replacing old Power Mac G5 videocard confusion

[nilsdavis]

I have a Power Mac G5 Dual 2.5 from like 2004 and it has an ATI Radeon 9600XT. I want to upgrade the card and have read that the nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra or ATi Radeon X800 XT Mac edition are my best options. However, I know nothing of video cards, particularly how to differentiate between the myriad of listings I find regarding either of these. Im seeing stuff ranging from 100 to 600USD dollars and they are seemingly listed as the same card so Im completely confused.

For example on Newegg searching "GeoForce 6800Ultra" yields:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130495&Tpk=Geforce 6800 Ultra

Ok. 100USD is really really cheap, but... what am I looking at and why is this so much cheaper? I see the model number and "OEM" (which whatever it is is supposed to be good as that was a recommendation) and "AGP"... it even physically looks liek the card Im searching for but... then theres just a whole crap load of other listing else where with all sorts of new random listing and numbers wrapped around "GeoForce6800Ultra" making me think I dont get a certain specific make of this card its not gonna work and Ill be sad.

I just want to spend like 250USD at most on a card that better than my current one and the more I research the more confusing and cryptic (to me) it gets because Im finding the price ranges on a specific card all of the place. So Im apprehensive about making a purchase now.

Can anyone clarify what exactly I should be looking for?

 

[Flynnstone]

Why do you need a new video card?

 

[gugucom]

Your machine requires an AGP 8x card with Apple open firmware compatibility. As long as the seller garantees that you can buy it with confidence.

Depending on the origine (OEM/retail/flashed PC) cards may have different functionality regarding different kind of displays. If you need dual-DVI for 30" display I would also have that confirmed by the seller before purchase.

 

[awmazz]

Well, that link to Newegg is for an EVGA™ brand card, so I don't know why they are labelling it as OEM. If it has a picture of a hot babe on it or any other brand other than nVidia, it's likely a flashed PC card, hence cheaper (edit: or unflashed PC card so won't work in a G5 anyway and maybe why they say it's OEM, just not Apple OEM).

The big difference with PC cards is usually the ports - the specs of the card you linked to says it is two single DVI ports, whereas the proper OEM card is dual dual-link DVI ports (hence the 'DDL' in the name) to run dual 30" displays.

THIS is an OEM GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL. It's full length as you can see. And no logo or hot babe paint jobs or anything else on it either, just the pure unadulterated card.

As you can see from this link at OWC, it's "sold out", as being OEM they are scarcer than aftermarket cards and hence why these ones cost more.