Are there native windows drivers for the hardware in the new mac pro?

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Are there native windows drivers for the hardware in the new mac pro?

Hello together

I would like to buy the new Mac Pro and install Windows 8.1 on the Bootcamp partition, because i use a lot of software which needs a rather good hardware (graphics, CPU, ...).

My question now is: "will the windows performance be enough for the calculations, the rendering, etc, or will there be native drivers for windows which I can install?

Are there some possibilities to solve this?

Thanks for all the answers in advance 🙂

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Jan 6, 2014 4:00 AM

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Answer 1

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TKE7-A33

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Jan 6, 2014 5:14 AM in response to lapmate

You can visit http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/ for latest bootcamp drivers for Windows. Currently the Bootcamp drivers for mac pro isn't out yet, but if you advise to install before Apple releases the bootcamp, windows 8.1 will install WDCM drivers for your computer automatically. Therefore, you can just install with the original drivers that comes with windows 8.1, but you won't be able to use the keyboard shortcut features such as adjusting the brightness or sound using the keyboard.

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Answer 2

lapmate Author

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Jan 6, 2014 5:59 AM in response to TKE7-A33

Thank you very much for your answer.

the keyboard shortcut features aren't a real problem for me, but if I wanted to play a game, let's say Battlefield 4 or a program like AutoCAD or something else which needs a lot of power from the hardware I don't really think it'd work well with the windows drivers.

For example I buy the Mac Pro with two Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs, can I install windows drivers for those graphic cards to use the full power?

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Answer 3

The hatter

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Jan 6, 2014 7:01 AM in response to lapmate

You get the drivers from inside Boot Camp Assistant.

Why wouldn't it? because AMD doesn't have any drivers available for download posted yet?

There are threads on MacRumors - both as to what equivelent gpu the D500 equates to, and on using Windows 8.1, with benchmarks from various programs and test suites.

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Answer 4

lapmate Author

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Jan 6, 2014 7:09 AM in response to The hatter

Okay, so it's possible 🙂

thank you both very much for your help.

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Answer 5

TKE7-A33

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Jan 6, 2014 7:10 AM in response to lapmate

Windows drivers are optimized for normal use. If you would like to use it with hard core programs like CAD, you will manually need to install OEM drivers like other windows machines. OEM drivers can be found on the manufacturer website.

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Answer 6

The hatter

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Jan 6, 2014 7:22 AM in response to lapmate

No matter what GPU driver Apple has offered - in the past for Mac Pro (notebook gpu drivers use to be horrid and required modified drivers from non-Apple / non-AMD/Nvidia - was always the case of getting drivers NOT from Windows for sure, not from Apple, but from the vendor AMD or Nvidia or even EVGA.

Apple's drivers I give a very low rating.

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Answer 7

lapmate Author

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Jan 6, 2014 7:27 AM in response to The hatter

It will be my first Mac Pro which will replace my old gaming-pc and I was not sure (altough I already own a Macbook Pro with Windows 8) if there are drivers available to use the full capacity of the hardware. It would be a pity if I couldn't play my favourite games anymore and also draw and render high-resolution with windows-only software I am used to.

You all made my day 😀

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Answer 8

Apr 13, 2014 6:22 AM in response to lapmate

Hi i Need some help , i Had some Troubles with my Mac Pro 6 core d500 i can't Switch crossfire. My System Show me only One gpu ? Did you have your System Running with crossfire and witch driver did. you use ?

Thx

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