Odd Video Card - ATI 9600 For Mac?

No.
And the description vs photo discrepancy combined with an outrageous price would keep me away.

Hey BTW, do you know if Apple changed/eliminated a few catagories and combined any/all related hardware postings into 'ONE' G5 Tower Main Topic?

Yes they did, and japamac lost at least 3,500 points in the G5 section alone... they eliminated other areas too. 😟

Hi Mike,

I'm doing better than a lot of people.

In think probably both, I can't find thousands of past posts that I used to point people to for fixes or help.

... and when you figure only about one person in 10 bothers or knows how to award points/stars at all, then 3,500 points lost here is a huge deal, even though we don't do it just for the points/stars, it's a little hard to swallow.

Last month I was going to congratulate japamac on surpassing 5,000 in the G5 forums, (not an easy forum to get points in), but now look where his standing is at the right.

Hi All,

As a newbie to this forum, I saw the discussion about the Radeon 9600. I own one and it doesn't work in my machine (Powermac G5 1,8ghz single processor, one of the first).

I've tried everything, but couldn't get it working. Each time start up stops just before the login-screen should show up and I'm stuck in a grey screen with that "circling" thing (don't know the correct name fore it).
As my old video card, the original one, still works I use that one.....

Now, as Japamac stated he estimates that in about 50% of the machines the card works. As a last resort I installed the card in an Apple of a friend of mine. Same generation G5 Powermac, only the 1,6 ghz model instead of 1,8 ghz. What do you guess? It works just fine.

Conclusion is that there must be a conflict with my Apple somewhere, but the card itself is fine......

Should I try to get it working in my Apple or just sell it (or give it away to that friend ;-)?
If I sell it, what should be a fair price (including giving the buyer the chance to test it)?
It's an original ATI build in original package, containing the original disks, but too old to return (had some busy times the last 2 years).

Regards,
T5L

Hi T5L-

Welcome to Discussions!

I don't know that it is really worth the trouble to try and get the card to work.
It seems that when they work, they work, and in the machines that it doesn't work, it almost never does.

Tricks to get it to work include reseating the card numerous times, cleaning the contacts of the card with an eraser and wiping with alcohol, sacrificing chickens and voodoo chants....... 😉

On eBay, I see people trying to get as much as $300 and as little as $75.
I can't say as I see people bidding on them.
Seems the cards reputation precedes it.

It used to fill a niche in the Mac graphics card market, offering a dual link DVI port for those who wanted a 30" display in a G4, or a budget card for a G5.
Problem is, it was very soon discovered that all the 4x AGP Mac's that the card supposedly supported ended up limited to the MDD.
Even that proved "iffy"......
On top of that, many G5 owners complained of inability to get the card to work.

Most returned the cards, tried another, returned it, and some finally got the card to work.
Others found that if you installed it +just right+ it would work.
But, for the majority of those that it didn't work for with the first card, subsequent cards proved to be the same.

It wasn't long before ATI discontinued the card......

If it works, I figure the card is worth at least $70.
For $100, one can get a much faster 9800 Pro.
But for 30" display support, one will need either a flashed Geforce 7800 GS, a used OEM Geforce 6800 GT or Ultra, or a Radeon 9650 or X800XT.
These cards will run $120-$300+.

Hey Japamac,

Thanks for your response. I might try the chicken-shower for the card 😉

How do you reset a card like this? I didn't know it was possible and have no idea how to do that.
I'm willing to try it. If it still doesn't work I'll sell it or give it to a friend of mine.
Apart from having the machine checked by a dealer including the card for 70,= Euro's I have no other options left.

So if you could send me a link to a site on which is explained in a basic level how to reset this card you would help me out a lot. An explanation on this forum is, off course, also ok with me 😉

Thanks beforehand,
Regards,
T5L

Here's R&R instructions:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/PMG5_AGP-PCI_CardDIY.pdf

Wow. I just come in here to help out. I never realized it was a competition.

Just for fun, cannot both be done?

BTW, as far as points & stars go, I'm just competing against myself... sorta like some people climb Mount Everest, it doesn't stop me, nor interfere in anyway with my trying to help.

Message was edited by: BDAqua

Hola Japamac,

Thanks for the instruction. I think we misunderstood each other though.
The instruction states how to replace a video card in a Powermac. That I manage, for I've done it dozens of times while trying to get the ATI card to work. Very annoying......

I understood that you knew a way to reset the video card in a way. But I think now that that just isn't possible.

Regards,
T5L

I understood that you knew a way to reset the video card in a way

Not reset, but reseat.

Nope. No magic buttons or other ROM hacks that I know of can help that card.

Oops, forgot to read the A....
I'll buy some chickens now, but think the card has won 😟
Thanks for your help!

Regards,
T5L