Help please: GPU for FCPX and CS6 -- but also good gaming performance

[ReesA]

Hi guys,

(A summary of this post is that I need suggestions for a replacement GPU for an ATI 6970 that both runs windows games well and will work with FCPX and CS6 in a hackintosh.)

Here is my current hardware;

ATI 6970
Z68X-UD3P-B3 Motherboard
i5-2500K
2 X G-Skill 8GB XL Ripjaws

After waiting for the 6970 to work in the OSX world for a good while I am now giving up and wanting to solve this issue by replacing it or running a 2nd card alongside it in OSX. The thing holding me back from throwing it is that it performs well in Windows and runs the games I want to play very well (battlefield 3 etc).

The serious work side of the machine is in vid editing, DVD making, Max/MSP programming and sound production. So far I have been Max/MSP programming on my laptop and had the option to use CS6 in a windows world but want to bring everything together in OSX in a smoothly running hackintosh.

I feel caught between ditching the 6970 altogether and buying a similar performance current nVidia card (would want a native running graphicsenabler=0 card) and buying a cheap budget card parallel with it which would be used in the OSX environment. At this stage I just want to get the hack machine up and running and don't want too much faffing about so am looking at the easiest option. I was looking at a 660TI but see there are issues with FCPX. I also am unsure about how much rendering acceleration various cards give either CS6 or FCPX tasks in OSX...

Could I get some opinions about which way to go please?

Hopefully I made this post clear.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ewoodster]

Get a GTX 570 or 580 for good gaming and awesome GPU computing power or a GTX 670 or 680 for very good gaming and good GPU computing power. All work natively.

 

[TheM0rk]

Get a GTX 570 or 580 for good gaming and awesome GPU computing power or a GTX 670 or 680 for very good gaming and good GPU computing power. All work natively.

Hey's right. Check this out. And take a look at what Kev7in says:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/buying-ad...ng-hackintosh-budget-do-i-have-right-gpu.html

 

[ReesA]

Thanks so much for the posts. Very informative. The one thing I don't yet know is exactly how much benefit I would see in Premiere/AE from CUDA acceleration in terms of tasks such as making ultra slow motion video pieces with overlay (and colour correction). I am guessing this would benefit - but I am not 100% this is the benefit I would gain from using a GTX570/580 as I get the feeling the article is talking about 3d stuff.

I understand that FCPX uses Open CL? and CUDA is nVidia's attempt to control the market with their proprietary stuff... so FCPX is relying on CPU processing 100%? Or are the cards doing the Open CL as well?

I was a huge FCP 7 user but when Apple 'lost it' and scrapped their pro apps approach to FCP I went to Premiere and although I kind of hate the interface and workflow (I really prefer the FCP > compressor > DVD Studio Pro workflow) I have been using CS5.5 ever since. Luckily I can get either through work. I am not sure I can replace AE with an Apple app though in terms of how powerful it is at slowing material down and applying a load of alterations.

(sorry about the multiple questions -- my approach is to immerse myself in the info to make a decision then try to forget about it asap and get on with my life once I buy something ... that means I am currently playing catchup )

EDIT: this post seems to be the type of thing I do http://forums.adobe.com/message/4756332 and the answers point to 2d footage manipulation being CPU dependant. Am not sure about overlays and colour changing and how they relate to CUDA as yet...

 

[ReesA]

To give an idea of how I am using AE at the moment I thought I would include an image. Three layers of overlay with colour alteration and ultra stretched.

However, as I said I don't know where and how much benefit CUDA would give to this current work.