Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT for Mac
Too bad you’ll only see those groovy stripes once.
After RAM, a video card upgrade can be the easiest way to boost performance on your Mac. We compared the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT for Mac against the Mac’s original card.
Swapping out the video card was a snap. We opened up the Mac Pro, removed the original video card, and dropped in the new one. You might need to connect a power cable, included—we just used the original cable from our prior video card. The upgrade included big fans to reduce heat, although it didn't create much noticeable noise. The GeForce 8800 GT relies on Mac OS X for its drivers.
The card can drive two DVI displays at up to 2,650 by 1,600 pixels, and uses onboard RAM--512MB--to help process graphics.
In our qualitative tests with video and imaging applications, games, and everyday use, the card seemed speedy. We ran a series of benchmarks that showed the GeForce 8800 GT proved quicker in gaming tests. Check out the results below.
Timing is Everything
Our quantitative test measure real-world results.
COMPANY: Nvidia
CONTACT: www.nvidia.com
PRICE: $279
REQUIREMENTS: Mac Pro, Mac OS 10.5.2 or later, one PCI Express 2.0 slot. Note that two versions of the card are available for compatibility with different Mac Pro systems.
Noticeable performance boost over stock card. Faster than Radeon HD 3870 in Doom 3. Quick installation.
Slightly slower than Radeon HD 3870 in Core Image and Quartz tasks.Score
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Imagine Engine
February 22, 2009 at 9:36am
NVIDIA should be releasing drivers for OS X to be used with their current GPU on the Geforce GTX 200 series not just with older generation GPU that offer less for gamers and designers.
hookemdano
February 18, 2009 at 8:47pm
Why not add a second video card- a gamer running XP from a dual boot- and flop the video cable to the monitor?? Agreed, the 8800GT may be generations behind, but if you're gaming, is the added manual labor worth the effort? Not so economical, but is it possible??
e-man
February 18, 2009 at 6:26am
I really don't understand the rationale behind releasing videocards that are 2 generations behind current hardware for a Mac Pro.
I mean, if you want a real upgrade (expecially for gaming) for your Mac tower where are the 260 GTX and the 285 GTX? Come on Nvidia, you can do better than this!
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