ATI Radeon HD 4870 Coming Soon For Older Mac Pros, Requires Unreleased OS X 10.5.7

[commander.data]

Not to dismiss the HD4870, since it's my favourite GPU for the moment, but I really hope Apple reconsiders it's GPU strategy. AMD has just set the MSRP of the 512MB HD4870 at $149 making $200 for the Mac version expensive although not unexpected. My prime concern though is that the HD4870 is a mid-range GPU. It's basically filling the same price point in AMD's lineup as the HD2600XT did when it was initially introduced. But the HD4870 is Apple's fastest GPU option. This means that Apple and the Mac Pro no longer has a high-end GPU option. The 8800GT wasn't spectacular when it was released but at least it was in the performance segment, which no longer seems to exist on a Mac.

I can understand Apple not wanting to bother with the complexity of SLI or Crossfire, but they could offer the GTX285. Isn't that what Apple's relationship with nVidia should result in rather than the $60 low-end GT120 which is a rebranded 9500GT which is a rebranded 8600GT or in other words is a shrink of a 2 year old part? At the very least Apple could have went with the 1GB HD4870.

 

[amtctt]

i have finally decided that my dream of using a mac for both pro apps and having a killer gaming platform have died. i really doubt i'm going to see this card for my first gen MP, so i'll just have to save my pennies and get a gamin rig too.

 

[Pressure]

For what?

It will kick the Quadro's ass in games, for pro apps, not so much obviously since it's an enthusiast card and not a pro card

However I see no reason why you couldn't chuck in the Quadro from the old Mac Pro.

You might be able to pick up a FireGL card and flash it with a Radeon firmware, there have been some success stories of that.

With Snow Leopard and Grand Central you do not need a Quadro or FireGL professional card anymore. At least not in Mac OS X.

 

[swissmann]

I've been holding out for this and am scared that my waiting was in vain as I have a 2006 1st Gen Mac Pro. I sure hope that the card is compatible with my system or that AMD releases their own version that is. I also noticed that the new iMacs have an option of the 4850 which I was also hoping for. Maybe if I'm lucky AMD will sell that standalone that will work in my machine.

It would be great if the graphics cards were released as mac/pc cards like the 3870 was so we could have the latest/greatest at the same time.

 

[ammon]

Almost makes me wish I bought a 2006 Mac Pro ages ago.

I'll sell you mine for cheap! It even has the x1900xt!!

 

[aygie]

Almost makes me wish I bought a 2006 Mac Pro ages ago.

?? Why? 2006 Macs aren't getting this update.....did i miss something?

 

[hexor]

Video Card explanation

Can someone explain why it is we can't have the same variety of video cards on the Mac Pro that people with a "PC" have? A lot of these cards that don't work with Mac OS X do work when you boot the Mac Pro up with boot camp. If it is simply a driver issue why can't we have more people working on drivers or make it easier for the video card companies to create drivers for OS X? The 4870 is considered a "mid-range" card on the PC platform now.

 

[mBox]

For what?

It will kick the Quadro's ass in games, for pro apps, not so much obviously since it's an enthusiast card and not a pro card

However I see no reason why you couldn't chuck in the Quadro from the old Mac Pro.

You might be able to pick up a FireGL card and flash it with a Radeon firmware, there have been some success stories of that.

Dont do gaming just 3D and Motion Graphics here Yes I have moved a Quadro around a few times but from Intel to Intel. However the new Quadr FX5800 has 4GB of RAM It would help me make my final move from Windows to Mac. We still have Maya seats on Windows here

 

[Tallest Skil]

Can someone explain why it is we can't have the same variety of video cards on the Mac Pro that people with a "PC" have? A lot of these cards that don't work with Mac OS X do work when you boot the Mac Pro up with boot camp. If it is simply a driver issue why can't we have more people working on drivers or make it easier for the video card companies to create drivers for OS X? The 4870 is considered a "mid-range" card on the PC platform now.

Look up EFI.
Then look up BIOS.

Simple as that.

 

[Eidorian]

I'll sell you mine for cheap! It even has the x1900xt!!

I'm quite happy with my MacBook. I'm just somewhat amazed how dull Apple's updates have been over the past two years. I should have just gotten a Mac Pro then and held onto it.

 

[loveturtle]

Did any of you guys actually click the link and look at the product?

It clearly states it wont work on the gen1 macpro (2006 - 2007), Only "Early 2008" and later.

This is the same information we knew before this article was posted, The old mac pro owners are SOL.

 

[apfhex]

I can understand Apple not wanting to bother with the complexity of SLI or Crossfire, but they could offer the GTX285. Isn't that what Apple's relationship with nVidia should result in rather than the $60 low-end GT120 which is a rebranded 9500GT which is a rebranded 8600GT or in other words is a shrink of a 2 year old part?

I do wish we could see some higher end Nvidia cards, even if they ended up being not compatible with the older Mac Pros... it'd just be nice to know they're out there.

 

[Bruce32118]

ATI Radeon HD 4870 & 10.5.7

On the UK Store if you order a new Mac Pro, customise it and add the 4870 as a video card it gives you a lead time of 6 business days...

So a week to go for 10.5.7?

http://store.apple.com/uk_smb_67752/configure/MB535B/A?mco=NDE4NDI0Mw

However the standalone Graphics Update kit for the 4870 card, also UK Store states, 5-7 weeks,

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MB999ZM/A,

so thats some time between now and then...

 

[guzhogi]

Look up EFI.
Then look up BIOS.

Simple as that.

You sure? I've heard that, but I've also heard that people can just use Boot Camp & boot up in Windows, & it'll work fine. So I think it's more than just something low-level like BIOS/EFI differences.

 

[zorinlynx]

Did any of you guys actually click the link and look at the product?

It clearly states it wont work on the gen1 macpro (2006 - 2007), Only "Early 2008" and later.

This is the same information we knew before this article was posted, The old mac pro owners are SOL.

The Radeon HD 2600 cards that were released with the 2008 Mac Pros were claimed to be incompatible with the 2006 Mac Pros, but ended up working anyway. I know at least one person who bought one to replace a dead X1900XT and it works beautifully (and puts out maybe a quarter the heat too!)

The cards are PCI Express so unless they *purposefully* cripple the cards to not work on the older Mac Pros, they should work fine. Driver support is in OS X 10.5.7, and OS X releases are always the same across all hardware. I don't see why they would break it on purpose, but on the other hand this IS Apple, they are known for doing weird and brain-dead things at times.

 

[MacsRgr8]

This is one big hard YES!!

Get the better GPU for my Mac Pro '08, AND get the 24" glossy!!!

 

[vvebsta]

Anyone know how much faster this one will be compared to the ATi 3870? Is it worthy of an upgrade?

 

[benborman]

PCIe vs PCIe 2.0

So from what I understand, the HD 4870 card won't work in the 2006 Mac Pro because the card requires a PCIe 2.0 slot, which was introduced on the early 2008 Mac Pro. Major bummer.

 

[preservative]

annnnnddddd thhhhhennn......!

 

[commander.data]

Anyone know how much faster this one will be compared to the ATi 3870? Is it worthy of an upgrade?

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=13

The HD4870 is the single biggest driver of performance increase and value in the GPU market in recent memory. It is 2 times faster than the HD3870, originally launched at $299 caused nVidia to drastically lower the price on the already low margin GTX260 and GTX280, and six months later costs $149 on PC and $200 on Mac. Even though it's more expensive on Mac, it's still great value for the performance you're getting. The nVidia equivalent of the 512MB HD4870 is the original GTX260 with the newer GTX260 Core 218 being faster. The HD4870 beats the $149 nVidia 9800GTX+ or GTS250 or whatever nVidia is naming it these days.

Edit: The HD4870 seems to average around 2 times the performance of the HD3870 and probably about 75%+ higher performance than the 8800GT.

 

[Data]

I'm waiting for bench marks between de 4870 and the gt8800, no idea if this will be worth the money or not.

 

[loveturtle]

The Radeon HD 2600 cards that were released with the 2008 Mac Pros were claimed to be incompatible with the 2006 Mac Pros, but ended up working anyway. I know at least one person who bought one to replace a dead X1900XT and it works beautifully (and puts out maybe a quarter the heat too!)

The cards are PCI Express so unless they *purposefully* cripple the cards to not work on the older Mac Pros, they should work fine. Driver support is in OS X 10.5.7, and OS X releases are always the same across all hardware. I don't see why they would break it on purpose, but on the other hand this IS Apple, they are known for doing weird and brain-dead things at times.

You are completely correct! --> unless they *purposefully* cripple the cards <---

Which they have, and they do. You use the example of the HD 2600, When were they released? They were released at the introduction of the 2008 mac pro along with the GeForce 8800GT which did *NOT* work with the 2006/7 Mac Pro.

After the long fiasco that was the 8800 issue I can only imagine that if they exclude the 2006/7 mac pro from the compatibility listing that it's for a reason, because it wont work...

Sure, ATI has a much better track record in this regard (the fact that theirs did in fact work last year, and that they took initiative to release the 3870 on their own for the mac pros) is reason for some hope. I still hold out some hope. But I certainly wouldn't hold my breath..

 

[nxfxcom]

What now

Ok,

i work mostly in Maya, PS etc, i have a Mac Pro '08, with the 8800 GT, should i get the New ATI or is the 8800 GT the same Quality?

Thanks

 

[commander.data]

Ok,

i work mostly in Maya, PS etc, i have a Mac Pro '08, with the 8800 GT, should i get the New ATI or is the 8800 GT the same Quality?

Thanks

I'm pretty sure that by now, nVidia and ATI have optimized there drivers such that there shouldn't be a noticable difference in visual quality of the output. The HD4870 will be faster though if the application takes advantage of GPU acceleration. ATI's drivers on the Mac also seem to be better optimized than nVidia, particularly for GPU acceleration of Core Image, where the HD2600XT can still give the 8800GT a run for it's money.

 

[nxfxcom]

I'm pretty sure that by now, nVidia and ATI have optimized there drivers such that there shouldn't be a noticable difference in visual quality of the output. The HD4870 will be faster though if the application takes advantage of GPU acceleration. ATI's drivers on the Mac also seem to be better optimized than nVidia, particularly for GPU acceleration of Core Image, where the HD2600XT can still give the 8800GT a run for it's money.

Okay, so i will wait and get the new ATI Radeon HD 4870!

Thank you