Are all flashed video cards the same?

[Hack5190]

Using the test results guide here on MacRumors a flashed FireGL X3-256 seems to be a good mix of performance and cost.

Looking on ebay there are 2 sellers (old-macs & italod) who regularly advertise flashed FireGL X3-256 video cards. Beyond price $89.00 vs $79.98 (69.99 + 9.99 s&h) I'm trying to understand any difference between these 2 vendors offers.

Do all cards use the same ROM?

Anyone have experience with either if these vendors?

 

[eyoungren]

I have a FireGL X3 I bought and flashed myself. Does not work in a Quicksilver.

Bought another one from one of these vendors. Does not work in a Quicksilver.

So now I have two FireGL X3 cards that do not work in a Quicksilver.

I don't think there is any difference between the vendors except price.

But don't buy one if you intend to use it in a Quicksilver

 

[LightBulbFun]

all the FireGL X3 cards used a Reduced X800 XT rom with a device id change flashed onto the EEPROM of the card. they are all the same the sellers are just buying up PC cards flashing them with the rom from the mac elite (witch they are not allowed to use to sell cards btw) and charging out the ass for em since their "mac" cards (if anyone members the link i posted in the forum where a guy had a boat load of NOS PC ones well someone soon after bought like all of the ones the seller had left no doubt to be flashed and sold on ebay again) the only advantage one ebay seller could have over another is if one guy soldered on a 128KB EEPROM and flashed a Full sized X800 or X850XT rom onto the card (they work a bit better with the full rom)

 

[Hack5190]

eyoungren it would be for use in a G5 (dual 1.8 PPC).

LightBulbFun neither ad indicates that the EEPROM size has been changed. One claims 'new' the other 'used' with info on how they refurb and test the cards.

Recently replaced the factory Nvidia GeForce FX5200 with a Apple ATI Radeon 9650. Although it is a genuine Apple card I can't access the Option-Key Boot screen. As a result I'm not comfortable enough to buy one and test the sellers claim - "Apple Boot Screen (Option-Key/Verbose-Mode/Beach-Ball) on All Working Ports".

For now I'm going to continue searching locally on CraigsList and e-recycler's for a card.

Thanks to both of you for the information, much appreciated .

 

[eyoungren]

eyoungren it would be for use in a G5 (dual 1.8 PPC).

LightBulbFun neither ad indicates that the EEPROM size has been changed. One claims 'new' the other 'used' with info on how they refurb and test the cards.

Recently replaced the factory Nvidia GeForce FX5200 with a Apple ATI Radeon 9650. Although it is a genuine Apple card I can't access the Option-Key Boot screen. As a result I'm not comfortable enough to buy one and test the sellers claim - "Apple Boot Screen (Option-Key/Verbose-Mode/Beach-Ball) on All Working Ports".

For now I'm going to continue searching locally on CraigsList and e-recycler's for a card.

Even OWC, which was selling them for a while, was purchasing them in bulk and flashing them.

Thanks to both of you for the information, much appreciated .

New or used just applies to whether the card was bought new or used.

Keep in mind. New or used, they are all flashed. There never was a native FireGL X3 card for Mac.

Even OWC, which was selling them for awhile, purchased them in bulk and flashed them.