if you DO have the X1900XT it should be more than good enough to tide you over till the new Mac Pros show up...

The new Mac Pro update should include new video cards that you will (probably) be able to order off the Apple store for your Mac Pro. This would give you a totally dual-bootable video card with high-end gaming performance, and would be the best solution IHMO.

So I say wait - and don't complain too loudly, I'm still limping along with a 1.4GHz G4 and a GeForce 6800GT.

 

[bartacus]

Did you buy your Mac Pro with the Radeon X1900XT or the GeForce 7300? If you bought the 7300 you must have known it was a turkey for games...if you DO have the X1900XT it should be more than good enough to tide you over till the new Mac Pros show up...

The new Mac Pro update should include new video cards that you will (probably) be able to order off the Apple store for your Mac Pro. This would give you a totally dual-bootable video card with high-end gaming performance, and would be the best solution IHMO.

So I say wait - and don't complain too loudly, I'm still limping along with a 1.4GHz G4 and a GeForce 6800GT.

Yes I've been told to wait a little too long to be honoust. It is true that it is almost unthinkable that the new Mac Pro's won't come with better graphic cards.

But then again, they said that at the last update. But I was already sure about waiting a while, I have the feeling that leopard isn't the only new thing in the next couple of weeks. But around december it's 1.5 years back that I bought my Mac Pro with 7300 GT Card and then I want something new, I hope for my Mac Pro but it's not unthinkable that I will do as described above.

 

[psingh01]

Yeah I know, that's the whole problem of it all, I didn't buy a Mac Pro just to run XP on it or to switch my cards depanding on the OS, I know for certain my expansive motherboard won't like that.

So in that case it's better to buy a good GamePC and a iMac for al the mac stuff.

Or as I am doing the forthcomming weeks....waiting what Leopards will bring for new drivers/cards for OSX. If nothing new comes then it's certain, I'm switching to an iMac and GamePC

yep, this is why I got a MacBook Pro back in April instead and am waiting for the next MacPro to decide if I want that or just upgrade my PC. I'd prefer the low-end MacPro with a DX10 capable card though.

 

[bartacus]

yep, this is why I got a MacBook Pro back in April instead and am waiting for the next MacPro to decide if I want that or just upgrade my PC. I'd prefer the low-end MacPro with a DX10 capable card though.

A low end Mac Pro will never come cause there already is one....and that is the iMac hehe.. The only possability is the cheapest Processor, like the 2.0 Ghz now is.

I bought the Mac Pro right away at the release of it. It still is a powerfull WORK computer and at that point it also was a good GAME computer but right now it's a BAD gamecomputer and still a good WORK computer.

I don't regret buying it, but I do regret not getting de Ati X1900XT at that point, right now 400 bucks is just to much money for such an old card, but at that moment it was really good.

 

[psingh01]

A low end Mac Pro will never come cause there already is one....and that is the iMac hehe.. The only possability is the cheapest Processor, like the 2.0 Ghz now is.

I bought the Mac Pro right away at the release of it. It still is a powerfull WORK computer and at that point it also was a good GAME computer but right now it's a BAD gamecomputer and still a good WORK computer.

I don't regret buying it, but I do regret not getting de Ati X1900XT at that point, right now 400 bucks is just to much money for such an old card, but at that moment it was really good.

I just mean the cheapest model of the Mac Pro, I don't really like the iMac and I prefer the expandability of the MacPro over the iMac.

 

[bartacus]

yep, this is why I got a MacBook Pro back in April instead and am waiting for the next MacPro to decide if I want that or just upgrade my PC. I'd prefer the low-end MacPro with a DX10 capable card though.

I just mean the cheapest model of the Mac Pro, I don't really like the iMac and I prefer the expandability of the MacPro over the iMac.

Ah oke, well in that case maybe the standard configuration now (2.66) wil come cheaper.

I wonder when the new Mac Pro Update comes, any of you have any idea on that one?

Cause if Apple lacks putting new videocards in the upcoming Mac Pro's then Apple has no idea how to build an high end machine that's not only meant for rendering. I know Apple has always been more designen and stuff, I know that's why I love it...but why port all new mac games then? I mean it's just really stupid that you offer a 30" display that doesn't support the new ported games like C&C 3....You have to choose a mid resolution just to play it normal wise. That's just wrong, offering a lot of cash on games and hardware that isn't fully compatible.

 

[bartacus]

I think it's time to make a new thread that is just about the porting of new Mac Videocards like the 8 series or the Ati X2900.

 

[Cerebrum]

I was wondering the same thing regarding using another card as upgradeability is an issue.