looking to upgrade the video card in my g5 tower (GeForce FX 5200 64mb)
looks like i have three choices for a 256mb card

ATI RADEON X800-XT Macintosh Edition $399
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro Mac Edition $250
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro Mac & PC Edition $199

all have 256mb of ram , do not really need dual dvi link (just got two 24" dells). $399 almost makes me thing buying a refurb 2ghz tower with the 9600 makes more sense .


any input is welcome



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2006 09:33AM by d0e.

Hmmmm, I wouldn't spend $200 on a video card BEFORE I bought at lease 1-2 GB's of ram... I have a GeForce FX 5200 as well running a 17" LCD apple display and a 17" LCD Dell and my video/audio apps run good. I think not to long ago owc had 9600's for $100 pulled from G5's...

Bill

Spacescape is correct, RAM first, and this card from OWC, 9600 for $69.
[eshop.macsales.com]

BGnR

i have 2.5gigs of ram now , might max it out at some point when 1 gig sticks get cheaper. but back on topic 64mb just sounds skimpy seeing it's driving two (2) dell 24" lcd's so each screen gets 32mb each.

d0e Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i have 2.5gigs of ram now , might max it out at
> some point when 1 gig sticks get cheaper. but back
> on topic 64mb just sounds skimpy seeing it's
> driving two (2) dell 24" lcd's so each screen
> gets 32mb each.

d0e Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> all have 256mb of ram , do not really need dual
> dvi link (just got two 24" dells). $399 almost
> makes me thing buying a refurb 2ghz tower with the
> 9600 makes more sense .

Sorry, you said that you had 256mb of ram in your first e-mail... Ok, back to your problem...

I think that was VRAM, right?

Opps... sorry... My bad...

E-bay has some for around $100.00...

[search.ebay.com]

it's all good spacescape go have some coffee

what do you use the machine for? unless its playing games or doing 3D, you're unlikely to see a speed increase.

finalcut pro and adobe stuff , i'm seeing ghosting when the screen saver kicks in something i did not have with the smaller dual 19" lcd's i had.

I'd spend at least $200 to get rid of GHOSTING during my SCREEN SAVERS

thanks for the possitive input mattkime , anyone else with a clue have any input feel free.

d0e Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> thanks for the possitive input mattkime , anyone
> else with a clue have any input feel free.


Doesn't sound like VRAM, sounds like the refresh rate of the LCD's.

BGnR

BigGuynRusty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> d0e Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > thanks for the possitive input mattkime ,
> anyone
> > else with a clue have any input feel free.
>
>
> Doesn't sound like VRAM, sounds like the refresh
> rate of the LCD's.
>
> BGnR

I would agree... "IF" you need or "WANT" a new video card you might want to consider the one for $199 or pick one up off of e-bay...

However, your running Dell's 19" LCD's and I would almost assume that it's a refresh rate issue...

i have a dell 2405FPW - no refresh issues.

how are they connected to the video card? are you using VGA or DVI?

sounds to me like you're using poor VGA cables.

spacescape Wrote:
> I would agree... "IF" you need or "WANT" a new
> video card you might want to consider the one for
> $199 or pick one up off of e-bay...
>
> However, your running Dell's 19" LCD's and I would
> almost assume that it's a refresh rate issue...
>


not sure i really need one yet , it's more of a lets upgade the video card. not sure you had enough coffe i have dual dell 24" lcd's , the old 19" lcd's i had no ghosting at same refresh rate leading me to believe it's the lack of vram.

Nope, not enough coffee and just edited about 20-30 photos this morning w/ clipping paths... YUCK...

i have the 9800/256 in my dual 2 -- running 2 2001FPs, it runs perfectly

i also have a dual 1.8 running a 2405FP and 2001FP using the dual 2's old 9600 with 64 vram -- im not seeing any issues...

i should try the 9800 in the 1.8 to see if i see any difference...

oh, and FWIW, the fan on the 9800 is pretty darn loud -- there are fans you can replace it with, up to $80 more though...

i heard the 850 isnt as loud...

mattkime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i have a dell 2405FPW - no refresh issues.
>
> how are they connected to the video card? are you
> using VGA or DVI?
>
> sounds to me like you're using poor VGA cables.

and i have two dell 2405FPW's of the stock video card . both are using dvi connections , and stock dvi cables. going to try using just one monitor and see if it is the same.

spacescape Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nope, not enough coffee and just edited about
> 20-30 photos this morning w/ clipping paths...
> YUCK...


wow that sounds like a after lunch job

jdc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i have the 9800/256 in my dual 2 -- running 2
> 2001FPs, it runs perfectly
>
> i also have a dual 1.8 running a 2405FP and 2001FP
> using the dual 2's old 9600 with 64 vram -- im not
> seeing any issues...
>
> i should try the 9800 in the 1.8 to see if i see
> any difference...
>
> oh, and FWIW, the fan on the 9800 is pretty darn
> loud -- there are fans you can replace it with, up
> to $80 more though...
>
> i heard the 850 isnt as loud...

what refresh rate are you using with the 9800 w 256mb vram , could you plug in the 2405fp and see what the highest refresh rate you can use i would love you long time .

refresh rate works differently with LCD displays. The dell i'm sitting at only does 60hz. It doesn't have any problems.

I'd suggest, if you are going to upgrade, a Radeon 9600 XT (128 MB VRAM) pulled from a G5 makes the most sense both financially and operationally. It's a fast card going for cheap on ebay.

The Radeon 9600 Pro PC & Mac Edition @ $200 would be a logical choice, if I had your setup (2x 2405FP Dells). You'll benefit from 128MB VRAM per screen, and it's a new board so you'll have 3 years ATI warranty, rather than risking an eBay card with zero guarantee.

I don't personally have experience with the card, but it gets rave reviews where I've read about it, and it does have dual DVI output/256MB VRAM. Before the 9600 Pro PC & Mac was released, I upgraded the video card in my G5 tower (from a Radeon 9600 Pro 64MB OEM card) with a Radeon 9650/256MB VRAM, from eBay, a pull from a new 2.7GHz G5 DP tower. That was in July, and those cards were the hottest Mac video board on eBay at the time...I saw auctions were winners paid over $225 plus S&H.

I waited for an auction that closed late at night, during the week (statistically speaking one may get better deals on weekeday auctions, especially those ending at odd hours), and I won with a bid of $176.50 plus $4.35 Priority Mail shipping. Of course I have no warranty at all with this card, but it's a good unit, and was virtually brand new. If you decide on going with an eBay purchase,

Grimmie's suggestion about the 9600 XT/128MB VRAM will work, but it does NOT have dual DVI support: it has one ADC+ one DVI port. So you'd have to use an adapter on the ADC port, not my best choice for driving twin 2405FPs.

______________

---

What's the difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make some sense.

yeah, theres no such thing as "refresh rate" on an LCD...

the 2001FPs im running are 1600 X 1200, so not that much different than the 2405's 1900 X 1200

im running my 2450 from the DVI and the 2001 off a ADC > DVI adapter, it looks fine

if i had to do it all over again? i might have sprung for the X800/X850 -- or the fanless 9600/256

well i did some testing and it's the video card. when playing a dvd with both screens hooked up i get black bars around the entire screen (top/bottom & both sides) then with only one hooked up it's just the black bars on top/bottom , it's also cleaner with only one screen hooked up. the screen saver was the same thing with both it had ghosting and with only one worked fine. i think i will go with the ATI Radeon 9600 Pro Mac & PC Edition $199 being it has the dual dvi and 256mb of vram.