Intensity 4K in older MacPro?

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Francklazare

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Intensity 4K in older MacPro?

PostFri Jun 11, 2021 2:09 pm

Hello, Im trying to figure out if I can install the Intensity 4K card in my older Mac Pro 5.1 (Mid 2010). Before I purchase it. Here's are the specs:
Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro5,1
Processor Name: 6-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.93 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Memory: 16 GB

I've upgrade the video card to a "metal supported" AMD Radeon HD 7970. I could upgrade the RAM to 32GB.

It has 4PCI Express slots, one occupied by the Video Card. The other by a USB card. So 2 slots are available.

"Adding PCI Express Cards
You can expand the capabilities of your Mac Pro by installing cards in the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express slots. Your Mac Pro has one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot and three PCI Express expansion slots, for a total of four slots. These slots accommodate PCI Express graphics cards and expansion cards

About PCI Express Cards
Your Mac Pro comes with a high-performance PCI Express graphics card, which contains the graphics processing unit (GPU) and provides the computer’s display ports. The graphics card is installed in slot 1.
You can install additional PCI Express graphics and expansion cards. Before installing a card, check its specifications to make sure it can operate in your Mac Pro:
 Slots 1 and 2 are x16, PCI Express 2.0 slots  Slots 3 and 4 are x4, PCI Express 2.0 slots
All four slots support 16-lane cards.
NOTICE: Combined maximum power consumption for all four PCI Express slots must not exceed 300 watts (W).


I am currently running High Sierra on this machine and do not intent to upgrade.

If I can install Intensity 4K what version of the software would you recommend to capture analogue video?

Finally, with this set up, can I capture directly to an external drive? This Mac Pro has USB 2.0, and Firewire 800 ports available.

Can anyone answer this question: this is important to me, as I have hours of archival footage from the 1980's, mostly NYC, that I could license for documentaries.

Thank you.

Franck
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Mark Foster

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Re: Intensity 4K in older MacPro?

PostFri Jun 11, 2021 7:14 pm

no problem to use the Intensity 4k in a 5.1 cMP

the latest driver for highsierra is 11.3, you will find here (scroll down):
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/suppor ... d-playback

so you can use the media express software (installed with the video driver,
or any other that works with highsierra

Screenshot 2021-06-11 at 21.09.35.jpg
Screenshot 2021-06-11 at 21.09.35.jpg (94.93 KiB) Viewed 1544 times



best and fastest macOS for the cMP is mojave (10.14.6)
but run also with catalina or bigsur up to 11.2.3 under opencore 0.7.0 bootloader

for video the better GPU starts with RX580 and go to vega 56, vega64, radeonVII and 5700XT
from the vegas up you need a modified power managment!
but with all this cards you can get a hardwareacceleration of H264/H265 with opencore



.
cMP 5.1 2x3,46/96GB/2x2TB SSD/4x4TB/7101A 4x2TB 970evo+/HP1344/BMD4k/RadeonVII
macOS 12.6.3
BMPCC 6k pro (7.9.1)
meike s35 cine 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm
resolve studio 18.1.4
mini panel
speed editor
desktop video 12.1
intensity pro 4k
atem extreme (8.6.1)
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Francklazare

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  • Real Name: Franck Goldberg

Re: Intensity 4K in older MacPro?

PostSun Jun 20, 2021 6:15 pm

Thank you Mark Foster.

I took the plunge: I purchased and installed the Intensity 4K. On the advice of Black Magic Support I downloaded 11.4, and it works. Now I have to figure out the best formats for capturing Video8. It's quite confusing, I have a lot to learn. I have an internal SSD installed in my 5.1 MP, I'm able to capture quicktime 8bit uncompressed on it. I'll need to upgrade it for more storage, but I think this is the best I can get, because of the speed limitations of the USB2 and firewire on the 5.1MP. Do I understand this correctly?
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Mark Foster

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  • Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 10:59 am
  • Location: austria - no kangaroos +g*

Re: Intensity 4K in older MacPro?

PostSun Jun 20, 2021 6:40 pm

for video8 uncompressed is a way too much ; -)
use proresLT

you can install a cheap USB 3.1 PCIe card > $25 - $30.- (but buy a type WITHOUT external power)
or the best one 3.1gen2 > highpoint 1344a at $220.-
cMP 5.1 2x3,46/96GB/2x2TB SSD/4x4TB/7101A 4x2TB 970evo+/HP1344/BMD4k/RadeonVII
macOS 12.6.3
BMPCC 6k pro (7.9.1)
meike s35 cine 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm
resolve studio 18.1.4
mini panel
speed editor
desktop video 12.1
intensity pro 4k
atem extreme (8.6.1)

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