Need to upgrade Graphics Card of my MacPro3,1

[jHz Lab]

I am using MacPro3,1 (early 2008) with Processor "Intel® Xeon(R) CPU X5482 @ 3.20GHz × 8 " and Graphics "GeForce 8800 GT/PCIe/SSE2". I just want to upgrade my graphics card to any CUDA-capable NVIDIA GeForce like one GeForce GTX 970. Will it works on my machine? I am using ubuntu. Please let me know if it works.

 

[orph]

there's a sticky for all nvidia cards
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...out-nvidia-pc-non-efi-graphics-cards.1440150/

what apps will you need cuda in?
have you already tried cuda on you 8800?

 

[jHz Lab]

there's a sticky for all nvidia cards
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...out-nvidia-pc-non-efi-graphics-cards.1440150/

what apps will you need cuda in?
have you already tried cuda on you 8800?

Yes, I am using some tools related to SfM but most of them require CUDA-capable GPU. I have seen a list of CUDA-capable GPU but my Graphics card is not listed in that. Now I want to upgrade my Graphics card but I don't know whether my system will support or not.

 

[r6mile]

I've installed a GTX680 into a 3,1 Mac Pro, and then flashed it using Windows and it runs very well, giving boot screens and everything. I don't know about Linux compatibility though.

 

[orph]

nvidia says yes http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_8800_gt_us.html
what is sfm? might be worth checking there system requirements, your card is cuda ok (old/slow) with limited vram

if your using specialized software then you need to check what they require

in osx you need the cuda driver from nvidia in osx no idea about ubunto

one thing im confused about are you is are you using ubunto or osx or both and which one will be ruining the software or both ?

 

[jHz Lab]

I've installed a GTX680 into a 3,1 Mac Pro, and then flashed it using Windows and it runs very well, giving boot screens and everything. I don't know about Linux compatibility though.

GTX680 is will supported by CUDA as listed in https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus.

Many Thanks
[doublepost=1459951339][/doublepost]SfM (structure from motion) tools like Visual SfM are CUDA dependent tools. I was trying to install CUDA on my MacPro but when I look at

and then verified through looking at CUDA-capable GPUs list.

and I am using ubuntu only.
http://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-getting-started-guide-for-linux/#axzz450Y0SMuq
http://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-getting-started-guide-for-linux/#axzz450Y0SMuq

 

[orph]

do they have a website, some apps require a level of vram or cuda level support, id gess you dont need to flash a card for osx bootscreens to use it in ubuntu.

id relay recommend looking at the software's website to see what they recommend and or asking in there forums (or even send them an email).

will it be limited to pci 1 speed in ubuntu?
for cuda that might give it a slow down.

id gess like if your booting windows only you can just stick in any card ? im not shore tho
for beefcake cards you may need an external psu

it may also help if you have an idea of speed or budget.

some apps can use more than one gpu, this can be a big speed up for some apps.

 

[jHz Lab]

Yes, here you can see http://www.10flow.com/2012/08/15/building-visualsfm-on-ubuntu-12-04-precise-pangolin-desktop-64-bit/ the building of Visual Sfm on ubuntu. It requires power of GPU for fast rending of point cloud. Any way GeForce 8800 is very low memory GPU (512MB) and causes problems while rending in some other softwares like Blender.

 

[orph]

i think this is the wrong place to ask unless your relay lucky, id relay advise you to look at Visual Sfm website for advice.
any newer card than a gt 8800 will have cuda (i think) and quadro cards or titans are for CAD pure 3d work (& may be faster for you, relay dont know) tho iv herd 980ti's are good for the price (way past my price point).
big cards will be limited by the pci lane speed maybe.


if your software is like Blender do a serch for blender benchmarks, did a google and blender has info in the help files on cards https://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/gpu_rendering.html
edit
found this benchmark on ubuntu in cuda/opencl
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=2016-first-clcuda&num=1

the gtx 970 is mentioned in the sticky as working
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...out-nvidia-pc-non-efi-graphics-cards.1440150/

found this to
http://www.10flow.com/2012/08/15/building-visualsfm-on-ubuntu-12-04-precise-pangolin-desktop-64-bit/

and this for setting up visualSFM
http://ccwu.me/vsfm/index.html
lol and looks like some of his software is tuned for a gtx 8800
http://cs.unc.edu/~ccwu/siftgpu/
NOTE FOR CUDA : 1. The thread block setting is currently tuned on nVidia GTX 8800. It may not be optimized for other GPUs
ah that might not be your software :S
so yep your 8800 is an ok place to start and upgrade from, worth benching with before you upgrade

 

[jHz Lab]

i think this is the wrong place to ask unless your relay lucky, id relay advise you to look at Visual Sfm website for advice.
any newer card than a gt 8800 will have cuda (i think) and quadro cards or titans are for CAD pure 3d work (& may be faster for you, relay dont know) tho iv herd 980ti's are good for the price (way past my price point).
big cards will be limited by the pci lane speed maybe.


if your software is like Blender do a serch for blender benchmarks, did a google and blender has info in the help files on cards https://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/gpu_rendering.html

Yeah Thanks, I should look in software's forums. Thay can help me.

Thanks for you help and suggestions.

 

[gpzjock]

You may be able to use http://cuda-z.sourceforge.net/ to compare cards.