Firegl x3 problem

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BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Firegl x3 problem

Hello everyone!

I recently found a FireGL X3 card but can't get it working.

Here is what I have:

PowerMac G5 dual 2.0 (2004, AGP, 10.5.8)

HP w2338h monitor

Single-link ( I think, it came with my Early 2008 MacBook Pro) DVI to VGA adapter

Current Graphiccelerator

Reduced FireGL X3 ROM from the macelite.wikidot.com

Generic VGA to VGA cable

It seems to have flashed fine but I get a lot of artifacting when connected to the monitor. VNC works fine when the monitor isn't connected but mimics the artifacting on the screen when the monitor is connected.

For what it's worth, I unplugged the MOLEX connector from the card with no effect and even removed the splitter and used power that would have went to the optical drive instead with no effect.

I'm out of ideas. Any advice?

Thanks!

Mike

Posted on Sep 3, 2013 6:01 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,213 points

Sep 4, 2013 12:39 AM in response to BananaHands

Hi Mike, sounds lijke bad card or VRAM... got a screen shot?

One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...

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

Reboot, test again.

If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or some USB or Firewire device, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts (Users & Groups in later OSX versions)>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.

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Answer 2

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 4, 2013 12:54 AM in response to BDAqua

That's what I was thinking, I was just hoping I was wrong.

It does the same thing in safe boot and I verified both disks (I have 2 G5s I've been trying the card in) but I haven't tried repairing the disk in safe boot, I'll try that once it's finished copying the hard drive. I accidentally released it when I decided to try to seek if the card worked in Leopard....

Funny thing, before when I used VNC without the monitor connected the desktop picture was just a solid color but now it is an actual picture.... I reset the PMU before but it was just a quick press, this time I held it. Come to think of it, I haven't reset the SMC or PRAM, might these help if nothing else does?

Thanks for the reply,

Mike

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Answer 3

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 4, 2013 12:54 PM in response to BananaHands

Ok. I repaired and repaired permissions on both drives in safe boot and its still messed up. Would it matter which hard drive I booted from? They should be identical except for the size. Is there any way to send a screenshot from my ipad?

Have you ever flashed a video card? Is there any way to just wipe the ROM clean and try it that way? Every time I flash it I'm told that the ROMs are the same regardless of which one i try.

Mike

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

239,213 points

Sep 5, 2013 10:33 AM in response to BananaHands

Is there any way to just wipe the ROM clean and try it that way?

No. But do try the SMC & the PRAM REeset, in fact, do 3 PRs in a row, take a bit of time.

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Answer 5

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:01 PM in response to BDAqua

So I reset the PRAM (three times without the card and then three times with the card) and the SMC. Strange, the Apple site says to just unplug it for 20 seconds but I also have the button that they mention for the 2005 PowerMac G5.

Still didn't work. I did get some screen shots though with Screen Sharing.

This is without the monitor plugged in. It used to be just a solid color.

This is with the monitor plugged in.

In both cases the card is reconized as an ATI x800xt.

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

239,213 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:24 PM in response to BananaHands

Are the resolutions of both those pics the same?

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Answer 7

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:26 PM in response to BDAqua

They should be. They are both just screenshots I took from my Macbook Pro.

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Answer 8

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:29 PM in response to BananaHands

I did have to crop the second one to get it under 2.0MB. I just did that by taking a screenshot of it in preview.

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Answer 9

BDAqua

Level 10

239,213 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:35 PM in response to BananaHands

Seems they may be, but sometimes it will boot to a different safe rez when it can't poll the monitor.

Assuming it's not a bad cable or monitor, then I suspect a logic board problem, likely a bad capacitor.

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Answer 10

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:37 PM in response to BDAqua

The monitor has worked fine with every other computer and the monitor and cable are working right now with the ATI Radeon 9600 that was with the mac when I bought it. Bad cap? Hmm..sounds easier to diagnose and replace that VRAM.

I'll test them in a few minutes.

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Answer 11

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 12:38 PM in response to BananaHands

...and as soon as I figure out how....

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Answer 12

Sep 5, 2013 2:15 PM in response to BananaHands

BananaHands wrote:

Every time I flash it I'm told that the ROMs are the same regardless of which one i try.

Do you mean that the same ROM gets loaded onto the card every time, no matter which one you choose?

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Answer 13

BananaHands Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:24 PM in response to Dave Hamilton

To be honest, I'm not sure. I've tried a premade FireGL X3 ROM and also a reduced X800 XT ROM and a reduced X800 XT ROM that I modified myself.

It will always tell me that the roms are the same.

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Answer 14

BDAqua

Level 10

239,213 points

Apr 21, 2015 11:36 PM in response to BananaHands

Well, screenshots are actually taken off the Video Cards VRAM, so if the exact same rez, & not the monitor or cable, then it has to be some bad voltage leaking on the Video Card slot connections... it seems.

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