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New Graphics card for 2008 MacPro

UncleSchnitty

UncleSchnitty

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 26, 2007
851
14
I need a new graphics card for my 2008 MacPro. From my research Nvidia seems to be the way to go compatibility wise. Im looking to game in windows bootcamp also I do alot of video editing (though my current card seems to do that fine) Im looking to spend around $200 so nothing crazy. Currently I have the GeForce 8800 Gt. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also I was wondering a couple things.
1. I need two working Dvi outs, I read a couple places that while the card may have 2 only one may function. Is that still an issue?
2. Because I have an older MacPro is there a cap on the VRAM? 2gb vs 4gb etc?
3. Is there still boot screen issues?
Anyway any help would be appreciated. Thank you
 
1. Just about all the current Nvidia offerings has two DVI ports. They will work in OS X.
2. No.
3. If you use an unmodified video card, you will not have boot screen.

As for gaming in Windows, I think it's best to read up on some reviews of the various cards and how they compare with each other under Windows. Also, consult this FAQ for more info.
 
Thanks, I looked on newegg and I found a EVGA GeForce 660 that seemed pretty good. It looks like they make a bunch of models with different features ie. superclocked, more fans... Like i said I don't need anything crazy just an upgrade that is compatible so i don't have to go crazy dl 12 different drivers to run it
 
The GTX 660s are very nice cards and would represent a significant upgrade to your 8800 GT. As for the drivers, Mac OS X 10.8.4 comes built-in with support for the cards so you really don't need to mess around with installing any additional drivers. I don't use Windows too much, but for the brief moments I'm in Bootcamp, the Nvidia drivers seem to work well with Windows 8. Not much to deal with on that front either, at least for me.

You can keep your old 8800 GT around for if/when you do need to see the boot screen. For switching between Windows and OS X, you can use an app called BootChamp which lets you select your Windows partition as the boot drive. Then, the next time you restart, it will boot up in to OS X again. This decreases the need for a boot screen immensely.
 
Thank you again. I guess my last question would be choosing strait nvidia vs evga vs gigabit... I know they all use the nvidia board so thats the same but all the brands have so many options for the same board. Extra fans, superclocked... what brand/type is best?
I know some of my questions seem basic but I have never upgraded a graphics card before.
 
Personally, I don't have a preference for any brand of video card. I let the specs and prices make my decision for me. One thing that I do look for is, with cards that have exotic cooling solutions, I try to read reviews to make sure they are not noisy.

No problem at all. Better to ask your questions now than after your purchase. ;)
 
Nvidia is the way to go for newer cards in my experience. I ran a 7970 for a few months and experienced 2 kernal panics stating AMD drivers were causing the issues. I use my Mac Pro for work, so this was not acceptable. I put in a backup Nvidia 640 GT and have had no further issues. Maverick may fix more AMD issues, but until then I'd stick with the proven tech.

The 660 is a great choice, but the 760 is even better IMO. The value is practically the best in the market right now at only $250. As for brands, EVGA and MSI are my go-to. MSI has a great selection of coolers and typically go above and beyond with PCB/component choices. I'm using a 760 Hawk edition and was very impressed with the build quality.
 
UncleSchnitty said:
I need a new graphics card for my 2008 MacPro. From my research Nvidia seems to be the way to go compatibility wise. Im looking to game in windows bootcamp also I do alot of video editing (though my current card seems to do that fine) Im looking to spend around $200 so nothing crazy. Currently I have the GeForce 8800 Gt. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also I was wondering a couple things.
3. Is there still boot screen issues?
Anyway any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Click to expand...

evga GTX 660 is only $150 (after rebate) on Amazon. It used to be $250.

No boot screen on PC cards. No boot menu either.
 
I like ASUS cards.

If you can stretch to an ASUS GTX660ti which are readily available for around $250 you won't be disappointed. Great build quality 3 year warranty and similar performance to stock GTX670 cards. If not a standard ASUS GTX660 is only $180 and also a bargain. I use the ti version in my Hackintosh and it canes my 08 MP's 5870 on any task.
 
Recently got a GREAT deal on a GTX 660 at my local MicroCenter, paid about $100 after rebate. Plenty powerful for me, coming from a Radeon 2600 XT. It's slightly more powerful than the 650 Ti, the only warning I have is that I can't seem to run my VGA display off that card, so I have both cards in my Mac Pro at the moment, the 2600 XT running my VGA for EFI viewing, and the GTX 660 for my main display and graphics acceleration. GREAT card, would have paid that $150 for it on Amazon.
 
I just recently bought a 4GB GTX 680 FTW off Ebay. Was a huge upgrade over my 1GB Radeon 4870. Took about 10 minutes to flash and now works perfectly with Boot Camp and OS X
 
Just a note here: I've gotten questions about "flashing a card" - In my experience, using the term "flash" means to put an EFI ROM onto a video card, such as MacVideoCards does. I believe many of these fine members are "Dropping In" a video card. Simply installing the video card does give functionality, but an EFI ROM is required to view the boot screen or boot volume selection. It is possible to "flash a card" with an EFI ROM, though it is MUCH easier to "drop in" a PC video card and use it under OS X.
 
I would avoid the 5870 for a 2008. It isn't officially supported because it draws more power then the PSU can supply. Sure it will work, but I burned out my PSU in about a year and a half.
 
Interesting, I have used a flashed Sapphire HD 5870 in my MP 3,1 for 3 years now without any heat, noise or PSU issues. It draws up to 354w and the approved GTX 285 has a peak of 378w.
 
gpzjock said:
Interesting, I have used a flashed Sapphire HD 5870 in my MP 3,1 for 3 years now without any heat, noise or PSU issues. It draws up to 354w and the approved GTX 285 has a peak of 378w.
Click to expand...

I didn't have a flashed one, I had the official kit from Apple. Don't think that makes a difference.

I did try to run it with 2 video cards for a bit, and that started to cause the machine to power down randomly.
 
/dev/toaster said:
I didn't have a flashed one, I had the official kit from Apple. Don't think that makes a difference.

I did try to run it with 2 video cards for a bit, and that started to cause the machine to power down randomly.
Click to expand...

Coincidence, I'd say. 2008 PSUs are most prone to failures among all MP models.
 
upgraded to a nvidia 680gtx. Need to work out how to flash the card for boot screen usauge.
 
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