G4 (sawtooth) graphic cards

[Retroman]

I have just recently upgraded my G4 450MHz (sawtooth) with a Sonnet Encore 1.8Ghz processor and installed Leopard. I still have the original graphics card in it (ATI Rage 128 Pro) so Leopard is still a bit sluggish.

I want to put a better graphics card in it (AGP 2x/4X) to improve performance. Can anyone recommend a graphics card and where I might get one?

 

[ealex79]

The only thing I now is that the AGP Swatooth has an AGP 2x slot, so newer cards will not fit to it.

GeForce Ti's, and ATI Radeon 7000 should fit, as I read at least.

 

[equill]

If you go looking for a Radeon 7000 PCI Mac Edition, get one with not just VGA out but also DVI-I and S-Video out, with also 32MB of RAM. This will give you the opportunity to drive a DVI LCD Display if the mood ever takes you. I recently got a pair of such cards (USD20 each) for Beige PCI Macs from the eBay seller tangaishi.

de

 

[Bunsen]

An AGP Radeon 7000 (and then possibly an OS re-install) would switch on Quartz Extreme

In Mac OS X 10.2 and later, Quartz Compositor uses the processors (GPUs) on supported graphics cards to vastly improve composition performance. This technology is known as Quartz Extreme, and is enabled automatically on systems with supported graphics cards.

A PCI 7000 will only let you do this through an unsupported hack, with debatable results.
However any of the following cards will support Core Image, which would be both faster and shinier:

* ATI Radeon 9550, 9600, 9650, 9600 XT, 9600 Pro, 9700 Pro, 9800 XT, and 9800 Pro* ATI Radeon X600 XT, X600 Pro, X800 XT, X850 XT, X1600, X1900 XT

* NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, 6600, 6600 LE, 6800 Ultra DDL, and 6800 GT DDL

* NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT, 7600 GT, and 7800 GT

* NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500

Any GPU capable of handling Core Image instructions is also Quartz Extreme capable. The requirements for Core Image are greater than those of Quartz Extreme.

 

[MacJunky]

I was just about to say what bunson just said(before the power just went out very unexpectedly on this clear sunny day -_- )

He is right though, a PCI Radeon 7000 is not worth it in a Sawtooth, only use them in B&W, Beige G3 or older. But an original Radeon (aka 7200) would still whup it's backside in games though.

Since the Sawtooth only has 2x AGP your best card is a Radeon 9800 and if you like to do any gaming it would be what you want to go for. If all you want is Mac OS X's GUI to run smoothly then I suppose a GeForce FX 5200 would do.

Just do not use a Radeon 7000 PCI in a Sawtooth unless it is for a second display with the primary being on an AGP card.

On a side note, I never got PCIExtreme to work on my Sawtooth with PCI Radeon 7000 so don't get your hopes up.

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/compatibility

 

[Retroman]

Thanks for your help I will keep and eye on ebay for any of the above cards unless anyone knows where I can get any new ones

 

[madmax_2069]

I had good success with PCIExtreme on my Beige G3 with a Radeon 7000 in it. it actually helped allot more then hurt performance and i had the numbers to back it up as well MacJunky can even back me up. but its not the same with All Macs. allot of them will have performance issues when its enabled and very few wont.

 

[Bunsen]

If you want to use your PCI bus for anything else time critical (like a multi channel sound recorder) I've heard it's not advisable, as it chokes the bus.

 

[xypex982]

I pulled a PCI radeon 7000 32mb out of a beige g3 to put in my sawtooth, it still would be better than the stock rage 128 pro AGP right?

 

[Christopher]

I did the hack and now OS X KP's at startup.

 

[Retroman]

I have not had much look with a card yet I have bought 2 of ebay an had to send them back because they did not work one was Nvidia GeForce 6200 DVI 256Mb AGP x2-8 Power Mac G4/G5 and was told that it was because

I have upgraded my CPU with the Sonnet/Encore/ST G4 1.8Ghz. and the other was

a ATI Radeon 9800 Pro now whether it was the same problem or the card did just not work I don't know but it would not work.

as anybody got a definitive answer as to what will work in my Mac.

 

[Bunsen]

Was the 9800 a Mac version?

PCI radeon 7000 / still would be better than the stock rage 128 pro AGP, right?

Yes

 

[Rodus]

Geforce FX5200 should work too. Hardly a great card but miles better then the 128.

 

[coius]

I just got a Geforce4 MX 64MB AGP Card and Leopard runs great on it! Although there is no Core Image, but who cares?!?!

I am running Leopard on this puppy with a Dual 450MHz CPU, and 512MB RAM and it's pretty snappy.

The Geforce4 MX Cost me like $20+$10 shipping (stupid stingy ebay sellers...)

 

[madmax_2069]

you could flash a PC 6200 AGP for that thing. a AGP Geforce 6200 (has to be the wang version) would work better then a 7000 PCI or AGP, or you could use a Radeon 9800 Pro in it as well. i think those are the Max cards you can use in them since its AGP 2x

normally any Apple card (even if its a flashed PC card) will command a premium price for it, thats why i said to buy a PC model and flash it yourself since the cards for PC can be had for under $50 in most cases, but you do have to have a PC with a AGP 2x slot in it with a secondary PCI card to be able to flash one. or you can try it blind.

all the info and card roms and compatible cards are on theMacelite wiki

 

[Retroman]

to Bunsen: yes it was a Mac version ( but could have been duff )

to Rodus and Coius: I have been told because my G4 AGP is no longer stock ie upgraded that no Geoforce cards will work because of power issues is this true ?

also Macupgrades (where I got the CPU ) told me the only one that will fit is in the PCI slot ATI Radeon 9200 PCI 128MB Graphics Card is this True?

All I want is a better card than the stock 128 to improve performace with Leopard. ie Core graphics.

 

[Rodus]

I haven't heard that and would doubt it's correct (maybe someone else can correct me here). IIRC the 5200's were 8x AGP so you'd have to tape a couple of the connectors which is hardly a major trial but the power draw shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Retroman]

just as an example would this card work

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RADEON-GRAPHICS-128MB-CARD-9800-PRO-MAC-EDITION-AGP4X_W0QQitemZ220271815184QQihZ012QQcategoryZ3762QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Rodus]

According to this. Yes [] ]'>