[NewOldbie]

I've spent the last 2 hours reading up on the nvidia video cards . . . GeForce2MX, GeForce3, GeForce4MX and GeForce4Ti; flashing a PC GeForce 3 to get it to work on the Mac, DVI vs. ADC, blah blah blah. Now I've got a headache.


Can someone point an older guy in the right direction? I've got a 450 G4 (Sawtooth) running the original AGP (ATI Radeon?) graphics card driving a 22" Cinema display . . . yes, I'm one of the suckers that paid $3999 for the screen -- hopefully Apple didn't screw me again.

Right now I'm so confused I don't even know which display connector I have -- ADC would be my first guess, since I only have one video cable. But didn't the original Cinema displays come with a *different* video connection? I remember reading something about us earlier adoptors getting "hosed."


Here's what I'm looking for: I'm moving to Jaguar and would like to have QE compatibility. I play some games (big fan of Q3, just finished Return to Castle Wolfenstein and would like to play Max Payne). I don't want to spend too much $$ on this machine since I'll likely get a new system next year.

What is the bus speed on the 450 G4? AGP 2X?
Is nvidia GeForce 2MX my best buy?
Should I try to "flash" a PC GeForce 3? Does running GF3 over GF2MX offer benefits?

I am going to bed, thanks for your help!

[G4ME]

You won't see much of an improvement from a GF2MX to a GF3 because you have and 2X AGP slot or even a PCI which means you are totally screwd, I think you are the later. The ADC PM came out at MWNY 2000 two years ago if you got your computer after then you should be fine, but I belive there was only Dual 450 available. If you have ADC that means you also have USB on your monitor, Power, Video, and USB all come through ADC.

What you can do is go into your system profiler and see what video card you have and what bus its on. AGP, PCI, ATI rage pro w/ 16MB. I think you are going to be out of luck.

[Evangellydonut]

I think Geforce 4MX is your best buy if you are looking exclusively in nVidia cards. if you are willing to venture, flash a Radeon 8500 and be happy

I thought those original Cinema came with DVI...

here's a quick run down...sorta...
GeForce2MX = cheap GeForce 2
GeForce3 = NV20 (standard GF3 stuff)
GeForce4MX = cheap GeForce 3
GeForce4Ti = NV25

As for performance, it's GF4Ti, GF3, GF4MX, GF2MX...

If you factor in ATI cards, Radeon is on par with 2MX...better at some stuff, worse at others. Radeon 8500 (Mac or Flashed PC) is between GF3 and GF4Ti...

As far as 2x AGP is concerned, it should be sufficient for the Radeon 8500...

[NewOldbie]

I'm still sporting a colossal headache . . .

System Profiler says I've got "Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics). So I'm assuming I have AGP, not PCI.

I have a single cable going from my monitor to the Apple Hockey-puck, it then splits into USB, video cable, and power ==> ADC.

I cracked open my G4 and the video card "slot" is different from my SCSI controller (PCI?) Since it says ATi on the video card, I assume it is a Rage Pro 128?

That's a lot of assumptions. Wonder if I got lucky?

I'll dig up my invoice and see if that helps. I don't remember if I bought it in 2000 or 2001. It was originally supposed to be a 500/G4 but Apple couldn't meet demand so we all got saddled with the 450. Wouldn't you know it, two weeks after I got my 450, the 500 became available. (*!@(&^$+_)!@

Thanks for y'all for helping!


I did get a quick look at the Radeon 8500 . . . but didn't want to open up another can of worms. Will read up on it this PM.