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audiffred · Sep 6, 2001, 05:54 PM

Since Apple apparently isn't providing support for Rage Pro class video in OSX, I would like to pick up a cheap Rage128 for a beige G3 machine. I can't find these for sale anywhere these days. Does anyone know where I can acquire this antique video card?

Mr. Blur · Sep 6, 2001, 10:10 PM

I have not checked myself, but I would guess there are bound to be a few on ebay at any given time.

bluedog · Sep 6, 2001, 10:28 PM

The mac version of the Rage128 was also known as the Orion. Its a decent performer with enough for most games on lower resolutions with all the options on. When you move to higher resolutions, then it'll slow down if you don't turn off some features or to reduce the colorspace from 24 to 16 bit.

Good luck finding one!

Mr. Blur · Sep 7, 2001, 12:45 PM

Actually, ATI had at 3 different cards for Mac based on the Rage128 chipset - Orion, VR 128, and Nexus128.

If I recall correctly, the Orion and VR were 16mb cards and the Nexus128 was 32mb....browsing ATI's website would probably confirm this.

I currently have a Nexus128 driving my second monitor...works like a charm....

bluedog · Sep 7, 2001, 01:12 PM

Thanks for the clarification, I had forgotten about the 128VR and the Nexus (which was too expensive at the time I bought mine). These were really excellent cards at the time and still perform admirably.

Aykew · Sep 9, 2001, 01:13 AM

Just because they don't plan on supporting the Rage Pro doesn't neccesarily mean it won't work; check out Apple's Mac OS X Compatability Chart. It says the beige G3 should work (even the artemis model); if the video card was incompatible, you'd think they'd let you know.

I'd go ahead and try out Mac OS X (you can always boot into 9 if X turns out not to be functional). If you're satisfied with the performance, just stick to the card you've got.

PS- Check out this article. Deanna Perkins (ATI's mac product manager) says "ATI users can expect to have Mac OS X support for Rage Pro and up graphics cards." Hope this helps!

audiffred · Sep 17, 2001, 08:13 PM

Thanks, Aykew. I should have been more clear. I was speaking of drivers for the Rage Pro that support hardware acceleration. OS X works fine on my G3 300, but the speed is unusable. From the article you pointed at, better driver support looks like it may be in the cards.

Dr. Wahnsinn · Sep 18, 2001, 03:06 AM

Greetings,
That article about Rage Pro driver support is over 10 months old. Rage Pro support might never happen.
I have a 233MHz G3 desktop and I did notice a speed improvment when I installed an ATI Nexus 128 card. The system is still slow but the graphics are much faster.
Still, the 233MHz G3/OS X combination is unusable for QuickTime movies.
Where to get one? Before I got the Nexus, I had located (using Sherlock) a retailer in Oregon that had "Apple Rage Pro" cards advertised. I don't remember the price and I no longer have the link.
A few days ago, there was also a guy in one of the forums who had a clone that he wanted to sell. He had inquired about value and whether to part out the system. The clone had a Rage Pro. Maybe you can contact him and ask if you can buy the card.
Good luck.