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Looking at a 6100...is this really a correct video card?

E

EvieSigma

Young ThinkPad Apprentice
68020
I found a really cheap 6100/60 on eBay I decided to snap up, but it's missing its original A/V card. I found a video card (because I want the extra VRAM and I don't want to use the awful and weird monitor connector) that says it's for the 6100, but I just want to make sure...will this work in a 6100 without needing some kind of adapter first? That certainly doesn't look like a Nubus or a PDS connector...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-1MB-Video-Card-for-Macintosh-Powermac-6100-7100-8100-/111945930229?hash=item1a107f55f5:g:vbsAAOSwzhVWrNeU

And if it does need an adapter, what adapter does it need?

 
Looks like the seller has a photo of it working plugged in to a 6100, but it sticks up out of the case.  You'd need the little riser card that lets the card sit sideways to be able to put the lid on the case, which I'm guessing you'd like to do :)

 
I figured there was something missing from the package...finding that riser card is probably going to be a pain.

But I've had no luck so far finding the original A/V card the 6100AV came with either. I'm guessing it's not the same as the 660AV one, because Apple totally would make them different just for fun.

 
What you have there is the HPV card.

In the 6100, the audio/video in and out and the HPV card are, if I'm remembering correctly, mutually exclusive.

There is another AV card, which might also have a different GPU for using a display without hitting the HDI45 port, or for using dual heads: http://www.kan.org/6100/av.html

If you are just looking for a better monitor port, HPV card is probably a better actual card to use, because Kan says it's much faster than the AV card, and the AV components are basically useless anyway.

It won't be a bad idea to pick up one of the HDI45 adapters anyway, and to be honest if you can find an audiovision 14 monitor, get it because they look and sound just absolutely gorgeous. I used one with my 840 most of the time.

 
I haven't been able to find one of the HDI45 adapters either. For now, unless my search for the riser card is a complete failure, I'm going to focus on getting the riser card, that video card, and some VRAM SIMMs to bring it up to 2MB of VRAM.

I'd rather not buy any CRTs that aren't built into AIO Macs, though. :p

 
Oh, so that's the A/V card!

That riser lets me use Nubus cards, is there a good Nubus card that fits the 6100?

 
The high density connector on the back is probably for the breakout cable of a DOS card. Google the apple part number.

edit: any (7 inch?) NuBus Card will work in the 6100 NuBus Adapter, but that's probably not the way you want to go. Unless you're going to be driving a large resolution at high color depth, NuBus isn't for you. NuBus is a significant bottleneck as compared to PDS solutions. If you want fast redraws for playing games or only want to use resolutions up to about 16" you definitely don't want to use a NuBus VidCard.

As said above, the A/V card is pretty much useless. The HPV card isn't very (HP) but the 1/2MB version is the best game in town unless you luck into the 2/4MB version which, IIRC, will drive a 1600x1200x24bit screen at a decent clip.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
In addition, with the DOS card, you must find a way to use the onboard video. So, you'll be using an HDI45 to DB15 adapter *and* the totally unwieldy DOS cable rig.

With Trash80ToHP_Mini talking about PowerBooks that won't back up to the wall.... those have nothing on a 6100 with the DOS card.

Also, if the 2/4 meg HPV cards do drive such a big display that's definitely worth looking into either for use with a big beige PC monitor, or a big LCD display. (Either at 1280x1024 or 1600x1200.)

 
A G-3 upgrade card makes the very best of riser cards for the 6100, your HPV would plug directly into its connector as on the passive riser board.

I've got several G-3 cards in the "to sell off someday" boxen, but they're the taller variety for the 7100/8100 form factors. Now that makes for yet another bucket of nasty worms when it comes to using the HPV on a cable hookup under acceleration.

Any VidCard with 4MB of VRAM on board will/should drive a 1600 x 1200 x 24bit display. 4MB is plenty of VRAM for that. According to trag, some of the 8100s came with the big boy with DA-15 and HDI-15 connectors.  He told me to watch for the version with only the HD-15, it shipped with some clones and is easier to identify in auctions. Patience paid off, the tricked out Radius 81/110/G3 will have the Radius Thunder IV GX/1600 AND the 2/4MB HPV driving 1600 x 1200 x 24bit displays! [:)] ]'>

 
itsvince725 said:
http://www.welovemacs.com/8200510a.html

What exactly is this video card? Is it any good? Someone wants to sell one to me with the riser card.
Click to expand...
Depending on what they're asking it might be worth buying to get the right-angle adapter, which you'll need for the HPV card.

The AV card and HPV cards used a dumb RA adapter in the 6100. The Nubus adapter is a different animal with PDS to Nubus circuitry on board and the RA adapter for the DOS card is yet a different beast. If you add the already mentioned G3 upgrades for the 6100, there are four types of right angle adapters two of whiich work with the HPV card and the AV card.

 
Isn't the connector for the DOS card like the Quadra PDS, not the edge card card type for the HPV/AV? I think that riser's got a bunch of active circuitry as well. IIRC the DOS Card is the same as for the '040 PDS?

Dunno, I'm tired and I've had four egg nogs. :blink:

 
Yes, which means that the 6100 DOS card also works in any Mac with an 040 PDS slot. It just doesn't fit in them properly.

 
I'm not sure if I want to go with the accelerator, this 6100 is in kinda rough shape...but I might have to because I'm not finding the riser card otherwise.

At least I could put it in a nicer 6100 later if I acquire one.

 
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