Mixing graphics cards

Question

I ordered a Mac Pro with the Radion card. But I'm thinking that I might want to run Final Cut Pro with a 2-monitor setup and use my 50" LCD as a client monitor (3rd monitor). So if I wanted the client monitor to run off DVI, would I have to buy another Radion card, or can I go with a cheaper nVidia?
(I can also run it through a Canopus ADVC via firewire, but obviously DVI would be nicer.)

Answer 1

I don't know why mixing cards wouldn't work, but in
<http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Conceptual/HWTechVideo/Articles/Video_implementation.html#//appleref/doc/uid/TP40003994> it says:
"Note: The Mac Pro does not simultaneously support an ATI graphics card and an Nvidia graphics card."
Based on careful reading of the above document and
<http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Conceptual/HWtechPCI/Articles/pci_implementation.html#//appleref/doc/uid/TP40003937>,
it may be possible to install two ATI Radeon X1900 XT cards, one in slot 1, and one in slot 2 (also covering slot 3). The PCI bus would be set to x8 x8 x1 x8.
The configuration would meet all the cooling and power restrictions. There are auxiliary power connectors for both slots 1 and 2.
This would give you four displays (all could be up to 30") with independent resolution and rotation.
It is not a standard configuration, so you would order the Mac Pro with one ATI Radeon X1900 XT and order the second as an add-on
<http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/6.RSLID?mco= 220D662A&nplm=MA631Z%2FA>. Note where it says:
"System Requirements:
Mac Pro with available double-wide PCI Express slot or two standard slots". They wouldn't say that if it was only allowed in slot 1 (the only double-wide slot).
There would still be one empty slot, x8, with 36 watts available.