[goose]

I was able to get a hold of the OEM ATI Radeon AGP card (the one that came with the AGP G4 towers or gigabit, whatever those models where called -- was in a dual 500). Hooked this up to a dual 1.25.

I was hoping to get a dual monitor set up (without mirrored screens) with this card, but it doesn't seem to work. I went to the display system preferences, but can't seem to find anything to enable this. Am I missing something? Is there a way to get it working? Right now it's just mirroring the two screens.

Thanks.

[a2daj]

What card is it replacing? If your system is a 1.25 GHz MDD G4 system then it should have come with either a Radeon 9000 Pro or GF4MX, both of which are better than the original Radeon AGP card and can support dual displays with extended desktop. I didn't think the original Radeon AGP even supported dual displays. I thought the Radeon 7000 and 7500 were the first Mac Radeon cards to support dual displays.

Typically, to go from mirrored displays to extended desktop, you open up Displays, click the Arrangement tab (I think that's what it's called) then drag the displays apart.

[Cadaver]

The original Radeon (PCI or AGP) does not support two displays (extended desktop).

The first Apple-supplied card to do it was the GeForce 2MX Twin View, which came out with the first of the Quicksilvers. Sometime after this, Apple switched to a 2MX variant that all support two displays. So note that not all GeForce 2MXs will support two displays (same way on the PC, by the way). All the newer ones will, but the first of them do not. If you choose to buy one, verify its dual-display capability first.

I believe all GeForce 4MX versions do support dual displays. The 64MB Apple GeForce 3 does not, BTW. The 128MB GeForce 4 Ti does.

The Apple-supplied Radeon 7500 and 9000 (and up, of course) will support dual displays, as will the PCI Radeon 7000 and 9200, and Radeon 8500 AGP.

Unless you're going to add a Radeon 9800, which is probably overkill in most G4 systems, the best card for a G4 is probably the GeForce 4 Ti.

[goose]

Originally posted by a2daj:
What card is it replacing? If your system is a 1.25 GHz MDD G4 system then it should have come with either a Radeon 9000 Pro or GF4MX, both of which are better than the original Radeon AGP card and can support dual displays with extended desktop. I didn't think the original Radeon AGP even supported dual displays. I thought the Radeon 7000 and 7500 were the first Mac Radeon cards to support dual displays.

Typically, to go from mirrored displays to extended desktop, you open up Displays, click the Arrangement tab (I think that's what it's called) then drag the displays apart.

Well, the Radeon 9000 that came with the Mac fried. It's hard to find a video card for the Mac that doesn't run $300+.

[goose]

Originally posted by Cadaver:
The original Radeon (PCI or AGP) does not support two displays (extended desktop).

The first Apple-supplied card to do it was the GeForce 2MX Twin View, which came out with the first of the Quicksilvers. Sometime after this, Apple switched to a 2MX variant that all support two displays. So note that not all GeForce 2MXs will support two displays (same way on the PC, by the way). All the newer ones will, but the first of them do not. If you choose to buy one, verify its dual-display capability first.

I believe all GeForce 4MX versions do support dual displays. The 64MB Apple GeForce 3 does not, BTW. The 128MB GeForce 4 Ti does.

The Apple-supplied Radeon 7500 and 9000 (and up, of course) will support dual displays, as will the PCI Radeon 7000 and 9200, and Radeon 8500 AGP.

Unless you're going to add a Radeon 9800, which is probably overkill in most G4 systems, the best card for a G4 is probably the GeForce 4 Ti.

Thanks for the info. Shucks, I guess no dual monitor hookup with that video card . I guess there's no purchasing of the GeForce cards for the Mac from the retail chain? I can't seem to find any unless I'm just blind.

Thanks again.

[Cadaver]

Originally posted by goose:
Thanks for the info. Shucks, I guess no dual monitor hookup with that video card . I guess there's no purchasing of the GeForce cards for the Mac from the retail chain? I can't seem to find any unless I'm just blind.

Thanks again.

No one has made an nvidia card for the Mac to be sold at retail. Unlike ATI, nvidia does not distribute their own video cards. Other manufacturers (like PNY, VisionTec, etc) make their own cards with nvidia chips on them (but typically based on an nvidia reference design).

For Apple-produced nvidia cards, best to check eBay (as they're no longer manufactured for Macs, with the exception of the nvidia GeForce FX5200 that's in the G5s).

FYI, Apple contracted VisionTec to make their nvidia GeForce 2MX, 4MX, 3 and 4Ti, IIRC, based on a minimally-modified nvidia reference design. Not sure who's making the FX5200 for Apple currently; I think VisionTec went chapter 11 last year.

OWC has the ATI Radeon 9000 128MB AGP for the Mac with DVI and ADC here for $159.

[goose]

Thanks for the info. Too bad about nvidia's cards. I kinda like them. Got one in my gaming machine and it's pretty awesome.

I did end up purchaing a 9000. Went to ecost.com (found it when I did a search on shopper.com).

Thanks!