What Video Card upgrade for my G4 DA?

[GeeGee123]

I have a G4 Digital Audio recently upgraded with an OWC Mercury Extreme 1.5GHz processor so I could do the Leopard install. Machine rips along pretty sweet now, but I want to enjoy all of the eye candy, and more importantly, be able to use apps like Photo Booth with my iSight, and be able to utilize the transitions, ect. in iMovie (and other cool stuff I'm sure) that my poor Rage 128 Pro with its skimpy 16mb VRAM won't handle.

So, money IS an object, but I also really want to do this right the first time, so I don't want to go on the cheap at the cost of not being able to meet my goals for my machine.

So, here are my goals: I want to run the software I mentioned above with no warnings that my video card is insufficient. I also want to be able to run dual flat panel monitors simultaneously. I pretty much want to be able to see and do everything a new Mac can see and do. I think that I want something that fits in the AGP slot, not a PCI card, since I'm told that the AGP slot is faster (right?).

Video cards have me completely confused. What do I need? I want something good, but don't want to break the bank. But I also don't want to buy a card and immediately wish I had gone for something better. Looking for the best price/performance combo. Any ideas, or maybe a list of what's available for my machine kind of in order from best to worst? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Fearless Leader]

agp defidently.

If you feel like some hacking, get yourself a nvidia 7800gs, and flash the rom to make it a mac card. I did this for my g5 and it was cheap (it was 225 and that is way cheaper than anything else and has way more performance), and amazing.

website to help you themacelite.com

 

[GeeGee123]

agp defidently.

If you feel like some hacking, get yourself a nvidia 7800gs, and flash the rom to make it a mac card. I did this for my g5 and it was cheap (it was 225 and that is way cheaper than anything else and has way more performance), and amazing.

website to help you themacelite.com

This sounds very interesting...And that card would pop into my G4, work great, and not lose any of its functionality?

 

[GeeGee123]

What about the NVIDIA GeForce 6200?

I see a guy who obviously flashes these cards on E-Bay. He's a power seller with 99.8% positive rating and is selling NVIDIA GeForce 6200s at a Buy It Now of $99. He gets pretty elaborate in his description, but do you think one of these would be up to snuff? Claims they work in the DA machines and supports Core Animation with 256MB of VRAM. Sounds pretty sweet on the surface, but I am a bit leery of things that sound too sweet of a deal. Any input?

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

Just about any of the Radeons will do well in a DA..... I would recommend either an 8500, 9600, or 9800Pro. You just have to spend some time to shop around on ebay &/or other forum's marketplaces........

About the only nVidia card I can recommend would the GF4ti, but several of the GF3 series do work, it's just that there have been a lot LESS reported problems over the years with ATI cards vs. Nvidia's, mostly all of which were/are related to drivers &/or firmware issues.........

As for flashed cards, I have been running a flashed Radeon 9800Pro for over 2 yrs now, first in my Sawtooth, and now in my QS, notta problemo, but of course YMMV

 

[Fearless Leader]

I see a guy who obviously flashes these cards on E-Bay. He's a power seller with 99.8% positive rating and is selling NVIDIA GeForce 6200s at a Buy It Now of $99. He gets pretty elaborate in his description, but do you think one of these would be up to snuff? Claims they work in the DA machines and supports Core Animation with 256MB of VRAM. Sounds pretty sweet on the surface, but I am a bit leery of things that sound too sweet of a deal. Any input?

well the thing about the ebay guy is that he (mitch or mike I can't remember, its somewhere in themacelite forums.) steals our work and claims it as his own so he can profit on it, with the exception of a couple people on ebay. but if you want to go ahead try it, go for it. The 6200's are not all that powerful, but you will see an improvement.

 

[Legacy]

I have a G4 Digital Audio recently upgraded with an OWC Mercury Extreme 1.5GHz processor so I could do the Leopard install. Machine rips along pretty sweet now, but I want to enjoy all of the eye candy, and more importantly, be able to use apps like Photo Booth with my iSight, and be able to utilize the transitions, ect. in iMovie (and other cool stuff I'm sure) that my poor Rage 128 Pro with its skimpy 16mb VRAM won't handle.

So, money IS an object, but I also really want to do this right the first time, so I don't want to go on the cheap at the cost of not being able to meet my goals for my machine.

So, here are my goals: I want to run the software I mentioned above with no warnings that my video card is insufficient. I also want to be able to run dual flat panel monitors simultaneously. I pretty much want to be able to see and do everything a new Mac can see and do. I think that I want something that fits in the AGP slot, not a PCI card, since I'm told that the AGP slot is faster (right?).

Video cards have me completely confused. What do I need? I want something good, but don't want to break the bank. But I also don't want to buy a card and immediately wish I had gone for something better. Looking for the best price/performance combo. Any ideas, or maybe a list of what's available for my machine kind of in order from best to worst? Thanks in advance for your input.

Yes I have used that card, albeit in a slower machine (my 600 iMac). My eMac I got yesterday (see sig) has the 9600 card with 64MB VRAM. Works amazing! Better than my GMA950 in the MacBook. Go for it! Unless you play games or do graphical intensive stuff, the 9600 is more than enough, is supported by Apple via drivers and supports CoreImage and CoreAnimation.