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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Gaming-class video cards under Boot Camp

Gaming-class video cards under Boot Camp
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kklein
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Dec 31, 2007, 09:17 PM
 
Ahoy there mateys.

I am likely to buy a Mac Pro here in a few weeks (regardless of refresh or not, I think), but the whole reason I've held onto my PC for so long (and the reason I originally switched off the Mac in 1999) is games. I don't actually do that much anymore (next-gen consoles and HDTV have finally moved that to the living room for me), but having two computers under my desk and KVMing just seems like the most boneheaded thing in the world to do.

As has been noted basically everywhere, the current MP graphics card offerings are abysmal. Even if the refresh sees something good put in there instead, the GPU is something you really want to swap out every year or so to keep up.

I've heard some talk of just installing a good card that won't actually work under the MacOS, but will serve as the video card under Windows via Boot Camp, but no one seems to know exactly how to do it. It seems a DVI switcher would probably be in order, but does anyone 'round these parts have any experience in getting this to work?

Cheers in advance!
     
cgc
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Dec 31, 2007, 09:34 PM
 
Any card that's compatible with Windows (look at the box) should work under BootCamp and not in OS X. A DVI switch should do the trick...I suggested doing that a while ago but am too lazy so I'm curious how it works out.
     
Simon
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Jan 1, 2008, 04:24 AM
 
Originally Posted by cgc View Post
Any card that's compatible with Windows (look at the box) should work under BootCamp and not in OS X. A DVI switch should do the trick...
Seconded.

I haven't done it myself, but a colleague at work did and he has been very happy with the setup. If the card is supported by your version of Windows it will run under Windows in the MP. Just put it in your MP as you would any other card. While it won't be available under OS X, once you use Boot Camp and boot under Windows you'll be able to use it. Install drivers and tweak card options under Windows. Simple a that. You might also consider adding a fast HDD (or two in a RAID 0) for exclusive use under Windows to make your gaming experience more enjoyable. Have fun!
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 1, 2008, 09:20 AM
 
Your only concern will be whether the MP's power supply is sufficient for the whole system. Some of the latest graphics cards for PCs need a hefty power supply to be included with the computer otherwise there isn't enough wattage to feed every component.

Find out how much power the MP's supply provides and then find out if the graphics card you like will be fine with alongside 4 or 8 processing cores.
     
kklein  (op)
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Jan 1, 2008, 09:57 AM
 
Excellent point. That being said, I've found that if you really do the math, most people don't need the monster PSUs they're putting in their Windows kits these days. My current one is 500W because that's all I could get fanless, but the same system worked fine with 350W.
     
Simon
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Jan 1, 2008, 10:12 AM
 
According to Apple's Mac Pro specifications the PS supports up to 1440 VA of power. I don't know what type of GPU you're planning to put in there and I don't know how many other things you have in there, but to me that sounds like more than enough power.
     
cgc
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Jan 1, 2008, 01:42 PM
 
I think the MacPro has a 1KW PSU.
     
Big Mac
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Jan 1, 2008, 01:45 PM
 
Isn't the other concern having enough PCIe bandwidth for both the OS X card and the Windows card?

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PaperNotes
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Jan 1, 2008, 01:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
Isn't the other concern having enough PCIe bandwidth for both the OS X card and the Windows card?
Only if drivers are installed for both of them. Or do you mean the physical lanes? Does the MP have more than one 16X lane?
     
Lateralus
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Jan 1, 2008, 02:15 PM
 
Nope.

16x, 8x, 4x, 2x, as I recall. But Apple used the same physical interface for all four speeds, which I don't think anybody else is doing.
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PaperNotes
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Jan 1, 2008, 02:19 PM
 
Well since he isnt using OS X for gaming then it wouldn't matter if the Geforce 7300 was running in an 8X lane or had no driver for it installed in Windows. The gaming card for Windows would thus be installed in the 16X lane. Will that give OS X any problems?
     
Lateralus
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Jan 1, 2008, 02:35 PM
 
Not that I'm aware of.

In my travels, I've come across more than a few people who have had their only OS X graphics card installed in one of the slower lanes without issue.

The only 'issue' that I'm aware of with installing your X card in the 8x, 4x or 2x lane is that OS X issues a little info box telling you that you're sacrificing speed by not having your card in the 16x slot.
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kklein  (op)
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Jan 2, 2008, 02:49 AM
 
I read somewhere else that someone had moved the 7300 to one of the slower lanes without issue. That seems like the way to go.

Also, after looking a lot, it seems the consensus is that the MP is using a 980W or 1kW PSU, so I can't imagine lacking power.

There will be a dedicated Windows drive, which I will use for Boot Camp and Fusion.

Hopefully all of this will be moot soon. I'm praying for a GeForce 8 series refresh of the MP line here in a couple weeks, but if it doesn't come, I'm more than prepared to take things into my own hands.
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 2, 2008, 07:15 AM
 
WAIT!

The Mac Pro will surely get a Penryn revision within weeks and the Geforce 9600 GT has already been sampling. If that's not a good enough gaming class card on a budget that could be the default in the next Mac Pro then nothing is. I have no doubt the 9600 GT could fulfill the needs of most gamers for at least the whole of 2008. You can upgrade your graphics card in 2009 if so.
     
Drakino
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Jan 3, 2008, 05:30 AM
 
The wattage of the power supply isn't all that relevant, where as the actual power on individual voltage lanes is. PCIe video cards with the 6 pin connectors draw off the 12v rail on the power supply.
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mr. burns
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Jan 3, 2008, 06:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by PaperNotes View Post
WAIT!

The Mac Pro will surely get a Penryn revision within weeks and the Geforce 9600 GT has already been sampling. If that's not a good enough gaming class card on a budget that could be the default in the next Mac Pro then nothing is. I have no doubt the 9600 GT could fulfill the needs of most gamers for at least the whole of 2008. You can upgrade your graphics card in 2009 if so.
considering that the 9600gt isn't even being released until february, and will perform worse than the 8800gt, i sure hope not.

the x1900xt, back when it was released, was considered a high end card. the 9600 is considered mid range. i can see apple going with the 8800 series since it's the current top dog and still has a good 3-4 months until it's replaced by the 9800s. and that card comes closest to actually validating the obscene prices apple charges for their 'special' video cards.

i really hope mac users don't have to worry about video cards much longer. that's the last piece in the compatibility puzzle when it comes to PC hardware. i know it has to do with the whole EFI/BIOS thing but it's just stupid that it's gone on this long and video cards are still the only thing we can't buy anywhere off the shelf.
( Last edited by mr. burns; Jan 3, 2008 at 06:43 PM. )

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PaperNotes
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Jan 4, 2008, 06:36 AM
 
Originally Posted by mr. burns View Post
considering that the 9600gt isn't even being released until february, and will perform worse than the 8800gt, i sure hope not..
I'm talking about the entry level replacement for the 7300 GT.
     
Macadvo
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Jan 4, 2008, 07:08 AM
 
I know everyone keeps slating the current Mac Pro video cards and yes I know that tech/spec wise they lag behind the latest windows cards by quite a margin but are they really THAT bad?

Under Windows Vista I'm using Steam and have just bought Enemy Territory and the Orange box. My X1900XT plays HL2 and TF2 wonderfully at my ACD native res of 1920x1200 and ET, though a bit slower is still eminently playable. Yes I'd love an 8800 in there but honestly, the 1900 ain't too shabby.
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mr. burns
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Jan 4, 2008, 07:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by PaperNotes View Post
I'm talking about the entry level replacement for the 7300 GT.
ah. well, still, the 9600 is over a month away from release and apple doesn't have any special deals with nvidia, as far as i know. they'll more than likely use the radeon 3850 for that.

Originally Posted by Macadvo View Post
I know everyone keeps slating the current Mac Pro video cards and yes I know that tech/spec wise they lag behind the latest windows cards by quite a margin but are they really THAT bad?

Under Windows Vista I'm using Steam and have just bought Enemy Territory and the Orange box. My X1900XT plays HL2 and TF2 wonderfully at my ACD native res of 1920x1200 and ET, though a bit slower is still eminently playable. Yes I'd love an 8800 in there but honestly, the 1900 ain't too shabby.
yea, lots of people just look at the card on paper and dismiss it. the 7300 is a dog, and was even when they initially released the mac pros, but the x1900xt is still a good card. i've had my x1900xt equipped MP for a year and only just now are games starting to come out that it can't really handle at max settings. mostly because everything coming out now has directX 10 support. even then, the mightiest 8800 cards out there right now still can't play games like crysis at 60+fps with max settings yet, without using two cards in SLI.

main game i play right now is team fortress 2. if you've only just bought it, you're not seeing it performing at it's best. back in october valve did some tweaks to some shaders it used, and there was a bug in the steam overlay, both of which caused a ton of people with various ati [x1900xt included] and nvidia cards to take a big hit in performance. they fixed the steam overlay a while ago and that brought me back to 45fps in heavy fire fights with max settings @ 1600x1200. but they're releasing another fix for the shader issue on monday, so it should be running even smoother after that.

the next game i'm looking forward to is age of conan. the x1900xt should be able to run it decently in directx 9 mode with mid/high settings, but i sure would like an 8800gt to run it in directx 10. :]

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PaperNotes
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Jan 4, 2008, 12:33 PM
 
Does anyone here know of anyone who stuck a PhysX card in their Mac Pros and what gaming improvements they saw? What about PhysX for the MBP's ExpressCard slot, any rumors?
     
Macadvo
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Jan 4, 2008, 03:11 PM
 
I've never thought about sticking a PhysX card in for windows gaming, judging by the few reviews I've read not much takes advantage of it yet and probably won't for a while. Shame really
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kklein  (op)
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Jan 4, 2008, 11:42 PM
 
Nah, the x1900 isn't too shabby, but I don't want to pay like $400 for that $150 card.

I have a 7600GT (fanless!) now, and it does fine. But I bought it when it came out, and it was still under $200.

$400 for a noisy card that is old at this point just seems ridiculous. Also, I hate ATi drivers in Windows.

As for all the games people are talking about, those are all great games, but they are all on the HL2 Source engine, which is like 3 years old. Great games, yes. Beautiful, yes. Best developer for PC games that don't make you feel dumber after playing them, yes. But one must look forward when buying a pre-built computer. And $400 for a x1900 right now, in January 2008, is crazy talk.

God I hope the MP gets its refresh here in 10 days or so...
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 5, 2008, 05:22 PM
 
You might like the sound of this and there are photos of the card floating around right now. The Geforce 9800 GX2 has two GPUs on a single card. mmmmm this beasty is said to be 30% faster than an 8800 Ultra and coud bring multi GPUs to the Mac finally.

[H] Enthusiast - GeForce 9800 GX2 Exclusive Pics & Specs
( Last edited by PaperNotes; Jan 5, 2008 at 05:35 PM. )
     
Macadvo
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Jan 6, 2008, 10:27 AM
 
Knowing Apple they'll take advantage of the reduction to 65nm to have a single GPU card that is silent. Remember Apple seem to favour form over function even in the Mac Pro.

I can't imagine how much Apple will ask for this 9800 if they do release it "as is" for the Mac.
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mr. burns
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Jan 6, 2008, 04:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by Macadvo View Post
Knowing Apple they'll take advantage of the reduction to 65nm to have a single GPU card that is silent. Remember Apple seem to favour form over function even in the Mac Pro.

I can't imagine how much Apple will ask for this 9800 if they do release it "as is" for the Mac.
they won't. don't even think of it as a possibility. apple will offer a high end card from the current generation, then it'll be another year and a half until they touch the video card options.

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Aegis
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Jan 6, 2008, 07:21 PM
 
Yep. We'll get the 9800 GX2 just as soon as they release the 10800 GX3.
     
kklein  (op)
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Jan 7, 2008, 10:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aegis View Post
Yep. We'll get the 9800 GX2 just as soon as they release the 10800 GX3.
And it'll cost 3X the price of one new.

I hope to god there's an MP refresh here in a few days... But if there isn't, and I have to do the DVI switch thing, do any of you folks have any experience/recommendations on them? I got one from my local computer reseller, but it just didn't get along with the Mac. Obviously this means it's not standards-compliant, because I've had no issues with anything else, but Japan has terrible consumer rights and returning things almost always requires lying (I didn't open it). I don't want to pay $100 for another switcher and have to try to take it back, especially since I'll probably have to do it in Akihabara or online, which has worse customer service.

Anyone?
     
krillbee
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Jan 9, 2008, 01:36 AM
 
wadda ya know? they picked the 8800gt
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 9, 2008, 08:07 AM
 
Originally Posted by krillbee View Post
wadda ya know? they picked the 8800gt
And charge $400 for it with a 3-5 week shipping time. That graphics card costs $175-200 retail and in 5 weeks it will probably be under $150 when the 9 series is officially announced.
     
Simon
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Jan 9, 2008, 08:22 AM
 
Originally Posted by PaperNotes View Post
And charge $400 for it with a 3-5 week shipping time. That graphics card costs $175-200 retail and in 5 weeks it will probably be under $150 when the 9 series is officially announced.
As an upgrade in a new MP it costs $200. As an upgrade kit by itself it costs $349.
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 9, 2008, 08:28 AM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
As an upgrade in a new MP it costs $200. As an upgrade kit by itself it costs $349.
Same difference. The card isn't worth ****.
     
kklein  (op)
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Jan 9, 2008, 09:07 AM
 
Sooo... You can't put a commodity 8800 in there, right? You need some EFI version or something?
     
Simon
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Jan 9, 2008, 09:24 AM
 
Originally Posted by kklein View Post
Sooo... You can't put a commodity 8800 in there, right? You need some EFI version or something?
Yeah, if you plan on using it in OS X you need the version Apple's selling. Just any PC 8800 GT won't work (EFI).

You can of course install whatever other GPU you want in the second 16x PCI2e 2.0 slot. If you use Boot Camp to boot Windows you'll be able to use that card just fine.
( Last edited by Simon; Jan 9, 2008 at 09:32 AM. )
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 9, 2008, 10:58 AM
 
Whatever you do don't waste your time buying a gaming class GPU from Apple for OS X where gaming is crap anyway.
     
kklein  (op)
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Jan 9, 2008, 08:54 PM
 
Well, of course, but let's look at the cost comparison, in real-world terms:

Apple 8800GT: $350 (Crazy overpriced, yes.)
TOTAL: $350

Vs.:

Apple HD 2600XT: $150 (Based on the difference between the standalone 8800GT price and the upgrade in the Apple store from the 2600XT)
nVidia 8800GT: $200 (for a cheap one--although most are in the $280 range it seems on Newegg)
DVI Switch: $100 (or more--I have had trouble with the DVI switches I've used, and the consensus seems to be that a real KVM would be the solution--in which case, it's more like $200)
TOTAL: at least $450

So yes, the Apple card is overpriced. But the alternative is more of a hassle and more expensive.

I can't believe I've become an Apple apologist, but their pricing schemes, since moving to Intel, have finally started to make logical sense. And that's why I'm switching!
     
mr. burns
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Jan 9, 2008, 09:38 PM
 
did i call it or what? :]

i thought about buying the 8800 from apple but then again i only play games in windows so i think i'm going to get an off-the-shelf PC card for cheaper and give it a go. i have one of the original dual 2.66GHz woodcrest mac pros. will i be able to run my x1900xt in the next slot over for using with OS X, and put an 8800 or even a 9800 of some sort in the main one for windows?
( Last edited by mr. burns; Jan 9, 2008 at 09:58 PM. )

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kklein  (op)
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Jan 9, 2008, 11:46 PM
 
That's what I would do if I were in your position. The big question mark is the x1900xt in the slower slot...
     
Simon
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Jan 10, 2008, 04:17 AM
 
AFAIK the X1900 XT will also work in an 8x slot so you could put your Windows gamer card in the 16x slot. You will probably get a warning telling you that you're not getting optimum graphics performance in OS X. But it's just a warning, so ignore it.

Since on the Woodcrest/Clovertown you have a total of 26 lanes, you will only be able to assign single lanes to the remaining 2 slots in that setup. Of course if you don't have any other cards that won't be a problem.
     
P
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Jan 10, 2008, 08:01 AM
 
While the 8800GT is certainly overpriced, note that it is the 512MB version Apple sells. That one retails for about $280 ATM, although it should drop down to around $250 as supplies improve. The ~$200 models you've found are the 256MB model.
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 10, 2008, 08:23 AM
 
For the price Apple is charging for the 8800GT you can get an 8800GTS with 640MB memory from newegg.com. OR wait 8 weeks and the 8800GTS will be 25-30% cheaper when the 9 series trickles out. You still have to wait up to 5 weeks for Apple to ship a Mac Pro if you order the 8800GT.
     
kklein  (op)
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Jan 11, 2008, 09:15 PM
 
...Yes, and have to do a million little things that cost money to make it work.

The point is that the Apple card is not directly comparable to the PC card. It is an EFI card, which has to be made for the Mac. This sucks and reminds me of the NuBus days (when I left the platform), but there ya go.
     
mr. burns
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Jan 11, 2008, 11:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by kklein View Post
...Yes, and have to do a million little things that cost money to make it work.

The point is that the Apple card is not directly comparable to the PC card. It is an EFI card, which has to be made for the Mac. This sucks and reminds me of the NuBus days (when I left the platform), but there ya go.
uh, we're talking about using a PC version 8800 in our older mac pros for windows gaming, since there's pretty much no reason to game in OS X when you have bootcamp. even wow runs better in windows now that leopard ruined it.

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Drakino
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Jan 12, 2008, 12:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by mr. burns View Post
even wow runs better in windows now that leopard ruined it.
Better enough to offset the reboot time, loss of OS X apps you might run while gaming, and loss of the Mac specific WoW features?

WoW for me stays on the OS X side as long as it remains playable, and even under Leopard, it's good enough for me.
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mr. burns
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Jan 12, 2008, 03:41 AM
 
Originally Posted by Drakino View Post
Better enough to offset the reboot time, loss of OS X apps you might run while gaming, and loss of the Mac specific WoW features?
yes. it takes 2-3 minutes to reboot. go get a glass of water or something. there are no OS X apps that i run, while gaming, that don't have a windows equivalent. considering how everyone on the PC side has fraps, all the mac client has over the windows one is itunes controls. hardly a game breaking feature, and not worth a 50% performance decrease in it's current state.

i like having work and play split between two operating systems. i'm less inclined to slack off and take a game break from work because i'd have to restart. but when work is over, it's no big deal to restart into windows because it means i can play all the latest and greatest games that aren't on the mac [ie - everything but wow] and i know i'll be at it for at least an hour or two. not everyone plays wow. i got bored of that game long ago. for those people, windows is the only OS with games and there is no reason to buy an overpriced mac-specific card if all it's doing in OS X is running the gui. the x1900xt is fine for that.

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PaperNotes
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Jan 12, 2008, 07:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by mr. burns View Post
i like having work and play split between two operating systems. i'm less inclined to slack off and take a game break from work because i'd have to restart. but when work is over, it's no big deal to restart into windows because it means i can play all the latest and greatest games that aren't on the mac [ie - everything but wow] and i know i'll be at it for at least an hour or two. not everyone plays wow. i got bored of that game long ago. for those people, windows is the only OS with games and there is no reason to buy an overpriced mac-specific card if all it's doing in OS X is running the gui. the x1900xt is fine for that.
That's 100% right. If you want to upgrade your graphics card do it for Windows only and don't waste money buying it from Apple.
     
silver
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Jan 12, 2008, 02:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by mr. burns View Post
yes. it takes 2-3 minutes to reboot. go get a glass of water or something. there are no OS X apps that i run, while gaming, that don't have a windows equivalent. considering how everyone on the PC side has fraps, all the mac client has over the windows one is itunes controls. hardly a game breaking feature, and not worth a 50% performance decrease in it's current state.

i like having work and play split between two operating systems. i'm less inclined to slack off and take a game break from work because i'd have to restart. but when work is over, it's no big deal to restart into windows because it means i can play all the latest and greatest games that aren't on the mac [ie - everything but wow] and i know i'll be at it for at least an hour or two. not everyone plays wow. i got bored of that game long ago. for those people, windows is the only OS with games and there is no reason to buy an overpriced mac-specific card if all it's doing in OS X is running the gui. the x1900xt is fine for that.

I agree I do the same thing, it makes me laugh that people think rebooting is all that bad big deal. I get my work done then I can play. Not to mention there's so many more game choices on the "Dark Side".


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Jan 12, 2008, 03:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by kklein View Post
Well, of course, but let's look at the cost comparison, in real-world terms:

Apple 8800GT: $350 (Crazy overpriced, yes.)
TOTAL: $350

Vs.:

Apple HD 2600XT: $150 (Based on the difference between the standalone 8800GT price and the upgrade in the Apple store from the 2600XT)
nVidia 8800GT: $200 (for a cheap one--although most are in the $280 range it seems on Newegg)
DVI Switch: $100 (or more--I have had trouble with the DVI switches I've used, and the consensus seems to be that a real KVM would be the solution--in which case, it's more like $200)
TOTAL: at least $450

So yes, the Apple card is overpriced. But the alternative is more of a hassle and more expensive.

I can't believe I've become an Apple apologist, but their pricing schemes, since moving to Intel, have finally started to make logical sense. And that's why I'm switching!
Not if you plan ahead! Just don't buy an Apple display! Get any other normal display and use both of the inputs that they usually provide. Even normal analog VGA is more than adequate for gaming - even at high resolutions. Newer screens even have 2 DVI or HDMI ports. So where do you need a KVM? Oh yeah - if you were a sucker and bought an ACD instead of a Samsung, Dell, Eizo, NEC etc. For all the love of nice design and integration: there are limits!

Then there is the issue with you calculating 150$ for the 2600XT... why? Did you pay extra for it? Nope. The only case where this calculation would be valid, is if you NEED the additional power of the 8800GT in OS-X. In most cases it isn't unless you are a 3D artist, use Apple Motion and so on.

If you already have a non Apple monitor (true in most cases) and only want the additional graphics speed for more grunt in windows games (that's most people wanting one around here), then all you are paying for is the 280$ for the 8800GT card.

Now granted, the difference is not that big: Around 100$, which when considering the price of an MP tower is not much at all. I'd probably just accept the cost and be done with it. I can still add a better Windows only card as an Upgrade later on.

But that's all just theoretical... personally I am going to go the Hackintosh route for my upcoming tower. I just have no need for a workstation class computer and if Apple won't build me an X-mac than I will do it myself.
15" MBP - 2.16 - 2GB - 120GB + 500GB External
Backup: Athlon XP2200+ - 1GB - 600GB
MythTV DVR: Intel PIII-500 MHz - 384MB - 60GB
     
Drakino
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Status: Offline
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Jan 13, 2008, 02:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by silver View Post
I agree I do the same thing, it makes me laugh that people think rebooting is all that bad big deal. I get my work done then I can play. Not to mention there's so many more game choices on the "Dark Side".
I don't find it a big deal to reboot, I do however mind the loss of my IM program, bookmarks, e-mail and other things I utilize during slower parts of WoW. I'd also like to see more games come to the Mac, so I do what I can to support them. Logging into WoW on the Mac side gives Blizzard metrics to continue to justify future development. Buying Mac ports of games over the Windows versions does the same thing. People whine about how bad mac gaming is, but rarely bother to take the time to actually do something about it. I'm still waiting on Quake Wars for OS X, instead of grabbing it now and dual booting. Yeah, the wait sucks, but I have other games I can play for now.
<This space under renovation>
     
mutelight
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
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Jan 14, 2008, 07:04 PM
 
So this whole 8800GT debacle is nothing short of quite frustrating. There are confirmed cases of being able to use the stock X1900XT or 7300GT that came with the last generation Mac Pro in conjunction with a newer cheaper Windows GPU under boot camp? Also if the card requires external power do I need to order a special cable?

I am very interested in getting a 8800GT or 8800GTX to use only under windows while keeping my X1900XT for OS X use.

Dual 2.66Ghz Xeon Woodrcrests // 8800GT 512MB // 30" Apple Cinema Display // 8GB RAM // Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE // 64GB iPad LTE Verizon // Home Theater
     
mutelight
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Status: Offline
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Jan 17, 2008, 06:17 AM
 
Nevermind, I went ahead and ordered a 8800GT 1GB and installed it yesterday, it works flawlessly under Windows.

Dual 2.66Ghz Xeon Woodrcrests // 8800GT 512MB // 30" Apple Cinema Display // 8GB RAM // Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE // 64GB iPad LTE Verizon // Home Theater
     
 
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