ATI Radeon X2800XT with CrossFire rumored for Apple's next Mac Pro

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  • Reply 21 of 167
    vinney57vinney57 Posts: 1,162member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by donebylee View Post


    Hmmm, is this necessary for a video editor?



    As someone who works in print all that horsepower is useless for PhotoShop and Illustrator.



    So if the Insider is right about timing it to coincide with Adode's March launch of CS3, then what product is this aimed at? Because the last I read was that the Universal version of Production Studio wasn't going to be ready until mid-2007, which I would guess to mean June at the earliest.







    Wow, you're right.



    Steve, make those computers slower Godammit!
  • Reply 22 of 167
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,953member
    What I meant was that even though Photoshop likes to have a lot of memory, there is no indication that the Mac Pro's additional potential memory capacity will be of much help because CS3 won't be 64-bit. Also, there is no indication that they are using anything like splitting images into different memory segments so that they can get around the 2GB limitation.
  • Reply 23 of 167
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,953member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by donebylee View Post


    Hmmm, is this necessary for a video editor?



    If Apple updates their encoders to simultaneously use more than two cores per encode session, then it could be very useful. Improved multiprocessor handing in the encoders + a near doubling of the CPU power available to the computer could mean that your encoding sessions could be done 3x faster. Rendering could be faster too.
  • Reply 24 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by crees! View Post


    Codename R600XTX and product name X2800XT. I mean really.



    It should be codenamed R600, and the chip will be used for the X2800XT, XTX and XT2.
  • Reply 25 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    Yes. The more the merrier. You can use a computer for much more than Photos. Photoshop is probably the least demanding of all the highend apps. I don't even think of it as one. Memory is where it's most hungry.



    This sounds like Apples best workstation yet. I hope they have more surprises, and some other vendors.



    I think you mistake my point.



    I was wondering about the alleged timing that the Insider referred to...



    I am quite aware of the requirements for PhotoShop. I was guessing that the high-end system was geared towards video and possibly 3D work...BUT, as I pointed out the Adobe apps aren't slated to be ready in March.



    Hence my point about the timing and the false association with Adobe's expected roll out of CS3 in March.



    Computers can be used for more than photos????
  • Reply 26 of 167
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    What I meant was that even though Photoshop likes to have a lot of memory, there is no indication that the Mac Pro's additional potential memory capacity will be of much help because CS3 won't be 64-bit. Also, there is no indication that they are using anything like splitting images into different memory segments so that they can get around the 2GB limitation.



    It's not something that is new either. The G5 holds 16GB of memory, and PS can't use it all, but it's not useless either because most people have more than just photoshop running. Many Pro's run a lot of apps concurently - Like PS, Painter, Zbrush and Maya along with other apps, Or Vue, Maya, Modo, Zbrush, - Maybe - Many times I've run FCP, Photoshop, DVDSP, iTunes, Motion, Safari, and AE. Either way. It looks like a step in the right direction for Apple.
  • Reply 27 of 167
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    It would be great if ATI have finally nailed down their general purpose DSP API for the new chips. (A version of SETI can be run on your ATi card) - Photoshop filters on your graphics card like stuff.
  • Reply 28 of 167
    wallywally Posts: 211member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by donebylee View Post


    Hmmm, is this necessary for a video editor?



    Who cares?! I just want to see how this will speed up solitare!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!
  • Reply 29 of 167
    wallywally Posts: 211member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by crees! View Post


    Codename R600XTX and product name X2800XT. I mean really.



    That's funny - I never caught that!
  • Reply 30 of 167
    Quote:

    If Apple updates their encoders to simultaneously use more than two cores per encode session, then it could be very useful. Improved multiprocessor handing in the encoders + a near doubling of the CPU power available to the computer could mean that your encoding sessions could be done 3x faster. Rendering could be faster too.



    It's very easy to add new threads to Qmaster. You wouldn't even need to update the software. I don't know about rendering within FCP though. That's where I'd want the speed boost so that I can work with high-res video as quickly as possible. I don't know whether to buy one of these straight away or wait for Intel's new processor at the end of the year that has SSE4, which is specifically designed to boost encoding and decoding. Decisions, decisions.
  • Reply 31 of 167
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Does help any and all who claim Apple is 10 years behind the rest of the computer industry with video cards?
  • Reply 32 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    This sounds like Apples best workstation yet. I hope they have more surprises, and some other vendors.



    LOL! What more could you want! I know what you're going to say.... SLI... but really it's either SLI or Crossfire. ATI and Apple have always been buddies for some unknown reason. Probably because NVidia hasn't been around as long... ie 3dfx being bought by nvidia.
  • Reply 33 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    Does help any and all who claim Apple is 10 years behind the rest of the computer industry with video cards?



    Yes and no. If ATI announces their new card by shipping in apples, that gives apple the head up on graphcis cards, for a bit. Until the next one. Apple doesn't like to / can't keep up on the race. They announce machines and a month or two later there is a new card. Though usually nothing ground breaking. This time around was different. Apple was in a good position before the 8800gtx was released. The x1900xt that was a BTO was a VERY competitive card. Once the 8800gtx came out, it lost it's leg. And they have failed to have that card. Though I haven't seen any benches on the x2800xt, I'd imagine it beats up on the 8800gtx (and that's coming from an NVidia fan boy).
  • Reply 34 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by malckwan View Post


    Interesting use of the British spelling of vapor as well. LOL.




    What's wrong with the British way of spelling vapour, which also happens to be the Canadian way (...we like to keep up our British ways)?
  • Reply 35 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichardI View Post


    No doubt in my mind this will happen. Only question is - how much $$?



    The mind boggles.



    Rich





    In the pc world seeing this is on par with nvidia 8800 card then it would have to be at the very least 600.00 once apple puts their price tag on it.



    Online a 8800 card can be had for around 580-600.00
  • Reply 36 of 167
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    Apple's current Mac Pro has 2 auxiliary power connectors for graphics cards. Does anyone know if these connectors are the same as the PCI-E power connectors used in PC graphics cards?
  • Reply 37 of 167
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    ...Apple, which has held a brawny update to its Mac Pro workstations within its labs since last fall, has reportedly deferred on a release until a time closer to a roll-out of Adobe's Intel-native Creative Suite 3.0 software bundle....



    Heck it's the freakin least Apple can do for Adobe! Especially since we all saw how quickly Adobe was to step up to the plate when it came to the Mac-Intel transit.... errrrr never-mind



    D
  • Reply 38 of 167
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    So will the new Mac Pro support two 16x PCI-E slots?
  • Reply 39 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    Apple's current Mac Pro has 2 auxiliary power connectors for graphics cards. Does anyone know if these connectors are the same as the PCI-E power connectors used in PC graphics cards?



    I don't believe the mac pro aux plug ins are 6 pin compatible. That doesn't mean you can't use an adapter though. I saw someone do it in an NVidia 8800 thread on macrumors. Though here is a few problems for people to consider. A) Only 1 slot (the main one) runs at 16x. The others are 8x or 4x. Not sure which. B) The built in powersupply doesn't really have enough juice for more than 1 high end graphics card. According to the thread I was reading on macrumors. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=250851



    Long story short, there are watts that are delivered through the bus, anything more than that has to be supplied through an external power source (ie different than the bus). So you can use the power supply or you can get a new thermaltake / fortron graphics card power supply.
  • Reply 40 of 167
    lantznlantzn Posts: 240member
    This things look suspiciously like an aluminum high performance radiator for my muscle car. Time to Pro-Tour my Mac.
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