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NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL

I've ordered the dual 2.0 with the stock 9600 card, along with the new 23" monitor.

I mainly do video editing in final cut, as well as heavy photoshop work. No gaming and no 3D stuff.

Would I benefit from this card? There's talk of benefiting from it once Tiger is released, but I'd love an explanation of why, given the apps that I use, it might be better.

I'm also worried about when it'll be available. Also, if I wait, would it be possible to buy one down the road and install it myself? How difficult is that?

Thanks for any answers or advice.
 
MikeTheC said:
Does anyone here know if (hypothetically) that can still be done at this point? I mean, I know there's only just the one AGP slot, but if you put 2 or 3 high-performance Mac-compatible PCI video cards in, would it work and would it add to the sum total of your display?

On another thought, imagine a G5 with 6 AGP slots with their own busses, etc., and 6 of these Ultra 6800s in there.
Click to expand...
I believe this is theoretically possible but probably not practical at this time. The cards need to communicate with each other quite a bit under certain scenarios. More than two 6800 cards connected together and using AGP could easily start to have serious latency and sychronization issues when accessing data stored on the other cards. Besides, at this point no one is really looking to provide new types of AGP solutions anyways. However, two 6800s seem to work just fine together using two PCI-express slots.

zakee00 said:
I am actually very dissapointed that Apple chose to use the 6800 Ultra over ATi's x800 XT. Proformance-wise, the x800 XT and the 6800 Ultra are pretty much neck-and-neck. nVIDIA cards generally proforms better in OpenGL, maybe that is why Apple chose their card.
Click to expand...

Well, the 6800 chipset may have been available to them a little earlier for one thing. Also, the x800 XT seems to be designed primarily with PCI-express in mind so there may not have been as much support from Ati for an AGP version. Nvidia on the other hand designed the 6800 from the start as a primarily AGP product that also can do PCI-express via a bridge chip. Since Apple apparently isn't ready to switch to PCI-express quite yet, the 6800 may have been the better overall choice at this time. However I agree that the x800 XT is a great card and I hope it becomes available on the Mac in the near future.
 
MikeTheC said:
You know, reading this, I am left wondering something. Back in the days of the Mac II, IIx, IIci, et al, you could have as many video cards as you had NuBus slots and extend your desktop indefinitely to that limit.

Does anyone here know if (hypothetically) that can still be done at this point? I mean, I know there's only just the one AGP slot, but if you put 2 or 3 high-performance Mac-compatible PCI video cards in, would it work and would it add to the sum total of your display?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if there is a limit to the number of cards, however you can certainly add more to get a larger desktop. I'm currently using 3 graphics cards (original AGP Radeon 9600 with the G5, Radeon 7000 PCI and Rage 128 PCI) which could give 5 monitors. I'm only using 4 at the moment but they work fine.
 
If you want to use a PCI graphics card in the extra slots, then the Ati 9200 is probably the best option available at the moment. I have seen both 32MB and 128MB versions advertised for sale. I suspect some better cards may be available in the near future but this card should be sufficient.
 
paulvee said:
I've ordered the dual 2.0 with the stock 9600 card, along with the new 23" monitor.

I mainly do video editing in final cut, as well as heavy photoshop work. No gaming and no 3D stuff.

Would I benefit from this card? There's talk of benefiting from it once Tiger is released, but I'd love an explanation of why, given the apps that I use, it might be better.

I'm also worried about when it'll be available. Also, if I wait, would it be possible to buy one down the road and install it myself? How difficult is that?

Thanks for any answers or advice.
Click to expand...

It's easy...

First you unlatch the latch in the back of the G5, then pull the side pannel off, then the plastic air deflector, then your there, you just plop the card in where the other one used to be, but read the PowerMac manual because it gives you the specifics, since there is some sort of latch in order to release the video card from the slot...
 
PowerMacMan said:
It's easy...

First you unlatch the latch in the back of the G5, then pull the side panel off, then the plastic air deflector, then your there, you just plop the card in where the other one used to be, but read the PowerMac manual because it gives you the specifics, since there is some sort of latch in order to release the video card from the slot...
Click to expand...

If I purchased it from the Apple Store, just to be safe I would have a Mac Genius do it for me. Would always want to be safe then sorry. Especially with the awesome G5.
 
MikeTheC said:
You know, reading this, I am left wondering something. Back in the days of the Mac II, IIx, IIci, et al, you could have as many video cards as you had NuBus slots and extend your desktop indefinitely to that limit.
Click to expand...
I believe that the limit was 6 displays total.

Sushi
 
Never having served in the military, I can't imagine what it is like to deal with others when you have such things as chain-of-command and rank to deal with. Since we're still talking about human beings, though, I would assume there are still the same tendancies towards ego and ignorance.

In the civilian world, though, at least you can be more assertive and aggressive without worrying about charges of insubordination. How does this sort of thing likely play out in the military?
 
MikeTheC said:
Never having served in the military, I can't imagine what it is like to deal with others when you have such things as chain-of-command and rank to deal with. Since we're still talking about human beings, though, I would assume there are still the same tendencies towards ego and ignorance.

In the civilian world, though, at least you can be more assertive and aggressive without worrying about charges of insubordination. How does this sort of thing likely play out in the military?
Click to expand...

I was on the medical side, working as a nurse. So we weren't affected as much by the chain of command. Just performed my nursing duties the same was as I did at the VA as a civilian. In the hospital, no matter the rank they were a patient. If a VIP Colonel or above was admitted they got a private room. They wanted to recover from their illness or surgery just like anyone else.

I did run into a problem with the chain of command once. Very scary till I straightened the problem out. It was when I was in the USAF Reserves. We were having a military party function. Our speaker was to be a General. My job was to pick him up at the airport, then take him to his quarters, to the function, and back to the airport. On a day off from work a sergeant in the reserve office called. "A colonel from headquarters called about our speaker. They are upset that no one notified them of the visit. Your need to get there and straighten out the situation." Luckily for me it all ended well. I just didn't realize that when a flag officer comes on the base that headquarters is to be notified for permission. After my meeting permission was granted. The function occurred with military precession.
 
MikeTheC said:
On another thought, imagine a G5 with 6 AGP slots with their own busses, etc., and 6 of these Ultra 6800s in there. You could have 12 30" displays! Then, when you're flying a flight simulator, you would have three across the front with a forth over the middle, then 2 stacked on top of each other on each side, 2 behind you, and 2 mounted horizontally above you. Golly, that gets me excited...

It boggles the mind how many displays you could hypothetically connect if they were all just 23" models. Imagine 24 23" displays!

[/drool]
Click to expand...
11.1 channel surround video!!!!!!
the one monitor you would actually use, then the 11 for ego purposes. just like surround sound. i use mono sound on just about everything 'cept my ipod and im fine. didnt dolby work together with apple and mpeg on aac? they could do some more work w/ mpeg to get a surround video standard. imagine a 71" sony dlp in the ceiling, in all 4 walls...kinda like fahrenheit 451
 
wdlove said:
If I purchased it from the Apple Store, just to be safe I would have a Mac Genius do it for me. Would always want to be safe then sorry. Especially with the awesome G5.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? What is there to "be safe" from? You undo a screw...pull out the original card, drop in the new one, PUSH DOWN, re-insert the screw, and close the case. If you can screw in a lightbulb...you can change the components of your computer.
 
BrianKonarsMac said:
Are you serious? What is there to "be safe" from? You undo a screw...pull out the original card, drop in the new one, PUSH DOWN, re-insert the screw, and close the case. If you can screw in a lightbulb...you can change the components of your computer.
Click to expand...
It may seem simple but I have seen several people mess it up. I know it isn't difficult if you know what you are doing but for those who lack confidence in their own ability getting help isn't a bad idea.
 
BrianKonarsMac said:
Are you serious? What is there to "be safe" from? You undo a screw...pull out the original card, drop in the new one, PUSH DOWN, re-insert the screw, and close the case. If you can screw in a lightbulb...you can change the components of your computer.
Click to expand...
Some folks aren't comfortable doing this. While some of us are.

I would suggest doing it whichever way you feel comfortable.

Sushi
 
This is interesting, or maybe not... when I configured a BTO with the 6800, the computer estimated ship date was only 7-10 business days. However, when I checked on the vid card by itself, ship date still said late august. Oh well, thought someone might care.
 
paulvee said:
I've ordered the dual 2.0 with the stock 9600 card, along with the new 23" monitor.

I mainly do video editing in final cut, as well as heavy photoshop work. No gaming and no 3D stuff.

Would I benefit from this card? There's talk of benefiting from it once Tiger is released, but I'd love an explanation of why, given the apps that I use, it might be better.

I'm also worried about when it'll be available. Also, if I wait, would it be possible to buy one down the road and install it myself? How difficult is that?

Thanks for any answers or advice.
Click to expand...

I think you will find that this will depend on the video you are editing. If you are doing mainly DV stuff, then you probably wouldn't need the new card. (Hey, I do DV on my 533 SP G4!)
If you are editing HD with FCP4 HD, then it probably would make a difference but mainly down to the much greater potential upstream/downstream bandwidth of PCI-Express. Having said that, it will be interesting to see how Core Video (and Image) scales with both the new card and/or PCI-express.
 
sushi said:
Some folks aren't comfortable doing this. While some of us are.

I would suggest doing it whichever way you feel comfortable.

Sushi
Click to expand...

Thank you sushi. With a brand new machine I would rather be safe than sorry. Give me more confidence to have a Apple Technician do an installation. If I were to break something then it would be my fault.
 
sushi said:
😀



More importantly if you were to break your computer, you would not be able to use it, and that would sux!

Sushi
Click to expand...

Exactly, that is why I prefer to be safe. From previous conversations, if an Apple Technician damages the Mac it's on them. They are professional so it gives me confidence and security. 😀
 
one can only hope that with the advent of DVI support that more video cards will support Mac OS X without needing a special 'mac' version. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm torn, trying to decide between the 9600 as a 'good enough' or to go get the 6800 now. My challenge is I need a monitor too right now and it's freakin expensive for the 23" so I'm probably going to go with the 20.
 
weezer160 said:
this sucks; i was all fired up about the 6800 ultra, and then i came across this article on the same website that showed the 6800 ultra kicking the 9800 xt's a$$ - http://www20.graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040504/index.html

i hope it comes out soon on the mac platform. i'd be willing to sell my 6800 ultra (when it comes out) to get this card.
Click to expand...

The X800 XT Platinum is IMO a better choice especially if you are not going to be buying a 30 inch Cinema Display anytime soon and don't need the DDL. Hopefully the X800 XT Platinum comes to the Mac Platform by the end of the year, it should be $100 cheaper than the 6800 Ultra DDL and perform more or less the same or better. Most importantly the X800XT Platinum will run much cooler=quieter and needs only to occupy it's own AGP slot unlike the 6800 Ultra cards that enroach upon a PCI slot
 
wdlove said:
Exactly, that is why I prefer to be safe. From previous conversations, if an Apple Technician damages the Mac it's on them. They are professional so it gives me confidence and security. 😀
Click to expand...
So true.

A long time ago, I upgraded my PB170 with a larger HD.

I was going to do it myself, but thought it would be safer for the tech to do it. Well low and behold, after the tech replaced everything he did a test. There was a short and the very flimsy/thin HD cable burned where it had shorted. I figure that the same thing would have happened to me, only in this case the fix was free since the tech did it vice me.

Leaned a lot through that experience.

Sushi
 
Little Endian said:
Most importantly the X800XT Platinum will run much cooler=quieter and needs only to occupy it's own AGP slot unlike the 6800 Ultra cards that enroach upon a PCI slot
Click to expand...
You do, of course, realize that the reason the cards block a PCI slot is not because they need more bandwidth; it's because the heat sinks make the card too thick to fit inside its allotted space inside the computer. That said, there is no reason that the X800 will be any different in that respect.
 
sushi said:
So true.

A long time ago, I upgraded my PB170 with a larger HD.

I was going to do it myself, but thought it would be safer for the tech to do it. Well low and behold, after the tech replaced everything he did a test. There was a short and the very flimsy/thin HD cable burned where it had shorted. I figure that the same thing would have happened to me, only in this case the fix was free since the tech did it vice me.

Leaned a lot through that experience.

Sushi
Click to expand...

There is nothing like first hand experience. I'm encouraged that everything worked alright for you sushi. To look at what others are saying, there are many on this board that are professional, which gives them the confidence. I think that the Apple Store professional staff is there for customers like us.
 
wdlove said:
There is nothing like first hand experience. I'm encouraged that everything worked alright for you sushi. To look at what others are saying, there are many on this board that are professional, which gives them the confidence. I think that the Apple Store professional staff is there for customers like us.
Click to expand...
Understand.

Normally I would do it myself. But sometimes, having a tech do it is well worth the time and effort.

Good luck in your situation.

Sushi
 
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