Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Need help with new graphics card installation

R

RonLacy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 2, 2015
8
0
San Diego
New to MacRumors. This is my first post.

I am trying to install a new graphics/display card in my 2009 Mac Pro running 10.10.5. Removing the NVIDA GeForce GT 120 and trying to replace it with the GeForce GTX 970. I have installed the driver from the NVIDA website but nothing displays on the monitor when I turn on the computer. After a while the computer just shuts off. After reading a bit on this forum I am wondering if the GTX 970 requires two more power connections for the card to work? No connectors came with the card, so I am unsure. I really need a better card in my Mac to process images. Any advice, ideas, or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ron
 
AFAIK, they are the power cord for the card, NOT optional.

Also, the driver has to be installed AND activated, otherwise, you can get nothing more than black screen.
 
Yes power is required from the mobo. All modern high end GPUs, of which the GTX 970 requires supplemental power. And, as mentioned, you need the Nvidia Web Driver for the card to operate a Maxwell based card.
 
flowrider said:
Yes power is required from the mobo. All modern high end GPUs, of which the GTX 970 requires supplemental power. And, as mentioned, you need the Nvidia Web Driver for the card to operate a Maxwell based card.
Click to expand...
flowrider-

Thanks for the reply. If I understand, I need to buy two power cords for this card and connect them to the mother board in order for the card to have enough power to work--do I have that straight? The previous poster said I must also "activate" the driver. How do I "activate" the driver?

Your help is appreciated
Ron
 
h9826790 said:
AFAIK, they are the power cord for the card, NOT optional.

Also, the driver has to be installed AND activated, otherwise, you can get nothing more than black screen.
Click to expand...
h9826790--

Thanks for the reply. How do I "activate" the driver? I have never done this before. And yes, all I am getting is a black screen.

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks
Ron
 
^^^^Yes you need two power cables. Does the card have six or eight pin connectors or a combination of both? Activating the driver simply means installing it. If it were me, I'd install it with your old card and make sure it's turned on. Also don't forget the CUDA Driver.

Lou
 
Lou-
They are six pin connectors--I think--the card is still in the computer so I will have to open it up to check.

I did install the CUDA driver while the GT 120 was in the machine. How do I make sure it is turned on? I thought it would just automatically be "on"? Is the CUDA driver the only one I need? Not even sure what a CUDA driver is but I installed the recommended one from the NVIDA website.

Thanks
Ron
 
RonLacy said:
Lou-
They are six pin connectors--I think--the card is still in the computer so I will have to open it up to check.

I did install the CUDA driver while the GT 120 was in the machine. How do I make sure it is turned on? I thought it would just automatically be "on"? Is the CUDA driver the only one I need? Not even sure what a CUDA driver is but I installed the recommended one from the NVIDA website.
Click to expand...

You need a pair of power cables like this:
http://www.svideo.com/x1900.html

You need to install the Nvidia web driver but it sounds like you've already done so. You can double check to see which driver is enabled in the Nvidia Driver Manager.

The CUDA driver is optional and has nothing to do screen visibility. You probably don't need it at all unless you are using specialized applications that support CUDA acceleration.
 
Last edited:
ActionableMango said:
You need a pair of power cables like this:
http://www.svideo.com/x1900.html

You need to install the Nvidia web driver but it sounds like you've already done so. You can double check to see which driver is enabled in the Nvidia Driver Manager.

The CUDA driver is optional and has nothing to do screen visibility. You probably don't need it at all unless you are using specialized applications that support CUDA acceleration.
Click to expand...

ActionableMango--

Thanks for the info. I'll get the cables, check the Nvidia Driver Manger and give this another go.

I appreciate all of the info. on this forum.

Thanks
Ron
 
flowrider said:
Cables like this would be fine:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCIe-PCI-e-...-Video-Card-/270523544782?hash=item3efc75b4ce

As was said go into System Preferences, look for Nvidia Driver Manager and activate. You can also access the Driver Manager from the icon that should be in the ribbon at the top of your display.

Lou
Click to expand...

Lou-
Thanks for the link to the cables. I understand where they connect to the card, but I can't find a place on the computer where they would connect. Can you give me some guidance? I have taken the 970 card out and replaced it with my old 120 card until I can get the cables. I have been looking for about 10 minutes but can't see a connection on the mobo. Can you give me directions as to where that connection would be?

Thanks
Ron
 
RonLacy said:
I can't find a place on the computer where they would connect.
Click to expand...

Screen Shot 2015-10-03 at 06.31.08.jpg

Screen Shot 2015-10-03 at 06.31.22.jpg
 
h9826790 said:
View attachment 589108
View attachment 589109
Click to expand...

h9826790--

Thanks for the picture showing the location of the connections. Very helpful. Another question. As your graphic shows the connections on the mother board are 6 pin connectors. The connector on the card is one 8-pin connection. How do I connect an 8-pin card to a 6-pin mother board? Do them make cords that are 8 on one went and 6 on the other? Sorry to pester you guys with such basic questions, but as I said before I have never done this before and I am learning as we go.

Thanks
Ron
 
RonLacy said:
How do I connect an 8-pin card to a 6-pin mother board?
Click to expand...

Buy and install the cable is easy. However, the problem is that a 8pin may draw up to 150W but the 6pin technically can only supply up to 75W.

In real, it will work with a mini 6pin to 8 pin adaptor, and most likely nothing dramatic will happen. But you should know what you are doing.
 
In post #7 you said the card had 6 pin connectors and in post #14 you said it has an 8-pin connection. You need to be very clear about the connectors on the card or you will get the wrong advice.

If your card has two 6-pin connectors, just get two of the cables I linked to.

If your card has one 8-pin connector, get two of the cables I linked to, plus a y-cable that combines the two into a single 8-pin for the card.

If your card has one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, then it is not designed to work with the Mac Pro power, but you might be able to get away with it anyway. Simply plug in the two cables I linked to without using an adapter (the 8-pin socket is designed to accept a 6-pin connector).

Personally I would generally avoid using a 6-to-8 pin adapter because the adapter "tells" the card that it can pull 150W from the motherboard socket even though that socket is rated for 75W. But on a 970 this is probably all fine anyway.

If your card has two 8-pin connectors, return it and get a card with two 6-pin connectors. I don't think there's a 970 with two 8-pin connectors, but I suppose there could be such a thing.
 
^^^^My MVC Modded accelerated GTX 780 has two 8 pin connections and on both connectors, MVC shorted two of the pins so a six pin cable would work. I've been using my GPU for better than 2 years now with no ill effects. My UPS reads wattage draw and my system (monitor included) vacillates from the 260's to the very low 300's in total wattage draw. The GTX 970 should be fine.

Lou
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back