New Geforce GTX Mac Edition?

[m4v3r1ck]

Now that EFI flashing of the PC version of the GTX-680 has become 'standard practise', will the GTX-680 (2GB) Mac Edition be the last one we'll see for the cMP. Although more then a year old, the prices are still very steady (costly)

Would love to see an update for the (non flashed) GTX GPU's and/or a drop in price of the GTX-680 Mac Edition.

~ Cheers

 

[Macsonic]

Now that EFI flashing of the PC version of the GTX-680 has become 'standard practise', will the GTX-680 (2GB) Mac Edition be the last one we'll see for the cMP. Although more then a year old, the prices are still very steady (costly)


Image

Would love to see an update for the (non flashed) GTX GPU's and/or a drop in price of the GTX-680 Mac Edition.

~ Cheers

There were times when the 680gtx Mac edition was out of stock for a certain time frame and retailers had to back order. About a month ago, OWC ran out of stock on this card as when you check out the shipping was "Shipping after 35 days" until the shipping time was reverted to "Shipping same day" The price of the card was increased from $619 to $649. I guess there is stlll some demand for this card.

 

[flowrider]

It's the last of the breed. No one will be making Mac Edition PCIe cards in the future because there is no more Mac Pro that uses PCIe. The answer for the rest of use who want a current Video Card flashed for the oMP is MVC.

Lou

 

[Tutor]

I want the GPU compute engine with the greatest applicability to my $$$ making apps.

It's the last of the breed. No one will be making Mac Edition PCIe cards in the future because there is no more Mac Pro that uses PCIe. The answer for the rest of use who want a current Video Card flashed for the oMP is MVC.

Lou

Lou,

I agree with you 100% that the need for MVC's services still has some life left (even if MVC takes his time to pull another rabbit out of his hat, in addition to his having a day job). However, I'm not absolutely certain that there will not be another Mac Edition PCIe GPU card. Now and for the next few years, the number of oMPs in the wild will greatly exceed the no. of nMPs out there because there has been about 7 years of Mac Pro purchases that has occurred between 2006 to 2013. While it is true that some oMPs will die an unresurrectionable death, given the overall quality of their build, I suspect that no. will not be torrential any time soon. As some who own the oMP purchase the nMP, I suspect that the vast majority of them will either keep and continue to use their oMPs or sale or gift them. None of these scenarios, in and of themselves, reduce the no. of oMPs in the wild or the tendency of the old or new oMP owners to desire to put the latest and greatest GTX card(s) in them. A tidal wave of long desired, vast growth in OCL quality applications might change that scenario sooner, but I wouldn't bet the bank on that occurring. Regrettably, I believe that OCL will continue its tradition of spotty application growth and that for many in the GPU compute camp CUDA will continue to remain more desirable for its broader applicability for many years to come. But if I'm wrong about this prognostication, Nvidia will just place it major resources and emphasis on the OCL side of its GPUs. GPU compute prowess's growth, whether CUDA or OCL, is what I need for most of my professional apps, because GPU compute prowess growth in power is kicking that of CPU compute prowess in the seat of its pants. OCL just has an application growth tradition that disappoints me, especially given that OCL and CUDA are about the same age.

 

[Thomaspin]

While it is true that some oMPs will die an unresurrectionable death, given the overall quality of their build, I suspect that no. will not be torrential any time soon.

Few users, if any, have MPs as high end as Tutor's, but I would add that new parts availability for the 2009/2010/2012 MPs is abundant. Case in point, I had one of my MPs die the other day, traced to a bad graphics card which fried the backplane board. The replacement board cost $385 new, and the MP is back in perfect order.

This is about as complex as parts replacement gets, and it's not too complex at that. It took me one hour all told. A whole lot easier than in any Hackintosh I have built.

All other wear parts (meaning with fans) like heat sinks, PCIe and processor cage fans are abundantly available, so it's hard to see having to remainder one of these magnificent machines over the next few years, while parts supplies exist.

 

[MH01]

It will be the last one.

It's all about the nMP now.

 

[Tutor]

It will be the last one.

Seems true, but even the form factor of the nMP isn't written in stone. Apple could change course, again.

It's all about the nMP now.

I don't know what you mean by that, but Apple hasn't started fire sales on the oMP refurbs it sells. And if these used computers are being purchased from Apple at the prices that Apple is advertising, Apple might consider that meaningful in its plans for the future. Moreover regarding Nvidia, they might consider how many oMPs there are in the wild and use that to make their decision about whether to release another MacPro Edition GPU (it's mainly a coding difference). When the Mac Edition GTX 680 was released, that was during the period when many questioned whether there would truly be another MacPro and whether it'd really be a Mac Mini (well, it is - sort of). In sum, while I don't think the probability is high that their will be another Mac Edition GPU, I don't think it's so low that I can confidently rule it completely out.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Seems true, but even the form factor of the nMP isn't written in stone. Apple could change course, again.

I don't know what you mean by that, but Apple hasn't started fire sales on the oMP refurbs it sells.

In the EU the stock just vanished after the EU regulatory enforced new PC fan specs. The only place to get an oMP now is second had, or second hand refrubs, and their prices are dropping a lot.

I do hope there are more Mac GPUs, as it helps everyone in the end.

 

[MacVidCards]

Let's hope.

cMP isn't dead yet.

The fact that for $3K you can put together a machine that surpasses a $10K nMP should keep anyone but the posers interested.

 

[riggles]

The fact that for $3K you can put together a machine that surpasses a $10K nMP should keep anyone but the posers interested.

Yes but NVIDIA and AMD are posers. So long Mac Edition cards.

 

[shindom]

Seems true, but even the form factor of the nMP isn't written in stone. Apple could change course, again.



I don't know what you mean by that, but Apple hasn't started fire sales on the oMP refurbs it sells. And if these used computers are being purchased from Apple at the prices that Apple is advertising, Apple might consider that meaningful in its plans for the future. Moreover regarding Nvidia, they might consider how many oMPs there are in the wild and use that to make their decision about whether to release another MacPro Edition GPU (it's mainly a coding difference). When the Mac Edition GTX 680 was released, that was during the period when many questioned whether there would truly be another MacPro and whether it'd really be a Mac Mini (well, it is - sort of). In sum, while I don't think the probability is high that their will be another Mac Edition GPU, I don't think it's so low that I can confidently rule it completely out.

I totally aggree with tutor, nothing is set in stone.

Just yesterday as I spent some time at the apple store while the wife was shopping. I ended up having a nice conversation with one of the black shirt apple retail employee who was curious about me putting my ear close to the nMP to get a feel on how quiet it is.

long story short, he was telling me how Apple take a very long time to design its machines, how there is nothing set in stone as far as partnership with either AMD or Nvidia and the only relationship he sees continuing for sure is with Intel for both processors and thunderbolt 3.

He was sceptic on a Haswell refresh for the nMP saying that it doesn't make economical sense for apple and they will likely go instead with a future broadwell upgrade.

Although, telling him I like my cMP with my pcie GPU inside the case, he pointed me to the sonnet external nMP server rack with multiple pcie extension in it

 

[mcnallym]

I totally aggree with tutor, nothing is set in stone.

Just yesterday as I spent some time at the apple store while the wife was shopping. I ended up having a nice conversation with one of the black shirt apple retail employee who was curious about me putting my ear close to the nMP to get a feel on how quiet it is.

long story short, he was telling me how Apple take a very long time to design its machines, how there is nothing set in stone as far as partnership with either AMD or Nvidia and the only relationship he sees continuing for sure is with Intel for both processors and thunderbolt 3.

He was sceptic on a Haswell refresh for the nMP saying that it doesn't make economical sense for apple and they will likely go instead with a future broadwell upgrade.

Although, telling him I like my cMP with my pcie GPU inside the case, he pointed me to the sonnet external nMP server rack with multiple pcie extension in it

I hope you politely pointed out to him that OSX doesn't support GPU cards on Thunderbolt

I really hope that Apple manage to get the nMP onto the tick processors of Intels tick-tock system.

ie Sandbybridge = Tick, Ivybridge = Tock
Haswell = Tick, Broadwell = Tock

With Intel not seemingly going to release new Ivybridge Processors then stuck with what have now.

At least that way stand a chance of being able to change the CPU in the box for a later one, ie a Haswell nMP should take a Broadwell CPU ( presuming Apple don't do something with the EFI to stop this )

 

[ActionableMango]

Seems true, but even the form factor of the nMP isn't written in stone. Apple could change course, again.

Considering the trend in design language for the entire Mac line, I don't think the future changes to the MP form factor will be seen as positive to fans of the cMP.

I could joke about the next MP being red and white plastic with built-in beats speakers. It's ridiculous, I know, but if someone told us in 2010 that the next MP would be a small tube with no internal expansion we'd all laugh too.

 

[Tutor]

In the EU the stock just vanished after the EU regulatory enforced new PC fan specs. The only place to get an oMP now is second had, or second hand refrubs, and their prices are dropping a lot.

I do hope there are more Mac GPUs, as it helps everyone in the end.

If worldwide the resale prices of the oMPs do drop significantly, I see that as an additional + to there being another Mac Edition GPU, for the new owners of oMPs desiring and being better able to upgrade GPUs because those owners are better able to afford them. I am, however, unsure of how Nvidia puts this in there calculus about releasing another Mac Edition GPU. In the end I believe that the most significant factor is the ~7 years of prior sales constituting a market that it might be desirable to tap.

----------

Considering the trend in design language for the entire Mac line, I don't think the future changes to the MP form factor will be seen as positive to fans of the cMP. ... .

You're most likely correct.

 

[m4v3r1ck]

Thanks

Thanks for all your feedback and insights to my question, much appreciated! I also forwarded this question to Joe Darwin - Marketing Director of EVGA. Who knows...

~ Cheers

 

[ActionableMango]

I also forwarded this question to Joe Darwin - Marketing Director of EVGA.

I really appreciate that EVGA made a Mac Edition, and I'm glad that it's been successful enough that it's still selling out from time to time.