Can I change the graphics card?

Yes… you can order a new graphics card online at any time and do the installation yourself.

It is up to you, you can order it from apple store, or other reseller that most of the time slightly cheaper than apple store price, and you can install it your self.

Also you can sent that unit back to apple store and have them install it for you which is more expensive, not to mention the shipping cost back and forth.

Both way will work, just choose the way you want it.

And maybe overtime, newer and more powerful graphic card might be available with the same or cheaper price than its predecesor.

Good Luck

PS: "OFF TOPIC" For Ned Snowing,... welcome back after a week vacation, I did post off topic thread asking where were you on MacBook Forum, but it deleted an hour after I post it by "new" administrator.

Jus tbe sure hwen repalcing the card that you get oen with an efi chop onboard, as they require it or it wil not work. all of the 7xxx series work from nvidia other then teh 7950 according to them

Hey Michael, thanks for the welcome back.

I didn't actually go anywhere… I just had enough of the never ending circles you go through in the MacBook forums. Things like explaining that a MacBook isn't a good choice for using Aperture and Final Cut Studio, and then being told I'm wrong by those who think it's a good idea to recommend a MacBook for these products. Then there's being told that the Apple documentation for the GMA950 is wrong.

It's just so much nicer here where you know you don't ever have to say the Mac Pro can't cope.

So you've decided to buy a Mac Pro then? 🙂

Hi Ned,

It is true that the MacBook forum overtime become childish and more people argue for nothing and bothered to correct other user post typo error than post a constructive thread or help.

But I see here on Mac Pro, is less complaint and more exchanged information, and look like you found your breathing space here.

I don't blame you for get enough of that MacBook forum. (First I tought you've been promoted to become moderator and not allowed to post anymore).

For buying a MacPro for myself, I don't think it is within my budget since I don't make money much with mac lately.

I spent a lot when I bought PM8600/300 back then, and my personal preference now more suits with iMac or eMac rather than PowerMac.

But if my office would invest one, I'll be the first in line to "abuse" it.

Peace out.

Hello,
If you are not going to use OSX you can actually get a PC version of the ATI X1900 XT or XTX and install it into your system.
You will not be able to use the MAC OS, when you boot your computer you won't see the MAC logo it will take about 10 seconds until windows begins to boot and your screen will then show you the windows logo.
The X1900 for PC does require additional power to be plugged into the card; you can actually split the power from the 4-pin power plug that belongs to the DVD Drive.
For that you will need 1 extender about 9" long and the adapter that will convert the 4-pin power adapters into the 6-pin required for the video card (The package will include this 4 pin to 6 pin cable). I am currently running this configuration and have not had any problems with windows or the system.
Note: You must already have Windows installed and booting on your system. You can try this at your own risk.

Mac Pro Windows XP Pro

What a bunch of total crud people post.

I have a ATI 1900 XTX PCI Express card out of my Windows XP home built PC and put it in my Mac Pro, it works fine. No issues at all!

People posting stuff about EFI chips and OS X not booting should be ignored.

Now that is rather interesting news. So under System Profiler what comes up?

It comes up as a XT not an XTX. But it still performs very well.

But don't trust your system profiler either, my Mac Book Pro shows my ATI 1600 as an ATY card not an ATI card.

I guess Apple has the Chinese typing their System Profiler information for them now as well.

OT...

Ned, how do you get the penguin in all your posts?

Thanks.

Are you saying that you were able to boot into OSX 10.4.7 on the new Mac Pro and was able to use a stock PC ATI X1900 XTX PCIe with absolutely no problems and all of this bruhaha about how only EFI compliant cards will work is wrong?
If that is true, then it is a whole new Graphice ballgame for us Mac Pro owners.

Ned, how do you get the penguin in all your posts?

If you look at my public profile…

http://discussions.apple.com/profile.jspa?userID=297058

… you'll see HTML code with a pair of angled brackets preceeding each of my posts. That's it. You will have to create an avatar of your own and make it accessible via the web. Obviously you need to replace the URL to my avatar with your own.

PS I have an 80 x 80 avatar. That's about as big as you want to make it without having it too distracting. If only Apple Discussions would bring back custom avatars!

If that is true, then it is a whole new Graphice ballgame for us Mac Pro owners.

While it does sound exciting I wouldn't wet your pants just yet. More than likely what's happening is that the Mac OS X driver for the ATI X1900XT is picking up and driving the X1900XTX. So, unless there is a compatible Mac OS X driver hanging around compatibility with other cards may not eventuate.

However, it probably means we are possibly able to buy graphics cards that are in the same family as the the cards that Apple ships. Presumably that's any ATI X1600 (MacBook Pro has these), ATI X1900 and Nvidia 7300 series card would work. Not sure if there's a Quadro family of cards.

Fingers crossed!!