Nvidia has released new versions of its Geforce and Quadro drivers for OS X, which provide tweaks and bug fixes for Mac Pro users. In addition, they include beta support for Macs with non-workstation graphics cards, including recent iMac and MacBook Pro models.
When it comes to support for Mac hardware components that are supplied by third-parties, Apple generally obtains the software from component manufacturers and then blends them into the OS X development cycle. This results in drivers that are often not the latest versions, and as per Apple’s design approaches, are often stripped of many configuration options.
While this fits into Apple’s ecosystem of simplicity, it does leave some power users hungry for more options or simply wanting the various benefits from the latest driver packages. To overcome these issues, if available, then you can download and install the latest drivers from the manufacturer.
- Mac Pro 3,1 (2008)
- Mac Pro 4,1 (2009)
- Mac Pro 5,1 (2010)
- iMac 13,1/13,2 (2009) BETA
- iMac 14,2/14,3 (2010) BETA
- MacBook Pro 9,1 (2012) BETA
- MacBook Pro 10,1 (2012) BETA
- MacBook Pro 11,3 (2013) BETA
To install the drivers, first be sure your Mac is fully backed up, then download them from the Nvidia Web site, and then open the installer package and follow the on-screen instructions. After installing, test the drivers thoroughly by running all of the programs you use regularly, and ensure everything works as expected. If you need to uninstall, then run the uninstaller utility that is provided.
These drivers are official Nvidia-tested drivers for OS X 10.10.4, and while they should work fully with your system, do keep in mind there is always a chance of some bugs may be present, especially given their beta status for iMac and MacBook Pro systems. As a result, you might consider waiting for future releases that are out of beta development before testing them on your system.
My first thought was that using beta software video drivers is problematic, as you suggest. Will you let us know when these come out of beta? The news will be far more useful then.