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Vidcard for Mac Pro 5.1
- Thread starter carambo
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h9826790
macrumors P6
My understanding is NO (up to 1080P). Even though the 7950 or 7970 is a stronger card, however, Apple highly optimised the 5870 for FCPX / Motion. The result is that the 7950 only a little bit faster (in general) than the 5870, and the 5870 may be even faster on some particular task.
For 4K, I don't know, my dual 7950 setup works very well. But I didn't own a 5870, so can't compare.
The 7970 should be a better card (if you know how to power it).
If you can get a very cheap 7970, may be still worth to upgrade. But don't expect too much.
For 4K, I don't know, my dual 7950 setup works very well. But I didn't own a 5870, so can't compare.
The 7970 should be a better card (if you know how to power it).
If you can get a very cheap 7970, may be still worth to upgrade. But don't expect too much.
I upgraded my 5870 to an R9 280X 3G (basically a 7970 for all intents and purposes). I would say the upgrade was definitely worth it. I edit mostly 1080p with FCP X and it is much faster overall. I immediately noticed how much faster it was, and when I switched back to the 5870 temporarily I knew I wasn't imagining it. It wasn't too costly. What I did was buy a PC version from R9 280X 3G like this http://www.amazon.com/MSI-R9-280X-GAMING-3G/dp/B00FR6XPL8 (don't overpay for it, they're not super new anymore). I then sent to MacVidCards to flash it and he sent it back.
I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as a more recent video card that is fast for Open CL and is also as compatible as the R9 280X has proven to be. If you get a 7970 or R9 280X go out and get an external GPU PSU with the right ports (6pin plus 8pin) this is what I got: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101044
That way it doesn't overdraw power from the board and cause problems. This setup has been reliable and fast, and I'm using it at this very moment!
I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as a more recent video card that is fast for Open CL and is also as compatible as the R9 280X has proven to be. If you get a 7970 or R9 280X go out and get an external GPU PSU with the right ports (6pin plus 8pin) this is what I got: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101044
That way it doesn't overdraw power from the board and cause problems. This setup has been reliable and fast, and I'm using it at this very moment!
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