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Powermac G5 video card upgrade

C

cook.675

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 24, 2011
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I have a Powermac G5 dual 2.0 GHz

If I wanted to upgrade the video card, what is the highest performace (best) video card I could upgrade to that is compatible with this system, and ALSO has the ADC port for my monitor? Could anyone throw out the names some top of the line models?

What about if I had an ADC/DVI connector, then what are the best cards that are compatible with the system assuming money is not an object (it is but im just curious what the max potential of this system is)

Thanks
 
Best video cards that still has ADC would be the Mac ATI x800 or the not so powerful Mac Nvidia Geforce 5200.

Without the ADC, the Nvidia Geforce 7800 (flashed PC card) but you could get the DVI to ADC adapter to power your monitor.
 
Here are your options...

G5 Dual 2.0 GHz AGP can run these cards...

Flashed Nvidia 7800
bfg.jpg


Authentic Mac ATI x800
X800XT.jpg


Flashed ATI Fire GL-2
apple-powermac-g5-g4-ati-firegl-x3_1_c763be389d1238806df7d03c4feca912.jpg



G5 Dual Core 2.0 GHz PCI-e can run these cards...

Flashed Quadro FX4500
nq_fx4500_512_g5.jpg


Flashed Nvidia 7800 GTX
ngf_7800gtx_512_pcie.jpg


Flashed Nvidia 7800 GT
ngf_7800gt_256_pcie.jpg


Authentic Mac ATI x1900
ar_x1900gt_256_pcie.jpg
 
Last edited:
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As for the ADC monitor and connections, if you had an ADC and you wanted to hook up a second DVI monitor, you will need one of these...

ADC to DVI Connector
2c79_1.JPG


Or connect an ADC monitor to an existing DVI connection, you will need a DVI to ADC conversion box
$(KGrHqF,!h8E2I+UCyWsBNolf2fteg~~_12.JPG
 
I don't know really, I probably won't upgrade it I was just curious. My boss gave me the system for free with a 23" cinema HD display monitor. I was entertaining making the system as decked out as possible. I just got Leopard installed and I'm going to max out the RAM in the near future.

Question: Lets say I'm watching a youtube video on this thing and click fullscreen. Now the video pixel-wise is the same quality but the playback is choppy and intermittent. Is this issue due to low memory, the video card, the speed of the internet connection, the processor, or some combination of all of the above?

Thanks
 
What are the specs of the machine? IE ram, video card, info like that.

With mine, i have 3.5 gb ram, dual 2.5 ghz cpu's, and an ati 9600 xt video card. I can run fullscreen 360p videos, but once i go to 480p it gets a little choppy. 720p or anything higher is a no go.
 
Powermac G5 dual 2.0; 1 gig RAM, ATI RADEON 9600 Pro with 64MB DDR SDRAM
running latest version of leopard
 
hi reddrag0n.

I've a late G5 Dual 2.0 (PCI-e) i still have the 6600LE and I'd change it with the x1900 but i see you specified authentic mac.. so do you mean there's no flashed version ? and I've two cinema display.. (I'd rotate them that's why i should get the ati .. no ?!)
 
reddrag0n said:
Best video cards that still has ADC would be the Mac ATI x800 or the not so powerful Mac Nvidia Geforce 5200.

Without the ADC, the Nvidia Geforce 7800 (flashed PC card) but you could get the DVI to ADC adapter to power your monitor.
Click to expand...

Hi, I hope you'll see this post! It's been a long time since the post I'm responding to! I have a G5 single 1.8 and the video card no longer works with the ADC output. I use it for music and was wondering if you had any thoughts about the video cards that I can buy used on Ebay. On Lowendmac i found this list but I wanted to know if you could tell me which video card would use the least amount of system resources so I can give my old protools LE 7.4 as much system resources as possible.

Video: AGP 8x
  • Nvidia GeForce FX5200 Ultra, 64 MB, standard
  • Optional: ATI Radeon 9600 XT, 128 MB; ATI Radeon 9800 XT, 256 MB; Nvidia GeForce FX6800 Ultra, 64 MB
 
Steviespic said:
Hi, I hope you'll see this post! It's been a long time since the post I'm responding to! I have a G5 single 1.8 and the video card no longer works with the ADC output. I use it for music and was wondering if you had any thoughts about the video cards that I can buy used on Ebay. On Lowendmac i found this list but I wanted to know if you could tell me which video card would use the least amount of system resources so I can give my old protools LE 7.4 as much system resources as possible.

Video: AGP 8x
  • Nvidia GeForce FX5200 Ultra, 64 MB, standard
  • Optional: ATI Radeon 9600 XT, 128 MB; ATI Radeon 9800 XT, 256 MB; Nvidia GeForce FX6800 Ultra, 64 MB
Click to expand...

For the sake of keeping things simple (and affordable) the stock standard GeForce FX5200 (Ultra) 64MB card is ample to drive any of the ADC displays. It is silent and handles Core Image well enough. Pro Tools LE won't need anything more than this.
 
ok thank you. let me ask one more question if i may... I'm getting an SSD to try out on the G5. Back in the day when i first set this computer up, I was advised to run the software on one drive and write the audio to the other. If my goal is to try and reduce latency, would it make sense to use the SSD as the audio drive or should I transfer the system drive onto the SSD and then just write to the same drive?
 
Steviespic said:
ok thank you. let me ask one more question if i may... I'm getting an SSD to try out on the G5. Back in the day when i first set this computer up, I was advised to run the software on one drive and write the audio to the other. If my goal is to try and reduce latency, would it make sense to use the SSD as the audio drive or should I transfer the system drive onto the SSD and then just write to the same drive?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't see any problems with latency to have both the system and the audio project running off the same SSD. But it comes down to cost and if you get a basic 64 or 128GB SSD instead of a 512GB or 1TB you will save yourself a lot of money.

On my G5 I have the system and apps running off a 128GB SSD and my audio projects and sample libraries are on a 7200rpm WD "Green" 1TB HDD. I haven't had any problems with latency.

I figure practically any SATA based drive is more than capable for audio recording. A dual channel 32bit audio recording at 96Khz writes out at about 750KB/sec according to this bit rate calculator. The SATA HDD throughput is more like 50-60MB/sec.

The real factors on a G5 with audio latency and general recording lag is to set the Processor Speed to "Highest" and uncheck the "Put hard disk drives to sleep when possible" option in the Energy Saver system preferences panel. This will prevent that delay required to spin the drive up again.
 
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I was able to find a Quattro fx4500 for my quad G5 on eBay for 75 bucks. It popped right in and worked! Considering that card cost 2400 bucks as an option when I got my system, I think I got a good deal ;).
 
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Steviespic said:
Hi, I hope you'll see this post! It's been a long time since the post I'm responding to! I have a G5 single 1.8 and the video card no longer works with the ADC output. I use it for music and was wondering if you had any thoughts about the video cards that I can buy used on Ebay. On Lowendmac i found this list but I wanted to know if you could tell me which video card would use the least amount of system resources so I can give my old protools LE 7.4 as much system resources as possible.

Video: AGP 8x
  • Nvidia GeForce FX5200 Ultra, 64 MB, standard
  • Optional: ATI Radeon 9600 XT, 128 MB; ATI Radeon 9800 XT, 256 MB; Nvidia GeForce FX6800 Ultra, 64 MB
Click to expand...
you could go with one of those, or you could try a flashed 6200 agp and see if you can get a dvi to adc converter.

and the true mac 6800 ultra was 256 mb, there is also a 9650xt out there in mac land and that was 256 mb
Tratkazir_the_1st said:
But there is for x1900GT. http://themacelite.wikidot.com/wikidownloads2 (suppose yo already familiar with this sote :D )
Click to expand...
yeah, i forgot about those. been awhile since i visited that old site
 
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