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Can't find a video card for G4

yadmonkey

yadmonkey

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 13, 2002
1,332
867
Western Spiral
The short of it: I need a video card for a Dual 1 gHz G4 (quicksilver) which meets the minimum compatibility for Final Cut Studio, but nothing seems to be in stock anywhere.

ATI Radeon 9600, 9700, 9800 pro (AGP) versions are all compatible and completely unavailable.

I feel like I've turned the web upside down on this - can anyone offer a solution? Here's the specs on Final Cut:

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs.html
 
Any reason you can't just get a new computer? Other then eBay it's getting really hard to find G4 video cards that aren't ridiculously expensive. I pretty much ran into the same problem with my MDD models. They're using Rage 128 Pro cards since their original 9800 went on the fritz.

It works just fine and no one here is a graphics profession.
 
eBay, local shops, or MacRumors marketplace would be your best bets then. A video card for Final Cut Studio is rather steeply priced for older hardware.

Worst case is getting a flashed AGP card.
 
I have the same 1ghz DP quicksilver with a stock video card and I'm running FCS. Motion isn't supported, but that's it. I use After Effects in its place.

Are you sure you need a new video card?
 
sturigdson said:
I have the same 1ghz DP quicksilver with a stock video card and I'm running FCS. Motion isn't supported, but that's it. I use After Effects in its place.

Are you sure you need a new video card?
Click to expand...
I forgot to ask about Motion. Otherwise anything with Quartz Extreme support would work just fine.
 
yadmonkey said:
The short of it: I need a video card for a Dual 1 gHz G4 (quicksilver) which meets the minimum compatibility for Final Cut Studio, but nothing seems to be in stock anywhere.

ATI Radeon 9600, 9700, 9800 pro (AGP) versions are all compatible and completely unavailable.

I feel like I've turned the web upside down on this - can anyone offer a solution? Here's the specs on Final Cut:

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs.html
Click to expand...

I have an ATI Radeon 9800 pro Mac/PC Edition 256MB Card with 2 years left on the warranty. I am waiting for my new MBP to come in next week. email me at schmacrumor@mac.com if you are interested.
 
Other World Computing

has 9600s and 9800s for sale. The 9800 aren't cheap (around $300) but the 9600 OEMs they have are a steal at just over $100.

Look through here:
www.eshop.macsale.com

EDIT: I was just double checking their site. It appears they no longer offer the really cheap 9600. However they do still list the 9800 for $250.
 
Hi Yippy. Thanks, but unfortunately, they are out of stock for at least 23 days and I need this thing ASAP. I don't think anyone has them in stock except a couple of people on ebay.

I think I'm going to try out a Radeon 9200, which is available, and it sounds like it works for some people. Plus I can get it locally and get working immediately (hopefully).

SchMac, if this thing doesn't cut it, I'll drop you a line soon - thanks!!
 
yadmonkey said:
I think I'm going to try out a Radeon 9200, which is available, and it sounds like it works for some people. Plus I can get it locally and get working immediately (hopefully).
Click to expand...

The Radeon 9200 is pretty much a Radeon 9000 which is pretty much a Radeon 8500 that came out in 2002. Thus you would be buying into 5 year old technology. I'd reconsider, those cards aren't even worth 'money' in the pc world. That card is two, soon to be 3, generations old.
 
booksacool1 said:
The Radeon 9200 is pretty much a Radeon 9000 which is pretty much a Radeon 8500 that came out in 2002. Thus you would be buying into 5 year old technology. I'd reconsider, those cards aren't even worth 'money' in the pc world. That card is two, soon to be 3, generations old.
Click to expand...

You're so right. I got it and it still won't let me install FCS. But I also go my hands on a GeForce4 MX with a mere 64MB and it will allow the install!

ATI sure doesn't make things easier with their naming scheme. Is there anything I should know about the 9600 versus the 9800 in terms of technology?
 
yadmonkey said:
You're so right. I got it and it still won't let me install FCS. But I also go my hands on a GeForce4 MX with a mere 64MB and it will allow the install!

ATI sure doesn't make things easier with their naming scheme. Is there anything I should know about the 9600 versus the 9800 in terms of technology?
Click to expand...

The 9600 was Ati's midrange graphics card in 2003. It was quite successfull as a budget gaming card... back in 2003. Not what anyone would call an 'upgrade'. Technically it was a 'half 9800' having half of nearly everything (pixel pipelines, vertex shaders, memory bus). The 9800 was Ati's 'king of the hill' back in 2003, and was extremely successful as a top of the range gaming card. One of the first to use a 256mbit memory bus. I use one in my Dual 1.3ghz G4 and it really is(was) a great card. Out of all the cards available for the G4 Powermac (excluding any 6800/x800/etc flashes/mods) its definitely the best. It produces ~700-800 3dmark06's, which is a fair bit down from the macbook's x1600's ~2200. But its still more or less in a 'similar' league.

Having said all that, even with the 9800, you'll be 'upgrading' to 2003 technology. I'd give it all a miss. Honestly its a bit pointless considering it won't be nearly as fast as a new mac.
 
What exactly is the difference between graphic/video cards for the mac and the pc - ebay has dirt cheap radeon cards for pc and way expensive ones for the mac so there has to be a reason - I need the same dang thing that is being discussed here - purchased a 2002 mirror door 1ghz G4 and the card blew shortly after I booted it up - so have to have it replaced in order to use it. Options and thoughts on replacements would be appreciated. and an explanation on what the exact difference between the PC and Mac versions would also be appreciated so I can at least understand the whys and sound like I am intelligent when I discuss it with others LOL
 
lunatik2 said:
What exactly is the difference between graphic/video cards for the mac and the pc - ebay has dirt cheap radeon cards for pc and way expensive ones for the mac so there has to be a reason - I need the same dang thing that is being discussed here - purchased a 2002 mirror door 1ghz G4 and the card blew shortly after I booted it up - so have to have it replaced in order to use it. Options and thoughts on replacements would be appreciated. and an explanation on what the exact difference between the PC and Mac versions would also be appreciated so I can at least understand the whys and sound like I am intelligent when I discuss it with others LOL
Click to expand...

My impression is that the PC and Mac cards are basically identical, but the PC-only cards don't have the Mac-compatible firmware. I could be wrong...
 
booksacool1 said:
The 9600 was Ati's midrange graphics card in 2003. It was quite successfull as a budget gaming card... back in 2003. Not what anyone would call an 'upgrade'. Technically it was a 'half 9800' having half of nearly everything (pixel pipelines, vertex shaders, memory bus). The 9800 was Ati's 'king of the hill' back in 2003, and was extremely successful as a top of the range gaming card. One of the first to use a 256mbit memory bus. I use one in my Dual 1.3ghz G4 and it really is(was) a great card. Out of all the cards available for the G4 Powermac (excluding any 6800/x800/etc flashes/mods) its definitely the best. It produces ~700-800 3dmark06's, which is a fair bit down from the macbook's x1600's ~2200. But its still more or less in a 'similar' league.

Having said all that, even with the 9800, you'll be 'upgrading' to 2003 technology. I'd give it all a miss. Honestly its a bit pointless considering it won't be nearly as fast as a new mac.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the clear explanation. I'd love to get a new Mac Pro, but until that's in the budget, a new or used monster from 2003 might make life a bit easier. All the best!
 
So where does all this leave us?

I too am a Quicksilver 2002 Dual 1GB owner with the GeForce4 MX card on my home computer. I work in graphics, After Effects, 3D and a little Final Cut. I'd like to work on Motion more, but I can't.

So what are we looking at? A $200 graphics card and a $100 adapter to connect to our once $3000 ADC 23" Studio Display to squeeze one more year out of a five-year-old machine? Or $7000 for a new setup? (ugh)

Is the Radeon 9800 really the way to go, then? If so, how can I find one that is really the Radeon 9800 Pro Mac Edition and not some flashed PC edition if I find one at all? Is it worth it or is it time to turn this great computer into an internet browsing, e-mail reading, document storage unit?

Now what am I going to do with my PowerMac 7100? :)
 
You'll be very hard pressed to find any 9600/9800 for the Power Mac G4. It might be time to start saving.

OWC and eBay are about it. Hanging onto ADC displays is causing my department some major pains too.
 
9600's

Really, try and get a 9800. It'll really extend the life of your mac for a year or two, if not longer.

Now - there should be plenty of 9600's...I remember the 2.5GHz PM G5's with 6800 Ultra's. Because Apple had delayed delivery times, they sent them all out with 9600's, followed by the 6800 ultra'son thier own.

People do have these cards lying around somewhere - just keep looking! The 9800's will be far harder to source. Perhaps an Apple Genius bar?

F
 
killr_b said:
Is this card for a G4?

My friend is in the same boat.
Click to expand...

All of those cards are backordered, and it isn't clear if/when they'll ship. I had an X800 AGP Mac edition on backorder for the last 3 weeks and finally gave up. OWC is still showing 4 weeks backorder. Anyway, the NVIDIA 7800 GS cited ^^^ is the fastest card you'll get for the AGP PMs.
 
OWC keeps showing 27 day countdowns for the cards, which reset back to 27 days after a while... kinda raised false hopes until I caught onto the pattern.
 
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