compatible video card for G5 "PowerMac"

so my question is, if a 1G card is 270.00... one that is compatible with my machine should be less I would think?

Definetly will NOT work, only for Intel Mac Pros.

G5 PCIe options are listed here:

http://www.jcsenterprises.com/Japamacs_Page/Blog/71BBF3EF-9713-4C53-8B80-26771F8 A4087.html

Then wait for the master himself to check in. 🙂

You don't have any options beyond 256 MB of VRAM. No way, no how.

Further more, you are replacing a Geforce 6800 Ultra which is an AGP card. Your machine is a PowerMac 7,3, correct? Then it is an AGP graphics machine.

You CANNOT use a PCIe graphics card.

Additionally, in OS X, AGP cards only have support for up to 256 MB of VRAM.

Since you have used one of the best performing cards for the G5, I highly recommend that you buy another of the same.

Either that or an Apple OEM Radeon X800XT are all that you should consider. Others will fail to perform as you have become used to.

eBay is your only real source for a card. No new cards are available.

I would buy a used card from a reputable seller and immediately remove the fan heatsink and replace the thermal compound.

If not, one risks burning up yet another card, as all cards are older than 5 years, and that is as long as thermal compound of the era lasts (thermal compound loses effectiveness sooner in harsh conditions).

Use Arctic Cooling MX compound (currently MX-4), and enjoy reduced temps, longer card life and thermal compound that has a real life of 8 years.....

That would be a Geforce 6800 Ultra DDL AGP graphics card, a 56k modem and PCI-X expansion slots.

Don't be fooled into thinking PCI-X means anything with regard to graphics as it doesn't.

PCIe (PCI-Express) is used for graphics in Late 2005 G5 machines, and all current mac Pro and other PCs.

PCIe DOES NOT have any application in nor can be used in your AGP machine. PCIe is NOT PCI-X.

Hope, doubt, etc., will not change the results of what I have described as your best options.

If you want more options, they are listed here, slowest to fastest:

4B4B7BA2-7ABB-47F1-87AC-B03D37942BEE.html

From my experience using each and every card, my recommendations for you stand as is.

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac.

Then click on More Info>Hardware and report this upto *but not including the Serial#*...

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: Power Mac G5 Quad

Machine Model: PowerMac11,2

CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (1.1)

Number Of CPUs: 4

CPU Speed: 2.5 GHz

L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB

Memory: 10 GB

Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz

Boot ROM Version: 5.2.7f1

If you don't know the model, find the Serial# & use it on one of these sites, but don't post the Serial# here...

http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php

How to find the serial number of your Apple hardware product...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1349

just want to make sure.

Understood, but at some point you have to trust that I understand the issues with regard to the information that you have provided.

Unlike others, I have attained my status in these forums almost solely in this PowerMac forum. Machines are what I know best.....

I don't like to waste others time with irrelevant info.

so far I have not got a straight answer on this (from others)

You have a straight answer here. No need to ask further.

under "about this mac" mine says its 2.5GHZ.

There are a couple of 2.5 GHz machines. The mid-2004 2.5 GHz dual processor machine is a PCI-X machine that uses AGP graphics.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/specs/powermac_g5_2.5_dp.html

As directed, open your System Profiler (About This Mac/More Info).

In the Hardware tab, in Hardware Overview, it will say that your machine is a PowerMac 7,3 if it is an AGP machine, otherwise, it will say Powermac 11,2 if a PCIe graphics machine.

Yours is a PowerMac 7,3; this based on the info of the tag inside the door that you relayed here......

this page says that a 2.5ghz machine is "PCI"

No, it says that the Late 2005 2.0, 2.3 and dual 2.5 GHz dual core processor machines are PCIe.

As I explained before, PCIe is NOT PCI, nor is it PCI-X.

In the end, it doesn't matter what machine it is that you have.

You currently have a Geforce 6800 Ultra graphics card.

This one, correct?

THAT is an AGP graphics card.

That means that you need an AGP graphics card that is 8X AGP Mac OS X compatible.

I know that Japamac knows what is going on, the info I asked for was only possibly for your clarity, not his. 🙂

The 4670 will not work.

Did you look at the list on the webpage of mine that I linked?

AGAIN, No card other than those that I listed can be used.

AGAIN, No card greater than 256 MB VRAM is availble or can be used.

AGAIN, you need an AGP graphics card that is 8X AGP Mac OS X compatible or it will not work.

The second card that you linked, the X800XT, is a flashed (converted) PC version . It can be used in a Mac because the ROM has been replaced with a Mac ROM.

The card is not OEM, but will work. It does need, however, power to be jumped from the optical drive to the card to be useable.

This shows how:

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/local--files/navsubcat/G5_molex.pdf

The OEM Mac Edition Radeon X800XT looks like this.

This seller has the sameflashed X800XT (FireGL), but at a better price.

This 6800 Ultra is cheap.

Another6800 Ultra.

BTW, as I alluded before, you won't notice any improvement over the Ultra with the X800XT.

This article gives some numbers.

http://www.barefeats.com/radx800.html

All the testing that I have done, as well as hands on use, gives the same result.

No dramatic difference, no palpable difference.