mdmcxyz

Q: g4 AGP graphics video card problems, dvi connection

HI, I have a G4 I am still eeking out a lot of use from.  I tried to hook up a dvi-d single link cable to it via the standard card in it, with both vga and dvi connector.  When it boots, it looks like it is going to work, but then all of a sudden during the boot process, the screen goes black and that's all she wrote. ???

The vga connection works fine.

 

I was trying to use a KVM switch that used dvi connectors, so I could switch between my Mac Mini and the G4.

 

When I hook up the G4 by itself w. the dvi cable, I have the above problem I described.  When I use vga, it is fine?

 

Any ideas, other than the card is gone? 

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 450 mhz, using Sonnet 1.2 processor

Posted on Sep 28, 2015 1:31 PM

Close

Q: g4 AGP graphics video card problems, dvi connection

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Sep 28, 2015 2:12 PM in response to mdmcxyz
    Level 10 (123,496 points)
    Sep 28, 2015 2:12 PM in response to mdmcxyz

    Possibly the card, but a bit more likely a bad DVI resolution, try this...

     

    Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, try setting a good DVI rez, reboot when it completes.

     

    (Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive & clear caches.)

  • by mdmcxyz,

    mdmcxyz mdmcxyz Sep 28, 2015 4:54 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2015 4:54 PM in response to BDAqua

    Thanks for your suggestions, BDAqua.  I forgot to say I was working within OS 9.2.2  You may remember me I was trying to resolve issues when switching from OSX to OS9.2.2.......I still have that issue, so I decided to get a used Mac Mini for OSX software, and  keep my G4 to OS9.2.2.   Then I went to try a KVM switch, and ran into this issue. 

     

    Through your suggestion, I discovered what I missed.  OS9.2.2 only has Disk First Aid, so I went into Preferences and dumped the Monitor Preference, but I had forgotten to look for any others.  I found "Display Preferences" in addition, so when I dumped them and restarted with the dvi connection, the monitor continued.  What I had done was when using the dvi I changed to the same selection but in 60herz, and that is when the monitor went blank.  So, I just stick to the selections they give that say (built in)  and my divi monitor connection works fine.

     

    I can't get as fine a resolution as I can using VGA, however, but maybe I can live with it.  The point was to use the KVM switch with dvi connections, thinking the resolution would be better. 

     

    If I used a KVM with VGA connections, and on the Mac Mini used a dvi-t-vga adapter, do you think the resolution would be satisfactory?

     

    Using the VGA connection I can get 1600x1200, 60hz on the G4, but with DVI connection only 1280x1024(built in)....the dvi is a little "bigger" looking.  I can't get any higher res than that w. the G4 using dvi connections.

     

    If it's just a matter of personal taste, then I could probably live with it.  I guess other than buying a better video card with higher res, I have hit the upper limit of the G4 dvi res.  If you have any opinions on the resolution preference, I would like to hear it.

     

    Thanks for answering this, it led me to discover the problem, which was what you said, a dvi resolution selection problem.

     

    M

     

     

    M

  • by mdmcxyz,

    mdmcxyz mdmcxyz Sep 28, 2015 6:16 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2015 6:16 PM in response to BDAqua

    Thanks again, BDAqua:  I decided to try buying a video card with Higher dvi resolution, found one on Ebay (ATI Radeon, 64 mb up to 1900x? res, higher than my current card.  Hopefully that will solve the res problem and I can use a KVM w. dvi for both and be satisfied with it.  Thanks again for your direction

    m

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Sep 30, 2015 10:45 AM in response to mdmcxyz
    Level 10 (123,496 points)
    Sep 30, 2015 10:45 AM in response to mdmcxyz

    VGA is capable of more & higher resolutions than DVI @ the same Hz, & I've never seen better color or rendering with DVI than VGA despite all the hoopla of DVI.

  • by mdmcxyz,

    mdmcxyz mdmcxyz Oct 1, 2015 12:10 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 1, 2015 12:10 PM in response to BDAqua

    That changes my thinking and direction.....if I got a dvi-to-vga adapter for my Mac Mini and then a kvm switch that was vga/usb, could I expect just as good a resolution from the Mac Mini as it's dvi is now, or better?  My G4 gets 19xx by 10xx with the vga.  Could I expect that same level of resolution if I used a dvi-to-vga adapter on the Mini?

     

    M

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Oct 1, 2015 1:05 PM in response to mdmcxyz
    Level 10 (123,496 points)
    Oct 1, 2015 1:05 PM in response to mdmcxyz

    KVM makes the DVI situation even more limiting, VGA is the way to go if possible.

     

    I'm running a G4 Mini DVI->VGA->4 port VGA swith, (not KVM), ->Dell 1920*1080 Display & get these resolutions available...

    G4miniResolutionsVGA.gif

  • by mdmcxyz,

    mdmcxyz mdmcxyz Oct 1, 2015 2:56 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 1, 2015 2:56 PM in response to BDAqua

    You are sooooo right, BDAqua........I just picked up a dvi-to-vga adapter, and  an Iogear KVM switch for VGA....fantastic.   I had the Mini detect my monitor(HPZR24) and it took the highest possible resolution.....looks so great.  And my G4 is the same it was (1600x1200 millions of colors)  and they look almost identical.

     

    Thank you so much, you saved me some $$ and ended the frustration.

     

    M

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Oct 1, 2015 3:44 PM in response to mdmcxyz
    Level 10 (123,496 points)
    Oct 1, 2015 3:44 PM in response to mdmcxyz

    Great to hear, thanks for the report & good luck!