GeForce 3 for Cube. Ugh.

[Jiggly Billy]

Has anyone had luck sourcing one of these? We snagged a Powerlogix 1.2GHZ Cube-specific upgrade for our Cube, but the Radeon 7500 just isn't going to cut it. We are getting the VRM upgrade that allows the fitment of a Radeon 9000 (of which we have a spare from our MDD), but the heat of that thing will be intense even with a fan added.

We love that the Geforce 3 fits the sock faceplate and rear support bracket, but has anyone found one?? If you have PLEASE show me where!

 

[swamprock]

@bunnspecial can take this one...

 

[Jiggly Billy]

@bunnspecial can take this one...

I actually just found his message to me from a year about one! I hope he still has it. A better GPU would make the Cube officially replace our 20" G4 iMac as the "classic gaming Mac"!

 

[weckart]

You might have to forgo the faceplate and try flashing a PC version. There are a couple of those around. The Mac version is very rare now.

 

[Project Alice]

If the 7500 doesn't cut it for you neither will a Geforce 3. With the 1.2Ghz CPU, buy a geforce 6200 and flash it. It'll run cooler and is way smaller than the nearly impossible to find GF3. Not to mention a fraction of the price. Full core image is a plus as well. It'll run circles around anything else you could fit in a cube.

 

[LightBulbFun]

If the 7500 doesn't cut it for you neither will a Geforce 3. With the 1.2Ghz CPU, buy a geforce 6200 and flash it. It'll run cooler and is way smaller than the nearly impossible to find GF3. Not to mention a fraction of the price. Full core image is a plus as well. It'll run circles around anything else you could fit in a cube.

with or without a VRM move?

because with a VRM move, theres a rare Radeon 9800 Pro built on a Radeon 9700s PCB that you can flash and squeeze into a G4 cube which will kick a GeForce 6200s ass if you really wanted to max a G4 cube out

(along with Dual 2Ghz 7448s while your at it )

 

[Project Alice]

with or without a VRM move?

because with a VRM move, theres a rare Radeon 9800 Pro built on a Radeon 9700s PCB that you can flash and squeeze into a G4 cube which will kick a GeForce 6200s ass if you really wanted to max a G4 cube out

(along with Dual 2Ghz 7448s while your at it )

Without a VRM move. And very few people have 3 million dollars to shell out for the three 2ghz dual CPU upgrades in existence. Lol. The
Geforce 6200 is better than what people give it credit for. It's handled everything I've thrown at it. I've got one in a sawtooth. Any game they make for PowerPC macs will run on it. I play UT2004 pretty consonantly on high settings on it with my sawtooth. I have one in a pentium 4 PC too. Pretty much anything that runs on these old CPUs won't even max out a 9800 Pro IMO.

Plus 9800 Pros are extremely over priced if you can even find one that fits and will flash properly. 6200s are like 25 bucks.

 

[Jiggly Billy]

If the 7500 doesn't cut it for you neither will a Geforce 3. With the 1.2Ghz CPU, buy a geforce 6200 and flash it. It'll run cooler and is way smaller than the nearly impossible to find GF3. Not to mention a fraction of the price. Full core image is a plus as well. It'll run circles around anything else you could fit in a cube.

Core image was not a requirement, but native OS 9 support very much is. This will run everything from Tomb Raider 1, and top out at Max Mayne/Halo/UT2k3 (which the Geforce 3 + CPU upgrade is more than capable of). ADC support was also a requirement as we have an...image to uphold with our setup. Lacking an old AGP PC is the final nail in the coffin.

@bunnspecial was able to assist with my plight

 

[Project Alice]

Core image was not a requirement, but native OS 9 support very much is. This will run everything from Tomb Raider 1, and top out at Max Mayne/Halo/UT2k3 (which the Geforce 3 + CPU upgrade is more than capable of). ADC support was also a requirement as we have an...image to uphold with our setup. Lacking an old AGP PC is the final nail in the coffin.

@bunnspecial was able to assist with my plight

I am able to UT2004 on my 450Mhz Cube with a Radeon 7500, I think I tested Halo on there too. Any game that runs in OS 9 will run fine on even a Rage 128 IMO.
If you need OS 9 support than the 7500 is pretty much your best bet as the Geforce 3 is pretty much a unicorn at this point. Even PC ones are rare and over priced when they show up. And those obviously won't have ADC which you listed as a requirement.

If you feel you aren't getting enough 3D performance from the 7500, and need OS 9 support (why for a 1.2Ghz machine if you don't mind my asking? The few games I use for OS 9 work in classic) then I would suggest a VRM move and going to a Radeon 9000 from an MDD. If you remove ADC as a requirement that opens up a couple more doors as well.

Someone with actual experience with this card can chime in, but from what I can tell on paper the Radeon 9000 Pro from the MDD should be no hotter, maybe even cooler than running a Geforce3 in this thing. Since you've got the 9000 already, I would just go that route.

 

[bunnspecial]

If you feel you aren't getting enough 3D performance from the 7500, and need OS 9 support (why for a 1.2Ghz machine if you don't mind my asking? The few games I use for OS 9 work in classic) then I would suggest a VRM move and going to a Radeon 9000 from an MDD. If you remove ADC as a requirement that opens up a couple more doors as well.

Someone with actual experience with this card can chime in, but from what I can tell on paper the Radeon 9000 Pro from the MDD should be no hotter, maybe even cooler than running a Geforce3 in this thing. Since you've got the 9000 already, I would just go that route.

Actual experience tells me that the Geforce 3 gives a significant improvement in 3D performance vs. either the 7500 or 9000.

Aside from that, a Geforce 3 can SOMETIMES be pried from a reluctant owner, especially if that owner has a spare one...

 

[Jiggly Billy]

If you feel you aren't getting enough 3D performance from the 7500, and need OS 9 support (why for a 1.2Ghz machine if you don't mind my asking? The few games I use for OS 9 work in classic) then I would suggest a VRM move and going to a Radeon 9000 from an MDD. If you remove ADC as a requirement that opens up a couple more doors as well.

Tomb Raider 1-4 have graphic issues in Classic that can make them unplayable, Hoyle card games lack audio & also suffer from graphic errors. The scope of what we want this Cube to run fits within needing full OS 9 support, but nothing much past Halo/Max Payne level of gaming. Basically everything we use our 20” iMac for but in a package that’s what we always wanted

 

[swamprock]

Actual experience tells me that the Geforce 3 gives a significant improvement in 3D performance vs. either the 7500 or 9000.

Aside from that, a Geforce 3 can SOMETIMES be pried from a reluctant owner, especially if that owner has a spare one...

I just lucked into another one, for $20. I'm going to keep this one and put it in my Sawtooth for now. If I stumble upon another decently-priced Cube someday, I'll have the video card covered as I'll only run OS 9 on it (as I do my Sawtooth).

The only reason I traded my last card off was I hadn't planned on getting another Cube and wasn't using it, but now I'm hunting down another Cube

Here's my original card, traded to @bunnspecial - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/rare-powerpc-video-card.1968778/

Here's a shot of my new acquisition in the Sawtooth:

 

[bunnspecial]

Very nice-I'm jealous, especially for the price!

I've been playing some RTCW on my 800mhz Cube with a Geforce 3 the past several days, and it continues to run great. It also looks great on the ADC CRT, something that short of some rare 3rd party adapters, you need a computer with an ADC port to run.

 

[reukiodo]

Please let me know if you find another one, as I not only want OS9 compatibility, but also the ADC port.

 

[swamprock]

Very nice-I'm jealous, especially for the price!

I've been playing some RTCW on my 800mhz Cube with a Geforce 3 the past several days, and it continues to run great. It also looks great on the ADC CRT, something that short of some rare 3rd party adapters, you need a computer with an ADC port to run.

I'm attempting to source a Mystic board with the processors, so I can not only use the ADC port on my video card(s), but also to have dual processors. Until then, I'm stuck with VGA with the Geforce 3.

 

[PowerPCG345]

Could someone share the part numbers to search for?

Searching Evilbay for geforce brings up thousands of results. I'm betting most sellers list it with one of the part numbers stamped on front or back of card.

 

[ervus]

...but also to have dual processors.

Take care with that upgrade. The dual 500MHz CPU from a tower uses quite a bit of power. I'd definitely add a base fan, and also an upgraded VRM or at least some heatsinks on the 5v FETs.

 

[swamprock]

Take care with that upgrade. The dual 500MHz CPU from a tower uses quite a bit of power. I'd definitely add a base fan, and also an upgraded VRM or at least some heatsinks on the 5v FETs.

I'm awaiting the upgraded VRM before doing the upgrade. I've got the dp500 board already. Due to the virus, the VRM is taking forever to get here.

 

[jmilan0302]

because with a VRM move, theres a rare Radeon 9800 Pro built on a Radeon 9700s PCB

Couldn't you make one of those with all your BGA rework experience also?

 

[LightBulbFun]

Couldn't you make one of those with all your BGA rework experience also?

thats a good question, not 100% if the Radeon 9700 and Radeon 9800 GPUs are pin compatible

and the other question is how is the PCI Device ID's set on these cards

its probably more something for dosdude1 to try currently, as he has lots more experience and a little bit better equipment for dealing with the pBGA chips they are

so far I have only dealt with cBGA chips, but I have recently got given a dead MBP4,1 for me to play with, that I think has suspect GPU failure so it would be a good test to see if I can replace its GPU properly and without pop corning etc



going back to the cube VRM, im really surprised no one else has made upgraded versions, all it is a DC to DC converter, plenty of high power ones floating around these days

im sure something knocked up

I have also heard of people just getting rid of the VRM in its entirety and using a normal PowerMac G4 PSU externally (since it supplies all the requisite voltages already)

 

[swamprock]

thats a good question, not 100% if the Radeon 9700 and Radeon 9800 GPUs are pin compatible

and the other question is how is the PCI Device ID's set on these cards

its probably more something for dosdude1 to try currently, as he has lots more experience and a little bit better equipment for dealing with the pBGA chips they are

so far I have only dealt with cBGA chips, but I have recently got given a dead MBP4,1 for me to play with, that I think has suspect GPU failure so it would be a good test to see if I can replace its GPU properly and without pop corning etc



going back to the cube VRM, im really surprised no one else has made upgraded versions, all it is a DC to DC converter, plenty of high power ones floating around these days

im sure something knocked up

I have also heard of people just getting rid of the VRM in its entirety and using a normal PowerMac G4 PSU externally (since it supplies all the requisite voltages already)

There's a Japanese guy that makes and sells upgraded VRMs. They're a bit costly ($180), but from all reports, worth it. I've been awaiting mine for two months now...

EDIT: 1 1/2 year later update- I got the VRM but my logic board went bad before I could use it. I traded it and my DP500 CPU board to a friend for some arcade stuff, and he is now running both in his Cube.