Ordering my first mac tonight, but I have a question regarding video card.

[Imperil]

I am going to order a Mac Pro with the 8800GT, but before that I need to know if it is able to run alongside the 7300 if I also purchased that from the Apple store. I need to drive three 30" displays so I need all of the DVI-D ports.. but I also need the 8800GT for 3D.

I know with a PC I could do this easily, but someone told me it was not possible in the Mac Pro. Has anyone done this?

 

[Tallest Skil]

They should work fine. Have at thee, and welcome!

 

[Imperil]

Are you positive? I have read a few posts saying that it "should" be fine, but I need to know if it is 100% for a fact possible. If it is not the system is unusable to me so I would be out a lot of money

EDIT: I called the Mac store earlier and they told me that 8800GT + 8800GT is not possible, and 8800GT + 2600HD is not possible... and unfortunately I forgot to ask about the 7300GT. I am really hoping this is possible as I want to switch over to the mac as my primary system.

 

[tom.]

I can't see why there would be a problem with 2 x 8800GT if its simply to power a third monitor, let alone a 7300. I would check again with another advisor. Personally i think it would be fine, but i would look into it more if it is that essential.

 

[Imperil]

ah looks like I'll have to call them again and ask about the 7300GT alongside the 8800GT... and I"ll even ask if I can have dual 8800s.

 

[Imperil]

Well now I am told that I can indeed have dual 8800GTs but it is just not something I can configure build to order, that I would have to order the card from the store and install it myself.

So now I am pretty confused and I'm not sure who to believe Does anybody here actually have dual video cards in a new Mac Pro?

 

[Tbarr]

...and 8800GT + 2600HD is not possible...

Strange. Back in late Feb when I was ordering a MacPro (the first time), the Apple person I spoke with said they just weren't sure if the two would work together. This was when I was confronting them about the NV7300 DEFINITELY not working on a 2008 MacPro. I cancelled that order. A couple weeks later, around the time of the ATI 2600 Firmware Update, they told me the 2600 and 8800 would work together. I ordered a MacPro with the 2600, and ordered an 8800 from NewEgg.

I've been using the eVGA 8800 with a 22" Acer and the 2600 with a 19" Acer and 19" Samsung for three weeks now. I haven't had any trouble at all in OSX, XP 32bit, and Fusion using three displays. There are many people around here using the 2600/8800 combo without any trouble. Me thinks you got some bad info...

 

[dollystereo]

Did you get a PC 8800 from new egg? or the apple 8800?

 

[Imperil]

Basically what I am hoping to do is order the Mac Pro with an 8800GT build option and then purchase a second 8800GT from the Apple store and then install it myself. I am hoping that this will work, I am relieved after reading that other people have multiple cards working on the Mac Pro.

 

[yippy]

There were problems with the 8800GT + 2600 HD in the beginning but they have been fixed with recent driver updates.

Get the 8800GT and a 2600HD as it is a tested and working combination.

 

[Imperil]

I may have to try that if I can't find anyone with a working dual 8800GT setup.

 

[Imperil]

Well unfortunately the only thing I've seen regarding dual 8800s is a comment in the Apple Store with a guy saying that he is currently running two of them... although I'm not sure how much merit to put into that.

I may have to delay my purchase until Apple can get on the ball and actually state what is compatible or not, I'm looking at buying a 6k system here you would think they could answer a simple question like this. I've now phoned three times with three different answers and I'm about ready to give up on it and do a custom build instead.

 

[Mackilroy]

I'm running dual graphics cards (7300 and 2600) right now, though I'm on a 2006 Mac Pro. If mine can do it, the 2008 models certainly can.

 

[tom.]

I popped into the Apple store today, they told me you should be able to run another 8800GT or 2600HD next to the existing card. In fact this is the only way an early 2K8 Mac Pro with an 8800GT installed could support more screens, which is pretty obvious when you think about it.

Maybe you got through to a less 'tech-savvy' operator and they assumed you were JUST talking about what you can order, and not what it will run.

 

[xraydoc]

I have a 2006 Mac Pro running a 7300GT and a 2600XT. I've ordered an 8800GT from the Apple Store for the 1st gen Mac Pros. When it arrives, I can post as to how well it plays with the 7300.

However, I would say that I'd eat the 8800GT if it doesn't work with the 7300. I think the OP is safe.

 

[Tbarr]

Maybe you got through to a less 'tech-savvy' operator and they assumed you were JUST talking about what you can order, and not what it will run.

Now that would make sense. Apple only offers multiple 2600s on the BTO page.

As far as what Apple supports, that can be seen here;
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305346
Leaving out the extremely expensive NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600, and ATI Radeon X1900 XT (which takes a Firmware Update to work with the 2008MP), that leaves 2600s and 8800s. So, your choices are two 2600s, two 8800s, or a 2600 and 8800.

As far as the 7300 goes, it WILL NOT WORK WITH A 2008 Mac Pro. You can find posts about that on this board. Others can be seen here;
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6580199
and here;
http://themacelite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1350
(same Tbarr)
You can find other posts about the 7300 not working with the 2008 MacPro on Apple's board. I vote for the 2600/8800 combo, it works for me.

 

[Imperil]

Thanks a million everyone I really appreciate it. I'm going to order the system and an extra 8800GT when I get home tonight

 

[tfward]

Hey I have a 2600 for sale

 

[Imperil]

Welp I bit the bullet and ordered a new Mac Pro with an extra 8800GT, so I hope it works.

 

[tom.]

Good stuff, make sure you let us know how you get on!

 

[gluckstaler]

Aren´t the people in this thread forgetting that NVidia neither likes Intel nor ATI? And that the bosses of NVidia and Intel think the respective other is comparable to Saddam?

Therefore any Nvidia-ATI combo won´t cooperate beyond a 2-D desktop extension.

Further two Nvidia boards won´t cooperate (beyond 2-D) on a motherboard with an intel chipset.

This is exactly why you can´t order two nvidia cards in the apple store.

The ati-cards will cooperate however.