Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

danqi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 14, 2010
233
19
Not trying to get too far ahead of myself here, but it does seem quite likely that I will get either the next Mac Pro or possibly an iMac Pro to replace my current mid 2010 Mac Pro. I really don't know much about GPUs, but I heard that NVIDIA now supports Macs and I wonder if it would be worth it to get a decent GPU upgrade while I wait for my next computer. I currently still have the ATI Radeon HD 5770 in it, that came with it.

Could I just go out and get an NVIDIA GPU for something like 100$-300$ bucks, put it in and see improved performance in AE and DaVinci Resolve? Which one is a good deal?

Thanks!
 
::bump::

I would also like to know thank you:

Screen_Shot_2017-04-12_at_5.53.18_PM.png
 
Primarily photoshop, illustrator, indesign, and ableton live, and possibly video in the near future.

You have no need to upgrade the GPU. If anything, you would get more of a benefit from upgrading the CPUs and ram. I would hold off till the new Mac Pro comes out. It doesn't sound like you'll be doing anything too intensive with video if you end up doing it. Also, if you plan on using FCP X, it is better optimized for AMD cards.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stephen Valente
Not trying to get too far ahead of myself here, but it does seem quite likely that I will get either the next Mac Pro or possibly an iMac Pro to replace my current mid 2010 Mac Pro. I really don't know much about GPUs, but I heard that NVIDIA now supports Macs and I wonder if it would be worth it to get a decent GPU upgrade while I wait for my next computer. I currently still have the ATI Radeon HD 5770 in it, that came with it.

Could I just go out and get an NVIDIA GPU for something like 100$-300$ bucks, put it in and see improved performance in AE and DaVinci Resolve? Which one is a good deal?

Thanks!

For AE and DaVinxi Resolve, yes. 980Ti is a goid choice now, they available for cheap (just within $300). However, if you can get a 1080 at low cost, that will be even better.

Primarily photoshop, illustrator, indesign, and ableton live, and possibly video in the near future.

No for PS, LR. They are CPU bounded, more specifically, CPU single thread bounded. You simply pick the wrong computer (config) for the job. You better upgrade to dual X5677. What you need is CPU speed, 16GB of RAM, but not CPU core count and a fast GPU.
 
For AE and DaVinxi Resolve, yes. 980Ti is a goid choice now, they available for cheap (just within $300). However, if you can get a 1080 at low cost, that will be even better.

There seem to be different flavours of the 1080 available (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and so on). Some are significantly cheaper than others. Does it make a difference which one I get?
 
The expensive one usually come with higher factory OC (it means will pull more power as well), and a better cooling system. In my experience so far. Video editing is not that demanding. Yes, it will still put the GPU under stress, but nowhere near those high demanding 3D games. 100% GPU utilisation for video editing is different then 100% on running Furmark. So, almost any mid range after cooling can handle the heat nicely for video editing. The stock reference cooler is already good enough to keep the GPU away from overheat. However, it usually quite noise (if compared to the after market cooler), and unable to fully eliminate GPU thermal throttling.

For better after market cooling. They usually more quiet, and allow the GPU to run just below the thermal throttling temperature (throttling may still occasionally occur under extreme load).

Those expensive one usually can keep the GPU few more degrees cooler than the "cheap" card, which means the GPU can stay at the OC clock speed constantly (no thermal throttling).

Of course, some card build with better material, some manufacture has better QC, some provide longer warranty, some has better customer service, and some card come with more / better accessories. All these can lead to one card significantly more expensive than another one.

IMO, for video editing, the difference is not that huge. If you go for the very best 1080, usually is most cost effective to go for the cheapest 1080Ti.

By considering you are still using the 5770 (that means the 5770 actually OK to get the job done), I will say any 1080 will be fine for you. Just go for the cheapest one (if course, the source need to be reliable if it's a used card).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.