Sorry, but I just need to blow off some steam.

[jamesryanbell]

You should be able to buy ANY of the top 20 graphics cards here, and plug them straight into any Mac or PC....they should just work.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

"I flashed the card, and then restalled...." Too much. You should be able to to buy it, install it, reboot - with ANY of them - and they should work right out of the box.

So the question is this: How many years before everything truly "just works" with aftermarket graphics cards?

 

[Cindori]

Mac use EFI. PC use BIOS.

Not gonna happen until PC starts using EFI, something that won't happen for years. Even then, it's up to the graphic card producer to come up with OSX drivers.
Since Mac Pro is like 1% of total mac sales, and mac sales are like 10% of computer market, it's unlikely that any graphic producer will make it's whole line available for both platforms.

conclusion,
It will never truly "just work".

 

[wonderspark]

SOMEone needs to start up an online business that specializes in one-stop shopping for Mac GPUs. Buy cards, prep them for plug-n-play into Macs, and sell them online. They could make Mac versions of all the top cards of the day.

I think it would be profitable, but what do I know?

 

[donw35]

SOMEone needs to start up an online business that specializes in one-stop shopping for Mac GPUs. Buy cards, prep them for plug-n-play into Macs, and sell them online. They could make Mac versions of all the top cards of the day.

I think it would be profitable, but what do I know?

using Cindori's market analysis, this wouldn't be a valid business model and add to that support and RMA their wouldn't be a margin of profit.

I do agree that its sad that Apple is years behind in GPU set.

 

[jeanlain]

Mac use EFI. PC use BIOS.

I'd be very surprised if there weren't a workaround. It's just Apple intentionally crippling their hardware and forcing customers to upgrade.
Apple made Windows work on the Mac with just an EFI update. I'm pretty sure they could make PC video cards work on Mac Pros OOTB. Even hackers could do it (sorta). Heck, Mac cards have a BIOS that is used for most operations, EFI is there only for initializing the card.
At worse, they could deal with 3rd party vendors (like Sapphire, etc.) and make them release Mac+PC edition cards (just stick a few bits of EFI to the BIOS), which would be sold at standard prices. That should benefit those 3rd party vendors, as they would sell more cards.
Don't tell me that developing a few bits of EFI is that difficult or expensive.

No, there's no valid technical reason for the current situation regarding GPU options for Mac Pros which is quite pathetic.

On top of that, we have the ******** 32-bit EFI on 1.1 Mac Pros, which makes them obsolete.
Apple is seriously starting to piss me off with their artificial limitations. My 1.1 Mac Pro will be the last tower I purchase from them.

(aaah... feel better now)

 

[Mackilroy]

Apple made Windows work on the Mac with just an EFI update.

This isn't strictly true. Every machine Apple builds, now that they use Intel processors, is essentially a PC in manufacture. They offer drivers, yes, but you don't need Apple's drivers to use Windows on a Mac. You don't even need Boot Camp.

 

[TheSilencer]

Not to mention that Windows 7 kinda supports EFI. In fact, every major company is part of the UEFI board, which includes Apple, AMD/ATi, INTEL but not nVidia from what I can see at the official UEFI page.

And the most funny part is, if you only use Windows with your MP, i.e. as dedicated 3DS Max machine, afaik you can install every PC GPU card which meet the specs. You just will not see the EFI screen anymore.

Besides of that, few PC motherboards have EFI, Serverboards like Itanium boards have it since years, but also problems with some hardware. Some combination of EFI + GPU are not working while others do. In case of not working, Legacy BIOS will help but Mac OS does not support Legacy BIOS, of course.

The situation is kinda like with webcams. One day Apple decided to support various USB ones while before it just were the FireWire iSight/any FW cam and their USB iSight and you needed an 3rd party kext. So, maybe they decide one day that every graphics card can be used at own risk but they´ll support only a few ones officially, like with the USB cams today. Officially support is for iSight but you may use whatever cam you like and it might work or not.
Well, we can dream...

I´m happy that they will offer the HD5000 now (well, supposed to) but it´s of course the original ATi design heatsink/fan again which kinda sucks. The fan of my HD4870 makes really bad noise as it seems the ball bearing isn´t in place anymore and no, I don´t use it while in a roller coaster. I will exchange it via Apple Care but I want the HD5870 either.