Video Cards for MAC PRO

[Chris T]

I have an Mac Pro, 2,1 (late 2007). I was using it heavily recently with DP 7.2 and, I think due to overheating (it was in a cabinet with 3 other PCs!), the video card died. The Mac store says I should replace it with one of the following:

Nvidia G4 7300 GT | 256 Meg RAM (same as my old one)

or....
ATI Radeon 1900XT | 512 Meg RAM
Nvidia 8800 GT | 512 Meg RAM
Nvidia Quadro FX 4500 | 512 Meg RAM

I have two 30" monitors (dualscreen) on which I look at DP 7.2, Plogue Bidule in rewire which runs a myriad of VIs (Kontakt, Spevctrasonics etc), and I also run video off my program drive via a FW canopus box to an outside screen (so I don't need an additional video out on the card). I'll often need to reference other QT movies from my desktop while I work.

Knowing this, can anyone tell me if a video card with 512 Meg of RAM would be better for me (i.e. perform better)? If so, any you would recommend?...

thanks

[Frodo]

There was a time in the earlier days of the Intel chip in which Apple opted for NVIDIA as standard, but they have gone back to Radeon-- which have always fared better on my systems since the G4. I don't know what it is, but all of the NVIDIA cards I've had over 4 machines have fried. Bad luck?

That said, as for which card you should get, I have two words of advice:

1. Get the best card you can afford.

2. If you need better, consider it an investment in your productivity.

[Dwetmaster]

I didn't realized how much a new video card would impact my workflow. The computer go much better and snappier since I got my nvidia gt8800. I highly recommend it.

I also strongly believe into: " buy the best you can afford"

[Chris T]

Hi guys - thanks for the advice!

Acutally the Nvidia 8800GT was exactly the card I was going to get. My machine was always running slow and I never knew why, especially when I ran QTs and DP simultaneously. I think upgrading to a 512Meg card might improve my situation, and it sounds like, from your testimony, it will!

I read several bad stories about ATI Radeon and Mac Pro. Not sure if they're old stories, but I think the NVidia seemed like a safer bet. The reason my old NVidia went down was due to extreme overheating, and fixing that situation now!

cheers

[Chris T]

Incidentally - I also believe in "buy the best you can afford".

With that in mind, does anyone know if the Nvidia Quadro FX 4500 would show even better performance, or it would be redundant/overkill since i don't use it for gaming/heavy graphics - just DP etc and QT movies?

thanks

[Chris T]

I was about to purchase the Nvidia 8800GT online, and saw this note on the online retailer's product page for this card:

Note:
Due to manufacturing defects, Mac-Pro Systems and Software recommends the purchase of a different card; such as the Nvidia GT 120, ATI 3870, or the ATI Radeon x1900.

Any idea?...

[Frodo]

I was about to purchase the Nvidia 8800GT online, and saw this note on the online retailer's product page for this card:

Note:
Due to manufacturing defects, Mac-Pro Systems and Software recommends the purchase of a different card; such as the Nvidia GT 120, ATI 3870, or the ATI Radeon x1900.

Any idea?...

None here.

Did Mac-Pro Systems specify what the alleged "manufacturing defects" were?

[Chris T]

No they didn't.

I just talked to Apple and they said that the 8800GT was never shipped with the 1 gen Mac Pros. I thinking about getting the nVIDIA QUADRO FX 4500 instead.....

[Frodo]

Wow. Hmm.

When you get your card, please let us know how it works for you. I just had to put a new rack and pinion mechanism on my car, so a new MacPro is out of the question for me for at least another year. I would be most interested in hearing about what card works out best for those machines. Thanks!

[mikehalloran]

Found this online:

http://www.compuvest.com/Search.jsp?Sea ... :37779:1:0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;:

[cloudsplitter]

I just installed a ATI Radeon HD 5770 on my 2008 Mac Pro and it is great. Apple says they aren't compatible but they are.(I did alot of research on it)....It has 1 gig of V-Ram and it is running two 23" Cinema HD monitors