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Video Card Options for 2008 Mac Pro

L

LiamHD

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 5, 2014
69
0
I have just purchased A 2008 Mac Pro with a ATI x2600XT inside. I am aware that this card is somewhat of a upgrade from the X1900XT that ships with the standard 08 Mac Pro configuration however it is not good enough for what i'm going to be doing. I would like a reasonably priced card which will work with my Mac Pro. I am looking for a sub £100 card. What are my options?
 
LiamHD said:
I have just purchased A 2008 Mac Pro with a ATI x2600XT inside. I am aware that this card is somewhat of a upgrade from the X1900XT that ships with the standard 08 Mac Pro configuration however it is not good enough for what i'm going to be doing. I would like a reasonably priced card which will work with my Mac Pro. I am looking for a sub £100 card. What are my options?
Click to expand...

Right now I could think of the Radeon 4870 512mb card if price is your priority. Another choice is Radeon 5770hd though price is higher. You may also consider PC flashed cards of the above models. Another option is the Nvidia 120GT. This card is a lower model compared to the 4870.
 
dobro03 said:
I have an early 2008 Harpertown Mac Pro. 2 x 2.8 GHz Quad core Intel Xeon. My video card currently is an ATI Radeon HD 2600 and I would like to change it out as I had issues with it awhile ago, though things are good now. I want a card that is easy to install, will work right away with no issues as this is a computer used for audio daily in a pro capacity.

I have been waiting to upgrade to the new MacPro, but now am considering waiting a few months till people in the pro audio community are using them since I can't afford to have any down time because of deadlines.

Thanks for any thoughts and info.
Click to expand...

Actually the 1900XT was the optional card. Both cards are crap however and have caused a lot of folks a lot of problems.

See this thread for recommendations for a 3,1 Mac Pro.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1687395/

BTW, my GTX 570 mentioned in that thread is still available.

Lou
 
Macsonic said:
Right now I could think of the Radeon 4870 512mb card if price is your priority. Another choice is Radeon 5770hd though price is higher. You may also consider PC flashed cards of the above models. Another option is the Nvidia 120GT. This card is a lower model compared to the 4870.
Click to expand...

Okay I will check out those two cards, thanks for the help :)

----------
flowrider said:
Actually the 1900XT was the optional card. Both cards are crap however and have caused a lot of folks a lot of problems.

See this thread for recommendations for a 3,1 Mac Pro.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1687395/

BTW, my GTX 570 mentioned in that thread is still available.

Lou
Click to expand...

I will have a look in the thread and see what I can find, Thanks for the help :)
 
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gpzjock said:
Would a GTX 650 or GTX 660 run without bootscreen? The 2600XT could sit in an upper PCIe slot for bootscreen functions. CUDA could be available too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nvidia-GeForce-Graphics-GDDR5-Express/dp/B00AJ9XF3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402060841&sr=8-2&keywords=Nvidia+GTX

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GeForce-DirectCU-Graphics-Express-Surround/dp/B00D7SC3O8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1402061082&sr=8-5&keywords=Nvidia+GTX+660
Click to expand...

To be honest I never thought of running a setup like that I will have a look and see if it's possible.
 
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Can I leave the X2600XT in the slot that it is in and run the GTX650 from the slot above? Like this:

GTX650-Nothing Connected
X2600XT- Monitor Connected

Will PS and AE make use of the 650 up there or not?
 
LiamHD said:
Can I leave the X2600XT in the slot that it is in and run the GTX650 from the slot above? Like this:

GTX650-Nothing Connected
X2600XT- Monitor Connected

Will PS and AE make use of the 650 up there or not?
Click to expand...

No, the card that is running the display is responsible for the performance.
 
How often do you need a bootscreen? I have had no bootscreen PC cards (4870 & 5870 Sapphires) in my MP 3,1 since 2010 and have only swapped in my 8800GT mac card once in 4 years. You could keep the 2600XT in an upper slot and just swap your monitor to it when a bootscreen is required. Use the 650 the other 99% of the time.:D

No bootscreen but an awesome card in its day.
sapphire-5870-scan-front.jpg
 
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gpzjock said:
How often do you need a bootscreen? I have had no bootscreen PC cards (4870 & 5870 Sapphires) in my MP 3,1 since 2010 and have only swapped in my 8800GT mac card once in 4 years. You could keep the 2600XT in an upper slot and just swap your monitor to it when a bootscreen is required. Use the 650 the other 99% of the time.:D

No bootscreen but an awesome card in its day.
View attachment 475755
Click to expand...

That is one nice looking card! I might grab one for my Win7 Gaming Rig.
 
I wouldn't, they are pretty much 4 year old tech, get a newer Nvidia card for a Gaming rig.
I put a Palit GTX770 in my Hackintosh, it flies:

b1970.jpg
 
I am running a GTX 660 in my 3,1, using a Panasonic 30" as my monitor and a Pioneer 60" plasma for movies. I am happy. And I don't miss a bootscreen.

As to other choices, remember the power demand of the card. The 660 was the best that I could find without considering upgrading my power source, other cards require more wattage and what I read recommended more power than what comes out of the box.
 
LorenK said:
I am running a GTX 660 in my 3,1, using a Panasonic 30" as my monitor and a Pioneer 60" plasma for movies. I am happy. And I don't miss a bootscreen.

As to other choices, remember the power demand of the card. The 660 was the best that I could find without considering upgrading my power source, other cards require more wattage and what I read recommended more power than what comes out of the box.
Click to expand...

Had a look at 660 and they are still holding on to their value
 
What will the Nvidia GT 210 be like in terms of performance in Final Cut Pro X, because the 2600 is really struggling.
 
OS6-OSX said:
Like a 12lb anchor!
Click to expand...

It's got to be an upgrade over the 2600? I mean if I can render at 1080p with the 2600 surely the newer 210 with 96 Cuda cores and also HDMI out as well as having double the Vram and clock speed of the 2600 will do things a lot better. I'm not looking for 5 second render times or anything as I'm currently on a very tight budget.
 
 
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LiamHD said:
thats way out of budget right now, my 2600 is a freaking furnace/jet engine and I have about £20 to spend to replace it so the 210 was the cheapest Nvidia card I could get
Click to expand...

For £20 anything that can run a screen is a bargain. :D
 
GT 210 has been installed and is 10x better than the X2600XT. My display is actually recognised by it model number and not just "VGA Display" also my resolution has been automatically set with the correct res now instead of me having to manually do it.
 
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