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What GPU card for Mac Pro?
Well, I give up on avoiding buying a reference monitor, even though much of the work goes to the Internet. I usually do a Blu-ray video (of live band performances) along with the H.264 QT movies for the Internet, and I am spending way too much time looking at the computer monitor, then the Panasonic plasma, then checking calibration, etc.………and I am still never sure.
So, I am probably going to get an FSI reference monitor and a Cubix Xpander Desktop 4 (for DeckLink HD Extreme 3D card). This then opens up a slot for a GPU card in the Desktop 4. Currently I just have an ATI Radeon HD 5770 for GUI, with all the other PCIe slots taken for: Pro Tools, external hard drive enclosure, and UAD audio plug-in card.
What GPU card (single or double width) should I get to speed things up?
Info: 2010 Mac Pro (dual quad core), DaVinci Resolve 9 Lite, FCP X, Pro Tools HD Native.
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11 Replies
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The fastest nVidia cards you can afford, not the Q4000, but either the Lion compatible ones or flashed from MacVidCards. Search for Pirinelli on this forum.
jPo
“I always pass on free advice — its never of any use to me” Oscar Wilde.
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OK, thanks, I see he has posted much on this.
Don’t know how I missed it. -
I’m using a standard PC EVGA GTX 570 with 2.5GB of ram, and Resolve runs pretty much real time on my macpro 3,1 2008, using Lion 10.7.4. No flashing required, just install lion and nvidia and cuda drivers and install card. Of course you’ll need the pcie power cables you can find on ebay, but you will not have a apple logo on boot up.
FCPX runs fast, as well as general computing.
David Chai
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David Chai
Writer . Director
http://www.davidchai.com
dc@davidchai.com
212 363 0159 -
David,
Thanks for your help. I’m not knowledgeable about these cards. Man, lots of different options at Newegg, very confusing.Some questions please:
(1) EVGA has lifetime warranty, so better quality?
(2) Is this the card you have?
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687
(3) I can put the 570 in the Cubix Xpander Desktop 4 and then not have deal with additional power?
(4) With that excellent performance, you don’t see a need to go to 580 card, correct? I assume the equivalent quality 580 card is this one:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130733 -
If you don’t want to buy a cubix and go inexpensive you can buy a gt120 from Mac vid cards, it’s a single slot you use as your GUI card… And a Gtx 570 for your double slot.
That’s Enough gpu power for most hd work.
Joseph Mastantuono
http://www.goodpost.net
Color Grading & Post Production Consulting -
I’m noticing in your sig that you are running Resolve Lite. Adding extra GPU processing will not help you achieve higher speeds as Lite will only access one GPU, so even if you stuff an Xpander, Lite won’t see them. Or they won’t see the Lite… whichever.
jPo
“I always pass on free advice — its never of any use to me” Oscar Wilde.
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I thought that Lite would access one GPU card in addition to the GUI card:
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/277/14723I have only the 5770 card now for GUI, so the new 570 (or 580) card would be the one GPU card.
Am I wrong on this?
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That is correct. Resolve Lite can access one GUI card and one GPU card. So you can add an NVIDIA card along with your 5770 GUI card, and Resolve Lite will use the NVIDIA card for GPU processing.
Dwaine Maggart
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Support -
but you will probably have power issues i bet as 5770 and 570 have thirsty power inputs if i’m correct ?
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Margus
DaVinci 9, OSX 10.7.4
MacPro 5.1 2×2,93 24GB
GTX 470 / Quadro 4000
Multibridge 2 Pro -
Note above, the 570 (or 580) will be in an Xpander Desktop 4, not in the Mac Pro.
BTW, Cubix recommends using a card that meets PCIe specs with 8P + 6P auxiliary power connectors, rather than non-spec cards which have 8P + 8P + 6P auxiliary power connectors and over-spec height.
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