Using the Macintosh Display Card 8●24GC in a Quadra 700

[LOOM]

Is it possible to use this graphic card for a second monitor in System 7.6? For a dual monitor setup...

The sources I've found state that it supports System 7.0 and later, but no one mention 7.6. One source say you can't enable the accelerator, but can I still hook up another monitor to it?

What's the difference with/without the accelerator?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

The accelerator doesn't matter in your case, unless you're planning on doing heavy graphics work on a Quadra 700. I can't imagine a situation where you can't run it as a second monitor, as a non-QuickDraw accelerated display, when it will run at all.

7.6 could your real problem with this card, the LEM info states that it won't run under 7.5 at all unless the Mac is in 24bit addressing mode. Do Quadras even do 24bit mode?

Interesting tidbit about that PPC upgrade card, BTW. Are you planning on running one of those? Did they make them for the 700?

 

[beachycove]

Thet thar Q700 has a standard 040pds, meaning it can accept the Apple ppc upgrade card (601@66mhz) or the faster Daystar version (which I think also made the 'Apple' card).

What I'd really like for the several machines here with 040 pds slots is a simple cache card. They seem to be really rare; 601 upgrades, otoh, are fairly commonplace.

 

[LOOM]

That's also something I'm a bit confused about, because it says "Its driver software (which is required to enable acceleration) is compatible with System 6 (driver version 1.0) and System 7.0-7.1 (driver version 7.0.1), but will not run under System 7.5 unless the Mac is in 24-bit addressing mode" (they also mention the PPC card+ATI drivers possibility). So does that mean the card won't work at all in 7.6 without 24-bit mode, or is this only for enabling acceleration in 7.5?

This is a upgrade card for the Quadras, not sure if it's PPC tho. No, I'm not planning on doing it that way I think..

 

[mac2geezer]

I have an 8*24GC card, driver version 7.0.1, in my IIfx running 7.6.1. According to TattleTech the IIfx is booted in 32 bit mode, and the 8*24GC works fine, though I can't tell you if acceleration is working.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

The GC won't work with an '040. (Believe me, I've tried. The driver will X itself out.) Installed in an '040 system, it essentially becomes an 8*24 with no acceleration, and Q700 internal video is faster than that!

 

[LOOM]

Ok, but is it possible to hook up a second monitor? Even if the acceleration doesn't work? Without drivers? In 7.6.1.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I'll go back to my original answer: it doesn't sound like it.

It won't even run on 7.5 unless under 24 bit Addressing Mode and even if you could get it to do so, you wouldn't want to step the Q700 down from 32bit to 24 bit mode, that's like running a II/IIx/IIcx or SE/30 with dirty ROMs before Mode32 was released.

You might get it to barely work, without acceleration, on a 68040 under 7.0.1 or 7.1, but not anything over that according to the LEM info.

 

[Gorgonops]

I'll go back to my original answer: it doesn't sound like it.

Actually, looking at the information it pretty much looks to me like it will work *without accelleration* if you don't try to force the driver software to work. (ClassicHasClass says it will work unaccellerated in a Quadra. As does another page on LEM.)

The benchmarking says the card is less than twice as fast with the accelleration enabled vs. disabled, so it's not as if the card is light-years faster with it enabled. (The Quadra's built-in video is faster than *most* compatible video cards because even though it's just a simple framebuffer it's on a considerably faster bus than NuBus.) So if the reason for installing the card is to just get more screen real estate for palettes/menus/whatever it should work fine. Just play your video games on the built-in video.

I sort of doubt there's any risk in just plugging the sucker in and trying it, as long as you're sure the card doesn't have any electrical problems.

 

[Unknown_K]

The 8.24GC should be saved for 020/030 machines. If you just want it for a second monitor then go ahead and use it in the Q700.

 

[LOOM]

I will try it out, but I can't before new year.

I'm aware it's for 020/030 machines, and that's too bad because it's a very good card. I would love to have it fully functioning. Maybe I'll trade it for a radius or something if it's not working as it should, it's too good to be collecting dust I think. :quadra:

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I'm reading the LEM Information as it not working at all under 7.5. It can also be read as just the accelerator drivers don't work under 7.5.

Dunno, test the freakin' thing! )

 

[ClassicHasClass]

The driver will go weird under 7.5 (garbage screen updates), and will probably not work at all in 7.6+. It does not work at at all in an '040, or an '030 with an '040 upgrade. (I should also add that the ATI Graphics Accelerator extension works with this card in NuBus Power Macs, though HPV video is still faster.)

However, the card does not need the extension to work, only for acceleration. If you install the card and no extension, it just acts like an 8*24.

If you wanted to use this as a second card in your Q700, fine, but that's really a waste of a card that an '030 or earlier can really benefit from as Q700 video is plenty fast. I'd find a garden variety 8*24 or other 24-bit card and give the GC to a machine that needs it.

 

[James1095]

Why would you want to use that card if not for the acceleration? There are plenty of older machines out there that can take advantage of the special features, otherwise you might as well use one of the common cheap non-accelerated cards IMHO.

 

[Gorgonops]

Example:

There are plenty of older machines out there that can take advantage of the special features, otherwise you might as well use one of the common cheap non-accelerated cards IMHO.

If you *have* a Quadra 700, *have* an 8*24GC lying around, and have no better use for it... maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any good reason not to just use it instead of burning time and money trying to find the non-accelerated version simply so they *won't* be "wasting it". If someone would like to trade the OP a less special card to use for their second monitor so they can have the GC for their pet IIfx speak up, maybe they'd consider it.

As an aside, I have to admit I'm curious about the "ATI Acceleration Extension" that works with this card on PowerPC Macs. I read the technical article linked off one of the LEM links about how acceleration worked with the 8*24GC because I was wondering if the card was based on some ancient ATI chipset, like the old 8514/A-compatible Mach 8... and it's most definitely not. With the original driver the card inserts itself *deeply* into the guts of Quickdraw, and the card uses a general-purpose am29000 CPU, not a fixed-function GPU. So... does the later extension reprogram the hardware so it emulates the simpler functions supported by ATI graphics accelerator chips, or does the card still work the way it did under System 6 when running that driver? Anyone happen to know of a technote explaining it?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I've got a spare Radius PrecisionColor 24XP . . .

It'd make a lot better Quadra card, does similar 24 bit resolutions and I've put it through it through the ringer already . . . just gotta swap the crystal cans back. I'm not considering hacking any cards with less than 3MB VRAM. Does the 8-24GC do any VGA resolutions?

Check the thread out. I don't NEED or particularly want a GC, as I said it's sooo 1990, but as a second (much smaller) display it might be fun to play around with at 16" in the pet IIfx for a bit. I've also got a RasterOps card that's not accelerated, but I think it does more resolutions at higher bit levels and it has some VidCap kinda capability as well.

PM me, but I'm with G, if you don't need acceleration in the Q700, or LCD friendly 60HzVGA from a later card, and haven't got an '030 Mac that needs 24bit acceleration at med-low resolutions, chuck 'er into the Q700 and let'er rip, albeit slowly. [)] ]'>