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Project Alice

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
2,022
2,095
Post Falls, ID
Hi all,
I have a 2008 Mac Pro 3,1. It currently has a 3GB GTX 1060 installed, powered by the 2 on board 6 pin power connectors. Because it seems nvidias drivers will be no more, I'm sticking the 1060 in my PC and getting a 780 Ti for the MP.

According to the internet, the 780 requires a 6 pin and an 8 pin, OR 3 6 pins. I found something about an adapter that uses 2 sata ports for power; this WILL NOT work for me. All 4 of my sata slots are in use, I'm even using the 2 extra ones for an SSD and blueray drive in the optical bay. I cannot free up any bays, I need the those 6 drives installed.

Anyone else have their Mac Pro running a 780 Ti that can help me out?
 

OS6-OSX

macrumors 6502a
Jun 13, 2004
946
753
California
Hi all, Anyone else have their Mac Pro running a 780 Ti that can help me out?

Don't have the 780ti but at one time had my 980ti in the 2008 3,1. If you look where the 6pin to 6 pin is plugged in (on the MP) you will see another identical port. Get a 6pin to 8pin cable and plug the 6pin end into that identical port (MP) and the 8pin end into the 780ti. Now both ports will be dedicated to the 780ti.
 

MIKX

macrumors 68000
Dec 16, 2004
1,815
691
Japan
I power my Sapphire Dual- HD 7970 this way . seems the safest.

===================================

1. From onboard dual 6 pin power sockets
Dual mini 6 pin to 8 pin > GPU 8 pin socket

2. Dual SATA to 6pin >. GPU 6 pin socket.

====================================

I now boot from a PCIe M.2 Samsung 970 EVO and my other SSDs live in the DVD enclosure but I do have one spinner HDD installed in SATA slot 4. I have 3 SATA power sockets ( one is dedicated to powering my USB 3.0 card ). So I have three SATA sockets available for the " dual SATA to 6 pin" cable,

Everything works.

I feel the single 6 pin to 8 pin from one on board 6 pin socket is playing with ( real ? ) fire.

I worry about the load on the motherboard traces when the GPU is under high load/stress.
 
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startergo

macrumors 601
Sep 20, 2018
4,812
2,200
I power my Sapphire Dual- HD 7970 this way . seems the safest.
I worry about the load on the motherboard traces when the GPU is under high load/stress.

Why so? You don't go over the design capacity :
1. From onboard dual 6 pin power sockets
Dual mini 6 pin to 8 pin > GPU 8 pin socket (150W design capacity)

2. Dual SATA to 6pin >. GPU 6 pin socket. (108W design capacity)
And the card requires 150 W supply on the 8 pin and 75W supply on the 6 pin.
 

Project Alice

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
2,022
2,095
Post Falls, ID
I think the card needs Dual 8 pin? If so, I wouldn't be able to do dual 8 pin unless I did single 6 to single 8. Since I only have Dual 6pins on the board....
 
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