Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1?

From	Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups	comp.sys.mac.system
Subject	Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1?
Date	2015-03-02 22:27 -0800
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<md3k83$ivd$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<2015022311030448522-gavinlawrie@2gccouk> <KqednSXMVvQ_y3bJnZ2dnUU7-aOdnZ2d@giganews.com> <mcgb82$thq$1@dont-email.me> <cd-dnchwB7Am6HHJnZ2dnUU7-V2dnZ2d@giganews.com>

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On 2015-02-24 12:59:39 +0000, Alan Browne said:

> On 2015.02.23 17:57 , Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>> On 2015-02-23 16:34:42 +0000, Alan Browne said:
>> 
>>> On 2015.02.23 06:03 , glawrie wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Genuine Apple cards are quite rare now, and eyewateringly expensive when
>>>> you find them.  So I am expecting that the best option is some kind of
>>>> PC video card that has been (or can be) 'flashed' using Netkas.org bios
>>>> etc.  But I don't keep up to date with PC video cards, nor what among
>>>> those can be 'flashed' to work on a Mac.
>>> 
>>> Find California companies that may have stock or that can get it from
>>> Apple.  California law requires 7 years of support.
>> 
>> It's easy to find original equipment graphics cards with antequated
>> performance.  The problem is that the cost is ridiculous (hundreds of
>> dollars) especially for a card that is worse than obsolete.
> 
> The OP has a dead graphics card.  If his intention is to at least 
> restore functionality of his expensive Mac Pro, that is a good place to 
> start.
> 
> A better graphics card would be nice, to be sure.

Sure, it'd be no worse than it was before with the new GPU.  But the 
cost of it (probably a couple hundred bucks) would be best applied to a 
newer GPU that is compatible and would give new life to the machine.

>> That era Mac Pro is still a very fast and useful machine, but
>> significantly less so without a graphics card at all, and the original
>> graphics card is perhaps the only obsolete piece of equipment in the
>> machine.
>> 
>> To the OP, my advice is to read everything you can about netkas.org's
>> supported cards.  I feel your pain, as the GPU died on my old 2008 Mac
>> Pro as well and I ended up breaking down and ordering one at significant
>> expense to replace it, only to have it go bad eventually too.  I
>> replaced it with a then-new Mac Mini which had roughly the same
>> Geekbench score, and since that time (2011) I have saved enough on power
>> bills alone to pay for the next machine I will buy.
> 
> What's your electricity rate?  I'd have to run a Mac Mini for a year or 
> so to save enough money to buy a cheeseburger.  Note that I heat with 
> electricity so power going into the computer for about 6 months of the 
> year merely offsets the heating.  eg: 0 sum.
> 
> My iMac, on average, consumes about 50 W.  (Probably not even that).
> 
> Annual cost in electrons:  About $13.
> 
> Half of that is offsetting heating.
> 
> Annual cost:  $6.50.
> 
> If I changed to a Mac mini, the savings would probably not even be 
> enough for a cheeseburger.
> 
> To be sure a Mac Pro (of that era) consumes much more, but the 
> electricity cost can't be that great compared to other things.

The Mac Pro I had (2008 model) had a 1500w power supply unit and would 
frequently consume at least 600-800w.  I typically get about 5 years of 
life out of a Mac before I buy a new one.  At your electricity rate you 
could afford a new Mac Mini in those 5 years from the power savings 
alone.

I know how much power my computer was using because I had it hooked up 
to a Kill-O-Watt for about 2 years.

Thread

Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.co.uk> - 2015-02-23 11:03 +0000
  Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? me@home.spamsucks.ca (Király) - 2015-02-23 14:03 +0000
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-02-23 15:19 +0000
  Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2015-02-23 10:02 -0500
  Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2015-02-23 11:34 -0500
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-02-23 14:57 -0800
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2015-02-24 07:59 -0500
        Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-03-02 22:27 -0800
          Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill Massello) - 2015-03-03 23:45 -0700
            Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2015-03-05 08:56 +1300
              Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill Massello) - 2015-03-04 14:09 -0700
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2015-03-04 16:55 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-04 22:47 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2015-03-04 18:09 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-04 23:33 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2015-03-04 23:40 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2015-03-05 18:12 +1300
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-05 12:58 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-03-05 18:53 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-03-05 13:25 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-05 14:47 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-03-05 04:02 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2015-03-04 23:14 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2015-03-04 23:51 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2015-03-04 23:55 -0500
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-05 13:01 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-03-05 18:58 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-03-05 21:21 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-03-05 04:01 +0000
                Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2015-03-05 13:24 +0000
  Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? ErikRS <mac-dane@is.invalid> - 2015-02-24 02:25 +0100
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.co.uk> - 2015-02-24 02:14 +0000
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? ErikRS <mac-dane@is.invalid> - 2015-02-24 12:15 +0100
        Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.co.uk> - 2015-02-24 16:46 +0000
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-02-24 12:46 +0000
        Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.co.uk> - 2015-02-24 16:49 +0000
  Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? tmo1138 <tmo1138@tmo1138.com> - 2015-02-25 05:46 +0000
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? ErikRS <mac-dane@is.invalid> - 2015-02-25 13:48 +0100
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.eu> - 2015-02-25 14:17 +0000
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2015-02-25 07:53 -0500
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.eu> - 2015-02-25 14:20 +0000
        Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2015-02-25 12:51 -0500
          Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? tmo1138 <tmo1138@tmo1138.com> - 2015-02-27 03:16 +0000
        Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.eu> - 2015-02-26 14:52 +0000
      Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? tmo1138 <tmo1138@tmo1138.com> - 2015-02-27 03:14 +0000
    Re: Recommends for good graphics card for MacPro 5,1? glawrie <gavin.lawrie@2gc.eu> - 2015-02-25 14:16 +0000

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