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nForce on the Mac?

O

OSUbuckeyefan

macrumors regular
Original poster
I would really love to see nVIDIA's nFORCE chipset implemented on the Mac. Several months ago I seem to remember someone saying it would be. Does anyone have any info regarding this?
Thanks for considering my question,
Jeff
 
No I'm pretty sure he meant nForce Eiseign Paris. Go check it out on http://www.nVidia.com/. I don't think it is better than a GeForce 3 but it is most likely (don't flame me on this!) near the speed of a GeForce 2MX. The question is, if it's performance is near on marginally better than the GeForce 2MX why bring it over to our platform?

 
Originally posted by dantec
No I'm pretty sure he meant nForce Eiseign Paris. Go check it out on http://www.nVidia.com/. I don't think it is better than a GeForce 3 but it is most likely (don't flame me on this!) near the speed of a GeForce 2MX. The question is, if it's performance is near on marginally better than the GeForce 2MX why bring it over to our platform?
Click to expand...

I have hear the same thing. Im not a gammer and have no need for a pro card. The one that came with my quicksilver, the GeForce 2 is more than I need. I can get average 80 fps in Unreal and peak at over 100 fps!!

you guys might want to check out this artical:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/23390.html
 
The nVidia site says it's based on the GeForce 2 GPU. Now why would it be of any use to all of us (except for iMac owners) to have a GeForce 2 instead of a GeForce 2MX???
 
Originally posted by dantec
The nVidia site says it's based on the GeForce 2 GPU. Now why would it be of any use to all of us (except for iMac owners) to have a GeForce 2 instead of a GeForce 2MX???
Click to expand...

Thank you all for the responses.
Indeed, the nForce is based on the GF2 - however, there is an adaptor which allows you to upgrade the video card. So, with nForce you can get the top video card PLUS the outstanding architecture of the chipset (hypertransport, integrated sound chip, etc.)
Here's a link to some info regarding the specifics of nForce.
http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=nforce_tour

Jeff
 
the great debate...

I'm still trying to decide on what would be the best expansion option for my Cube.

http://www.cube-zone.com shows how a GeForce 2MX can fit into the AGP slot, and http://www.xlr8yourmac.com has benchtests for GeForce 3's in Cubes as well (I can only imagine they fit the same way).

I have a source on a Radeon Cube graphics board, so that just increases the problem

OK folks: do your thing - which one would be best? I'm trying to take into consideration the heat issue, and how loud these little guys are with their fans. Funny - nVidia and ATI don't mention that on their websites...

Also - there's an interesting link on xlr8yourmac.com regarding MP chips in a Cube. And who said that little puppy ain't expandable?
 
How bout a GeForce 3...

But i'm not sure if your cube could handle the heat. Always remember when upgrading your cube, that it has a very very tight enclosure which doesn't allow lots of heat to pass through (except through the middle shaft, but the graphics card is located on the outer side, from what I remember from Macworld). Apple used to sell GeForce 2MX's for cubes. Maybe if you scavenge around the internet you might be able to find one..?

When you talk about GeForce 2MX's do you mean just a normal one or one designed especially for the cube?
 
Also

The GeForce 3 has a fan, unless it doesn't bother you about the noise, I wouldn't recommend it (a fan means there is lots of heat!).

I would wait a little while if you plan to get a GeForce 3... The GeForce 3 titanium has been out for a while, so I would wait until it is launched (how come there isn't a nvidiarumors.com? 😉)
 
Cheers, Dante.

Yes, mate - the heat issue might well be a problem. I've just found out even the Radeon can generate quite a bit of heat (see below!). Even the lowly Rage 128 can get up to around 45 degrees C.

Also, be on the lookout, Cube owners...

...according to -

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/fanless_radeon_Cube_cards.html

There have been a few cases where Radeons have shipped without fans - these have been MISASSEMBLED, with a Rage 128 heatsink in place of the fan. Therefore, it should be returned to be replaced with the fanned version.

Considering the heat generated by this card at the heatsink can be in excess of 90 degrees C., the results to your poor little powerhorse could be devastating...



[Edited by kiwi_the_iwik on 12-22-2001 at 11:56 AM]
 
nForce is not a graphic card...

Sorry to spoil the fun, but nForce is a chipset (motherboard). It's for PCs and is really good, but expensive.

The best graphic card for the mac is GeForce 3. Although I wish ATI would bring the 8500 Radeon to the apple universe (with better drivers). Who knows.... someday, we might actually have good graphics cards in all macs.

Tomasz
 
The nForce is a chipset indeed (note my first post 🙂) What I was wondering is if anyone has heard/thinks if it will come to the mac. It seems to me to be quite an impressive bit of hardware - I for one hope it does make its way to the mac platform. What do you think?

 
It would be cool...

If Apple made graphics cards...

Quote from Steve Jobs "with these new graphics cards we have built every step. Starting from the hardware, to the graphics card itself to the AGP port (Apple Graphics port) to the software (drivers).

Note: the AGP thing is a joke... 😉

Apple should take a bigger stake in gaming... why not buy out id???
 
I don't get the motherboard part???

Is the nForce an actual motherboard??? Can you shove it in a beige box and connect a hard drive and load up Mac OS???
 
Re: I don't get the motherboard part???

Originally posted by dantec
Is the nForce an actual motherboard??? Can you shove it in a beige box and connect a hard drive and load up Mac OS???
Click to expand...

I think the nForce would be considered a motherboard (I'm not a hardware guru, so don't quote me one that! 🙂) I am also not sure if you could just slap the nForce into any box. However, here is some good info on the nForce...

http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=nforce_tour


 
Not a motherboard

It's a chipset that can be used in a motherboard, not an actual motherboard. Also, you definetly couldn't "load of the Mac OS" because it's PC only. (There's an Athlon XP motherboard made with it, and a P4 one)
 
A few companies make motherboards using the nForce chipset. It is one of the best (not just my opinion).

To Dantec: Yes you can shove it in a beige box (sadly not my mini-tower beige G3). Just plug in a hard drive, and an optical drive, and a few other parts and you are set. Problem is that it is not designed for the mac world. It is a part of the PC world.

To OSUbuckeyefan: There is very little chance of it coming to the mac, unless apple wants to rely on nVidia for the chipset. This would be a strange move in my opinion. Although if it did, I wouldn't mind🙂

Ofcourse it would make the mac computers go even higher in price🙁 which may slow down sales.

But in the back of my mind, I still think that an ATI graphic solution based on the 8500 Radeon would be great. Theoretically it could pulverize the GeForce 3 Ti. If ATI only made some good drivers.... I would get it.

But we may not even care.... because Jan. 7 is so close. There may be no need of such things, apple may have already done some homework and made a extreme machine (even better than usual). If I just was free Monday I would cross the bridge and be in awe. Maybe next MWSF...

Tomasz
 
Re: nForce is not a graphic card...

Originally posted by Tomasz

The best graphic card for the mac is GeForce 3. Although I wish ATI would bring the 8500 Radeon to the apple universe (with better drivers). Who knows.... someday, we might actually have good graphics cards in all macs.

Tomasz
Click to expand...
The 8500 is coming to the mac I read it somewhere. Soon I read it would be out. In macaddict I think.
 
Originally posted by Tomasz
A few companies make motherboards using the nForce chipset. It is one of the best (not just my opinion).



To OSUbuckeyefan: There is very little chance of it coming to the mac, unless apple wants to rely on nVidia for the chipset. This would be a strange move in my opinion. Although if it did, I wouldn't mind🙂

Ofcourse it would make the mac computers go even higher in price🙁 which may slow down sales.



Tomasz
Click to expand...

Well, I guess we can hope...🙂

Thanks for the input!

P.S. I also seem to remember hearing that the ATI 8500 will be coming to the mac...
 
8500 Radeon

I agree, it will come out, but the key part to my wish is for the 8500 to have better drivers. Currently it is perfroming weaker than the GeForce 3 Ti 500. But the 8500 has superior specs on it. So it should be better. The problem lies with the drivers for the card.

Even if it does come out for the mac, without better drivers, I would not get it if a GeForce 3 is in your price range. But if you can't afford the GeForce 3, but "only" the 8500, then it is definitly a great buy, and will (supposedly) eventually outperform the GeForce 3.

Also, currently ATI offers many more features on their cards when compared to nVidia. If you want more features then ATI is better. And even though you might get a few less fps on games with the ATI it will not be noticed that much.

Tomasz
 
I like nVidia...

better overall...

nVidia cares about the Mac. At least they launched the GeForce 3 for mac before it even came to the pc?

What more do you want from a graphics card company?
 
Continued...

nVidia actually cares about the Mac platform... ATI just treats mac users like 2nd class citizens.

The future is nVidia. I think in the future Apple will phase out ATI from the product line, unless nVidia keeps the power consuption of their graphics cards (i.e. ruining Apple's lead in long lasting apple battery life).
 
By better overall I meant in features like: multiple displays possibility with one card, tv tuners, firewire (2) ports meaning digital input/output, as well as analog input/output, etc.

So far, nVidia doesn't have many (if any, on "cheap" end cards) of those features on their cards. So yes, ATI does have more features. But nVidia will catch up. It is already ahead with speed.

As for nVidia caring about the Mac... they want money... sorry to tell yout this but they are a bussiness.

And I don't really like the idea of being dependant on any company for graphics on the mac. I hope ATI AND nVidia and others do as much as they can to get hardware for macs and produce bigger, better, and cheaper🙂 products.

As for the future... only time will tell.

Tomasz
 
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