[Zubir]

hello, all. i just bought a used powermac G4/533 DA. i have an original radeon 9700 pro laying around, and i've read that it's possible to flash this card to a mac version. i'd appreciate it if someone could send me a link to where i can download the firmware, and instructions on flashing it. thanks.

[veryniceguy2002]

Originally posted by Zubir:
hello, all. i just bought a used powermac G4/533 DA. i have an original radeon 9700 pro laying around, and i've read that it's possible to flash this card to a mac version. i'd appreciate it if someone could send me a link to where i can download the firmware, and instructions on flashing it. thanks.

You mean flashing a PC version of Radeon 7000 card so that it works on a Mac, right?

Here is the article from AppleTalk.

Good luck!

[Zubir]

hmm, no i meant the 9700. from what i've read, it can be done with the 9700 without modifying the rom chip, like the you have to do with the 9800.

[Peter]

as far as I know, there is no 9700 for Mac.

[Zubir]

there was one, but it was discontinued after the 9600 was released, as was the pc version.

[bradoesch]

Originally posted by Zubir:
hmm, no i meant the 9700. from what i've read, it can be done with the 9700 without modifying the rom chip, like the you have to do with the 9800.

AFAIK, flashing video cards means rewriting the PC data of the ROM chip to Mac data. What else would you be doing if you're leaving the ROM chip alone? You can't just install the drivers on OS X and expect it to work.

[Zubir]

with the 9800, you have to resolder some of the connections around the rom chip. with the 9700, all you have to do is reflash it. sorry i didn't make myself clearer.

[Amacapart]

Little known secret: 9700 is actually a GREAT card for Mac.

Sadly, flashing it is actually MORE difficult than 9800. 9800 Can use a reduced ROM, 9700 can NOT, at least not as currently written.

9700 requires EXACT same resistor move as 9800 and potentially a ROM chip switch as well. But, if you can do the resistors, ROM chip should be easy.

Pros:

1. Cheaper than 9800.
2. Doesn't HAVE to have power connection. *
3. Core graphics compatable
4. Pixel shaders (compare 8500 with Halo, 8500 looks muddy & much, much slower)
5. Nearly same speed as 9800
6. Faster than a 9600, twice the rendering pipelines and bus width.
7. 8 X AGP in a G5

Cons:

1. No reduced ROM, more difficult flash than 9800
2. S-Video out doesn't work. (wasn't on original Mac card)
3. 2X AGP is iffy.
4. Possible to toast card if soldering botched.

I have done 2 9700's. One is on original 9500 style PCB, the other on larger 9800 style PCB. Smaller card won't run in Cube. Much like many of the Small black Saphire 9800's the 9700 starts OK then breaks into black & white rectangles. Half of the 9800's I have done for Cubes were like this. Would work fine in my Quiksilver, no bueno in Cube. Larger 9700 worked fine in Cube, but case wouldn't close then.

So, small 9700 may or may not work in Cube/Sawtooth. "hpence" at Cubeowner got one that did work. Hit or miss.

* Power not required. : Well, original Mac 9700 didn't have external power, all from 4X AGP Bus. So, ROM doesn't look for outside connection like 9800 ROM does. I have run either 9700 in my quiksilver for HOURS without power connected to card, playing "Halo" and "Call of Duty". It's fine. Again, earlier AGP didn't carry nearly the same current, perhaps why 2X is iffy. Also, original 9700 was meant for MDD only, never for anything with 2X.

So, if you have some soldering skills, a great deal. For the same $135 you'd pay for a tired 8500 flashed from Ebay, you can have (nearly) the latest, greatest on your G4 or G5.

[freebasen]

Does this card need a specific ROM or are you guys using the ROM from another card? Google does not bring anything up for the 9700 specifically. Thanks.

[Amacapart]

Oh, I don't know, perhaps a look at the FAQ section at Cubeowner?

Hopefully you read and understand my above post. Using the reduced ROM doesn't work well on this card because it is not included in Apple NDRV whereas 9800 is.

It will boot but:

1. Screen is darker than it should be.
2. Res choices can get screwy, especially if you switch OS's.
3. Will leave little square artifacts hither & yon.

The above applies only with the reduced ROM. If you can solder per the "camper hunter" 9800 page, you will be fine. If you can't, do the 9800 with the reduced ROM, it works much better.

[macgfx]

Should be able to use the 64k rom without trouble by adding the NDRV to the runtime driver.