Best graphics card for Mac mini

I am having graphics problems with my Mac Mini. I pay WOW and it is ok until I go to Pandaria! There my character or Toon as they called slows down to a freeze in the video! I have an AMD Radeon 6000 series cs card in it. This is considered a mid range graphics card. If I switch to my pc with a GeForce video card there is no problem. Do the new Mac Minis have a better graphics card being that it is an Intel product? And they have a fast i7 CPU as well? Will the new Mac Minis work better playing the World of Warcraft game while I m questing in Pandaria? Will it wrk as well as a Nvidia GeForce Graphics card?

My late 2012 Mini has an Intel 4000 integrated graphics chip. I've read DOZENS of complaints about it here. Other than sporadic "flickering" when using Photoshop on one monitor and viewing YouTube on the other, I haven't seen anything I'd want to "throw the Mac out the window" over.
I don't play WOW (haven't since I had my G5 iMac), but I do have TheSims3 and even running it at 1920X1080, it performs well.

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This is the iMac forum - try the Mac Pro forum for faster response https://discussions.apple.com/community/desktop_computers/mac_pro

Best graphics card for Mac Pro Early 2008?

I have a Mac Pro Early 2008 with the default graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 2600), and would like to make an upgrade to a better graphics card that will run games smoothly. I'm not an expert with computers at all, but all I know is I would like to buy a graphics card for around $200-$300 (If it's more expensive then that's ok, but preferrably this price range) that will get me the best performance possible. I play games like Minecraft, Skyrim, and Team Fortress 2. Thank you for any help/recommendations you can provide!
Also, I wasn't sure which section to post this in, but feel free to move this thread.

Also, to provide more information (not sure if needed), I have dual monitors and the following specs:
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Memory 16 GB 667 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM
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Best graphic card for Mac Pro + CS6

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry if this question has been asked several times... But it seems technology moves so fast... And also I found lots of cards that seem to me being PC only... That's why I'm having this question for Mac only.
I'm on a Mac Pro, Snow Leopard CS5.5 , and I want to re-instal a clean new system with Lion and CS6... mostly to edit 5K footage from the Epic (+ VFX and grading)... So it is mostly about PPro and AE (not quite sure about Speed Grad, still have to try it out).
What are my best options, as of today, in terms of graphic cards... ? I'm talking about boosting the Mercury Playback Engine through CUDA, as well as supporting the softwares as much as it can in term of OpenCL and OpenGL...
In this chart from nVidia's website, I only see the quadro 4000 and 4800 being available for Mac...
http://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/product-comparison/product-comparison-master-revised.pdf
But we do have a GTX 285 in one of our computer at the office, and it works too...
Then I know some CS6 users are referring to other cards, like the GTX 570... and there is probably more to the list.
I'd like to to be able to compare what card gives you the best performances, at which price point.
Thanks in advance for sharing

Julien_deka wrote:
First think strange... I used to run my Wacom Cintiq from a second graphic card - NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 - through mini-dispaly port, and this stoped to work... I have to use another port (DVI) from this same card to have a display on my Cintiq.
Second thing: I have 4 ports on the GTX570 (2 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 Dipslay Port)... I plugged my 2 main screens for UI into each DVI but only one worked (the bottom one). For my second screen I had to use the Display Port and use a bunch of adaptors.
I can't really help you out regarding the GT120 and why the DP went dead. I suspect it has something to do with the Mac not wanting to power more than 1 DP, but I'm not 100% sure of that. With the GTX570, only 2 of the ports are going to be active, as you found out: the first DVI and the DP. It has to do with the EFI on the card and the driver, I believe. The MacVidCards guy can explain it more thoroughly. He's fairly responsive via email and PMs on the MacRumors forum.
I actually bought this card for CUDA performances inside of CS6, so it would be disapointed to realise it's not working...
EDIT: I think I need to change something in a file to add the name of the card in order to get Premiere use its CUDA technology... I will dig into that a bit more
Right, you need to edit the CUDA text file and add it in as:
GeForce GTX 570
mrfreeze$ cat /Applications/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS6/Adobe\ Premiere\ Pro\ CS6.app/Contents/cuda_supported_cards.txt
GeForce GTX 285
Quadro CX
Quadro FX 4800
Quadro 4000
GeForce GTX 570
jas

Best graphics card for mac pro

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p.s.
I do not want to run windows.
Thanks for the help.

In that case what would you suggest?... I intend to get heavy into shake and 3d modeling... I already use final cut a lot and I eventually want to have an hd ready set up. Is the nvidia 4500 really better for this sort of work than the x1900? because i heard some reviews that its shading wasnt better.. I also heard that the x1900 is more for gaming than with working with digital content. maybe you could shed some light on this subj.
Thank you in advance.

What's the best graphic card for FCP X and a Mac Pro (early) 2008?

I have a Radeon HD 3870 in my Mac Pro, it seems that I cannot use this configuration with Final Cut Pro X. Then what's the best graphic card for FCP X usable in a Mac Pro (early) 2008?
Thx,
Phil

You can get a 5770 radeon ATI MAC card
Avoid the 5770 cards on ebay and Amazon - many are black market or manipulated cards.
Buy it from Apple online store or B&H photo or Macconection
And in my case, I was able to sell my old 2600 XT card on ebay for $65 and put that money toward a 5770 card (Which was about $230 minus the $65)
I installed the 5770 in my early Mac Pro 2 x 2.8 and it works great

HT4664 What is the best graphics card for FCPX?

In the nonstop anti-FCPX propaganda is an article of interest — posted 7/9/12 — comparing the benchmarks of FCPX and PP6.
http://www.streamingmedia.com/Producer/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=83582 &PageNum=1
The system used was a 2 x 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro from early 2009 running MacOS X version 10.7.4 with 12 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 graphics card with 1.5 GB of onboard RAM.
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"Quadro is actually not the best card for FCP X's A/VFoundation engine, but great for CS6's Mercury engine, so the test is amazingly flawed right there. Try both on a 5780 card and watch things drastically change. I've done that test myself. Exporting to Compressor uses a MUCH more sophisticated encoding engine meant for higher level, professional transcoding, not simple outputs, which are faster using Export Media…"
Apple lists this card on its support page: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4664
So,
What is the best graphics card for FCPX?

Ben,
Thanks for chiming in on that article. It would be good to have a benchmark comparison with the two systems each with a preferred card.
I'm hoping to see some other comparisons on this thread. Also, some links to other articles about best practices and configurations.

Best Graphics Cards for Motion 4

Hi All, what's the best graphics card for Motion 4. The The Nvidia GTX 285 or Radeon 4870
My Mac is a 2009, Dual 2.26, 12GIG Ram, External Raid 5 and running 10.6.2
All Motion files and media are stored on the raid running eSata
Thanks.
Message was edited by: addy77
Message was edited by: addy77

We've been waiting for a Macintosh version of the 5870 for more than a year. Get the 4870, learn the application, buy a new card if you can make money with it.
Waiting for the next iteration of Mac-compatible graphics cards is a waste of time if you need to get to work.
bogiesan

Suggest me a usb sound card for mac mini

please suggest me a usb sound card for mac mini (i need 5.1 sound)

The Griffin Technology FireWave will give you the 3 'cables' ("FireWave outputs six channel audio through three 1/8” (3.5mm) stereo mini-jacks: Left/Right, Center/Subwoofer and Right Surround/Left Surround.") connection for surround sound (speakers) audio. Whether or not a particular headphone set is compatible, you might ask Griffin directly about that. If you're playing a DVD with VLC or the Apple DVD Player, you will get surround sound. But, you'd have to find an MP3 with multi-channel audio inside it to play surround sound out of iTunes.
-Doug

What is best antivirus software for Mac Mini? Recently the Trovi virus was on my computer and I want to make sure it is completely gone.

What is the best antivirus software for Mac Mini? I had thought Mac's were safer from viruses but recently I think the Trovi virus infected my computer, I have taken steps to remove but want to make sure computer is clean.

To learn how to defend yourself from the threat of adware read How to install adware.
There will always be threats to your information security associated with using any Internet - connected communications tool:
You can mitigate those threats by following commonsense practices
Delegating that responsibility to software is an ineffective defense
Assuming that any product will protect you from those threats is a hazardous attitude that is likely to result in neglecting point #1 above.
OS X already includes everything it needs to protect itself from viruses and malware. Keep it that way with software updates from Apple.
A much better question is "how should I protect my Mac":
Never install any product that claims to "clean up", "speed up", "optimize", "boost" or "accelerate" your Mac; to "wash" it, "tune" it, or to make it "shiny". Those claims are absurd.Such products are very aggressively marketed. They are all scams.
Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources.
Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
"Questionable sources" include but are not limited to spontaneously appearing web pages or popups, download hosting sites such as C net dot com, Softonic dot com, Soft pedia dot com, Download dot com, Mac Update dot com, or any other site whose revenue is primarily derived from junk product advertisements.
If you need to install software that isn't available from the Mac App Store, obtain it only from legitimate sources authorized by the software's developer.
Don’t supply your password in response to a popup window requesting it, unless you know what it is and the reason your credentials are required.
Don’t open email attachments from email addresses that you do not recognize, or click links contained in an email:
Most of these are scams that direct you to fraudulent sites that attempt to convince you to disclose personal information.
Such "phishing" attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
Apple will never ask you to reveal personal information in an email. If you receive an unexpected email from Apple saying your account will be closed unless you take immediate action, just ignore it. If your iCloud, iTunes, or App Store account becomes disabled for valid reasons, you will know when you try to buy something or log in to this support site, and are unable to.
Don’t install browser extensions unless you understand their purpose. Go to the Safari menu > Preferences > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone.
Don’t install Java unless you are certain that you need it:
Java, a non-Apple product, is a potential vector for malware. If you are required to use Java, be mindful of that possibility.
Java can be disabled in System Preferences.
Despite its name JavaScript is unrelated to Java. No malware can infect your Mac through JavaScript. It’s OK to leave it enabled.
Beware spontaneous popups: Safari menu > Preferences > Security > check "Block popup windows".
Popup windows are useful and required for some websites, but unsolicited popups are commonly used to deceive people into installing unwanted software they would never intentionally install.
Popups themselves cannot infect your Mac, but many contain resource-hungry code that will slow down Internet browsing.
If you ever receive a popup window indicating that your Mac is infected with some ick or that you won some prize, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it.
The same goes for a spontaneously appearing dialog insisting that you upgrade your video player right this instant. Such popups are frequently associated with sites that promise to deliver movies or other copyrighted content "for free".
The more insistent it is that you upgrade or install something, the more likely it is to be a scam. Close the window or tab and forget it.
Ignore hyperventilating popular media outlets that thrive by promoting fear and discord with entertainment products arrogantly presented as "news". Learn what real threats actually exist and how to arm yourself against them:
The most serious threat to your data security is phishing. Most of these attempts are pathetic and are easily recognized, but that hasn't stopped prominent public figures from recently succumbing to this age-old scam.
OS X viruses do not exist, but intentionally malicious or poorly written code, created by either nefarious or inept individuals, is nothing new.
Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don’t want it any more.
If you elect to use "anti-virus" software, familiarize yourself with its limitations and potential to cause adverse effects, and apply the principle immediately preceding this one.
Most such utilities will only slow down and destabilize your Mac while they look for viruses that do not exist, conveying no benefit whatsoever - other than to make you "feel good" about security, when you should actually be exercising sound judgment, derived from accurate knowledge, based on verifiable facts.
Do install updates from Apple as they become available. No one knows more about Macs and how to protect them than the company that builds them.
Summary: Use common sense and caution when you use your Mac, just like you would in any social context. There is no product, utility, or magic talisman that can protect you from all the evils of mankind.

Any recommendations for a new Graphics card for Mac Pro?

Any recommendations for a new Graphics card for mac pro edit in Premiere 2014 and I need to have output to a monitor my current graphics card is ATI Radeon HD Graphics 5870 1024 MB I find better for what I need?

Look at this EVGA card for the Mac

Best Graphics Card for InDesign

I have seen a number of articles discussing the best graphics cards for a number of Adobe products such as Photshop, AfterEffects, SpeedGrade and Premiere Pro, but we have users that do not use these products extensively, but do use InDesign, Acrobat and Illustrator quite heavily, during prep for a paper catalogue.
Can anybody give me some advise on the best graphocs card for these particulat products please...? we are using CC.
Thank you.

Only really need a graphics card for video editing - 3D modelling etc.
Even then the video softaware doesn't address the graphics card all that much.
It's only recently that video software and 3d software request access to the graphics RAM.
Mostly the processors these days have pretty good onboard graphics cards. That should be plenty for photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
It's more physical RAM that is required, not graphics cards.
I have 20gb RAM and i7 4770 processor with no additional graphics card.
It works great.
Although a standalone graphics card would be better for video editing and 3d modelling.

Best Graphics Card for Photo Editing

Hello All,
I am a professional photographer. I currently use Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 4.1. I am in the process of having a new computer built just for editing my photography. The board will be an ASUS P9X79 with an intel Core i7-3820 and 16 GB memory. The technician building the computer would like a recommendation of the fastest and or best graphics card for editing still images.
All of my work is done in RAW from a 5D MII. 21 megapixel.
Processing speed has always been a bottleneck for me and Lightroom 4 has not helped.
Can anyone please recommend the best or fastest graphics card for this system?
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I would focus on your PS CS5 requirments. If you intend on using a wide gamut display at some point I'd give serious consideration to graphics card that will truly support 30 bit display data (10bit/color) in PS CS5/6.There are only a handful of graphics cards that actually support a 30 bit data path with PS CS5/6. Some links:
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cs6-gpu-faq.html
http://www.amd.com/us/products/workstation/graphics/software/Pages/adobe-photoshop.aspx
http://www.nvidia.com/object/photoshop-cs6.html
http://forums.adobe.com/message/4487697
You may also want to read this concerning limitations of using a wide gamut display with non-color manged applications (i.e. browsers, MS Office, etc.):
http://www.gballard.net/photoshop/srgb_wide_gamut.html

Best graphics card for the MAC Pro 4,1

I am using the 4870 card, but, is there a better graphics card for doing photography with Adobe CS5 Extended and Lightroom 3?
Thank you.

While recently discontinued, you can probably get your hands on an nVidia GTX 285 fairly easily. It's not only faster than your Radeon HD4870, it has double the video memory, and more importantly it's on the shortlist of cards that are support hardware acceleration of the Mercury Playback Engine in Adobe CS5. That's a HUGE feature, if you use Premiere or After Effects, it's probably worth the price of admission right there. I've got one in my machine, works wonders. Aside from a zippy system, lots of basic stuff that used to have to be rendered in order to preview no longer require it.
The nVidia Quadro FX 4800 is also a bigger/faster card, and provides even more powerful support for the Mercury Playback Engine in CS5, but it's also vastly more expensive. As I type this the price is $1799 at Apple, and $1399 most everywhere else (Apple store managers, if you're seeing this you might want to check for a price drop).
That's the current max, but it's possible that new graphics cards are right around the corner. In the spring nVidia introduced their next generation of GPU, there are a range of new GTX 4xx series cards on the mainstream line, and just last week new Quadro cards were launched for the high end. Adobe does not support either of them for CS5's Mercury Playback Engine hardware acceleration at this moment, but Adobe employees have said that it's coming in an update soon.
It's also likely that the ATI Radeon HD 5770 & Radeon HD 5870 will be released for the Mac. My understanding is that the 5770 performance is on par with your HD 4870, and the 5870 will blow it away. Both the new ATI cards also boast two mini displayport plugs as well as a DVI out. Neither card is likely going to get support for hardware acceleration in CS5 anytime soon (not really Adobe's fault, ATI are still in their infancy on the high performance/OpenCL front compared to nVidia).
My advice, if you need something now, chase down a GTX 285 and you won't be disappointed (especially in CS5). Otherwise, you may want to wait it out and jump on the next generation if/when it becomes available.
Hope that helps!

N wireless card for Mac Mini 1.66ghz

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See > Apple Mac Mini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo (MA607LL/A) Expansion Cards
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