This article applies only to video cards that originally shipped with a specified Mac Pro or were offered as an upgrade kit by Apple. Similar cards that were not provided by Apple may have compatibility issues and you should work with the vendor of that card to confirm compatibility.
In this review of the graphics options for your classic Mac Pro, explaining the reasons why the RX 580 is the best card to get as well as showing you how to. Will the Nvidia XXXX get enough power in my Mac Pro 3,1 / 4,1 / 5,1? Check the manufacturer specification of the card to see the TDP. We recommend no more than a 250W TDP for Nvidia Graphics cards. Can I install a Nvidia graphics card in my Mac Pro 1,1 / 2,1? Any of the newer cards will not work as they require 10.9.2 or newer.
Mac Pro (2019)
Learn more about cards you can install in Mac Pro (2019) and how to install PCIe cards in your Mac Pro (2019).
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- Dual AMD FirePro D300
- Dual AMD FirePro D500
- Dual AMD FirePro D700
Mac Pro (Mid 2010) and Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
- ATI Radeon HD 5770
- ATI Radeon HD 5870
Learn about graphics cards supported in macOS 10.14 Mojave on Mac Pro (2010) and Mac Pro (Mid 2012).
Mac Pro (Early 2009)
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
- ATI Radeon HD 4870
- ATI Radeon HD 5870, offered as an upgrade kit
The Radeon HD 5870 card requires Mac OS X 10.6.4 or later and the use of both auxiliary power connections.
Mac Pro (Early 2008)
Video Card For Mac Pro Tower
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (part number 630-9191 or 630-9897)*
- NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600
- ATI Radeon HD 4870, offered as an upgrade kit
The Radeon HD 4870 card requires Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later.
Mac Pro (Original)
- NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT
- ATI Radeon X1900 XT
- NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 (part number 630-7532 or 630-7895)*
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (part number 630-9492), offered as an upgrade kit.*
The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT card requires Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later with the Leopard Graphics Update 1.0 or the computer may not start up properly.
* To identify a graphics card part number, check the label on the back of the card.
Many 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks have two graphics processors (GPU)—a discrete GPU and an integrated GPU. The discrete GPU provides substantial graphics performance but uses more energy. The integrated GPU optimizes battery life by using less energy.
Check if the discrete or integrated GPU is in use
To see which graphics cards are in use, choose Apple () menu > About this Mac. The graphics cards currently in use appear next to Graphics. Learn which integrated GPUs your Mac might have.
Check if an app is using the dedicated GPU
To see if an app is using the higher-performance discrete GPU, open Activity Monitor and click the Energy tab. If you don't see the Requires High Perf GPU column, your computer only has one graphics processor.
In this example, iMovie and Final Cut Pro are using the higher-performance discrete GPU:
Video Card For Mac Pro 2012
Learn more
Here are a few examples of apps and accessories that use the higher-performance discrete GPU:
- iMovie
- Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign
- An external display
Learn how to use an external graphics processor (eGPU) with your Mac.
Video Card For Mac Pro Early 2008
Learn how to set the graphics performance on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Pro with Retina display computer.