Video Card for Boot Camp?

[Siron]

I'm sure this question's been asked before (did a Search but nothing specific came up).
I have a flat panel monitor with two digital inputs. I have an 8800GT in slot 1. If I put the latest and greatest (GeForce 9800 perhaps) in Slot 2:
1.) Will Leopard boot up (with the 8800)?
2.) Will XP in Boot Camp recognize the card in slot 2 or get confused as to which card to use?
Thanks
Alan

 

[Siron]

Anyone??

 

[Tallest Skil]

If you have the 8800 in the first slot and a 9800 in the second, Leopard will boot, but the 9800 fans will more than likely warp the space-time continuum because of the speed of their rotation.

That's an issue. It's being worked.


Boot Camp will recognize the 8800 anyway, so it will be as though you have two cards. There shouldn't be any problems with that.

The only problem that I can see is the necessity for two external power connectors on the 9800 and one on the 8800. I don't know how many receptacles there are for these plugs on the Mac Pro motherboard.

Also, you'd need to look at the power draw of whatever card you get and see that it doesn't exceed 190 watts, as the maximum for the bus is 300 and the 8800 draws 110.

 

[Siron]

Thanks Tallestskil. I am assuming that because the 8800 is in slot 1 then I will be able to see the boot message screen when I hold down the Option key (as long as my monitor is switched to the 8800. As far as the power supply is concerned I thought the video card pulled its power via separate cables and not through the PCIe slots.
Alan

 

[Tallest Skil]

As far as the power supply is concerned I thought the video card pulled its power via separate cables and not through the PCIe slots.
Alan

It does, but there is definitely a limit to the number of external power cables you can plug in to the Mac Pro motherboard. If the 8800 GT is already using one (which it is), then you probably won't want to drop $600 on the 9800 GX2 if there aren't two more open receptacles.

 

[Siron]

Still Confused

Sorry if it's a stupid question (I'm a long time PC user) but doesn't the supplemental power connector plug into the power supply. I know on a PC that the power supply has a bunch of Molex connectors that you could use to power a video card (I did that in my last PC because the AGP slot could not provide enough juice). Are Macs different?
Thanks
Alan

 

[Tallest Skil]

Have you seen the inside of a Mac Pro? Everything's boxed off; you have to plug your things in where Apple says to plug them in. The PSU is virtually inaccessible, so you're limited to wherever the GPU cords go in the small area just behind the fan assembly. Could someone with a 2008 Mac Pro post some pics from inside this area to illustrate?