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.