Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

gopher

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 31, 2002
1,475
0
Maryland, USA
Well, it does appear that 10.2 will not support the same array of graphics cards 10.x was supposed to support if this webpage's footnotes are to believed:

"*nVidia: GeForce2MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 Ti, GeForce4 or GeForce4MX. ATI: any AGP Radeon card. 32MB VRAM recommended for optimum performance."

http://www.apple.com/macosx/newversion/
 

strider42

macrumors 65816
Feb 1, 2002
1,461
7
Re: 10.2 graphics support

Originally posted by gopher
Well, it does appear that 10.2 will not support the same array of graphics cards 10.x was supposed to support if this webpage's footnotes are to believed:

"*nVidia: GeForce2MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 Ti, GeForce4 or GeForce4MX. ATI: any AGP Radeon card. 32MB VRAM recommended for optimum performance."

http://www.apple.com/macosx/newversion/

Yeah, jobs pretty much said this during the keynote. Its got to do witht he new quartz. The OS should still run fine on the older graphics cards, just the latest and greatest aspects of it won't work on them and will instead be handled exactly as it currently is. At least, thats my impression of it.
 

Choppaface

macrumors 65816
Jan 22, 2002
1,187
0
SFBA
does anybody know where that page is that shows you which model G4 you have? I'm not sure if my machine has AGP or not
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Originally posted by Choppaface
does anybody know where that page is that shows you which model G4 you have? I'm not sure if my machine has AGP or not

Run the Apple System profiler, then select the devices and volumes tab. That will show you if you have agp graphics or not. If you purchased the first set of G4's that came out, you are running a PCI video card. If you waited for the 500MHz model (with dvd-ram) then you have agp (2x). If you have anything newer, then you also have AGP graphics.
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Re: Look....

Originally posted by MacAztec
It says for OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE, those cards are reccomended. Doesn't mean that a Rage 128/Pro won't work!


ummmm... nooo... Optimum means that for the BEST performance. I am waiting to see what the MINIMUM spec's that it will run on to be listed. THEN we will know what will, and what won't work.
 

Choppaface

macrumors 65816
Jan 22, 2002
1,187
0
SFBA
yes! 2x AGP here....so can I slap a GeForce 4 ti in this thing or is that only for 4x AGP? I know I got the Radeon option (up from a rage 128) when I ordered my comp....does anybody know what model it is so I can compare? it says in the apple sys profiler "Rage6ag"
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Choppaface, unless you are experiencing serious graphics delays, I would suggest leaving the Radeon inside the computer. I had the Mac edition Radeon card inside my G4 500 (agp as well), and it kicked serious a$$.

IF you really want a new graphics card, then check out the Radeon 8500. That card WILL work on either a 2x or 4x agp interface (http://www.ati.com/products/mac/radeon8500me/specs.html). Considering how you can get that one for under $300 now, I would go that way. IMHO, the Radeon 8500 would kick some serious nVidia a$$. I have one in my peecee, and it have yet to throw anything at it that causes ANY issues. I read an article that compared the 8500 against a gf4 card, and the 8500 won on almost all counts, and even the one it didn't win, was a very minor issue.
 

shadowfax0

macrumors 6502
May 2, 2002
408
0
I would SO BUST OUT THE MONEY FOR THAT, BUT! No ADC support, and I am 'stuck' (I like the display, but it's such a pain in the @$$ to find anyhting to go with it!) with a 17" CRT with ADC, and I ain't laying down $400 for a converter, that's a whole new monitor! But the Radeon 8500 kicks, although no seems to think so, but they do, better than this Rage piece of....eerrgghh...::kick::
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Originally posted by shadowfax0
I would SO BUST OUT THE MONEY FOR THAT, BUT! No ADC support, and I am 'stuck' (I like the display, but it's such a pain in the @$$ to find anyhting to go with it!) with a 17" CRT with ADC, and I ain't laying down $400 for a converter, that's a whole new monitor! But the Radeon 8500 kicks, although no seems to think so, but they do, better than this Rage piece of....eerrgghh...::kick::

Try $150 for the converter, and that is from Apple. It will use the video card's DVI connection and add what it needs to make it ADC.
 

Choppaface

macrumors 65816
Jan 22, 2002
1,187
0
SFBA
well from the tests I've seen, the GF4 performs better, but *boinks head* I forgot about the color issues over nVidia cards when i posted that he he. so ya i guess I'd throw a new radeon in there instead..... this is assuming that it would make a big difference in 10.2. dunno, maybe it will, but i guess the future tests and benchmarks will show
 

shadowfax0

macrumors 6502
May 2, 2002
408
0
That's sounds like a plan, but I was under the impression that becasue zi hsve a CRT, it's an analog signal, and so it will not function with the DVI(Digital Video...)-out port, so the Apple connector is out of the picture. However, I would be thrilled if you proved me wrong :D
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
shadowfax0, look at the spec's of the Radeon 8500... It has BOTH a DVI and VGA connector on it. Use whichever one you want/need. IF you have an ADC monitor, then you can use the converter/adapter from Apple to use the ADC screen.

Connectors
* 15-pin VGA
* DVI-I
* S-Video out (composite video adapter included)
 

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
Originally posted by AlphaTech


Run the Apple System profiler, then select the devices and volumes tab. That will show you if you have agp graphics or not. If you purchased the first set of G4's that came out, you are running a PCI video card. If you waited for the 500MHz model (with dvd-ram) then you have agp (2x). If you have anything newer, then you also have AGP graphics.

Not entirely correct. I have an original 450 G4 and it has an APG card.
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Originally posted by dukestreet


Not entirely correct. I have an original 450 G4 and it has an APG card.

Is that the one that was released at the same time as the 500 with the dvd-ram??? I remember there being a 400, 450 and 500 model released, all with AGP graphics (I purchased the 500 model). I must have left out about purchasing the same revision as the 500. Essentially, if you have the sawtooth motherboard, you have agp graphics.

One other easy way to tell is to look at the slots. PCI slots are white, while agp slots are another color (brown I believe, but I am color blind :D ).
 

MacAztec

macrumors 68040
Oct 28, 2001
3,026
1
San Luis Obispo, CA
Radeon 8500...

I just got mine today. I ordered it Thursday evening, and today it arrived.

So, I popped it in my G4 400 AGP and installed the drivers that came ON the CD. I then tried to open Red Faction (OS X), and I got a "Fatal Error" message.

I was pretty mad, just paying 250 bucks, and getting an error. I called ATI, and they told me to install the other drivers on their web-site, not the CD ones.

Fixed the problem :D! Red Faction runs awesome, and wait 'till ya hear this. I had a Rage 128 Pro, and I tried to play RTCW, and everything had to be on "low" settings, or it would freeze. Now, with the 8500, I have EVERYTHING set on HIGH and SUPER, and boy does it look GREAT!!!! :D

No lag WHATSOEVER, on my G4 400. I just have to see how many FPS I get in quake now!

And when 10.2 is released, ohhhh man, I will be in heaven!
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
MacAztec, I always go online for updated drivers, since you never know how old the ones on the provided cd's are. That goes for everything from mice to printers to video cards.
 

Hemingray

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2002
2,926
37
Ha ha haaa!
Re: Radeon 8500...

Originally posted by MacAztec
No lag WHATSOEVER, on my G4 400. I just have to see how many FPS I get in quake now!

I hear ya, man! :D I finally upped my Rage 128 to a Radeon 7000 (PCI) for my G4 400 PCI. No more lag! Since I upgraded my video card 3 days ago I've been able to beat all 7 tiers in Hardcore mode. Time for Nightmare baby!! :D :D :D
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Re: Re: Radeon 8500...

Originally posted by Hemingray


I hear ya, man! :D I finally upped my Rage 128 to a Radeon 7000 (PCI) for my G4 400 PCI. No more lag! Since I upgraded my video card 3 days ago I've been able to beat all 7 tiers in Hardcore mode. Time for Nightmare baby!! :D :D :D

Guess I am going to have to do it on my TiBook then (with the 32MB Mobile Radeon 7500 card). I still need to find the optimal settings for UT, but I am sure I will find them very soon. Maybe we should set up a Mac only UT server and have a blood-fest. :D
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Re: The Radeon 8500...

Originally posted by Catfish_Man
...kicks ***. It's almost as fast as a GF4 Ti, it's cheaper, and it's got TruForm.

Better bangs for your bucks... Consider the price difference between the gf4Ti and the Radeon 8500. Can you justify the extra $$ for a few extra fps in UT??

I'll admit, I am biased when it comes to video cards. I have never purchased one from nVidia, and the only system that I use with one installed is the G4 733 here at work. Every other system I have used has had ATI card in them. That includes the game peecee that I built. I started off with a 32MB Radeon, and then later upgraded to the Radeon 8500 with 64MB of DDR. I know they have the 128MB version out, but I don't need the extra memory (doubt that many people do, except for bragging rights). I will probably install the next greatest generation gpu that ATI releases into that peecee, since I will be using it for several years to come. I have probably invested close to what the new TiBook costs into that box already. But it is finally to a point where there will only be minor updates in the future. Even then, it will only be when game performance drops off, because they become more demanding of the hardware.
 

shadowfax0

macrumors 6502
May 2, 2002
408
0
AlphaTech, I think I forgot some stuff on my last post (I know this is a whole lot of posts older now, but I hope you can help) But because I have a CRT and an analog signal, I can't use the DVI out on the Radeon, because it's digital, so that's out. I could use the VGA, you're right there, but there isn't a converter that goes from VGA to ADC, well actually, I stand corrected there IS, but it costs $400 from Gefen, so that's my problem, but you mentioned a converter from Apple, think you could fill me in? Thanks alot! :)
 

AlphaTech

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2001
4,556
0
Natick, MA
Originally posted by shadowfax0
AlphaTech, I think I forgot some stuff on my last post (I know this is a whole lot of posts older now, but I hope you can help) But because I have a CRT and an analog signal, I can't use the DVI out on the Radeon, because it's digital, so that's out. I could use the VGA, you're right there, but there isn't a converter that goes from VGA to ADC, well actually, I stand corrected there IS, but it costs $400 from Gefen, so that's my problem, but you mentioned a converter from Apple, think you could fill me in? Thanks alot! :)

Use the DVI to ADC converter from either Dr. Bott or Apple. BOTH cost $150. Go to the Apple store and check out the converter, it does essentially the same thing as Dr. Bott's converter. You can also see a link for the DVI to ADC Adapter on Apple's main web page (http://www.apple.com) at the bottom of the page. With the Radeon 8500 video card, and that adapter, you can go to any monitor you want (standard VGA, DVI and the ADC connections).

You are mixing up terms as well... an analog signal is NOT the ADC, or DVI (both those are digital). Analog is VGA (standard 15 pin connection in 3 rows).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.