Mac OS 9 Lives

Mac OS 9 Discussion => Hardware => Video Cards, Monitors & Displays => Topic started by: Protools5LEGuy on February 12, 2017, 02:27:58 PM

Title: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 12, 2017, 02:27:58 PM
Glad you got it working but a few things come to mind from my testing installs of 9.2.2 on my set of Classic G3 & G4s. I had install issues with it and my USB PCI card in my DP 1GHz "QuickSilver", I also could only install and run effectively with 10.4 or 9.2.2 due to the GeForce 5200 in it. Had interesting install problems on my G3 "Blue & White" which I thought innicially were an issue with the ATI Radeon 7000 but actually turned out to be an issue with the ATA 100/133 PCI card I had been running in it for larger drives and OS X.



Please make a Mac OS 9 1000k windows test on your GeForce 5200/5500 machine. It should work without 3D/2D hardware acceleration.
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: ICCRRP on February 13, 2017, 07:17:15 AM
I have been googling to find the test you are talking about. By chance do you have a link to it?
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: ICCRRP on February 13, 2017, 08:52:47 AM
Found it and here are the results:
System Specs: PowerMac G4 "QuickSilver" DP 1GHz (2MB L3 Cache per CPU), AGP FX5200 256MB (modded PC FX5500), 1.5GB 133MHz SDRAM, 120GB 7200rpm HD
- MacOS 9.2.2, 1280x1024 rez, thousands of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (PPC): 7 seconds
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (Carbon): 8 seconds
- MacOS 9.2.2 (classic mode in MacOS 10.4.11), 1280x1024 rez, Millions of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (PPC): 10 seconds
- MacOS 10.4.11, 1280x1024 rez, Millions of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (Carbon): 10 seconds

In the effort to get the cleanest results I ran each test at least 3 times to verify it came up with the same results.

And yes for any wondering my "QuickSilver 2002" is original board and CPU Machine Model PowerMac3,5 with CPU Type PowerPC G4 (2.1) and Sales Order Number M8667LL/A. However I have opened up the back that had the holes behind the CPU, added a copper heatsink designed for 3GHz+ P4 & Pentium D processors with decent fan, replaced the stock 120MM with a higher volume fan as well as flipped it to be intake, and lastly removed the plastic side panel next to the 120mm fan. Say the least it runs allot better than stock!
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: ICCRRP on February 13, 2017, 09:19:13 AM
Out of curiosity I swapped the FX5200 modded card for the Apple factory nVidia GeForce 2MX 32MB from my other "QuickSilver". Here are the results:
System Specs: PowerMac G4 "QuickSilver" DP 1GHz (2MB L3 Cache per CPU), AGP GeForce 2MX 32MB, 1.5GB 133MHz SDRAM, 120GB 7200rpm HD
- MacOS 9.2.2, 1280x1024 rez, Millions of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (PPC): 3 seconds
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (Carbon): 5 seconds
- MacOS 9.2.2 (classic mode in MacOS 10.4.11), 1280x1024 rez, Millions of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (PPC): 10 seconds
- MacOS 10.4.11, 1280x1024 rez, Millions of colors:
- - Let1kWindowsBloom (Carbon): 10 seconds

Hmm interesting results in MacOS 9.2.2 but nearly unchanged in MacOS 10.4.11 however I do want it noted I had one 9 second result with the FX5200 and the PPC version of the test. While I had one 11 second result with the 2MX on both the PPC & Carbon. My raw conclusion is that the 2MX is better in OS9 while the FX5200 is superior in OSX.
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: IIO on February 14, 2017, 05:17:34 AM
beside the 8x AGP problem (or is it a flashed PCI?) you might also find that the combination of geforce 5 and OSX 10.5 will result in a noticable bost because it is the first confugurtion where you can enjoy coregraphics acceleration in finder and such.
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: Protools5LEGuy on February 14, 2017, 07:36:38 AM
beside the 8x AGP problem (or is it a flashed PCI?) you might also find that the combination of geforce 5 and OSX 10.5 will result in a noticable bost because it is the first confugurtion where you can enjoy coregraphics acceleration in finder and such.

It is 2nd class coreimage, just a few steps under the 9600 Radeon (first CI complete). Mac OS X Aperture cant use it, for example.

But they(GeForce 5X00 series) are cheap and should be the the first citizens to have Mac OS 9 drivers developed in the future. Lots of PowerPC Macs have that 5X00 nvidias mostly portables.
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: IIO on February 14, 2017, 12:31:37 PM
why, when it is not faster? :)
Title: Re: GeForce 5500 256GB AGP running as 5200 Mac ROM
Post by: ICCRRP on February 16, 2017, 07:11:07 AM
The 5200 is a modified 8x AGP with connectors 3 and 11 disconnected to run on the special 4x of the G4 "QuickSilver". It originally started out life as an AGP 8x 5500 PC card. Since the 6800 in the G5 has an extra long slot and won't plug into the G4 connector I can't do any testing with it fairly. Additionally do to the modifications of the 5200 I can't use it in the G5. Sooo that is the extent of my testing till I acquire a true 5200 AGP mac card for the G5/G4.