Nvidia 8800 or ATI Radeon (x2 or x3)?

Hi,
I am new to Mac world, and about to order a Mac Pro configuration.
I am not sure what to choose for the videocard...?
2x ATI Radeon
1x Nvidia 8800
or 3x ATI Radeon ...?
What would be the criteria to choose the good config for my needs?
If I plan to use only 1 or 2 displays, is the nvidia enough?
Thanks in advance for your help!

Tom,
There is another thread (or three!) on the sleep / restart problem. And I don't have any more info than what is said here and on other forums and news outlets.
I would sit tight for now, at least until the 8800s are actually shipping (March 1?) and get your RAM 3rd party to save $$$. Not sure the difference between 2.8 and 3.0 is going to be big enough to justify. 3.2, yes, if you need cutting edge.
Keep your eye on AYM and Barefeats.
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com
http://www.Barefeats.com

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The 8800GT is in the Apple store now as an upgrade option. Haven't found anyone yet who has actually obtained one and tried it in the pre-2008 versions of the Mac Pro, but other forum discussions here indicate it should at least be 'compatible'. Whether the Nvidia card can run at full performance in the older Mac Pro is undetermined. I think the older Mac Pro has a lower spec on the PCI Express slots.
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Hi I would maybe get a Apple Upgrade Kit the GT 120 is 512MB's & dose not use all 16 lanes as it like to make you think & will work on 2006 Mac Pro's at $149.00 I would say if you just want more displays get two & eBay your old cards. Please know if you game you will want more power but if only for more displays this 1 slot card is great.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro (early 2009)
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It as well as the much better 4870 both work with the Mac Pro 1,1 & 2,1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro (early 2009)
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 includes 512MB of GDDR3 memory, uses the PCI Express 2.0 interface, and includes one Mini DisplayPort and one dual-link DVI port.
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The NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512 MB of GDDR3 memory delivers excellent all-around performance whether your playing games or dealing with creative and scientific applications. With up to four NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics cards installed, a Mac Pro can support up to eight displays simultaneously.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 includes two video ports: one Mini DisplayPort and one dual-link DVI port. This allows you to connect both the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display or another Mini DisplayPort-based display, and a DVI-based display such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. Display adapters are available to connect VGA displays.
Good Luck man
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Hi-
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If I replaced the ATI Radeon X1900 with a NVIDIA GeForce 120, would I be asking for trouble?
If your Mac Pro came with ATI Radeon X1900, then it needs a card with EFI-32 firmware. The NVIDIA GeForce 120 has EFI-64 firmware, and won't work in the pre 2008 Mac Pro. The only upgrade for early Mac Pros is the ATI Radeon HD 4870
<http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB999ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ&mco=MTA4MzU2NTc>
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It does run hotter, fans are still inaudible unless right next to it (ear pressed where it will feel the heat).... now here's the thing: The fan speed won't increase noticeably even under extreme load.
To answer your question, if I focus on it, I can hear the fans (right now). If I reach up and touch the top (around top left) it's warm to the touch, and I can barely feel a warm breeze coming out
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Me and a friend launched Second Life from openGL profiler - she (ATI 2600, 2.8/4m) was hitting around 40-50 FPS, I was hitting 120-180 (these were on a private estate (somewhat controlled environmentals), both set to level 3 quality - kinda apples to apples as best as we could).
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There is one of the mac fan sites that tracks the average days of refresh - roughly when to expect the next big "refresh" from Apple - maybe someone else can remember where it is... (something like mid jan/late spring roughly - with some exceptions).
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