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Chapter 3 Working Inside Your Computer 47
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 processor unit (GPU) and provides the computer’s display ports.
The graphics card is installed in slot1.
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.
To adjust the bandwidth of the PCI Express slots in your Mac Pro, use the Expansion
Slot Utility, located in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
Important: Combined maximum power consumption for all four PCI Express slots must
not exceed 300 watts (W).
To install a PCI Express card:
1 Open the computer and remove the side panel (see page 28).
2 Lay your Mac Pro down on a soft, clean cloth to avoid scratching it or the work surface.
·
Warning: To avoid damaging internal components or the components you want to
install, always turn off and then unplug your Mac Pro. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for it to
cool down. Do not attempt to install items while it is plugged in.