Specifications

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DAVINCI RESOLVE FOR MAC - CERTIFIED CONFIGURATION GUIDE
The most important item to check if you are
installing DaVinci Resolve on an older Mac is to
confirm you are using the 64bit kernel, not 32bit.
You can check your system by using information
from this Apple support page: http://support.apple.
com/kb/HT3770 and switch your system to use the
64bit kernel if its currently on 32bit with information
on this Apple support page: http://support.apple.
com/kb/HT3773
Internal Configurations
As the 2012 Mac Pro has only four PCIe 2.0 slots, two at
x16 speed (one of which is a double wide slot) and two
at x4 speed and also has limited power connectors
for additional cards, selecting and placing your cards
within the MacPro requires some compromises.
Most critically is the selection and positioning of the
GPUs. If your planned configuration is with a single
shared GPU for GUI and image processing you should
be replacing the standard GUI GPU that comes
with the 2012 MacPro with a significantly faster one,
keeping in mind that the Mac OS X needs a supported
graphics card which can be used for the GUI during
the initial boot phase and for general operation.
This card selection also depends on the OS version
you are using. The NVIDIA Quadro K5000 for Mac is
certified with Mac OS X 10.8.4 but not older versions.
It requires a double-wide slot and a single six pin
power connection.
Alternatively you can consider the GTX680. This card,
unless specifically listed for Mac, will not provide a GUI
during the initial computer boot and you should be
sure to use the model that has no more than two six-
pin power connectors. Avoid models that require one
six-pin and one eight pin connection.
You will also have to independently purchase an
additional internal power connector cable for cards
requiring two six-pin connectors.
There are a number of cards that will work as
shared GUI and image processing GPUs but their
performance is quite limited and not recommended
for new installations as a shared GPU. The standard
ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 5870, and the Quadro 4000
are examples.
With the double-wide slot used for the GPU, the
remaining PCIe 2.0 x16 slot can be used for another
GPU for the GUI, the DeckLink card or a RED Rocket
depending you're your needs.
In the next section of this guide there are examples of
shared GPU configurations.