Just a quick question..

[Fredstar]

Yo all,
A newly converted mac user here, got so fed up with XP and love using the Panther os platform.
Due to the longggg (ever increasing?!) G5 imac waiting lists i am considering changing machines and also, it's only disability, due to the relatively poor graphics card installed in the imac. Don't want to start a defensive posting war with current imac G5 users but for games it is hardly optimal - especially with the likes of Doom 3 e.t.c
Anyways, thinking of getting the dual 1.8 ghz G5 power mac now with a 19" dvi Sony (SDM-HS74P) as the display as i don't have enough money to buy the gorgeous Mac ones just yet. I will upgrade the graphics card to a Ati Radeon 9600 XT 128mb, for now anyway, and was wondering if anyone knew if it was fully compatible with the Sony display?
Specs of Sony:
Native res: 1280 X 1024
Max freq at this res: 75hz
and some other random specs:
Analog Horizontal Frequency (kHz) 28-80
Analog Vertical Frequency (Hz) 48-75
Digital Horizontal Frequency (kHz) 28-64
Digital Vertical Frequency (Hz) 60
Would appreciate your advice and any comments/experiences you have had with the Dual G5 1.8ghz and if the increased speed would be seen over a imac 1.8 ghz.
Any replies would be greatly appreciated
cheers
Fred :)
p.s Also could i just buy a Radeon 9800 XT graphics card and install it myself as this works out a lot cheaper..?

[Capt Underpants]

That display will work with the G5. As far as performance goes, the FSB is higher, and the graphics card is upgradable, so the dualie should last you longer, and be able to play more games. Doom 3 is one heck of a computer hog. I'm guessing it'll run well, but not great.

[Fredstar]

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=6860&source=Dealtime
Do you reckon this is too good to be true?
£182 for a new 9800 XT Ati Radeon Card, i might just order the 9800 XT with the powermac because all the other prices are near £300.
Would 1gb memory, for now anyways, be enough for the Dual 1.8ghz to run well? Or would you stick with the 9600 XT and get more memory?

[crazzyeddie]

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=6860&source=Dealtime
Do you reckon this is too good to be true?
£182 for a new 9800 XT Ati Radeon Card, i might just order the 9800 XT with the powermac because all the other prices are near £300.
Would 1gb memory, for now anyways, be enough for the Dual 1.8ghz to run well? Or would you stick with the 9600 XT and get more memory?

You have the buy the Mac version of graphics cards to use them in a Mac (unless you want to flash one, then you might as well get a 9800 regular and flash it to Mac XT, but thats complicated).

[Fredstar]

You sure you need a Mac version? I will only need the dvi output to use with the Sony screen and aren't there driver patches on the manufacturers website that I could download?
Still undecided between imac G5 20" and Powermac dual 1.8 ghz....Would the dual be noticeably faster? Would the 9600 XT ATI Radeon execute Doom III effectively enough till i can afford the 9800 XT upgrade?
Appreciate your replies
Fred

[sgarringer]

You sure you need a Mac version? I will only need the dvi output to use with the Sony screen and aren't there driver patches on the manufacturers website that I could download?
Still undecided between imac G5 20" and Powermac dual 1.8 ghz....Would the dual be noticeably faster? Would the 9600 XT ATI Radeon execute Doom III effectively enough till i can afford the 9800 XT upgrade?
Appreciate your replies
Fred

The Mac version of the card has special BIOS which is not in the PC version. Some people have luck flashing a PC card and making it Mac compatable, but there are a lot of problems doing this, and you can end up with a toasted (and unusable) graphics card.