EVGA 01G-P3-1080-TR GeForce GTX285 for Mac 1024 MB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card

Comment: This is the fastest 3D graphics card you can get for the Mac, as of this writing. Installation was trouble-free in both OS X 10.6.1 and Windows 7 64-bit in Boot Camp. My system is a dual quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro (early 2008 model). I took out the stock ATI 2600 card before putting this one into the x16 PCI Express 2.0 slot.

In OS X, I didn't have to do anything, as drivers for the 285 GTX are included in 10.6.1. I did end up downloading newer drivers in Windows after installing the 285. Several days later Windows prompted me to upgrade the drivers again. Adding the card caused Windows 7 to require reactivation.

For Windows gaming users only:
Here are performance numbers from the Crysis Benchmark Tool running on the free Crysis Demo (not the release version of Crysis). These are using the 32-bit timedemo. Using the 64-bit timedemo with the release version of Crysis may give better results. Crysis' graphics will pretty much hammer any system, so don't let the low FPS numbers fool you. It's the most demanding game out there. Just about any other game will run very, very smooth.

The first run below is for 1920x1200 all settings Very High. The second run is for 1920x1200, all settings High. These are good scores for a single-GPU product.

Beginning Run #1 on Map-island, Demo-benchmark_gpu
DX10 1900x1200, AA=No AA, Vsync=Disabled, 32 bit test, FullScreen
Demo Loops=3, Time Of Day= 9
Global Game Quality: VeryHigh
==============================================================
TimeDemo Play Started , (Total Frames: 2000, Recorded Time: 111.86s)
!TimeDemo Run 0 Finished.
Play Time: 92.80s, Average FPS: 21.55
Min FPS: 13.56 at frame 140, Max FPS: 26.43 at frame 987
Average Tri/Sec: -8614124, Tri/Frame: -399700
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -2.29
!TimeDemo Run 1 Finished.
Play Time: 85.34s, Average FPS: 23.44
Min FPS: 13.56 at frame 140, Max FPS: 26.87 at frame 977
Average Tri/Sec: -9052859, Tri/Frame: -386291
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -2.37
!TimeDemo Run 2 Finished.
Play Time: 85.03s, Average FPS: 23.52
Min FPS: 13.56 at frame 140, Max FPS: 27.25 at frame 988
Average Tri/Sec: -9044847, Tri/Frame: -384521
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -2.38
TimeDemo Play Ended, (3 Runs Performed)
==============================================================

Beginning Run #1 on Map-island, Demo-benchmark_gpu
DX10 1900x1200, AA=No AA, Vsync=Disabled, 32 bit test, FullScreen
Demo Loops=3, Time Of Day= 9
Global Game Quality: High
==============================================================
TimeDemo Play Started , (Total Frames: 2000, Recorded Time: 111.86s)
!TimeDemo Run 0 Finished.
Play Time: 58.91s, Average FPS: 33.95
Min FPS: 25.29 at frame 1954, Max FPS: 44.74 at frame 999
Average Tri/Sec: -31958906, Tri/Frame: -941329
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -0.97
!TimeDemo Run 1 Finished.
Play Time: 51.76s, Average FPS: 38.64
Min FPS: 25.29 at frame 1954, Max FPS: 47.99 at frame 76
Average Tri/Sec: -35900052, Tri/Frame: -929133
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -0.99
!TimeDemo Run 2 Finished.
Play Time: 52.20s, Average FPS: 38.31
Min FPS: 25.29 at frame 1954, Max FPS: 47.99 at frame 76
Average Tri/Sec: -35593324, Tri/Frame: -928977
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -0.99
TimeDemo Play Ended, (3 Runs Performed)
==============================================================

Comment: I was looking for a nice upgrade to my 8800 GT in my Mac Pro. I was having some issues with one of my favorite games and after trying all the configuration tweaks and the like I decided this card would give me the most bang for my buck. The advice on the web indicated that you needed to install the drivers first and then the card. Following those instructions, installation was a snap. The hardest part of the installation was hooking up the power cables to the mother board. If you work in a well lit area this should not be a huge issue. I was afraid that this new card would greatly increase the noise level in my home office, but I have found this card to be as quiet as the 8800 GT. Finally, the performance is so far beyond my expectations I think I'll be more than satisfied with this card for years.

Comment: I got this for my Mac Pro (8 core; early 2009 model) to boost 3D application and gaming performance. My summary:

(1) There was no appreciable real-world performance boost when compared to the stock video card that comes with the Mac Pro.
(2) NVIDIA hasn't provided any updated drivers since July 2, 2009.
(3) Search for GeForce 285 Mac and game crashes in Google and you can see how many games have issues with this specific card (with no solutions known to date).


At this price point, the target consumer for this card, I would assume, are gamers. Yet on the few games I occasionally play (all 3D FPS type games), I've found absolutely no noticeable improvement either in terms of quality or speed. Even worse, my system would randomly lock up, so badly that the only way to recover is to cycle the power. Look on Google and you'll see many reports of this. The suggested fixes are along the lines of: 1) install a SMC fan control utility; 2) lower the graphics quality; or 3) return the card. I haven't returned it yet but neither of the other two suggested fixes solves my issues (and it hasn't for many other users).

The support for this card is terrible. Look on the support forums for this card and the affected software and you'll find the same "fixes" to try I mentioned above. Nowhere will you find a solution. As I stated before, there hasn't been a new driver since July 2, 2009, and even with these issues, no announcement of a release date for the next revision.

I recently upgraded to Snow Leopard (10.6.1). The good news is that the Snow Leopard disc has the drivers for this card--so you don't need to remove the card prior to doing an installation of the OS. Unfortunately, I have the same problems I had before.

So, I basically have an expensive brick (this card is huge) in my Mac Pro sucking juice. On the positive side, this card isn't loud at all. But then again, I've never had a chance to really test it under load without it crashing.

I strongly recommend everyone to wait until NVIDIA releases a new set of drivers that addresses the current issues. Or, just stick with the card shipped with the Mac Pro, as in retrospect, it seems to meet all my needs.

Comment: I do a lot of gaming and now dabbling with 3D modeling/animation stuff, and I wanted to get a card that can perform well for those duties. I have a Mac Pro (2009, quad 2.66) and i got it with the standard GT120 card pre-installed. That card was ok for low-intensity applications but I could never get really high frame rates for some of my games when trying to max out the graphics settings.

With the GTX285, I can run COD4 at high settings @1920x1200 with very high fps - smooth and detailed! So far, the card has not been very loud at all and haven't noticed much of an increase in heat build up.

Installation is a snap. I love the modular design of the Mac Pros, it makes it very easy to upgrade components. I'm not good at all with tech stuff and I always hate having to fiddle with the guts of a computer, but this was a piece of cake.

Some things to really keep in mind though:

1. Follow the instructions for the installation carefully.

2. Make sure you install the drivers on the CD BEFORE you open the case up and install the card.

3. Attach the power cables onto the motherboard BEFORE you put the card in the slot.


When you boot up your Mac, you should be good to go.

Now if you are curious as to how it works in Windows under boot camp, all I can say is AWESOME again! I actually do most of my gaming on the Windows side.

To install the windows drivers go to Nvidia's website and download the latest driver (they just released a new driver recently in July). I didn't install the driver until after the card was already in the machine. I was worried at first that Windows may not recognize the card right away, but it wasn't a problem. But, you do have to install the driver on the Mac side beforehand, so don't forget.


Unfortunately I cannot do a side by side comparison with the ATI 4870 since i do not have any personal experience with one, but you can search some review sites that are better equipped for that. Apparently there are some things the 4870 can still do that the 285 cannot, depending on the application. But I have a feeling that with updated drivers in the future, the performance of the GTX 285 will only increase.

But if you are looking to do some gaming on a Mac Pro and need to upgrade from the stock GT120 card, I highly recommend going straight for the GTX 285. Its pricey, but IMO well worth the cost.