Does anyone know if ATI or Nvidia are releasing newer video cards for the Mac Pros?
dont tell me we are stuck with outdated cards!!!! 3870 or 8800
dont tell me we are stuck with outdated cards!!!! 3870 or 8800
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Video Card Options in 2009
- Thread starter randrade
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Usually Apple shows us the new video cards when they release the new Mac Pros. Such as the 8800GT was announced alongside the last Mac Pro. So we won't really know until the new Mac pro is released.
We're stuck until the next revision. Apple has never updated the pro desktop line without a processor change.
Think of how the X1900 users felt before the Penryn Mac Pro came out! When the Penryn Mac Pro hit, it was a three-year-old card in a year-and-a-half-old machine.
8800 GT To 8800 GTS On Initial Mac Pro
FYI,
Not happy with the heat and noise of the 8800 GT so I found that bruinmacs (see link below) offered a quiet 3870 GPU built originally for the PC but "reflashed" to work with the earlier Mac Pros (bus speed 1.33 GHz versions).
I installed the "reflashed" Radeon 3870 (the one offered by bruinmacs has a bigger quieter fan than the standard Mac version) and it performed flawlessly, with less heat and noise than the 8800 GT. For my needs under Mac OSX and Boot Camp Vista Ultra, while the benchmarks on Bare Feats shows that the 8800 GT is faster than the 3870 in some areas, I sure couldn't tell the difference. Matter of fact, in some games I could push to 3870 to slightly higher settings and it worked fine.
Sold the 8800 GT on eBay, no problem, but in my quest for an ever faster GPU (the Quadro FX variety is just not in my budget) for the demands of the future versions of Mac OSX and Boot Camp Vista, I found that bruinmacs offers a "reflashed" 8800 GTS with significantly higher numbers than both the 8800 GT or 3870 (Core Clock 650, Shader Clock 1750, Stream Processors 128, Processor Cores 112, etc.).
Bought one.
After I receive and install it, I'll provide details.
Here's bruinmacs eBay store, FYI:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/bruinmacs_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
If bruinmacs ever get a 280 GTX "reflashed" for my humble Mac Pro, I'll be the first in line...
Regards,
tyvol
FYI,
Not happy with the heat and noise of the 8800 GT so I found that bruinmacs (see link below) offered a quiet 3870 GPU built originally for the PC but "reflashed" to work with the earlier Mac Pros (bus speed 1.33 GHz versions).
I installed the "reflashed" Radeon 3870 (the one offered by bruinmacs has a bigger quieter fan than the standard Mac version) and it performed flawlessly, with less heat and noise than the 8800 GT. For my needs under Mac OSX and Boot Camp Vista Ultra, while the benchmarks on Bare Feats shows that the 8800 GT is faster than the 3870 in some areas, I sure couldn't tell the difference. Matter of fact, in some games I could push to 3870 to slightly higher settings and it worked fine.
Sold the 8800 GT on eBay, no problem, but in my quest for an ever faster GPU (the Quadro FX variety is just not in my budget) for the demands of the future versions of Mac OSX and Boot Camp Vista, I found that bruinmacs offers a "reflashed" 8800 GTS with significantly higher numbers than both the 8800 GT or 3870 (Core Clock 650, Shader Clock 1750, Stream Processors 128, Processor Cores 112, etc.).
Bought one.
After I receive and install it, I'll provide details.
Here's bruinmacs eBay store, FYI:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/bruinmacs_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
If bruinmacs ever get a 280 GTX "reflashed" for my humble Mac Pro, I'll be the first in line...
Regards,
tyvol
Sometimes ATI deliver a retail Mac grfx card, and IIRC nVidia did it when the 30" display was launched.... but that card (6800 Ultra) was more of a necessity, really.
I am hoping though.
I am hoping though.
Response To TimmyDee
Hello Tim,
Your email address dechant@newted.org is not receiving my response to your email.
As for the 3870 becoming available, yes I would indeed be interested.
The specs are available from bruinmacs at:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/bruinmacs_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
That is, if they still have one.
I should get the 8800 GTS Friday or at the latest Monday.
Cheers,
tyvol
Hello Tim,
Your email address dechant@newted.org is not receiving my response to your email.
As for the 3870 becoming available, yes I would indeed be interested.
The specs are available from bruinmacs at:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/bruinmacs_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
That is, if they still have one.
I should get the 8800 GTS Friday or at the latest Monday.
Cheers,
tyvol
Currently I don't know of any production video cards that have opendisplay port 
With the direction 
has taken, that would mean the new graphics card would require more then an EFI ROM and drivers, it would mean a new port on the card... and I am waiting to see how they implement this... I can see it now, no HDMI or DVI, only their new standard.
With the direction has taken, that would mean the new graphics card would require more then an EFI ROM and drivers, it would mean a new port on the card... and I am waiting to see how they implement this... I can see it now, no HDMI or DVI, only their new standard.
8800 GTS Flashing
The 8800 GTS by bruinmacs is installed in my Mac Pro (bus speed 133 GHz version) and after two days of rigorous testing, there are no problems at all and performance is up 25% over both my ATI 3870 and 8800 GT benchmarks (I use Open GL to test this).
In Mac OS X, I tested all applications (MS Office 2008, VMware Fusion, Halo, etc) and noticed some significant speed increase in the tough stuff (rendering for film and photo work). Solid as a rock and a pleasure for once to actually get some productivity back for my $.
As for Boot Camp, I'm running Windows Vista Ultra (64 bit) (I need this as some of my output has to go to those in the PC world as well as the Mac world) and after downloading the appropriate 64 bit drivers from Nvidia, performance was again solid across all applications. The very evident speed increase was there too across the board. i.e., Crysis and Crysis Warhead defaulted to maximum graphic settings and played with no difficulty. Interesting, though, was the fact that the Performance Experience Rating dropped from 5.9 (for 32 bit) to 5.2 for 64 bit Vista. The GPU ratings were the same in both 32 and 64 bit Vista at 5.9, but Vista 64 wants faster ECC RAM to get back to 5.9. This made no difference in terms of real performance. Net: the 8800 GTS was again superior in terms of speed to both my 8800 GT and my 3870 in the Boot Camp world.
Imagine that, a happy ending for once.
Cheers,
tyvol
PS. Anyone want a 3870 in like new condition?
The 8800 GTS by bruinmacs is installed in my Mac Pro (bus speed 133 GHz version) and after two days of rigorous testing, there are no problems at all and performance is up 25% over both my ATI 3870 and 8800 GT benchmarks (I use Open GL to test this).
In Mac OS X, I tested all applications (MS Office 2008, VMware Fusion, Halo, etc) and noticed some significant speed increase in the tough stuff (rendering for film and photo work). Solid as a rock and a pleasure for once to actually get some productivity back for my $.
As for Boot Camp, I'm running Windows Vista Ultra (64 bit) (I need this as some of my output has to go to those in the PC world as well as the Mac world) and after downloading the appropriate 64 bit drivers from Nvidia, performance was again solid across all applications. The very evident speed increase was there too across the board. i.e., Crysis and Crysis Warhead defaulted to maximum graphic settings and played with no difficulty. Interesting, though, was the fact that the Performance Experience Rating dropped from 5.9 (for 32 bit) to 5.2 for 64 bit Vista. The GPU ratings were the same in both 32 and 64 bit Vista at 5.9, but Vista 64 wants faster ECC RAM to get back to 5.9. This made no difference in terms of real performance. Net: the 8800 GTS was again superior in terms of speed to both my 8800 GT and my 3870 in the Boot Camp world.
Imagine that, a happy ending for once.
Cheers,
tyvol
PS. Anyone want a 3870 in like new condition?
Currently I don't know of any production video cards that have opendisplay port
This one, this one, this one, and this one.
None have Mini DisplayPort, obviously, but there is no technical difference between the macro and mini versions.
Except that Apple won't be using regular DisplayPort on the Mac Pro video cards; they will use Mini DisplayPort, anyway.
3870 HD & 8800 GTS Windows Performance Experience Rating
Thanks for your interest roybfr!
I sold the 3870 HD, but bruinmacs may offer more of these reflashed versions.
If they do, they're cheaper than retail and are uniquely quiet.
As for my Windows Performance Experience rating with the 8800 GTS, I installed the Service Pack 1 for Vista Ultimate 64, and I'll be darned...
My Performance Experience Rating is now 5.9 across the board.
All's well that ends well, so far, that is...
Cheers,
Al
Thanks for your interest roybfr!
I sold the 3870 HD, but bruinmacs may offer more of these reflashed versions.
If they do, they're cheaper than retail and are uniquely quiet.
As for my Windows Performance Experience rating with the 8800 GTS, I installed the Service Pack 1 for Vista Ultimate 64, and I'll be darned...
My Performance Experience Rating is now 5.9 across the board.
All's well that ends well, so far, that is...
Cheers,
Al
Video card AIB vendors can add whatever ports they want. There were 9800GX2's with HDMI, 2 x DVI, and other things on the back. These cards pretty much support all the ports anyways, DisplayPort or not. It's must a matter of if they want to add the port
And unfortunately, Apple likes to screw us on the video card selection. I'll be damned happy to have the 4800 series when the 5800 series arrives this year
And unfortunately, Apple likes to screw us on the video card selection. I'll be damned happy to have the 4800 series when the 5800 series arrives this year