New Mac Pro + Graphics Cards

I recently placed an order for the new 12 Core system. I presently have a 2009 Mac Pro which has 2 x Quadro FX4800 graphic cards.
My new system i specked the ATI 5870 HD card. My question is this, most probably a silly question but need to ask.
Can I install the two Quadro Cards along with the ATI card at the same time. Or must I only install either the Quadro or ATI card.
Any performance gain from having all 3 cards installed at the same time?
My apologies if the question is silly!
Regards,
Allan

My new system i speced the ATI 5870 HD card. My question is this, most probably a silly question but need to ask.
Can I install the two Quadro Cards along with the ATI card at the same time. Or must I only install either the Quadro or ATI card.
No. The Mac Pro has only two auxiliary power connectors for PCIe cards. Each Quadro FX4800 graphic card uses one auxiliary power connector. The ATI 5870 HD card uses two.
Any performance gain from having all 3 cards installed at the same time?
No, even if there was enough power.

Similar Messages

New Mac Pro Graphics Cards - Which way to go???

Hi Everyone,
Just looking at placing an order today for a new Mac Pro and have been considering it since they came out earlier this month. With the new graphics card availabilities I am kind of at a loss with which way to go and wanted to see what the opinion of the group would be. They offer the possibility of having multiple cards if you go with the low end ATI 2600 (256mb) then one can have up to eight displays. Or do I go with the slightly larger NVidia 8800 (500mb) which probably offers better overall performance. There is no notation stating that one can stack the NVidia card the same way as the ATI and I don't think I feel like dropping an extra almost $3000 on the highest end card offered so I am stuck trying to decide. I work primarily in video and photo work so the idea of multiple displays is appealing but not if there is a lack of overall performance. Using Motion a lot I find the graphics card is really crucial to render times, especially when using the motion blur within the project.
Any advice or considerations to be thought about would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Checked out Barefeats?
http://www.barefeats.com/harper2.html
http://www.barefeats.com/york2.html
The 8800 is not yet shipping, which will hold up an order.

Mac Pro Graphics Cards

I am using an early Mac Pro 3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon with an NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT Graphics Card. I am thinking of upgrading my monitor to a 24" model with high resolution.
Can anyone give me advice on whether I need, or could benefit from, a new Graphics Card?
Any advice would be most appreciated.
YAGOM

The NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card has one dual-link DVI port that can handle a display up to 2560 x 1600, and one single-link DVI port that can handle up to 1920 x 1200, so unless you need more graphics speed, such as for games, you don't need a new graphics card.
Note: there is currently no way to use the new Apple 24" LED display with any Mac Pro graphics card.

FCE 3.5 on Mac Pro graphics card error

Having loaded FCE 3.5 on my new Mac Pro Quad Core it comes up with the error message canot find AGP Graphics Card, then it shuts application. I was using 3.5 succesfully on my old Macbook Pro without problems..... do I need to upgrade to 4.0?
Appreciate any help.....

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Try pressing <esc> when you get the AGP message.

New Mac Pro openCL card?

So if all of adobe and most other graphics applications rely on CUDA then why is the new Mac Pro being produced with the FirePro? That's an openCL tuned card. Is there a CUDA option? Doesn't make any sense at all to have a card in there that doesn't support the most popular graphics technology.

"So if all of adobe and most other graphics applications rely on CUDA"
Dave, what is your basis for saying the Adobe applications "rely on CUDA"?
Premiere Pro can use CUDA or OpenCL for its GPU acceleration. Details:
http://blogs.adobe.com/premierepro/2011/02/cuda-mercury-playback-engine-and-adob e-premiere-pro.html
After Effects uses OpenGL for all of its GPU features except for one, which does use CUDA. Details:
http://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects/2012/05/gpu-cuda-opengl-features-in-after-ef fects-cs6.html
Photoshop uses OpenCL and OpenGL:
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cs6-gpu-faq1.html
fixed typo

Mac Pro Graphic Card: ATI Radeon 2 x 5770 or 1 x 5870?

HELP!
OK, So I've just ordered my new Mac Pro for work and here's the spec:
MAC PRO
Two 2.66GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon
Memory: 12GB (6X2GB)
2 x ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB Graphic cards
2 x 512GB Solid State Drives
2 x HD Cinema screens
One 18x SuperDrive
JOINT VENTURE MEMBERSHIP
£8,950.00 (ouch!) being made up now, and delivered next week.
What I need to know is would it be better / faster going for 1 x ATI Radeon HD 5870 1 GB or stick with the 2 x HD 5770's graphc cards?
I popped into The Apple store in Regent Street, London today and as a Joint Venture Business account holder I got to see someone straight away and no one could answer me the question which would be better or faster?
1 x ATI Radeon HD 5870
or the
2 x ATI Radeon HD 5770
I work with extremely High Resoultion Image and design files, so it's imperitive to get the best.
I very much look forward to your valued opiions.
Yours..
Rob Jarvis
Photographer
http://www.robjarvis.co.uk

Hi Bob,
From Apple's page: http://www.apple.com/macpro/features/graphics.html
Give your graphics a turbo boost.
For even more graphics horsepower, upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory. An ideal choice for the most demanding applications, this card features a wider memory bus and higher-performance GPU, resulting in up to 70 percent faster performance compared with the ATI Radeon HD 5770.
You need the 5870 it is 70% faster, but more importantly you do not want the Apple monitors for critical photography applications.
I would STRONGLY suggest the NEC wide gamut calibration monitors. I use the 30" PA301WBKSV models, but if budget is constrained, they also make a 27" model for about 40% less.
The difference between a wide gamut and a regular (Apple) monitor is startling. You will save time and money due to the accuracy of the color causing fewer reprints. You literally will see colors you have never seen before on a screen.
At the very least, buy one of the wide gamut for adjustment work, and the lesser monitor for the non-critical pallette purposes.
Also, I would not buy either the RAM or SSDs from Apple, as there are better and cheaper alternatives out there. The 480GB Mercury EXTREME™ Pro 6G SSD are less money, double as fast as Apple and have a 5 year warranty.
I would also recommend more RAM, I use 48GB and never run into pageouts. You can buy the 48.0GB OWC Memory (3 x 16.0GB PC10600 DDR3 ECC 1333MHz 240 Pin) for a little more than you are paying Apple for 12GB, and this RAM is a lifetime warranty.
Hope this helps

Mac Pro Graphics Card causing freezes?

Hi there,
My 1st Gen Mac Pro keep freezing...most times requiring a restart. The freezes seem to occur when 'using' the graphics card (Nvidia 7300GT). Have completely reinstalled OSX and it still happens.
Hardware Test doesn't bring up a problem with the graphics card, but there are some weird black glitches which appear on text and also some windows acquire the ability to rub others out...? Also, on turning on, the computer sometimes shows just red, green random patches of colour. The problems seem to be getting gradually worse.
Monitor is fine (have tested with another and the same thing happens). The freezes have happened happen when doing the following...
1. Orbiting in Sketchup
2. Changing between windows in Finder
3. Scrolling through the Console Window (ironically in a failed attempt to find out what was wrong...)
4. Using the Space bar on a file on look at it quickly.
Does this sound like the GPU is shot? I have ordered a new 8800GT from the Apple Store in the meantime (we could always put it in another Mac Pro).
Has anyone encountered a similar problem before and if so, was there a fix?
Thanks,
n.b. the Mac Pro is not covered by AppleCare and is out of warranty.

Actually, the other thing which makes me suspicious is the appearance of the word 'nvidia' in the kernel panic log
Tue May 19 17:35:07 2009
panic(cpu 2 caller 0x00683643): NVRM[0]: Read Error 0x00009200: BAR0 0xf1000000 0x75e7f000 0x04b300a2 D3 P0/1
Backtrace (CPU 2), Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x6d8974e8 : 0x12b4c6 (0x45ec20 0x6d89751c 0x13355c 0x0)
0x6d897538 : 0x683643 (0x8b3e20 0x8b3e20 0x8783ec 0x0)
0x6d897598 : 0x6c6054 (0x899b804 0x8d70004 0x9200 0x6bfa6a)
0x6d8975d8 : 0x94c46f (0x8d70004 0x9200 0x1 0x8f5a004)
0x6d8975f8 : 0x784f16 (0x8d70004 0x8b6b004 0x0 0x0)
0x6d897638 : 0x935cdf (0x8b6b004 0x514 0x514 0x1)
0x6d897678 : 0x741e63 (0x8d70004 0x8f5a004 0x0 0x0)
0x6d8976b8 : 0x7eadd1 (0x8d70004 0x8f5a004 0x0 0x0)
0x6d8976f8 : 0x75a59c (0x8d70004 0x5c2f 0x0 0x0)
0x6d897748 : 0x75a6b2 (0x8d70004 0x58187004 0xac00 0xd)
0x6d897768 : 0x914fd1 (0x8d70004 0x58187004 0xc 0x8b4b290)
0x6d8977c8 : 0x918b30 (0x8ae9204 0xac02 0x1 0x0)
0x6d897888 : 0x694413 (0x8d70004 0x3d 0x0 0x0)
0x6d897918 : 0x6813ec (0xc1d00021 0x8000000 0x41 0x2)
0x6d897a78 : 0x672dd8 (0x0 0x600d600d 0x703a 0x6d897aa8)
0x6d897b38 : 0x85b2ec (0xc1d00021 0x8000000 0x41 0x2)
Backtrace continues...
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.nvidia.nv40hal(5.4.4)@0x8c9000->0xa93fff
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(5.4.4)@0x66a000
com.apple.NVDAResman(5.4.4)@0x66a000->0x8c8fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(1.7.3)@0x65c000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.6)@0x62e000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(1.7.3)@0x63f000
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Mac OS version:
9J61
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.7.0: Tue Mar 31 22:52:17 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.12.14~1/RELEASE_I386
System model name: MacPro1,1 (Mac-F4208DC8)
System uptime in nanoseconds: 766414544582
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.6.8a3 - last unloaded 80521838742
loaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor 1.9d0 - last loaded 12655794675
com.apple.filesystems.autofs 2.0.2
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAPlatformDriver 1.6.8a3
com.apple.driver.iTunesPhoneDriver 1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient 2.7.5
com.apple.driver.AppleHDA 1.6.8a3
com.apple.GeForce 5.4.4
com.apple.DontSteal_Mac_OSX 6.0.3
com.apple.nvidia.nv40hal 5.4.4
com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController 1.6.8a3
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP 1.7.7
com.apple.driver.AudioIPCDriver 1.0.6
com.apple.driver.AppleMCEDriver 1.1.7
com.apple.driver.ACPISMCPlatformPlugin 3.4.0d10
com.apple.driver.AppleLPC 1.2.12
com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver 1.0.0d28
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass 2.0.6
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHIDMouse 1.2.3f1
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard 1.0.8b1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub 3.4.3
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice 2.0.9
com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient 2.0.9
com.apple.driver.XsanFilter 2.7.91
com.apple.iokit.IOATAPIProtocolTransport 1.5.2
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage 1.2.1
com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver 1.1.0
com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI 3.8.2
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPIIXATA 2.0.0
com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort 1.6.0
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub 3.4.0
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient 3.3.1
com.apple.driver.AppleIntel8254XEthernet 2.1.2b1
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI 3.4.3
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI 3.3.5
com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM 1.2.0
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons 1.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleRTC 1.2.3
com.apple.driver.AppleHPET 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPCI 1.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS 1.4
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC 1.2.4
com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC 1.4
com.apple.security.seatbelt 107.12
com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall 1.6.77
com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet 3
com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement 76.0.0
com.apple.driver.DiskImages 199
com.apple.BootCache 30.4
com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib 1.6.8a3
com.apple.NVDAResman 5.4.4
com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily 1.7.3
com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily 1.6.8a3
com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily 1.6.9fc3
com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib 1.1
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily 3.4.0d10
com.apple.driver.AppleSMC 2.2.1d2
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse 1.2.3f1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver 3.2.2
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite 3.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice 2.0.9
com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily 1.5
com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily 2.0.9
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily 3.4.7
com.apple.iokit.IOATAFamily 2.0.1
com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily 1.5.0
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily 1.6.1
com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily 3.4.3
com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime 1.2.0
com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily 1.1
com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily 1.5.6
com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily 1.5.5
com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform 1.2.4
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily 2.6
com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily 1.2.0

Mac pro graphics card

I found some places in the internet saying that with the new Mac OSX 10.8.3 update, the Mac Pro can now use some Graphics Card from PC computers. Is it true, and which cards are supported?
I know that there are two new card with Mac Edition: EVGA Nvidia GTX 680 Mac Edition, and the Radeon HD 7950 for Mac. But these are made for Mac. I want to know about the regular ones for PC.
Thanks!

Thanks for all the answers!
kaz-k:
I was aware of the netkas site, but i'm kinda noob in this matter. It has tons of infos, but for someone starting it doesn't have a "crash course" to begin.
jamie763p:
What do you mean by a fainted-heart process? Did you have to flash the cards for them to work? Or just to get the boot screen?
If I get a GTX680 PC Edition, will it work without problems, just like the Mac Edition (except for the boot screen)? Even for the 4gb one? Plug and play? The cables supplied with the PC Edition will do? Or should I get other cables?
The hatter:
I have a small video production, mainly using FCP7, After Effects CS6 (all Adobe collection actually). Using AE CS6 with Element3D, and others things.
The new card would help a lot with the use and render of these things.
For this it's best with Nvidia, right? Or the Radeon?
I don't mind for the boot screen.
Thank you all!

1st Gen Mac Pro - Graphics card upgrade options?

Hi guys,
I have the 1st gen Mac Pro with 2 x 3GHz dual core xeons and a Radeon X1900 graphics card. I have wanted to upgrade to a new card for a while, however, I can't find any that apple say are compatible. I wanted to upgrade to a 5870 but on apples website it said this wasn't compatible with the first gen.
What is the limiting factor here? Is it the software or hardware?
What is the best card I can get for my machine?
Please help!
Thanks Guys
Tom

Your post has been added to a thread regarding Mac Pro Xeon Tower computers. These have nothing in common with your MacBook Pro.
To get an answer that is meaningful, you need to post on the MacBook Pro forums, here:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=190

Upgrade existing Mac Pro graphics card

I'd like to upgrade the graphics card that's in my Mac Pro that I bought last year. Doesn't have to be the latest one that came out with the new ones this week. The ATI Radeon X1900 XT would be fine.
Can I purchase one from Apple? I tried Otherworld Computing (macsales.com) and they didn't have any options.
Any suggestions?
I'm not looking for a Windows only card as I've seen some threads referring to, I want something that I can use natively in Mac OS X Leopard.
Thanks

I bought a Pro as I was led to believe that it was 'upgrade-able' and in the future I was able to change components as new developments came down the pipeline. Now I find this not to be true , I may as well have bought an iMac or Macmini.
What in earth is the point of having upgrade slots if you can't upgrade things ??
This whole thing smacks of utter incompetence and a tinge of underhand business attitude , forcing people to buy a new £3,000 computer just to change their video card. Its OUTRAGEOUS !
This is the LAST time I will ever buy a mac tower , it's back to iMacs for me . I had similar problems in 1994 when I bought a Quadra 840av , then Apple not only changed to PPC but from Nu Bus to PCI !
My suggestion : if you don't expect to upgrade your computer within 6-12 months of owning it , buy something integrated and accept you'll just have to change every 2-3 years. You'll save money in the long run and won't feel ripped off.
Apple should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen , imo it's disgraceful.
Finally the fact that the X1900 is a buggy , noisy pile of junk doesn't help. The 8800 would be a fantastic upgrade but as I've outlined earlier , that option has been taken away from us.
Really really shocking.

1st Gen Mac Pro: Graphics Card Needed Urgently

My mac pro is first generation (Model Identifier: MacPro1,1) Not the 2008 Mac Pro.
I have Chipset Model: ATY,RadeonX1900
This card is failing. Pram reset, SMC reset, and/or repair permissions do not work. I cleaned the fan intake area as well... card is still failing (won't wake from sleep, no display on reboot, etc etc).
I have searched these forums high and low. Can anyone please provide me with a good option for a replacement card?
The closest I have gotten is the "Apple nVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT Graphics Upgrade Kit for 1st Generation Mac Pro" which is now discontinued (?)
I am getting really frustrated here, please help!

Hey,
I am having the exact issue with my Mac Pro (2.66 gig first gen intel). I have a discussion (unresolved) that you can find here.
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9666490#9666490
I wonder how many folks are having this particular card die early on them. I think the problem is more widespread than Apple would indicate on the phone.
Anyway, my concern is whether or not the replacement card will be able to use the Open CL (sp?) protocol that will come with Snow Leopard. This will allow the computer to use free cycles on the graphics card to boost processing power. The guy on the phone and at the Apple store I went to was fuzzy on this. The last thing I want to do is upgrade to an antiquated card.
He suggested the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT which I cannot find (discontinued).
Does anyone know if the 4870 will take advantage of the new Snow Leopard features?
Thanks,
G

Which MAC Pro graphics card and how much RAM for FCE HD usage?

I plan on purchasing a MAC Pro afer MacWorld Expo next month. Any recommendations for a specific graphics card that would complement my usage of Final Cut Express HD 3.5?
Also, should I increase my RAM? I currently use 2 gb of RAM on my G4. Will I see greater productivity if I bump it up to 4gb of RAM on the MAC Pro or will 2gb suffice which I had planned to increase it to from the standard 1gb supplied?
PowerMAC G4 dual 1.42ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2gb RAM, 3-LaCie FW800 external drives
PowerMAC G4 dual 1.42ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2gb RAM, 3-LaCie FW800 external drives

Any of the graphics cards that Apple sells for the Mac Pro will be fine. Personally, I'd suggest choosing one with at least 128MB video RAM, 256MB would be better.
2GB RAM in your Mac Pro will be more than enough for general purpose video editing. Going to 4GB will give you more oomph for RealTime effects and somewhat for rendering but you won't see a big difference in regard to capturing or general editing in the timeline.

Mac Pro Graphics card and Motion 5

I purchased my Mac Pro in 2007, It is 2x 2.66 GHz dual core with 12 GB 667 MHz DDR2 F8-DIMM
My grahpics card is Radeon X1900.
Is this sufficient for Motion 5 and will I see a difference in speed, etc from Motion 4.
Also, is it possible to upgrade my graphics card to say, ATI 4870 to improve graphic performance all around? I have a real problem with complex graphics and usually cannot see them in full render until I compress the project.
Thanks,
Sandra

Any of the graphics cards that Apple sells for the Mac Pro will be fine. Personally, I'd suggest choosing one with at least 128MB video RAM, 256MB would be better.
2GB RAM in your Mac Pro will be more than enough for general purpose video editing. Going to 4GB will give you more oomph for RealTime effects and somewhat for rendering but you won't see a big difference in regard to capturing or general editing in the timeline.

Mac Pro Graphics Card Options

So... I am about to purchase a Mac Pro and have a few questions regarding the graphics card options.
I plan on using two 19" flat screens that I already have for my monitors. Obviously this can be accomplished without a card upgrade, but I would prefer to have as much video RAM as possible. If I went with a second GeForce 7300, in addition to the stock card, and output only one monitor from each card, would that in effect enable 256 mb of RAM per display? As upgrading to the X 1900, which has 512 mb of RAM, would be the same amout of RAM per display (512mb/2 displays).... I realize that the cards have different chips, engines, etc... I'm just trying to get the most bang for my buck and am wondering if that extra hundred dollars is really worth it. Much thanks, cheers!

I have a NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 on my MacPro with two ACD 30" connected to it. No glitch, works perfect. But I would say that the X1900 is the best value to get when you'll perchase your MacPro. You don't say enough details about the usage you want from your computer (i.e. 3d or just e-mails...). But if it's just for internet browsing and e-mails, a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT is more than enough to handle your two 19". If you think one day you'll have two 30" on you video card, go for the ATI card. If you do video rendering that needs VRAM or play 3D games, take the ATI card. If you have a lot of money to blow or just a geek take the FX4500. Anything else, just stick to the 7300 GT, it's more than enough for average users, less heat, quiet, and less electric consuption than the two others.
Cheers,
Hai Au

Mac Pro Graphics card expansion

Hi, I'm a little confused as to how I can expand the graphics capability of my Mac Pro. It has a Radeon 2600XT 256 meg graphics card. I know I can add another one of those, but many of the Radeon 2600 XT cards I see are 512 meg. Will those work too? If I do add another 2600XT 256, would there be a noticeable improvement in performance in games like Second Life?
Thanks

You can only use an Apple Radeon, and having two won't improve things. If you run Windows you can use Apple's or 3rd party PC card.
http://www.barefeats.com/harper11.html
http://www.barefeats.com/harper8.html
http://www.barefeats.com/york2.html

New Mac Pro + Graphics Cards

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