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Upgrading cMP
- Thread starter macpro00
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All excellent advice and appreciate your input along with the many others within this community/forum -- a great place to share ideas, experience, etc.
I didn't go with the GTX 680 because I could not find a new (or something that had a warranty) one and the cost was just a bit too much to swallow. In addition, I didn't want to sell the GTX 120 since I wanted to keep something as a spare/back-up... if I decided not to keep it installed.
There were two cards that came into debate (for myself): GTX 750Ti FTW or GTX 760.
I chose the GTX 760 due to performance, fellow MacRumors community members, manufacturer warranty... and price.
Should I get qty 2 of these cables or 1 of each:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OSLGQGE/ref=pd_aw_fbt_23_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=09Z895HYE4QRNK0EVTFE
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Have you decided on a graphics card yet? What model? That will determine what cable(s) you need to buy.
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EVGA GeForce GTX 760 -- pulled the trigger and just made the purchase.
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The GTX760 is a good card. I run a 4K monitor and normal desktop performance is smooth and sharp. I am only a casual gamer, and of course I don't try to run games at full UHD resolution. The good thing about the 760 as apposed to some newer cards is that it will run with native drivers, which makes OS upgrades a little simpler. Of course it runs better with Web drivers. I had to hunt around a bit to get a card with 2 6 pin power connectors, a lot of them had an 8 and a 6 pin.
I keep the AMD4850 that came with the Mac in the drawer in case I ever need a boot screen, but I haven't needed it yet.
Enjoy your new card
I keep the AMD4850 that came with the Mac in the drawer in case I ever need a boot screen, but I haven't needed it yet.
Enjoy your new card
The GTX760 is a good card. I run a 4K monitor and normal desktop performance is smooth and sharp. I am only a casual gamer, and of course I don't try to run games at full UHD resolution. The good thing about the 760 as apposed to some newer cards is that it will run with native drivers, which makes OS upgrades a little simpler. Of course it runs better with Web drivers. I had to hunt around a bit to get a card with 2 6 pin power connectors, a lot of them had an 8 and a 6 pin.
I keep the AMD4850 that came with the Mac in the drawer in case I ever need a boot screen, but I haven't needed it yet.
Enjoy your new card
Thanks! I take the GTX 760 will just need qty of 2 mini 6 pin to 6 pin pcie cable.
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It depends on your card. Mine (an Asus) has a single 8 pin connector, and came with a 2x6 pin to 8 pin adapter, so I used that with the cables you described. Some GTX760s have 2x 6 pin connectors so don't need the adapter, but I found many had a 6 pin and an 8 pin. I made sure I avoided those cards because I wasn't 100% sure how I would hook it up.
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According to EVGA, it requires a 6pin and 8pin connection. However, I've read that some folks just used (qty 2) 6 pin connections. Hmmmm..
It will probably be fine, but from what I have read there is no guarantee that the card will not try to pull more than the 75W that a 6 pin is rated for over the 8 pin connector. I'm a bit risk averse when it comes to this sort of thing so hunted down a card that was 2 just the single 8 pin.
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wondering if I should just get the mini 6pin to 8pin cable?
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For 6 + 8 config card. There is another option.
Mini 6 to 8 pin, then split the power from the 8 pin to 6+8.
So, even the card may pull more then 75W from it's 8 pin port. The loading still be shared between the 2 mini 6 pin supply. Which further minimise the chance of overloading one of the mini 6pin.
If you just want to keep it simple. Then you better get 1x mini 6 to 8, and 1x mini 6 to 6.
Mini 6 to 8 pin, then split the power from the 8 pin to 6+8.
So, even the card may pull more then 75W from it's 8 pin port. The loading still be shared between the 2 mini 6 pin supply. Which further minimise the chance of overloading one of the mini 6pin.
If you just want to keep it simple. Then you better get 1x mini 6 to 8, and 1x mini 6 to 6.
Two 6-pin cables work fine. It's what I did with my 6+8 GTX 680, which is a more power hungry card than your GTX 760. The 8-pin connector is designed to accept a 6-pin cable and it is keyed to ensure the 6-pin cable goes to the correct 6 pins of the 8.
This would probably work fine too, but IMHO it is less desirable.
When all 8 pins are connected to the 8-pin connector, there is an additional sense pin that "tells" the video card it can pull 150W for that connector instead of 75W. But your MP is designed for 75W. With a 6-pin cable connected to the 8-pin connector, the additional sense pin won't be there and the card will "know" that only 75W can be pulled.
Note this advice is specific to your GTX 760, and other cards which seem to have a 8-pin connector for no reason. Many other cards absolutely do need the full 8 pins of course.
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