video card inquiry

[Gemini Dream]

ok this is my second big red project and i am building a set up with the funds they are giving me for the equipment right now i have ordered

MacPro 8core with

10gb of ram (memory)
(1) 320gb hd
(3) 1tb hd for internal storage (all 32mb cache)
and the stock video card the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256M

i have all the other things i would need
(2) 24inch montiors
mackie speakers
mackie mixer

the software i am using is
FCP
Crimson
and redcine


The question i'm coming to is the video card , my old mac has the same one and i have heard rumors that redcine uses alot of your memory card (maybe thats why it can't play full speed at higher qualities in redcine)
so i know they are ddr3 video cards in macs, would it make a big difference going up to a 512mb card or 1gb video card?
will it help the render and playback in redcine?
what would you suggest?

thanks

JMV

 

[Nick Gallegos]

The only Mac-compatible video cards available with over 512MB of memory are a couple NVIDIA Quadro FX cards. And those are big bucks cards (over $1,000 and up) that really only benefit those who do 3D modeling than anyone else.

If that is not you, that money would be better spent on a Kona solution (like a Kona 3 or Kona LHe) with a calibrated broadcast-quality monitor for use in color grading in Redcine. You simply cannot color accurately with an ACD or almost any computer monitor, for that matter.

If I were building that machine, I'd take the stock ATI card with a Kona LHe over say, just a Quadro FX 5600 any day of the week.