Dual nVidia Graphic cards

[kfranc9]

Can the Mac Pro utilize the resources on dual nvidia (vs one nvidia) cards to gain better performance in games? other apps?

 

[Oil]

The Mac Pro is SLI compatible but only one slot is x16. Also, I think SLI will only be utilized in Windows

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: OSx86
The Mac Pro is SLI compatible but only one slot is x16. Also, I think SLI will only be utilized in Windows

Bingo. The Mac drivers don't have any notion of SLI. You're limited to single card performance in Mac OS X.

 

[kfranc9]

So the only use for it is dual monitors? correct?

 

[TheStu]

Yes, the mutliple card options for the Mac Pro are pretty much only there for addtional monitors under OS X.

 

[Tegeril]

Originally posted by: OSx86
The Mac Pro is SLI compatible but only one slot is x16. Also, I think SLI will only be utilized in Windows

Not like the 7300GT would even saturate an AGP 4x bus.

 

[Oil]

True, but SLI would be a great feature if you wanted to use two 8800GTX's for gaming

 

[TheStu]

I'm not positive that the 8800GTX will even work in the Mac Pro, OS X or Windows. Not unless you can find a version of it that is mac compatible. They don't use BIOS, so that is something that may have to be considered.

 

[Oil]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I'm not positive that the 8800GTX will even work in the Mac Pro, OS X or Windows. Not unless you can find a version of it that is mac compatible. They don't use BIOS, so that is something that may have to be considered.

On second thought, you are right. I don't know what I was thinking about

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: OSx86
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TheStu
I'm not positive that the 8800GTX will even work in the Mac Pro, OS X or Windows. Not unless you can find a version of it that is mac compatible. They don't use BIOS, so that is something that may have to be considered.</end quote></div>

On second thought, you are right. I don't know what I was thinking about

your name holds the answer 😉

 

[Oil]

No 😉 But I thought I heard somewhere that a few nVidia cards could be flashed to run on a Mac Pro under Windows. Thats what I was thinking about

 

[gwag]

any nvidia card should work under windows, software sli works 9under windows the PCI-e lanes are configurable at least dynamicaly.
Mac Pro's PCI Express bus which dynamically allocates a maximum of 26 lanes between the four slots. These are your lane options: 16 + 1 + 4 + 4 or 16 + 1 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 4 + 4.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: gwag
any nvidia card should work under windows, software sli works 9under windows the PCI-e lanes are configurable at least dynamicaly.
Mac Pro's PCI Express bus which dynamically allocates a maximum of 26 lanes between the four slots. These are your lane options: 16 + 1 + 4 + 4 or 16 + 1 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 4 + 4.

Is this information on their website? I know that they sometimes have some really interesting little known tidbits about their hardware on there, and it would be interesting to see if that is where it was.

 

[gwag]

Originally posted by: TheStu
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: gwag
any nvidia card should work under windows, software sli works 9under windows the PCI-e lanes are configurable at least dynamicaly.
Mac Pro's PCI Express bus which dynamically allocates a maximum of 26 lanes between the four slots. These are your lane options: 16 + 1 + 4 + 4 or 16 + 1 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 1 + 8 or 8 + 8 + 4 + 4.</end quote></div>

Is this information on their website? I know that they sometimes have some really interesting little known tidbits about their hardware on there, and it would be interesting to see if that is where it was.

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