What Graphics Card can I use with my Mac Pro?

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Hi

I have a Mac Pro (Model Name 1,1) with Dual-Core Intel Xeon 3GHZ. The Installed Graphics card is NVIDIA GeoForce 7300GT and I want to upgrade the card. What cards will work in the systems and any recommendations?

Thanks
Mark
 
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G'day and welcome to the forums.

You can purchase a Nvidia GeForce 8800GT and an ATI Radeon X1900GT for the Mac Pro and both are faster that the 7300. The 8800 is slightly faster in benchtests. Make sure you purchase the Mac model suitable for the 1.1.

Suggest you look at auction sites such as eBay as some Mac dealers charge up to $500.00 for these cards and on auction sites usually sell around the $150-200 mark.
 
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I am interested in upgrading my Mac Pro's video card. I have the following:
Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro2,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 3 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per processor): 8 MB

Memory: 20 GB

Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP21.007F.B06
SMC Version (system): 1.15f3
Serial Number (system): 1571800KUPZ
Hardware UUID: 00000000-0000-1000-8000-0019E3F8CEF2

2 PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D
2 NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (Can drive 4 30" Apple Cinema Displays)
Bluetooth
Firewire 400/800

4 500GB HDs (2TB total)

Snow Leopard 10.6.4

2 external eSATA ports

23" and 30" Apple Cinema Display

I have tried to use a Nvidia GT 120 (didn't work) I have tried to burn a XFX 3870 (didn't work)

I know some have had success with using a PC based card, I could not get it to work.

I'm almost ready to buy the FX, but but the price is just crazy. Any help would be appreciated.

It really bothers me that I have almost $10k in a 4 year old machine and I can't find a video card that actually works with no major modifications. Why does apple not offer an upgrade for older (4 years old) machine that is considered their top of the line machine.

I was going to sell the Mac Pro and get a new iMac i7 machine, but quickly found out that I could only get about $800 for my $10k machine. This really makes me wish I would have never bought the Mac Pro in the first place. It seems as though the Mac Pro is something only companies buy and not a consumer machine. I have had just about every mac product and have been able to sell them at a reasonable price when I was ready to upgrade. Now I'm stuck with a really expensive machine that I can't get enough out of it to buy the lowest end mac for an even trade.

Sorry for the rant, but I will never buy a top of the line mac product and may just by used from now on.
 
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Try an ATI Radeon X1900XT card and you pays what they is worth period or go without! I would actually check the model as the Mac Pro 1.1 3GHz model came with the 7300 card as standard and the Pioneer 112 superdrive.
Most 2.1 models came with a 8800GT or X1900GT graphic card however some special order models did have the slow 7300 card.


1.1 Mac Pros came in 2, 2.66 and 3GHz models.
 
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I am interested in upgrading my Mac Pro's video card. I have the following:
Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro2,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 3 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per processor): 8 MB

Memory: 20 GB

Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP21.007F.B06
SMC Version (system): 1.15f3
Serial Number (system): 1571800KUPZ
Hardware UUID: 00000000-0000-1000-8000-0019E3F8CEF2

2 PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D
2 NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (Can drive 4 30" Apple Cinema Displays)
Bluetooth
Firewire 400/800

4 500GB HDs (2TB total)

Snow Leopard 10.6.4

2 external eSATA ports

23" and 30" Apple Cinema Display

I have tried to use a Nvidia GT 120 (didn't work) I have tried to burn a XFX 3870 (didn't work)

I know some have had success with using a PC based card, I could not get it to work.

I'm almost ready to buy the FX, but but the price is just crazy. Any help would be appreciated.

It really bothers me that I have almost $10k in a 4 year old machine and I can't find a video card that actually works with no major modifications. Why does apple not offer an upgrade for older (4 years old) machine that is considered their top of the line machine.

I was going to sell the Mac Pro and get a new iMac i7 machine, but quickly found out that I could only get about $800 for my $10k machine. This really makes me wish I would have never bought the Mac Pro in the first place. It seems as though the Mac Pro is something only companies buy and not a consumer machine. I have had just about every mac product and have been able to sell them at a reasonable price when I was ready to upgrade. Now I'm stuck with a really expensive machine that I can't get enough out of it to buy the lowest end mac for an even trade.

Sorry for the rant, but I will never buy a top of the line mac product and may just by used from now on.


$800 ? I will give you $1200 for it RIGHT NOW
 

pigoo3

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I was going to sell the Mac Pro and get a new iMac i7 machine, but quickly found out that I could only get about $800 for my $10k machine.

I'm not sure where you got this $800 value from...but your Mac Pro is worth quite a bit more than $800!:)

I would also disagree that it's a $10k machine. Maybe with all of the peripherals you purchased in addition to the Mac Pro cost (like the 23" & 30" monitors)...bit that really is not part of the value of the Mac Pro.

- Nick
 
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Just wanted to post an update so anyone wondering would know that the new ATI 5770 does work in my MP. I bought one and installed it and am very happy with the upgrade. Finally someone stepped up and helped out us older MP owners. Thanks ATI!!!!!
 

pigoo3

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Just wanted to post an update so anyone wondering would know that the new ATI 5770 does work in my MP. I bought one and installed it and am very happy with the upgrade. Finally someone stepped up and helped out us older MP owners. Thanks ATI!!!!!

Which model Mac Pro do you have?

- Nick
 
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Scroll up in this thread and you will see my systems specs.
 

pigoo3

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Scroll up in this thread and you will see my systems specs.

The reason why I asked was...you have a "Late 2007" Mac Pro. To the best of my knowledge this Mac Pro still had PCIe 1.0 expansion slots...the ATI 5770 video card is supposed to require a PCIe 2.0 expansion slot. This is one of the reasons why newer video cards are not compatible with some of the older Mac Pro's.

So if you got the ATI 5770 working in your Mac Pro...that's a very interesting situation! If I got any of this info incorrect...please let me know.:)

I have a 1st generation "quad-core" Mac Pro (with PCIe 1.0 expansion slots)...and I would love to have more video card upgrade options.

- Nick
 
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What card did your MP come with? Mine had a NVidia GT 7300. I followed a series of tests on the barefeats website that lead me to buy the 5770 for my box. You may want to check out their site to see if your box falls into one that they tested and confirmed to work. I know how frustrating it can be figuring out what works with what machine, but I have been looking for an upgrade for a while and found one that works with the specs that I have and just wanted to post it for all to see so there is no question that it works in my type of machine. I can only hope it helps someone else.
 
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We are having our whatits pulled as a Mac Pro version 2.1 is not a mid 2010 model. Released April 2007 to December 2007 with PCI Express and not PCI-E 2!

Mine is July 2007 with plain, simple PCIE.
 

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