Call of Duty 2 on older G4's

[DinoAdventure]

I bought my brother a Power Mac G4 (mirrored drive doors) from work and we're trying to run call of duty 2 on it. It's 1.25 GHz Dual, with 512MB RAM, and 64 MB VRAM. It runs the game fine but the colors are all messed up. Barrels and boxes are bright red, smoke is purple, etc. It looks fine on my powerbook which also has 64MB VRAM so it should be enough. Is the video card not supported or something? If so, what video card should I upgrade to?

Thanks.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that my brother's roomate also bought the game and has the same problem on his iBook G4. I'm not sure of the specs on that computer though.

[TDM21]

Your problem is probably related to the video card being too old and not supporting all the shaders required for the game. The same color problem can be seen, like you said, on iBooks with ATi 9200 video cards. If you want to run CoD 2 on the G4 then you will probably have to upgrade to something like a NVIDIA 5200 or ATI 9600 or better.

[neonblue2]

G4s aren't supported by Aspyr for CoD2 and I've tried it on my sister's 1.5GHz PowerBook G4 with 1024MB RAM and a 64MB Mobility 9700. It didn't work that well, around 15-20 frames at lowest settings

[Cougarcat]

I played the demo on my 1.67 PB w/ 128 MB of VRAM and 1.5 GB of ram and it ran quite well. Only time it really bogged down was the part near the sea. What's more is that I could bump up the settings without seeing a noticable drop in framerate.

[MacsRgr8]

Hmm.... here are the game specs (http://www.aspyr.com/product/game_specs/2)

Supported Video cards:
NVIDIA GeForce 5200, 6600, 6800, 7800
ATI Radeon 9600, 9650, 9700, 9800, X600, X800, X850, X1600

I think the best grfx card for that G4 is the ATi Radeon 9800 Pro (http://ati.amd.com/products/radeon9800/radeon9800prome/index.html).
I don't know where you can get it, but this card is supported by CoD2.

[DinoAdventure]

Hmm.... here are the game specs (http://www.aspyr.com/product/game_specs/2)

I think the best grfx card for that G4 is the ATi Radeon 9800 Pro (http://ati.amd.com/products/radeon9800/radeon9800prome/index.html).
I don't know where you can get it, but this card is supported by CoD2.

Thanks for that. I think I will probably get one of these 2:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=srch1&Ntt=ATI+9600&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=ATI+9600&Ntk=All&product_code=308212

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=srch1&Ntt=ati+9800&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=ati+9800&Ntk=All&product_code=302460

I will probably go with the cheaper 9600 since I will need to get an ADC-DVI adapter for his Apple Studio Display to work with the card. On compusa it says that they're both PC format though, I assume this doesn't matter?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[iBookG4user]

Thanks for that. I think I will probably get one of these 2:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=srch1&Ntt=ATI+9600&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=ATI+9600&Ntk=All&product_code=308212

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=srch1&Ntt=ati+9800&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=ati+9800&Ntk=All&product_code=302460

I will probably go with the cheaper 9600 since I will need to get an ADC-DVI adapter for his Apple Studio Display to work with the card. On compusa it says that they're both PC format though, I assume this doesn't matter?

Thanks for the replies everyone.
You need to get the Mac version for the card to work. Unless I'm completely mistaken.

[Sean7512]

I believe that the PC version will work, he just needs to flash it or something. I believe it is a fairly simple process, but I could be wrong....

[TDM21]

Purchasing a Mac version of the card would probably be better. If you are adventurous, then you could flash the rom on a PC card to work in a Mac. However, if something goes wrong with the flash, you pretty much lose the card.

[fblack]

Many retail cards for macs are expensive. 9800 pros are running like $250 at smalldog.com and at OWC. If you dont have any experience flashing cards then dont, I know people who've ended up with worthless cards. Your best bet would be to look at ebay. I've seen 9600's running $50-$75 and 9800s running anywhere from $120 to $200 depending on whether they are regular 9800s or 9800 special edition (for the G5).

I've had pretty good success on ebay picking up mac upgrades.

Here's an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-APPLE-RADEON-9600-400MHz-XT-SPEED-G4-MAC-VIDEO-CARD_W0QQitemZ250056888591QQihZ015QQcategoryZ25449QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

good luck

[DinoAdventure]

OK, so where I can I find the mac versions?

[stagecustom]

i had it working on my 12" ibook G4 moderately. was still play able not as good as Medal of Honor on mac!

[ReanimationLP]

I've had pretty good success on ebay picking up mac upgrades.

Here's an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-APPLE-RADEON-9600-400MHz-XT-SPEED-G4-MAC-VIDEO-CARD_W0QQitemZ250056888591QQihZ015QQcategoryZ25449QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

good luck

Mac_Genuises is a scam artist who buys used, non-tested as-is cards that were pulls or returns, flashes them with STrangedogs BIOS ROMs without giving them any credit or profit, then sells them as his own custom NEW cards. When the cards arrive and dont work, he doesnt give out a refund, and he also leaves negative feedback if you so much as try to say anything neutral or negative.

Stay far, far away.

[fblack]

Mac_Genuises is a scam artist who buys used, non-tested as-is cards that were pulls or returns, flashes them with STrangedogs BIOS ROMs without giving them any credit or profit, then sells them as his own custom NEW cards. When the cards arrive and dont work, he doesnt give out a refund, and he also leaves negative feedback if you so much as try to say anything neutral or negative.

Stay far, far away.

Ouch! :eek: It wasn't meant as an endorsement of this ebayer. I have no experience with this particular seller. It was just one the cards that came up when I typed in "9600 radeon mac" and was only meant as an example of what can be found. Next time I'll leave more than one example.

Nevertheless, it shouldnt keep him from checking ebay out. In the past i have picked up cpu upgrades and radeon cards without any problems from other sellers. One must always be careful with ebay as there are many scams out there, as your warning suggests.

[DinoAdventure]

lolz, thanks for the heads up. If I can find anything for under $50 I'll be happy, but I don't want to spend much money just to make this game work. I'll keep scouting around.

Thanks again guys.

[DinoAdventure]

Will this work? http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-Radeon-9600-XT-for-Mac_W0QQitemZ140059701857QQihZ004QQcategoryZ25449QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's from a G5 tower. It doesn't look like it's PCI though. But it has and ADC connection so if it's compatible it would be ideal for us.

Sorry to ask so many questions, and thanks again!

[ReanimationLP]

Will this work? http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-Radeon-9600-XT-for-Mac_W0QQitemZ140059701857QQihZ004QQcategoryZ25449QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's from a G5 tower. It doesn't look like it's PCI though. But it has and ADC connection so if it's compatible it would be ideal for us.

Sorry to ask so many questions, and thanks again!

Yes it will, but you have to tape a few pins to force it into AGP 4X mode.

Heres some nice info on Mac_Geniuses btw.

http://strangedogs.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1141796948

[fblack]

Yes it will, but you have to tape a few pins to force it into AGP 4X mode.

Heres some nice info on Mac_Geniuses btw.

http://strangedogs.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1141796948

Wow, I just read some of the posts there and at insidemacgames.:eek: My luck I picked him as an example, LOL. Makes me glad I dont buy flashed stuff. I've been tempted as $250 for new card to put in my aging QS is much. Looking at those posts quickly killed that little temptation. I'll save that money and put it towards a macbook pro, instead. Thanx for the warning tho, looks like someone to stay away from.

[ReanimationLP]

Wow, I just read some of the posts there and at insidemacgames.:eek: My luck I picked him as an example, LOL. Makes me glad I dont buy flashed stuff. I've been tempted as $250 for new card to put in my aging QS is much. Looking at those posts quickly killed that little temptation. I'll save that money and put it towards a macbook pro, instead. Thanx for the warning tho, looks like someone to stay away from.

Nothing wrong with flashing, its just this guys an a**hole.

I flashed a while back a GeForce FX5500 and stuck it into a G3. Core Image on a Blue and White! :D

[DinoAdventure]

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ATI-RADEON-9600-64MB-MAC-VIDEO-CARD-G5-N-10537_W0QQitemZ200055224029QQihZ010QQcategoryZ25449QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This will work too right? And how difficult is taping the pins?

thanks!

[Lord Blackadder]

...I'm only worried that I arrived too late!

Dino Adventure, I wholeheartedly recommend flashing a Radeon 9800...it's easy and offers good performance.

RIGHT NOW newegg is selling brand new (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814195027) Radeon 9800 Pros for 80 bucks. It is the 128MB version but there isn't really a huge difference in performance between it and the 256 MB card. It is one of the easiest cards to flash. It's also 1/3 the price of the current 9800 Pro Mac Edition :eek: .

I put a GeForce 6800GT in my Digital Audio...it was a tougher flash but it was worth it. Unfortunately, experience has shown that GeForce 6800 cards run unreliably in Mirrored Drive Door Macs, but you could flash a Radeon X800 or X850-class card (except fot the X800XL), and those are even faster.

...And stay away from Mac_Geniuses, as others have said.

BTW, I've run the CoD 2 demo on my Digital Audio (see sig for specs), and it's quite playable. I think I'll buy it.

[DinoAdventure]

...I'm only worried that I arrived too late!

Dino Adventure, I wholeheartedly recommend flashing a Radeon 9800...it's easy and offers good performance.

RIGHT NOW newegg is selling brand new (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814195027) Radeon 9800 Pros for 80 bucks. It is the 128MB version but there isn't really a huge difference in performance between it and the 256 MB card. It is one of the easiest cards to flash. It's also 1/3 the price of the current 9800 Pro Mac Edition :eek: .

I put a GeForce 6800GT in my Digital Audio...it was a tougher flash but it was worth it. Unfortunately, experience has shown that GeForce 6800 cards run unreliably in Mirrored Drive Door Macs, but you could flash a Radeon X800 or X850-class card (except fot the X800XL), and those are even faster.

...And stay away from Mac_Geniuses, as others have said.

BTW, I've run the CoD 2 demo on my Digital Audio (see sig for specs), and it's quite playable. I think I'll buy it.

Well if I go for that card we'll have to buy an ADC to DVI adapter. This is why the G5 card appeals to me (built-in ADC). But I want be 100% sure it will work before I spend any money.

[Lord Blackadder]

The Radeon 9600 Pro from the G5 that you are looking at will NOT work with an ADC monitor out of the box. Let me explain...

I have one myself, but didn't need the ADC port. To get it working on a G4 you need to put non-conductive tape (I used Scotch) on pins 3 and 11 (this is discussed in detail at the Strangedogs forum). This mod forces the card to run at 4x instead of 8x (all G5 Macs with AGP were 8x, most G4s were 4x and some were 2x). It has a DVI port, which is fully functional in G4s (and can do ADC with a DVI->ADC adapter). The ADC port puts out a DVI signal (and will work with an ADC->DVI adapter), but the ADC power pins on the card were designed for a G5 motherboard, and don't match up with the Mirrored Drive Door's ADC power connector. So both ports put out a working DVI signal, but the ADC port is unpowered and won't work with an ADC display.

There is a workaround - you can rig up an adapter that will connect the motherboard and card's power pins and get the ADC working. However you'll need to do some soldering and you need a spare PCI or AGP card you don't mind destroying for parts.

A more detailed discussion on this can be found here (http://strangedogs.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=experiments&action=display&thread=1160731765&page=4) at Strangedogs. I linked to the last page becuase there is an archived link with a pictorial how-to to get the ADC mod working.

If you aren't in the mood to do this mod, you are WAY better off getting a Radeon 9800 Pro. The 9600 is a decent card but it's getting less relevant every day as tech improves and the 9800 is much much faster. I would not recommend a 9600 Pro for CoD2, for instance, as it was only OK with CoD and Halo. A Radeon 9800 or better would be a better choice.

If you MUST have ADC ports that work, you have two options with original OEM Apple video cards: The GeForce 4ti, which is reasonably fast and has ADC but has a pretty old architecture. It won't support Core Image, for instance. It will also cost more than a Radeon 9800 Pro, but gives decent performance in most 2+year old games.

Your other option is the OEM Apple Radeon 9700 Pro, the Holy Grail of original G4 video cards. It offers nearly identical performance to the Radeon 9800 Pro and has an ADC port. BUT it is quite rare and very expensive. Most resellers don't have them and when they do it isn't uncommon to see prices over $300. If you find one cheap, buy it immediately.

Also beware of scammers like Mac_Geniuses who sell flashed Radeon 9700s on ebay and use tricky advertising (without necessarily lying outright) to fool the unsuspecting that it is a real Apple OEM 9700 Pro card. These are decent performers but are usually secondhand cards that have been flashed and do NOT have ADC. Avoid him. Again, you're better off scrounging up a new Radeon 9800 Pro and flashing it yourself.

Apple should have left the DVI standard alone, but they tried to improve it with ADC and ended up stranding a lot of people with expensive displays that are only compatible with old or impossible to find video cards.

[pgc6000]

Heh, this may be a bit beyond the graphics card issue, but I just tested the demo on my PowerBook. The game was on lowest settings but to what is considered a fairly demanding game I was pleasantly surprised with it's performance. I did encounter slow-down when the fighting got intense, but nothing unbearable. I'm sure my 1 GB of ram did help though. However, it runs much better on my PC so I think I'll stick to playing it on that :p

[fblack]

...I'm only worried that I arrived too late!

Dino Adventure, I wholeheartedly recommend flashing a Radeon 9800...it's easy and offers good performance.

RIGHT NOW newegg is selling brand new (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814195027) Radeon 9800 Pros for 80 bucks. It is the 128MB version but there isn't really a huge difference in performance between it and the 256 MB card. It is one of the easiest cards to flash. It's also 1/3 the price of the current 9800 Pro Mac Edition :eek: .

I put a GeForce 6800GT in my Digital Audio...it was a tougher flash but it was worth it. Unfortunately, experience has shown that GeForce 6800 cards run unreliably in Mirrored Drive Door Macs, but you could flash a Radeon X800 or X850-class card (except fot the X800XL), and those are even faster.

...And stay away from Mac_Geniuses, as others have said.

BTW, I've run the CoD 2 demo on my Digital Audio (see sig for specs), and it's quite playable. I think I'll buy it.

Wow, a 6800GT in a DA, *drool*...:D

Damn, now I really am tempted to try flashing a card. If you could answer a few questions, it would be appreciated. Does flashing a 9800pro take long(I just dont have tons of time, I work 2 jobs)? I read in the past that flashing has to be done in a PC, in DOS, and you need a PCI graphics card too, is this correct? I have on board video besides an agp slot, would I still need a pci card?

Thanks

[Lord Blackadder]

Flashing the 9800 Pro is pretty much as easy as it gets. There are a few ways to do it. It can be done on the Mac in OS 9, or OSX. It can probably be done in a PC too.

If you are doing it in OS 9, there is a method for flashing it blind by putting the flashing app in the "startup items" folder and booting with the new Radeon in the machine.

With OSX it is more common to use a PCI video card so you can see what you are doing. However, it is possible to flash it blind using VNC and logging into the flashing computer remotely to control the process. I've never done this and know nothing further, but several people at Strangedogs have done it and might give you tips.

Generally speaking, if you buy the right Radeon 9800 there are no mods required beyond flashing the ROM. Be sure to check out the Strangedogs Radeon 9800 Buyer's Guide (http://strangedogs.sytes.net/) to find the most flashablle card. This is a very important resource for potential flashers.

I've done all my flashing in the PC so far, using a PCI Radeon 7000 to see what I'm doing. My 6800 had to be flashed in the PC, as the Mac flashing software doesn't support the card. Flashing in the PC is a piece of cake - it's all done in DOS using a DOS boot floppy, and the commands are pretty simple and available on the 'net.

My current project is a Radeon X850 Pro VIVO, which will have to be done in the Mac. Right now I have research work due, so I probably won't be able to get it flashed till after the holidays.

It really depends on which Mac you are flashing the card into though - the Sawtooth and Gigabit Ethernet G4s won't work with cards that need a 4x or faster AGP card - most 9800Pros work though IIRC. The Digital Audio and Quicksilver Macs are the most compatible, while the Mirrored Drive Door G4s don't like GeForce 6800-series cards.

A couple last tips -

It's a good idea (if you have a PC) to dump the ROM the card comes with and put it in a safe place - that way if the flash goes wrong you at least have the original working PC ROM to restore the card to original condition for sale etc.

If you are flashing an AGP 8x-only card like a 6800GT, make sure to tape pins 3&11 before putting it in a G4 Mac! (G5 owners can ignore this). Bad things can happen otherwise.

I recommend going to Strangedogs and reading their FAQ and Radeon 9800 buyer's guide. It will outline the process pretty completely. Good luck!

[fblack]

Flashing the 9800 Pro is pretty much as easy as it gets. There are a few ways to do it. It can be done on the Mac in OS 9, or OSX. It can probably be done in a PC too.

If you are doing it in OS 9, there is a method for flashing it blind by putting the flashing app in the "startup items" folder and booting with the new Radeon in the machine.

With OSX it is more common to use a PCI video card so you can see what you are doing. However, it is possible to flash it blind using VNC and logging into the flashing computer remotely to control the process. I've never done this and know nothing further, but several people at Strangedogs have done it and might give you tips.

Generally speaking, if you buy the right Radeon 9800 there are no mods required beyond flashing the ROM. Be sure to check out the Strangedogs Radeon 9800 Buyer's Guide (http://strangedogs.sytes.net/) to find the most flashablle card. This is a very important resource for potential flashers.

I've done all my flashing in the PC so far, using a PCI Radeon 7000 to see what I'm doing. My 6800 had to be flashed in the PC, as the Mac flashing software doesn't support the card. Flashing in the PC is a piece of cake - it's all done in DOS using a DOS boot floppy, and the commands are pretty simple and available on the 'net.

My current project is a Radeon X850 Pro VIVO, which will have to be done in the Mac. Right now I have research work due, so I probably won't be able to get it flashed till after the holidays.

It really depends on which Mac you are flashing the card into though - the Sawtooth and Gigabit Ethernet G4s won't work with cards that need a 4x or faster AGP card - most 9800Pros work though IIRC. The Digital Audio and Quicksilver Macs are the most compatible, while the Mirrored Drive Door G4s don't like GeForce 6800-series cards.

A couple last tips -

It's a good idea (if you have a PC) to dump the ROM the card comes with and put it in a safe place - that way if the flash goes wrong you at least have the original working PC ROM to restore the card to original condition for sale etc.

If you are flashing an AGP 8x-only card like a 6800GT, make sure to tape pins 3&11 before putting it in a G4 Mac! (G5 owners can ignore this). Bad things can happen otherwise.

I recommend going to Strangedogs and reading their FAQ and Radeon 9800 buyer's guide. It will outline the process pretty completely. Good luck!

I have a QS, and several old classic apps that I still run. I'd just like to tweak the performance a bit, and have it as my backup mac, once I get my new rig. I'm thinking of dumping an OWC cpu in it, the last few tiger updates have slowed my system down. Also the radeon 9800pro would be perfect as i still have an nvdia geforce 4mx that is pretty weak. I will have to do a little reading on the flash process first.

Thanks, for your pointers I'll definately take a look at the strangedogs forums.

[benjydababy]

worked fine for me on my eMac 1.42Ghz 256mb ram. A bit stuttery maybe but fine.

[WillMak]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9j3-ECsSC8o

[pgc6000]

worked fine for me on my eMac 1.42Ghz 256mb ram. A bit stuttery maybe but fine.
With that little ram? I have 1 GB of ram and it stuttered...

[Lord Blackadder]

worked fine for me on my eMac 1.42Ghz 256mb ram. A bit stuttery maybe but fine.

What video card are you using?

[HyperZboy]

Mac_Genuises is a scam artist who buys used, non-tested as-is cards that were pulls or returns, flashes them with STrangedogs BIOS ROMs without giving them any credit or profit, then sells them as his own custom NEW cards. When the cards arrive and dont work, he doesnt give out a refund, and he also leaves negative feedback if you so much as try to say anything neutral or negative.

Stay far, far away.

I bought a card from Mac_Geniuses and was very happy with it so I don't know what all the big deal is. He even gave great support and answered every single email, sometimes only minutes later! I would definitely buy something from him again before I'd buy anything from some of the people here who are posting all kinds of crap about him.

I've discovered that most of the people who seem to be posting negative stuff about mac geniuses seem to be the real scammers from strangedogs.com who have big problems now with ebay and possibly even the law. Just go to strangedogs.com, it's all there if you dig deeper. Anybody with a brain can see that the guy who wrote all that bad stuff about Mac Geniuses @strangedogs is actually a strangedogs moderator named Rubytuesday who is also west_coast_supplies (http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=west_coast_supplies) . In fact, he just changed his ebay name to that right after I posted this warning here! He used to be Strangedogs_rubytuesday if you check his ebay ID history. Now that's one con artist wouldn't you say? How could anyone believe anything someone like that would say or post about anybody?

And that's only the half of it. If you read the complaints at strangedogs.com about this notorious Ruby guy (the ones they haven't deleted yet), he's also the strangedogs moderator who ripped people off of thousands of dollars in a huge strangedogs.com scam over $750 Geforce 7800 video cards that never got delivered. They took the money and ran. All of the people defrauded keep trying to get their complaints heard on different website forums, but it seems all of these thieves work together in these forums to protect each other. Hopefully, that's not going on here, but I wouldn't bet on it. You can check out some of their complaints at MacLife (http://www.maclife.com/forums/post/1291659) and at Arstechnica (http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/942005082731/m/877005390831/p/2). Apparently, it's like thousands of dollars now and the only thing that they've done at strangedogs.com is to ban the people who got ripped off and practically shut the site down to outsiders. If you do get a chance to go to strangedogs.com , make sure you check out the "People Stolen by Ruby" thread (if it's still there). I wouldn't bother posting anything, they'll just ban you immediately and cover it up by deleting your post.

So, if you want my advice, check ebay feedback like I did and do not listen to some of the people who post on some of these forums. They are usually the crooks themselves. Me, I'm very happy with my purchase from Mac_Geniuses and I would definitely buy from him again before I'd deal with some of the people in this thread or anybody they're recommending. They either have some crazy axe to grind or they're involved in the strangedogs rip-offs themselves.