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BARE FEATS LAB - real world Mac speed tests

'late 2013' Mac Pro running
DaVinci Resolve versus
Mac Pro Tower with pairs of GPUs

Posted Friday, January 31st, 2014 by rob-ART morgan, mad scientist

The 2013 Mac Pro with its dual FirePro GPUs is an ideal candidate as a DaVinci Resolve platform. So we tested its ability to playback (and render on-the-fly) blur nodes and noise reduction nodes. Then we compared that performance to the 2010 Mac Pro matched pairs of high-end GPUs.

GRAPH LEGEND
4c MP'13 D300s = 2013 Mac Pro 4-core with dual FirePro D300s
6c MP'13 D500s = 2013 Mac Pro 6-core with dual FirePro D500s
6c MP'10 R7970 = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core with dual Radeon HD 7970s
6c MP'10 G780 = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core with dual GeForce GTX 780s
6c MP'10 G680 = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core with dual GeForce GTX 680s
6c MP'10 G760 = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core with dual GeForce GTX 760s

DaVinci Resolve
First we playback 16 nodes of Blur (as those nodes are rendered on-the-fly). LARGER number means HIGHER frames-per-second. Target speed is 24 FPS.


Next we playback 1 node of Noise Reduction. LARGER number means HIGHER frames-per-second. Target speed is 24 FPS.

CONCLUSION
Though we have yet to test DaVinci Resolve 10 using a 2013 Mac Pro with dual FirePro 700s, it's clear that even the mid-range dual D500s in a 6-Core Mac Pro can compete with high-end flashed GPUs often used by professionals in the legacy Mac Pro tower.

 

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WHERE TO BUY NVIDIA GPUs for your MAC PRO tower

  • The OS X compatible GeForce GTX Titan can be purchased from MacVidCards. They also offer a flashing and mod service for your existing GTX Titan for $200. MacVidCards recommends a supplemental power supply. We were able to run it in our 2010 Mac Pro without the aid of an auxiliary PS.
  • The OS X compatible GeForce GTX 780 is available from MacVidCards. They offer a flashing and mod service your existing GTX 780 for $200.
  • The OS X compatible GeForce GTX 770 (2G and 4G) is available from MacVidCards.
  • The EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Mac Edition can be ordered from EVGA direct or from Other World Computing (MacSales.com), Trans International (TransIntl.com), NewEgg, and Amazon.
  • The GeForce GTX 680 Classified 4G is available* from MacVidCards. (*out of stock as of this writing but watch for more to appear)
  • The GeForce GTX 680 4G is available from Mac*Pro.

WHERE TO BUY AMD GPUS for your MAC PRO tower

WHERE TO BUY AN UP-CLOCKED 12-CORE MAC PRO TOWER

  • Visit EditBuilder.com's eBay Store. Or you can email them or call them (1-855-EDIT-BAY). They are offering both tray replacements as well as complete setups with 1-3 year warranties. They also offer up 128GB 1333MHZ RAM and graphics card upgrades for Mac Pro towers.
  • Also, check out Other World Computing's Processor Tray Upgrade Program.
  • Live in the UK? Visit ScrumpyMacs for 'fire breathing' Mac Pro options.

WHERE TO BUY NEW APPLE PRODUCTS
USA readers can help us earn a commission by using this Apple Store USA link.

WHERE TO BUY FACTORY REFURBISHED MACS
Apple Store USA has refurbished Macs with 12 month warranty that can be extended to 36 months with AppleCare. Pay attention to the GPU it comes with.

PowerMax not only sells new and used Macs, but will give you a generous trade-in offer on your old Mac.

Other World Computing has a Used Mac Store.

 

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copyright 2014 Rob Art Morgan
"BARE facts on Macintosh speed FEATS"
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