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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > The Last Mac Monitor?

The Last Mac Monitor?
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andi*pandi
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Jun 24, 2016, 12:05 PM
 
Thunderbolt display on its way out, no replacement planned...

https://consumerist.com/2016/06/24/a...itor-it-makes/

Makes me sad, because 3rd party monitors are not as good. I have an original cinema monitor that still has great color, and a dell whatever that is just whatever.
     
subego
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Jun 27, 2016, 02:28 PM
 
I definitely like mine, and was hoping for a 4K replacement.

It sadly makes sense considering Apple's direction. The only thing it would be good for would be to plug into a MacBook, or a creaky AF Mac Pro. Why even bother with the market?
     
chris v
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Jun 27, 2016, 08:12 PM
 
There's rumors floating around still that there's a 5k display with its own video card being developed in the skunkworks, but who knows how much stock to put in such things,

I got a really good deal on a 24" Apple LED display offa Craigslist & I love it. I will probably keep an eye out for a deal on a 27" though I need a better video card to run it. Will probably snag a Radeon 5770 on Ebay which seems to be about the best option for a Mac Pro with a MDP. None of the Nvidia cards ever shipped with a MDP, so options are limited for us lingering tower users.

Hell, I'd be better off replacing the thing with a 27" iMac -- which is what Apple is thinking, too, apparently.

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
reader50
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Jun 27, 2016, 09:00 PM
 
We have more video card options than you've heard. Though driver support and available firmwares place some limits.

MacVidCards sells flashed PC cards:

flashed nVidia cards: work fine, including 4K/5K monitors. But ... require Yosemite as minimum OS. For some of the older cards, Mavericks will do. Fully retina compatible on the cards that require Mav or higher.

flashed AMD cards, like the 7950 / 7970 / R280: run a little hotter, but compatible back to Lion. If you use only the DVI connection, they're compatible back to Leopard, though there is no graphics acceleration for Leopard / Snow Leopard. Fully Retina compatible in Lion+, you can select HiDPI resolutions above the halfway mark of the monitor. Boot screen does not work on 4K over displayport, though it works after bootup.

The 5770 / 5870 will work though El Cap at least, almost certainly Sierra too. But not the fastest (especially with 4K) and drivers only support 1/2-res retina or lower.

-------------
As of Mavericks or higher, non-flashed PC cards work. But no boot screen until the desktop loads.
     
chris v
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Jun 29, 2016, 09:20 PM
 
I've looked at the GTX 680 on eBay, but they're pretty pricey. I'm kinda hanging out at OS 10.9 right now because I had such an awful 3 days trying to make 10.11 work last year- pop mail was a major headache that I just could not troubleshoot so I rolled back & I think I will keep this machine where it's at OS-wise. The Radeon 5770 would get me the two things I need for about $150.00 -- a MDP Jack & advanced GPU options in Photoshop. I gather that a 5770 would run a current 27" LED display, &. 24" which would be plenty of screen for me. (I currently have an alu 20" next to the 24" LED for Adobe palettes. A 5770 would be a major upgrade over the crap GT 120 I have right now, but I have to ask myself how much money I want to throw at a 2008 tower at this point.

The 4K or 5k monitor thing is kind of moot at the price point when your do the math & realize for a few hundred bucks more you could have a 27" iMac that would run rings around this tower, anyway.

Still, I like the tower form factor & could see myself replacing it with a 2012 tower at some point, then a future-proof video card would be more in my interest.

Thanks for linking to that site-it's full of good info-- bookmarked.

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jun 30, 2016, 11:39 AM
 
Chris, maybe its reading comprehension for me right now. You've got the 3,1, right?
     
chris v
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Jun 30, 2016, 11:04 PM
 
Yeah, I have a 2008 3.0 ghz 8-core. I have a 8800 GT in the second slot, but it doesn't have a MDP out, so I had to put the 24" LED display on the GT 120 when I picked it up. It's a respectable computer, but what I guess my internal debate is: by the time I've bought a 4K monitor & a video card powerful enough to drive it, I might as well have just spent a little more on a brand new 27" iMac.

Which is likely what the marketers at Apple are thinking as well.

I'm mostly being stubborn about the form factor, which is not a growth-market demographic.
( Last edited by chris v; Jun 30, 2016 at 11:06 PM. Reason: Typo)

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
   
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