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mediahound · Dec 2, 2007, 11:31 AM

I have a G5 (dual 2.3Ghz) and would like to run a 30" monitor. What video card should I get that will run it? The one that came with my G5 is not compatible with a 30" monitor as I understand I need a dual link DVI card that supports 2560x1600. But frankly I'm confused as to which one will work in my G5.

Any suggestions?

ChrisB · Dec 2, 2007, 11:47 AM

What model G5 do you have?

mediahound · Dec 2, 2007, 11:52 AM

Dual 2.3Ghz as mentioned in my first post.

angelmb · Dec 2, 2007, 12:03 PM

While Apple site states than a NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 or by installing an additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 card is required to be able to run the 30" display, it is clear than if your Dual 2.3 is an AGP model you could just buy this ATI Radeon PC&Mac Edition and use the 30" with no issues whatsoever…

ATI RADEON 9600 PRO AGP 4X/8X 256MB Dual DV... (100-435065) at OWC

ChrisB · Dec 2, 2007, 12:12 PM

I agree on the card choice. I've purchased two of those cards, and it's a great card.

mediahound · Dec 2, 2007, 12:14 PM

Thanks for the input!

Is it easy to replace the AGP card that came with the G5? I just phoned my local Apple Store and the guy said he recommends doing a PCI card, I don't really know why, maybe he didn't want me to take out the AGP card?

Cadaver · Dec 2, 2007, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by mediahound

Thanks for the input!

Is it easy to replace the AGP card that came with the G5? I just phoned my local Apple Store and the guy said he recommends doing a PCI card, I don't really know why, maybe he didn't want me to take out the AGP card?

The Apple store guy is confused. There is no PCI video card for the Mac that will run a 30" display.

Swapping an AGP card is pretty easy.

However, didn't the G5 2.3's use PCI express, and not AGP. Can't remember.

mediahound · Dec 2, 2007, 12:35 PM

When I go to System Profiler, this is what I see. It looks like I do have AGP. Too bad it's not already the ATI 9600 Pro card mentioned above!

ATI Radeon 9600:

Chipset Model: ATY,RV351
Type: Display
Bus: AGP
Slot: SLOT-1
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x4150
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-A58504-113
Displays:
Cinema HD Display:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Depth: 32-bit Color
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Rotation: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

angelmb · Dec 3, 2007, 04:29 PM

Yes, there were two iterations of the Power Mac G5 running at 2.3 GHz, the first of them had a Dual CPU still had AGP Graphics while the later model had a dual core CPU running at the same 2.3 GHz, but I think those dual core G5 came with nVidia GPUs exclusively featured PCI Express as graphics bus.

The thing is that ATY, RV351 would, in theory, mean Radeon 9650 which is dual link, hence able to run a 30 Cinema Display, but since yours is 128 MB it is definitely a Radeon 9600 which lacks the dual link feature. A pity.

Originally Posted by mediahound

When I go to System Profiler, this is what I see. It looks like I do have AGP. Too bad it's not already the ATI 9600 Pro card mentioned above!

ATI Radeon 9600:
Chipset Model: ATY,RV351
Type: Display
Bus: AGP
Slot: SLOT-1
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x4150
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-A58504-113
Displays:
Cinema HD Display:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Depth: 32-bit Color
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Rotation: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

mediahound · Dec 4, 2007, 11:15 AM

So I guess this card will do the trick for me (mentioned above)?

ATI RADEON 9600 PRO AGP 4X/8X 256MB Dual DV... (100-435065) at OWC

Kenneth · Dec 4, 2007, 01:08 PM

I didn't know that card runs on AGP 4X and 8X. Anyway, I have one available for sale, 256MB Radeon 9600 Pro Mac+PC edition.

mediahound · Dec 4, 2007, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Kenneth

I didn't know that card runs on AGP 4X and 8X.

Yes, I believe it does as that's what the above URL states.

angelmb · Dec 4, 2007, 02:56 PM

Sure, the Radeon 9600 Mac+PC Edition is going to let you run the 30 inches Apple Display. While ATI says it is AGP8x & 4x compatible, I think -like Kenneth suspects- it is really a 4x AGP card. Even so I don't think that is going to penalize your G5 8x AGP port if you don't run heavy stuff like Motion.

If I haven't got an ADC display two weeks ago I would be really interested on that card. What a pity… you don't find it here in Spain 'that easy'.

Kenneth · Dec 4, 2007, 06:59 PM

Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I purchased the R9600 Pro card, I totally ignored the support for G5 (AGP 8X) since I had a MDD G4 (AGP 4X).

Now, I know. =) Too bad, I'm selling my MDD G4.

angelmb · Dec 5, 2007, 10:08 AM

I wonder… how much would you ask for the 9600 PC/Mac Edition, Kenneth? and since you are selling your MDD I guess you are not interested on a trade, right? (I have an AlchemyTV DVR I no longer use and while I am in Europe the card is a rev.b which is PAL/SECAM/NTSC capable, (it is the one with the cable-like tv signal connector), just testing the waters really

xe0 · Dec 9, 2007, 08:51 AM

We Mac users really need the 8800 line of cards to become available soon. My Dual 30" setup at work, is desperate need of something more powerful than the current X1900.

An 8800GTX would be welcome