Fresh build Graphics card of choice

[jmacphee9]

First of all, thanks a bunch for everything i have already learned from this site!

 

im working on putting together my first hackintosh, a mid level gamer potential build together. with a fairly generous price range once complete, but i am aiming to keep my graphics card at the 200$ level, and ive prefered nvidia cards for the most part but am open to any suggestions. could anyone suggest a nice motherboard/processor/graphics combo for a mild gamer?

 

i play mostly Blizzard games, i would prefer a card that can play wow at ultra settings and be able to play starcraft at decently high levels but i also understand that a 200$ card may not be playing SC at ultra high graphics frame capped..

 

i was looking at the gtx 450 but was saddened to see no mac support:((

 

right now i am looking at a ASUS P7H55-M PRO motherboard/intel i5 750 processor/ ? graphics.

 

thanks for any help,

Justin

[X-Fire]

There is a GTX285 for Mac

[jmacphee9]

There is a GTX285 for Mac

 

thanks for the quick response, ill definetly check it out...quick question off my early "googling" is the mac version different then the regular gtx 285?

[Hangten]

thanks for the quick response, ill definetly check it out...quick question off my early "googling" is the mac version different then the regular gtx 285?

 

 

 

 

If you want CUDA and everything supported the GTX 285 is what Mac uses so the kext's are fully developed. And NO, you can't use a Mac card on a PC sense a PC has a BIOS and a Mac graphics card has an EFI ID to be recognized by the Mac firmware EFI. We Hackintosh simply have a go between (example Chameleon or Modded BIOS or Boot file) that translates a PC BIOS so that OS X can control the hardware. 9800gt or 9000 and 8000 series nvidia cards can be tricked into enabling CUDA. You can google search that. 

 

 

If you don't use or care about speed with certain app's, use an AMD RADEON 4000-5000 series but would be fine. Look at certain benches there not great with unsupported or developing kext. A HD4890 will kill a HD5770 for instance on a Mac SL install until further development. 

 

Hint:  also be aware that the GPU clock will most likely underclock in OS X certain cards you need to mod (plists stuff like that) to get your GPU clock to crank out its rated MHZ. An Nvidia GTX 285 with a corrected clock will perform a lot better than the slow OEM clock apple provides. 

 

Its wiser to have everything polished and fully working than to be a crippled Hackintosh. If you read and use the search find out whats very well honed and you will have a great time actually using and not 

[jmacphee9]

If you want CUDA and everything supported ...

Its wiser to have everything polished and fully working than to be a crippled Hackintosh. If you read and use the search find out whats very well honed and you will have a great time actually using and not 

 

 

CUDA is definetly what i am looking for, my experience level doesnt warrant modding video cards lol...

 

i may be wrong but cuda to me sounds like they are almost guaranteed to work because they have official software?

 

also perusing the forums came across this:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=223244

 

 

GFORCE DESKTOP

 

GeForce GTX 480
GeForce GTX 470
GeForce GTX 465
GeForce GTX 295
GeForce GTX 285
GeForce GTX 280
GeForce GTX 275
GeForce GTX 260
GeForce GTS 250
GeForce GT 240
GeForce GT 220
GeForce GT 340
GeForce GT 330
GeForce GT 320
GeForce 315
GeForce 310
GeForce 210
GeForce GTS 150
GeForce GT 130
GeForce GT 120
GeForce G100
GeForce 9800 GX2
GeForce 9800 GTX+
GeForce 9800 GTX
GeForce 9800 GT
GeForce 9600 GSO
GeForce 9600 GT
GeForce 9500 GT
GeForce 9400GT
GeForce 8800 Ultra
GeForce 8800 GTX
GeForce 8800 GTS
GeForce 8800 GT
GeForce 8800 GS
GeForce 8600 GTS
GeForce 8600 GT
GeForce 8500 GT
GeForce 8400 GS
GeForce 9400 mGPU
GeForce 9300 mGPU
GeForce 8300 mGPU
GeForce 8200 mGPU
GeForce 8100 mGPU

 

GEFORCE NOTEBOOK

 

 

that seems to be the list of GPUs i should be looking at correct?

[Hangten]

Yes, thats a great thread and surely can rely on the info. Remember the GTX470 is supported by ADOBE for mercury engine CUDA support for Windows but NOT for Mac. From posting on CS5 Premier and Photoshop the difference is phenomenal. Also there are posting with members and some have said, "there's nothing my GTX 285 can't handle".

 

Very well thought out parts and all graphics with less headache.

[jmacphee9]

thank you incredible amounts, that last link was exactly what i was looking for...im going with the "budget build 1 with the gtx with the GTX 260

or the budget build 2 with the i5, whichever way ya look at it:P