Mac OS 9 Lives

Classic Mac OS Hardware => Video Cards, Monitors & Displays => Topic started by: Dr. Snoop on October 16, 2021, 11:32:43 AM

Title: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: Dr. Snoop on October 16, 2021, 11:32:43 AM
Hey!~ Looked around on Google and stuff but couldn't find anything on the subject so,

Is it possible to use a PCI graphics card in an AGP Mac? I'm planning on
buying a PCI Nvidia FX 5200 (because I'm a cheap fuck in need of more VRAM)
and flashing it for use in my Graphite G4 450 Mhz Gigabit (https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/specs/powermac_g4_450_dp.html) which currently has an ATi Rage 128 Pro AGP
though I'm not sure if it'll work because the Rage 128 is what it shipped with

Any help is highly appreciated, thanks for reading!
>Snoopie (https://snoopieworld.net)
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: IIO on October 16, 2021, 12:10:33 PM
sure, if you get it flashed right or if it is for mac, a PCI card will work.
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: Dr. Snoop on October 16, 2021, 01:09:44 PM
sure, if you get it flashed right or if it is for mac, a PCI card will work.

Ohh, nice!~ Will I need to keep the AGP slot populated or will
just the PCI card do alone? Sorry if I'm overthinking this
still very new to the realm of PowerPC Macs.

Also would it be cool with you if I referenced your reply in a video?
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: zefrenchtoon on October 16, 2021, 01:39:43 PM
You should be able to remove the AGP one if you don't need it.
For me, AGP is just a sort of PCI overclocked and dedicated for graphics cards.
Why don't you buy a nVidia to put in your AGP instead of your ATI ? I would be better than a PCI one …

Did you check this reference website ?

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/nvidia-general-flashing

Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: Dr. Snoop on October 16, 2021, 03:29:33 PM
You should be able to remove the AGP one if you don't need it.
For me, AGP is just a sort of PCI overclocked and dedicated for graphics cards.
Why don't you buy a nVidia to put in your AGP instead of your ATI ? I would be better than a PCI one …

Did you check this reference website ?

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/nvidia-general-flashing

Yeaaa that's definitely true, though the reason why I'm wanting to use a PCI card
over AGP is because I don't currently have any other PCI graphics cards to flash an AGP with.
So if I could get away with just buying one card, flashing with one of my like 15 (all incompatible)
AGP cards I'd love to do that.

Unless.. the AGP FX 5200 has noticeably better performance than the PCI variant.. then I could justify buying 2
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: IIO on October 17, 2021, 01:12:34 AM
afaik the nvidia 5x - 7x wont give you any 3D performance under OS9. so they are only useful if you want to drive a 30".

in addition, the AGP versions of them will have to be prepared to run as 4x AGP instead of x8, you probably know what that means.

a proper solution for a first generation G4 should be the geforce 2 mx, which is found in most quicksilvers. you can easily aquire one by buying an outdated or broken quicksilver 733/867
 
 
to your other question: like zef said, you can look at AGP as a kind of "yet another PCI slot". MacOS classic and Mac OSX PPC are very bad in supporting external GPUs, but therefore, as opposed to older windows OS, you can combine any graphics cards in AGP and PCI slots like you wish and use them together or only one of them.

as soon a monitor is turned off or is no connected at all, even the preference setting for "main monitor" will automatically switch, so that you are not left with no menubar. :)
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: darthnVader on October 18, 2021, 04:14:46 AM
If your target OS is Mac OS 9, you'll want to go with a Radeon 9200 PCI.

If your target OS is Mac OS X the GeForce 6200 PCI is the best bet.

Do you have a PC to do the flashing?
Title: Re: PCI GPU in an AGP PowerMac G4
Post by: lepidotos on November 28, 2021, 07:19:02 PM
Hijacking the thread quickly to ask if this would be a potential solution to the lack of common ground in OS 9 and OS X cards -- if you could have, say, a 9800 Pro in the AGP slot and a GeForce4 Ti or 8500 in a PCI slot.