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Vidcard for Mac Pro 5.1

carambo

carambo

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 29, 2009
79
43
Switerland
Hi, a simple question (cannot find a clear answer so far...) from a FCPX/Motion user on Mac Pro 5.1 (2010):
- Is it worth to switch from 5870 to 7950 or 7970 for FCPX edit works/Motion works
- If yes, which one is better. the 7970 or the 7950 ??
Thanks
 
My understanding is NO (up to 1080P). Even though the 7950 or 7970 is a stronger card, however, Apple highly optimised the 5870 for FCPX / Motion. The result is that the 7950 only a little bit faster (in general) than the 5870, and the 5870 may be even faster on some particular task.

For 4K, I don't know, my dual 7950 setup works very well. But I didn't own a 5870, so can't compare.

The 7970 should be a better card (if you know how to power it).

If you can get a very cheap 7970, may be still worth to upgrade. But don't expect too much.
 
I upgraded my 5870 to an R9 280X 3G (basically a 7970 for all intents and purposes). I would say the upgrade was definitely worth it. I edit mostly 1080p with FCP X and it is much faster overall. I immediately noticed how much faster it was, and when I switched back to the 5870 temporarily I knew I wasn't imagining it. It wasn't too costly. What I did was buy a PC version from R9 280X 3G like this http://www.amazon.com/MSI-R9-280X-GAMING-3G/dp/B00FR6XPL8 (don't overpay for it, they're not super new anymore). I then sent to MacVidCards to flash it and he sent it back.
I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as a more recent video card that is fast for Open CL and is also as compatible as the R9 280X has proven to be. If you get a 7970 or R9 280X go out and get an external GPU PSU with the right ports (6pin plus 8pin) this is what I got: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101044
That way it doesn't overdraw power from the board and cause problems. This setup has been reliable and fast, and I'm using it at this very moment!
 
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OK thanks guys, I will give the 7970/R9 a try, it seems it doesn't need an external PSU, but I note your link in case of.
Best+
 
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