G5 Question

[rickvanr]

Hey, thinking about getting a new powermac.. My question is:

Is the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL work the extra 600CDN? I want my computer to last, but also $600 can go a long way. Will the 9650 be able to drive the 23inch studio display with ease? I don't buy a computer to play games, but I do have a couple, does the 9650 have the power to play games (ut2k4 mostly) on a 23inch display with high resolutions with little to no lag?

Also, is it overkill to get the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL and run it on a 20inch display? Because I may only have the money to buy a G5 and 20inch with the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, but it's more conceivable for me to afford a PM with a 23 inch and a 9650.

Also, should I go with the 2.3 or the 2.7 and is bluetooth addable after purchase like airport is? That is another case of $600 difference. One last thing, when my buddy ordered his 2.5 he was able to get the NVIDIA GeForce 6800, and it wasn't the Ultra DDL, can you still do that? Apple's site doesn't list it now, but I don't remember it ever listing it.

Suggestions?

 

[CanadaRAM]

All of the stock video cards will drive the 23". Unless you are deadset on 3-D gaming, any upgrade videocard is not worth the money in my opinion. The extra money will do little or nothing for 2-D programs that most of us use most of the time.

Before you upgrade the video, get yourself a nice 250 Gb Firewire external to use as a backup drive - and then set up a backup regimen. I guarantee that your internal drive will fail someday, and the pain of losing your data will be much greater than the pain of X number of fps slower in your favorite shooter.

 

[matticus008]

Hey, thinking about getting a new powermac.. My question is:

Is the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL work the extra 600CDN? I want my computer to last, but also $600 can go a long way. Will the 9650 be able to drive the 23inch studio display with ease? I don't buy a computer to play games, but I do have a couple, does the 9650 have the power to play games (ut2k4 mostly) on a 23inch display with high resolutions with little to no lag?

Also, is it overkill to get the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL and run it on a 20inch display? Because I may only have the money to buy a G5 and 20inch with the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, but it's more conceivable for me to afford a PM with a 23 inch and a 9650.

Also, should I go with the 2.3 or the 2.7 and is bluetooth addable after purchase like airport is? That is another case of $600 difference. One last thing, when my buddy ordered his 2.5 he was able to get the NVIDIA GeForce 6800, and it wasn't the Ultra DDL, can you still do that? Apple's site doesn't list it now, but I don't remember it ever listing it.

Suggestions?

For your needs, the 6800 DDL is pointless. The stock graphics card will easily handle 23" cinema displays. I'd have to check, but I think the 9650 can run a 30" Cinema Display, too. THe DDL's advantage is that it can run two 30" displays--and you won't even be using one.

You can only buy what the Apple site has, though you might find something in their refurbished pages with different video hardware. You can add Bluetooth later (via a USB add-on if nothing else, but I'd think the internal module can be installed by end users--someone else will have to help with that).

 

[rickvanr]

how easy is it to add a DVD burner after purchase, I may just order with a combo drive and then buy a pioneer with -r dual layer compatibility it's less expensive and would be nicer for the future I think..

Also, is it finicky about RAM, I think I'll just buy a couple of 1GB sticks locally and add them myself.. good idea? it worked fine on my mac mini so I'm just curious.

Edit: You're supposed to add ram in pairs right? Do you have to buy dual channel kits though? Or would just same brand/same size do?

 

[sw1tcher]

how easy is it to add a DVD burner after purchase, I may just order with a combo drive and then buy a pioneer with -r dual layer compatibility it's less expensive and would be nicer for the future I think..

Also, is it finicky about RAM, I think I'll just buy a couple of 1GB sticks locally and add them myself.. good idea? it worked fine on my mac mini so I'm just curious.

Edit: You're supposed to add ram in pairs right? Do you have to buy dual channel kits though? Or would just same brand/same size do?

Adding a DVD burner yourself isn't that difficult. If you need to update the firmware for it though, you're going to need a PC (from what I understand) to flash it.

No, RAM doesn't have to be added in pairs. It's not RAMBUS memory. If you want to run in dual channel mode, however, you'll only want to have two sticks. And from what I know, to run in dual channel mode the memory doesn't have to be the same brand or size (though it does help) as long as it's the same speed/has the same specs.