PCI video cards for G5

[the future]

Right now I'm waiting for Rev. B G5s (aren't we all...). Once they arrive and I get mine, I would like to connect 3 17" lcd displays, two to the AGP card the PM comes with and one to a PCI card. Several questions occur:

• Will the Radeon 7000 Mac Edition (the "newest" mac pci card available, right?) work with the PCI-X slots in the G5? The offcial statement on http://www.pcisig.com is that PCI-X is fully backwards compatible with PCI, but right here in these forums (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/34926/) it has been said that 5V pci cards won't work in the G5s, only newer low voltage cards. As I wasn't able to find out the voltage of the Radeon 7000, can someone here say for sure if it will work in the G5s or not?
• Are there any news on the rumored Radeon 9200 Mac Edition PCI card with 128 MB VRAM? I assume a brand new PCI card would obviously work in the G5s.
• Assuming the Radeon 7000 does work or/and the Radeon 9200 will be out shortly, will I then actually be able to have a massively wide, continuous desktop across all 3 lcd displays? (Sorry, it's probably a dumb question, but I never had a multiple display setup before.)
• Would it be alltogether more clever to wait for the Rev. C G5s (if I find a very strong patience-inducing medication, that is) as they will probably sport the "revolutionary" PCI-Express technology? Will PCI-Express really be such a great step forward?

Any and all opinions/insight/comic relief will be greatly appreciated!

 

[blue&whiteman]

original pci cards will work fine in the pci x slots but ati will have pci x cards out soon so just wait.

 

[Veldek]

original pci cards will work fine in the pci x slots but ati will have pci x cards out soon so just wait.

Are you sure, you don't mix up PCI-X with PCI Extreme? These are two very different things and not compatible. I don't know if older PCI cards work in the G5 PCI-X slots but the upcoming PCI Express cards will definitely not work. It might be possible to put one in the AGP slot, but as he stated he alredy has a card there and wants to use his PCI-X slots.

 

[blue&whiteman]

Are you sure, you don't mix up PCI-X with PCI Extreme? These are two very different things and not compatible. I don't know if older PCI cards work in the G5 PCI-X slots but the upcoming PCI Express cards will definitely not work. It might be possible to put one in the AGP slot, but as he stated he alredy has a card there and wants to use his PCI-X slots.

maybe you're right. i'm not 100% sure about all the facts.

to comment on the 7000 its a fine card for 2D and lesser powered 3D. I use one as my only video card in my 66mhz pci slot. you can also enable quartz extreme on it. if the 9200 128mb pci does come out (and I hope it does) I will get one fore sure. they are only supposed to be the same price that the 7000 is now.

both these cards would serve well but wait a bit either way. if ati brings out the 9200 right after you buy a 7000 that would suck.

 

[the future]

Oh, that would be fantastic (if the 9200 wouldn't be more expensive than the 7000 is today)! Do you have any clue as to when it may come out?

 

[blue&whiteman]

Oh, that would be fantastic (if the 9200 wouldn't be more expensive than the 7000 is today)! Do you have any clue as to when it may come out?

I started a thread about 2 days ago that contains all the info I found about the new 9200 at accelerate your mac.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/66991/

 

[the future]

Cool! Thanks fo the info!

 

[jhu]

do you really need to get the mac edition of the video card? it's my experience, from other computer architectures, that you can use any pci card but that the card will be available only after the os kernel has loaded its drivers

 

[the future]

From what I understand (and it's not much), you can "flash" PC video cards so they'll work with a Mac, but it's a gamble.
Anyways, I found some user reports on the net which confirm that the Radeon 7000 *will* work in the G5! (http://www.macintouch.com/g5reader03.html) So even if the 9200 remains a pipe dream, at least I will have *one* option.
Now if only anyone could confirm that with a working PCI card I can indeed get one massively wide, continuous desktop across all 3 LCDs on which to drag windows left, right and centre like there's no tomorrow – I would be a very happy camper!

 

[jhu]

it works in linux

 

[iJon]

why dont you just wait a while. ati has already announced pcix versions of the 9800xt are coming out later this year, which will be really awesome.

iJon

 

[naodx]

Yes, you can use the ATI 7000, but just to remind you, that the monitor driven by that card will not support Quartz Extreme.

Not a real big deal mind you, but you may want to make sure that you don't use that one as your main monitor.

As far as waiting for ATI to release the PCI-Express cards, I wouldn't bother, they won't work in an AGP slot, and they won't work in PCI-X slots.

Most people are confused by the name PCI-Express, which is a different standard than the PCI-X that the G5's currently have in them.

 

[Bigheadache]

why dont you just wait a while. ati has already announced pcix versions of the 9800xt are coming out later this year, which will be really awesome.

iJon

I doubt they would do that. They are so close to releasing the PCI Express R420 (which some websites are reporting as Radeon X800), why would they go back and release a PCI-X 9800xt?

 

[Bigheadache]

As far as waiting for ATI to release the PCI-Express cards, I wouldn't bother, they won't work in an AGP slot, and they won't work in PCI-X slots.

Most people are confused by the name PCI-Express, which is a different standard than the PCI-X that the G5's currently have in them.

Thats why I don't mind G5s being pushed back. I figure it makes them more likely to have PCI Express slots as the R420 and NV40 (should) be shipping then.

 

[the future]

Yes, you can use the ATI 7000, but just to remind you, that the monitor driven by that card will not support Quartz Extreme. Not a real big deal mind you, but you may want to make sure that you don't use that one as your main monitor.

Why's that? I thought QE works with 32 MB VRAM (which the 7000 has)? Or is that a genuine PCI problem?

As far as waiting for ATI to release the PCI-Express cards, I wouldn't bother, they won't work in an AGP slot, and they won't work in PCI-X slots. Most people are confused by the name PCI-Express, which is a different standard than the PCI-X that the G5's currently have in them.

Waiting for PCI-Express may be a good idea, but that will possibly/probably only appear in the Rev. C G5, and I don't think I want to wait that long. AFAIK PCI-Express will replace AGP alltogether – so how are we gonna be able to connect more than 2 monitors? Will future PCs/G5s have multiple PCI-Express slots?

 

[the future]

Thats why I don't mind G5s being pushed back. I figure it makes them more likely to have PCI Express slots as the R420 and NV40 (should) be shipping then.

Mmmhh... maybe I should start being glad about every tuesday that passes without new G5s, then.

 

[naodx]

the future,

It isn't the video ram that is stopping the 7000 from using quartz extreme, it is the fact that it is pci based.

Apple doesn't allow quartz extreme to run on pci based cards, however there is a utility that will enable quartz extreme for pci cards. I don't know it this works on a dual setup, and reports have varied with use. It originally came out for 10.2, and I haven't seen any reports on it in 10.3.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16006

 

[iJon]

my bad my bad. it was express, i just misread and posted without double checking.

iJon

 

[the future]

Thanks for the link, naodx! Interesting app, it's primarily targeted at older (pre-AGP) Macs, but maybe it works with PCI cards in newer PMs as well.

 

[solvs]

I had a PC version of the Radeon 7000, flashed to the Mac version for my Beige G3. Don't know if that would have worked in the G5, but you can check the FAQ at ATI's website to see.

I have seen a lot of proof that the 9200 PCI Mac version is coming. PowerMax even had it listed on their site. 128 MB. $89. Cheaper than the 7000. Bet it's gonna work on the G5.

Though that might just have been the PC version. It doesn't say.

 

[the future]

I have seen a lot of proof that the 9200 PCI Mac version is coming. PowerMax even had it listed on their site. 128 MB. $89. Cheaper than the 7000. Bet it's gonna work on the G5.

89$... that would be awesome!