What GPU card for Mac Pro?

Well, I give up on avoiding buying a reference monitor, even though much of the work goes to the Internet. I usually do a Blu-ray video (of live band performances) along with the H.264 QT movies for the Internet, and I am spending way too much time looking at the computer monitor, then the Panasonic plasma, then checking calibration, etc.………and I am still never sure.

So, I am probably going to get an FSI reference monitor and a Cubix Xpander Desktop 4 (for DeckLink HD Extreme 3D card). This then opens up a slot for a GPU card in the Desktop 4. Currently I just have an ATI Radeon HD 5770 for GUI, with all the other PCIe slots taken for: Pro Tools, external hard drive enclosure, and UAD audio plug-in card.

What GPU card (single or double width) should I get to speed things up?

Info: 2010 Mac Pro (dual quad core), DaVinci Resolve 9 Lite, FCP X, Pro Tools HD Native.

OK, thanks, I see he has posted much on this.
Don't know how I missed it.

David,
Thanks for your help. I'm not knowledgeable about these cards. Man, lots of different options at Newegg, very confusing.

Some questions please:
(1) EVGA has lifetime warranty, so better quality?
(2) Is this the card you have?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687
(3) I can put the 570 in the Cubix Xpander Desktop 4 and then not have deal with additional power?
(4) With that excellent performance, you don't see a need to go to 580 card, correct? I assume the equivalent quality 580 card is this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130733

I'm noticing in your sig that you are running Resolve Lite. Adding extra GPU processing will not help you achieve higher speeds as Lite will only access one GPU, so even if you stuff an Xpander, Lite won't see them. Or they won't see the Lite... whichever.

jPo

"I always pass on free advice -- its never of any use to me" Oscar Wilde.

That is correct. Resolve Lite can access one GUI card and one GPU card. So you can add an NVIDIA card along with your 5770 GUI card, and Resolve Lite will use the NVIDIA card for GPU processing.

Dwaine Maggart
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Support

Note above, the 570 (or 580) will be in an Xpander Desktop 4, not in the Mac Pro.

BTW, Cubix recommends using a card that meets PCIe specs with 8P + 6P auxiliary power connectors, rather than non-spec cards which have 8P + 8P + 6P auxiliary power connectors and over-spec height.