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Jacob · Sep 29, 2005, 07:39 PM

This has long been a question that has been floating in my mind. Can one purchase an AGP video card and throw it in a Powermac G4/G5 (assuming they have Mac OS X installed) and have it work? What I mean is...do you HAVE to purchase Apple Certified or branded video cards? Or can you simple purchase any ol' video card...(let's say an Nvidia 6800 or ATI X800) and have it work?

Jacob · Sep 30, 2005, 12:42 AM

Anyone? Does nobody know?

dave49er · Sep 30, 2005, 12:54 AM

There are a few nVidia or ATI video cards that can be flashed to work in the Mac. Most have some slight functionality problems, though, such as video artifacts when coming out of sleep mode. The cards for the Mac and PC are generally not the EXACT same physically.

OogaBooga · Sep 30, 2005, 01:11 AM

The answer is No.

Mac cards and PC cards are pretty much identical hardware-wise, but their ROM is totally different -- since they're used on two different architectures.

voo · Sep 30, 2005, 05:41 AM

Thing is though, look at a Mac edition graphics card then look at a PC type graphics card. The Mac versions has no power connector on the board as a PC one does weither it be a 4 pin molex or a PCI-E 6 pin connector.

Perhaps thats another reason why theres problems like dave49er mentioned.

Thade · Sep 30, 2005, 09:34 AM

There really isn't a right or wrong answer. It depends on what card you are inrested in & how much research/effort you want to put into it. Thankfully, folks like the crew over at stangedogs.com have done most of the heavy lifting. I have a flashed PC 6800 GT in my G5 right now, flashed 9800 Pro in my G4, had a flashed FX5200 in my cube.

If you want an out of the box solution, stick to Mac cards.

Dzokayi · Sep 30, 2005, 11:09 AM

Thade, I've heard rumblings that the Nvidia Geforce 7800 will also work in the Mac. Can you shed any light?

Thade · Sep 30, 2005, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dzokayi

Thade, I've heard rumblings that the Nvidia Geforce 7800 will also work in the Mac. Can you shed any light?

No idea

I don't even know if the Mac card has been released yet

voo · Sep 30, 2005, 12:36 PM

It won't be since the G5 is AGP and all the 7800's are PCI-E and that NVIDIA has dropped AGP and won't be continuing it. Their last cards for both platforms for AGP is the 6800 series.

Leonard · Sep 30, 2005, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Dzokayi

Thade, I've heard rumblings that the Nvidia Geforce 7800 will also work in the Mac. Can you shed any light?

The Nvidia Geforce 7800 chip supports the Mac, but there is no card currently made for the Mac. My guess is there are also no drivers for the 7800 for the Mac.

Jacob · Oct 2, 2005, 02:33 AM

Nice to hear that you CAN actually flash them and have some functionality. I'm interested, however...how this will change when Mac OS X runs natively on the x86 architecture this coming year..

Cadaver · Oct 2, 2005, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Jacob

Nice to hear that you CAN actually flash them and have some functionality. I'm interested, however...how this will change when Mac OS X runs natively on the x86 architecture this coming year..

Its entirely possible that the Intel-based Macs will use PCI-express cards, dropping AGP entirely. Its doubtful we'll know until their release is much closer. Don't buy a card at this point with the intention of using it in an as-yet unreleased Mac, especially one built on a completely new architecture.

AFAIK, the only PC cards that have been (easily) successfully flashed to run on the Mac are obsolete GeForce MX cards, certain GeForce 4 Ti cards (which may not even be made anymore), and the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. Its been reported that some ATI Fire GL boards have been flashed to Mac-compatible Radeon X800's, but the Fire GL cards cost far more than a retail X800XT Mac-edition anyway. I've not heard of any PC GeForce 6800-based cards being flashed to run on a Mac.

Bottom line is: Buy a card that is specifically designed to run in a Mac - either the retail ATI Mac-Edition cards (some are G5 compatible only) or the Apple-branded GeForce 6800 DDL cards (G5 only).

luke · Oct 2, 2005, 01:43 PM

I hope that it would work...
yesterday I was at CompUSA and the Mac "expert" said I could throw most AGP graphics cards in my PowerMac G4 (AGP Graphics) and it would work perfectly plug-and-play.

I didn't believe him, but I ended up buying an ATI Radeon 9550.

I threw it in and I got the Apple chime, so I know it's okay, but I haven't been able to use it because of a different problem (the power supply is messed up). I'll be able to try it on a different monitor but that only works a few times before it won't work with that monitor. (I only bought a video card because I thought it was a video card problem, but it turned out to be a power supply problem.)

inkhead · Oct 2, 2005, 02:06 PM

With the coming x86 architecture, Apple plans to support all PC graphics cards. This was discussed on an Apple Dev mailing list. Meaning no more PC-Mac cards, just video cards ;-)

Thade · Oct 3, 2005, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

AFAIK, the only PC cards that have been (easily) successfully flashed to run on the Mac are obsolete GeForce MX cards, certain GeForce 4 Ti cards (which may not even be made anymore), and the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. Its been reported that some ATI Fire GL boards have been flashed to Mac-compatible Radeon X800's, but the Fire GL cards cost far more than a retail X800XT Mac-edition anyway. I've not heard of any PC GeForce 6800-based cards being flashed to run on a Mac.).

That's kind of misleading. I just mentioned earlier in the thread that I have a flashed 6800GT in my G5. Flashing these cards isn't wildly popular because they are still pricey but so far, everyone I know who has tried it has succeeded.

It's not necessarily true that only obsolete cards are being "modified". It's more of an indication that this has been going on for a long time. The 9800 Pro is still a respectable card & can be had for under $150.00 (PC version) and it destroys the Mac/PC 9600.

Granted, flashing video cards isn't for everyone but it is an alternative to overpriced Mac cards.

Jeff

Cadaver · Oct 3, 2005, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by luke

I hope that it would work...
yesterday I was at CompUSA and the Mac "expert" said I could throw most AGP graphics cards in my PowerMac G4 (AGP Graphics) and it would work perfectly plug-and-play.

I didn't believe him, but I ended up buying an ATI Radeon 9550.

I threw it in and I got the Apple chime, so I know it's okay, but I haven't been able to use it because of a different problem (the power supply is messed up). I'll be able to try it on a different monitor but that only works a few times before it won't work with that monitor. (I only bought a video card because I thought it was a video card problem, but it turned out to be a power supply problem.)

He's wrong. I wish it were true, but you cannot just buy any PC AGP card and have it work in a Mac.

Cadaver · Oct 3, 2005, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Thade

That's kind of misleading. I just mentioned earlier in the thread that I have a flashed 6800GT in my G5. Flashing these cards isn't wildly popular because they are still pricey but so far, everyone I know who has tried it has succeeded.

Yes, sorry. I didn't see your post. I hadn't heard about easy success with 6800 parts. Radeon 9800 Pros, yes. Occasional FX5200s, yes.

But in general, for people not up to some major tinkering, the answer is still no (as you say).

luke · Oct 4, 2005, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

He's wrong. I wish it were true, but you cannot just buy any PC AGP card and have it work in a Mac.

Would a Radeon 9550 work in a G4 though?

I haven't been able to test it due to a different problem.

Lateralus · Oct 4, 2005, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by luke

Would a Radeon 9550 work in a G4 though?

No.