Some PPC OpenMark benchmarks

[bunnspecial]

As much as I'd like to see Leopard run on an Intel Mac, I can't help but dread the process of cloning a G5 to the MacBook Air (it shipped with Leopard 10.5.5, so my 10.5.1 disk won't work either). Snow Leopard is close enough anyway, and better in may ways.

Leopard actually runs really well on Intel Macs-the problem is that there aren't any programs that will run on it

That's, of course, not totally true but app selection is much better for PPC than it is for Intel.

SL is a totally different story-the UI is virtually identical to Leopard, but there are a LOT of apps that will run on it and not on Leopard. Not the least of these is several current mainstream browsers, including Firefox and Chrome.

 

[poiihy]

Leopard actually runs really well on Intel Macs-the problem is that there aren't any programs that will run on it

That's, of course, not totally true but app selection is much better for PPC than it is for Intel.

SL is a totally different story-the UI is virtually identical to Leopard, but there are a LOT of apps that will run on it and not on Leopard. Not the least of these is several current mainstream browsers, including Firefox and Chrome.

Congradulations bunnspecial! You made the 100th reply and the first post on the second page!

 

[Intell]

The 2008 Macbook Air shares the same hard drive as later iPods. You can easily remove the Air's hard drive and put it into an iPod. Then with the iPod in disk mode, access the Air's drive and data.

 

[redheeler]

The 2008 Macbook Air shares the same hard drive as later iPods. You can easily remove the Air's hard drive and put it into an iPod. Then with the iPod in disk mode, access the Air's drive and data.

Thanks for the tip, although since I don't have an iPod Classic it would probably be easier to get one of these.

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Congradulations bunnspecial! You made the 100th reply and the first post on the second page!

5th page actually, although not to me, since I have the forum software set to display 40 posts per page.

 

[ziggy29]

I popped a slightly defective Radeon X800 (FireGL X3) into my G4 Digital Audio after taping up pins 3 and 11. The output has strange artifacting but for grins I downloads the ATI 4.5.7 display software and ran Openmark and got 15235, and wow, the rendering is almost instant. Makes me want to go out and get one that isn't a little wonky, at the right price, anyway. Strangely, it boots into Tiger but hangs on startup in Leopard; I'm just geeky enough to want to investigate why.

 

[mikiotty]

I popped a slightly defective Radeon X800 (FireGL X3) into my G4 Digital Audio after taping up pins 3 and 11. The output has strange artifacting but for grins I downloads the ATI 4.5.7 display software and ran Openmark and got 15235, and wow, the rendering is almost instant. Makes me want to go out and get one that isn't a little wonky, at the right price, anyway. Strangely, it boots into Tiger but hangs on startup in Leopard; I'm just geeky enough to want to investigate why.

It doesn't boot in Leopard because you have to install the ATI 4.5.7 driver prior to installing the card in the system.

 

[ziggy29]

It doesn't boot in Leopard because you have to install the ATI 4.5.7 driver prior to installing the card in the system.

Just figured that out, thanks!! I ran both the 4.5.7 driver update AND a "10.3.6 software update" when I was booted into Tiger, and after that I could boot into Leopard in only 256 color mode. (Tiger actually booted without either of them, but only in 1280x1024/256 colors at first.) Those updates allowed Leopard to boot, but only in 256 color mode again. I re-ran the 4.5.7 driver update, this time in Leopard, and after a reboot I had millions of colors. This sucker is really fast and now I have the software to run it. Still, the artifacting is annoying but not as annoying as beachballs waiting for a slower card to render. Will keep an eye out for a "good" one at a good price!

 

[Intell]

It is not needed to install drivers for the ATI X800 on Leopard. Leopard comes fully updated with all PowerPC compatible video card drivers.

 

[mikiotty]

It is not needed to install drivers for the ATI X800 on Leopard. Leopard comes fully updated with all PowerPC compatible video card drivers.

That's not the case with MDDs and X800s. Seen it multiple times, without the ATI Display software it either doesn't boot at all or boots with a greyscale artefacting display. Plus, it doesn't allow you to change resolution when it boots.

 

[Intell]

My MDD works perfectly fine with stock Leopard and a flashed X800.

 

[LightBulbFun]

while leopard does have the Kexts for all the PPC cards the one thing it lacks that the ATI drivers install is an external NDRV (this is sort of a driver to help it detected the displays) so while on a real mac ATI card or a flashed card with a full ROM you don't need it (NDRV is built into the rom) Reduced rom cards do need the ATI drivers since when they reduced the rom they took out the NDRV... (I don't think the 4.5.7 Driver installs any kexts any way)

 

[mikiotty]

while leopard does have the Kexts for all the PPC cards the one thing it lacks that the ATI drivers install is an external NDRV (this is sort of a driver to help it detected the displays) so while on a real mac ATI card or a flashed card with a full ROM you don't need it (NDRV is built into the rom) Reduced rom cards do need the ATI drivers since when they reduced the rom they took out the NDRV... (I don't think the 4.5.7 Driver installs any kexts any way)

Yes, you are right. All flashed X800s have a reduced ROM, hence no NDRV

 

[ziggy29]

It is not needed to install drivers for the ATI X800 on Leopard. Leopard comes fully updated with all PowerPC compatible video card drivers.

Actually Leopard *froze* on me during the boot sequence until I installed the 10.3.6 software update. And even after that, both Tiger and Leopard would only support 256 color modes until I installed the ATI 4.5.7 driver update to their respective partition.

 

[tevion5]

I know I brought it up before, but I did think it was odd that even the 6800 GT Ultra outperforms the 7800 GT. However this review from back in the day suggests that maybe this benchmark isn't telling the whole story.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/1755/11

Of course no benchmark is ever the be all and end all in these matters but it's just an interesting observation.

 

[corelle]

I know I brought it up before, but I did think it was odd that even the 6800 GT Ultra outperforms the 7800 GT. However this review from back in the day suggests that maybe this benchmark isn't telling the whole story.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/1755/11

Of course no benchmark is ever the be all and end all in these matters but it's just an interesting observation.

it ain't right too .

G5 Quad vs G4 Dual 1.25(FSB 167Mhz)

 

[redheeler]

Radeon 7500 -------------------460(Cube)
Radeon 7500--------------------557(Digital Audio G4)

The stock Radeon 7500 in my Quicksilver scored lower than both:

 

[flyrod]

The stock Radeon 7500 in my Quicksilver scored lower than both:

It might be clocked lower. I've seen a few versions of that card.

 

[Surrat]

Nice to see this thread is still going, lot of great PPC info here.

Thanks to all that participated!

 

[bunnspecial]

I just added the X1900GT retail, a card I've had sitting around in the package for a while but finally got around to installing in my Quad today.

Based purely on OpenMark scores, this appears to be the best performing OEM/retail card for PCIe G5s. In addition, this card is single height but has two dual-link ports. The only other OEM/retail card with 2x dual link is the Quadro 4500, which is double height.

 

[bunnspecial]

Here are some screen shots of the X1900GT as per request from LightBulbFun(who sent me the initial link to the card for sale on Ebay about a month ago).

 

[LightBulbFun]

very interesting system profiler calls it a X1900XT where as im sure ATI called it the X1900GT (also interesting to see the dual gige ports on a 11,2 PowerMac show up in the PCI section of System profiler)

 

[flyrod]

Did you need drivers installed for that card to work?

 

[128keaton]

For anyone who is bored, the Wiki is still an ongoing project. Hop in with your benchmarks

 

[bunnspecial]

Did you need drivers installed for that card to work?

No, it's plug and play at least in Leopard.

Interestingly enough, this was the only "official" ATI card for PCIe G5s. The Mac Pro version is easy to find, but the G5 version isn't.

 

[Surrat]

Just benchmarked the Powermac G5 OEM fx5200 64mb card, it shows up as "FX 5200 Ultra" in openmark.

It scored 2032 while in my single 1.8ghz G5 tower with 4gig ram. Later I'll benchmark the card in a dual cpu G5, but I dont expect any change. Update: It scored the same in a dual 2ghz G5.

Also benchmarked the Powermac G5 OEM Radeon 9600 128mb card. This is not a Pro, or XT, its just plain 9600.

It scored 4147, the same as the 9600 in the imac G5.