where can I buy the new NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT for my existing Mac Pro?

I know of several people, myself included, who have run 8800 GTs (the PC version) in their Mac Pros for Windows/Bootcamp. Works just fine (have to plug in a cord like the ATI 1900s).


http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

Feedback sent.

Thanks for the link.

I have said, over this past year as a MacPro owner to anyone who asked, "Don't expect to ever be able to upgrade your video card". Apple's track record in this regard is dismal. If buyers of the 2008 MacPro think anything different they too may be in a for a big suprise. Apple makes ZERO effort to ensure backward compatibility with items like this. It's obvious that the card itself can be easily designed to allow it to be used with the early versions of the MacPro.
It's not enough for me to switch to a PC and Windows. All I can add is my agreement that it reflects very poorly on Apple and Apple's support for the people that support Apple.
I remain hopeful that Apple will release a video card for the original owners but think it unlikely.

I'm actually surprised that Apple thought this would slip by without criticism - people have been clamoring for a better video card for most of the past year, both here and elsewhere, and many of us have made it known to Apple reps that it was one of the things we wanted - that we felt that the Mac Pros were great, and very upgradeable, except in the video card area.

However, I believe Apple will do the right thing. They can't afford not to, because people will be wary of buying Mac Pros in the future if they don't do the right thing.

Thanks Austex for the link.

I think too that apple will anounce a solution in the macworld or still before about a firmware bios upgrade etc... or a new kit for the older macpros but I think that may be the first option.

Greetings

I suppose "we the people" should also send feedback on the GeForce 8800 GT issue to:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

just read this on http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=410804&page=21
"Originally Posted by antzona
I finally got through to a competent product support supervisor after waiting on hold for an hour. He went and spoke to a couple different Mac Pro engineers to find out what was going on. He said that Apple expected the cards to be fully backwards compatible with the Mac Pros back through August of 2006. They didn't realize until two days ago that they weren't working in the older MPs. That is why the Apple Store didn't specify that they were only for the early 2008 machines, they weren't. He said the engineers are currently trying to figure out what the problem is and if it is something that nVidia can correct. I asked him if he had to bet would he say the 8800GT will someday work in my Mac Pro from Sept. of 06 and he said "as long as there isn't a technical issue that prevents it."

So, according to him Apple's only real mistake was not testing the cards early enough to prevent it going on sale the way they did. He also said they were way over due for a graphics card upgrade and mentioned the problems with the 1900XT. I asked him why they weren't letting us know what was going on and he said that the problem took them by surprise and they are scrambling to solve it.

It's great that they say they care.

I'm very skeptical about them actually going so far as to fix the problem.

It may require a flash upgrade, which just isn't happening.

Thanks for the feedback link. I hope they pay attention. I submitted on behalf of my firm's 75 MacPro's which are in desperate need of a graphics boost. We run CAD and 3-D apps and rely heavily on the MacPro's ability to run XP (via BootCamp). The ATI X1900 card's stability with XP and OpenGL has been poor at best. We need an alternative and the GeForce 8800 GT looked like the first viable option.

BTW, what's up with the gap in the new MacPro's graphics card line-up from $200 to $2800??? It makes the $1500 upgrade to the Quadro FX 4500 on the older Mac Pro's look downright reasonable. Surely there is a market for another card somewhere in the middle (ideally in the $700-800 price range).

I read about a design flaw in one early group of cards that were suppose to but would not work in PCIe 1.0 and it was the card, not the motherboard's implementation (hardest to overcome?).

On full forward and backward compatibility:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/13790

I disagree. As unbelievable as it seems, I think this caught Apple completely by surprise. One would have thought that at least one engineer would have tested the 8800 in the older Mac Pro's, but apparently they didn't. I also think there is a huge disconnect at Apple across the entire line in terms of what they think are "good enough" graphics cards and what we end users really want. Imagine for example what fantastic little computers the Macbook or Mini could be if they offered a discrete card at least as a BTO option like PC makers do. Offer the ATI 2900 or 3800 as a BTO option on the top end iMac and all of a sudden you have a consumer Mac capable of playing modern games. Do you know anyone who would choose an iMac with a ATI 2600 over the 2900 just because it is 3/4 of an inch slimmer? They might choose it over price or because they don't play games, but not because it is slightly slimmer. Too much emphasis on form over function. The main reason the mini is so expensive is due to it using expensive laptop parts. If they made it slightly larger, it could be not only faster but cheaper.

The fact that they included the 7300 and now 2600 shows how little they value graphics cards even in their expensive flagship model. ATI or Nvidia will gladly produce whatever card Apple request. This has always been the weakest link for Macs and unless Steve changes his mind, it will continue to be so. Steve apparently doesn't like games or have any use for high end cards, so apparently we shouldn't either.

I hope and think Apple will do the right thing and fix this 8800 issue very soon. To do otherwise would be a huge public relations nightmare. Maybe this outcry will also serve as a wake up call to let them know that faster video cards ARE something many Mac users desperately want.

Message was edited by: Alan Wood

Whether they knew about it or not is moot. The fact is: as we've seen with the EOL'ing of the G5-PCIe Power Macs, they can get away with whatever they want, and their sales will continue to climb.

If this bug is too hard to fix (i.e. more than just a minor software glitch), they're not going to.

You're blowing this way out of proportion--not many people who buy Mac Pros are going to hear about this, and if they do, it would only affect the decisions of a small percentage of those customers. Apple will weigh the loss in future sales Vs. the cost of repairing this glitch, and if the cost is too high, it's not happening. Even out of the people on this forum who are 'outraged', how many are are really going to switch to PC?

Having listened to the near-constant chorus of frustration with the X1900 problems; with waiting for a solution of some/any type, and with having to spend $399 on a card which is "aging" more every day, most felt or look at Mac Pro as "upgradable." Rightly or wrongly.

We may be 'small' but there are a lot of people who WANT to SWITCH, not from Mac to PC, but who are potential customers that want to switch FROM PC to Mac Pro specifically.

I am very surprised that most of the posts on this subject are not getting pulled.I posted on apples
out dated video cards six months ago but in my post I did praise every thing else apple and my post was yanked.I have an "OLDER" mac pro and I also would like for these new cards to be compatable with my machine.Even if there is something apple can do and I think they will,we will still be 2 years behind the compotition with these new cards.My brother put a 768 card in his dell a year ago and Im still hoping for a working 512.I guess I`ll keep chuging along with my one 256 7600GT.I am very sorry if I have offened anyone here,but I am loosing confidence that I will ever be able to upgrade my machine.

Most of the posts have been pulled and most threads have also been deleted or locked. I think they just can't keep up with how many complaints there are. maybe all this outrage is finally getting though to them.