Thoughts on new GPU in next nMP

[GreyMatta]

If the nMP gets updated in the next 6 months does anybody think we will get new GPUs? D400, D600 and D800 maybe.

Are new FirePro cards due to be released anytime soon?

 

[iBug2]

If the nMP gets updated in the next 6 months does anybody think we will get new GPUs? D400, D600 and D800 maybe.

Are new FirePro cards due to be released anytime soon?

Already released, 7100, 8100, 9100.

 

[GreyMatta]

Already released, 7100, 8100, 9100.

Just had a look on AMD Firepro site and those 9100s look nice
nMP with 2 of those in it 😀

 

[fuchsdh]

Will be more interesting to me if we see any kind of official BTO option from Nvidia or an aftermarket option with this generation. The 7100-9100 seem fairly straight-forward for upgrades to the current versions.

EDIT: One thing that occurred to me though is it will be interesting to compare the D710/D800/whatever it gets called with the 9100 in regards to its performance versus operating temp. I've heard some reviewers ding AMD for its cooling solutions compared to the Quadros, but I wonder if the Mac Pro's thermal design improves on that (and how much that will balance the likely lower clock like in this generation.)

 

[Wardenski]

I'd be surprised if 3rd party manufactures went to the effort to create a custom part for the Mac Pro.

Mac cards in the past were essentially standard PC cards by comparison. Add a bit of compatibility and jack up the price. Thanks to the hard work of those around here and elsewhere there are lots of unofficial options. Don't think this will happen with new Mac Pro.

 

[fuchsdh]

I'd be surprised if 3rd party manufactures went to the effort to create a custom part for the Mac Pro.

Mac cards in the past were essentially standard PC cards by comparison. Add a bit of compatibility and jack up the price. Thanks to the hard work of those around here and elsewhere there are lots of unofficial options. Don't think this will happen with new Mac Pro.

It certainly depends. Remember though that it wasn't just the design that was the issue; for most of the Mac Pro's lifespan we dealt with next to nothing for third-party options.

So the unique card design does present some issues, but if there's truly a demand for something like CUDA I would think Nvidia would capitalize.

(On the other hand OpenCL seems to be gaining ground so it might be that Apple just picked the right side in ignoring CUDA entirely and forging ahead with OpenCL.)

 

[goMac]

Will be more interesting to me if we see any kind of official BTO option from Nvidia or an aftermarket option with this generation. The 7100-9100 seem fairly straight-forward for upgrades to the current versions.

It depends. Maxwell looks like a good candidate for the Mac Pro, but I don't know if Apple could ship a Mac Pro with a bridge that works for both Crossfire or SLI. At the end of the day, it's just pins, so it may not matter, but if the pin count is too small it could be an issue.

I don't think Apple will want to change the pin count for the card attachments between revisions, especially if they want to do an upgrade program for older Mac Pros (which I put at 50/50 chances right now.)

I also don't think Apple would add an Nvidia card just to appease CUDA users. Apple doesn't care about CUDA, and if it came to it, I'd see them suggesting using an Nvidia accelerator over Thunderbolt or something.

 

[fuchsdh]

It depends. Maxwell looks like a good candidate for the Mac Pro, but I don't know if Apple could ship a Mac Pro with a bridge that works for both Crossfire or SLI. At the end of the day, it's just pins, so it may not matter, but if the pin count is too small it could be an issue.

I don't think Apple will want to change the pin count for the card attachments between revisions, especially if they want to do an upgrade program for older Mac Pros (which I put at 50/50 chances right now.)

I also don't think Apple would add an Nvidia card just to appease CUDA users. Apple doesn't care about CUDA, and if it came to it, I'd see them suggesting using an Nvidia accelerator over Thunderbolt or something.

Ah, I had totally spaced on the potential issues with SLI versus Crossfire. Foolish me. (I guess I'm of the opinion that AMD's solution is more elegant, which might be one of the other reasons Apple went with their cards.)

I definitely don't think Apple particularly cares about "appeasing" CUDA users--but it's a question of whether the nMP market is or will be big enough that Nvidia will be losing out.