G5 video cards/memory, the best bang for your buck?

[Richard Swann]

Dear Architalkers,
I am just about to order a new desktop G5 to run AC9. I have been looking on the video-card compatibilty database to see whether it is worth getting a non-standard card.
The standard card for a 1.8 or 2GHz G5 is NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB DDR SDRAM, but there are no reviews on that. I noticed that the standard card for the Dual 2.5GHz G5 is ATI RADEON 9600 XT with 128MB DDR SDRAM which only gets a 2 star rating for 2D work.
The only non-standard Apple options as built to order are:
ATI Radeon 9600 XT with 128MB of DDR SDRAM,
ATI Radeon 9800 XT with 256MB of DDR SDRAM,
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT DDL with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM,
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM,
The real question in my mind is whether it would we would get more out of a 128 or 256Mb Videocard (at about 64Mb DDR SDRAM= £100?) or put the money into a memory upgrade from the standard 512 Gb (at about 1GB=£160).
Any thoughts from experienced mac users? also any thoughts on the 1.8GHz V 2.0GHz DP models?

[Anonymous]

Richard

Just a thought, whist there is always an upgrade "around the corner", the Apple expo in early January has often been an event where the Powermac range is updated, there have been rumours of "professional level " graphic cards in Apples Powermac range and it would be a shame to miss out on these goodies as its only a few weeks away.

I have a dual 1.8G5 with a 64Mb ATI card, its more than sufficient for my needs, I however am not taxing it with complex models.
Spend extra on the installed RAM, try www.crucial.com/uk for a quote

[Dwight]

Aside from gaming issues, once past the 64 Mg threshold that makes OpenGL practical driving a reasonable OpenGL window, more video RAM is needed to drive more screen area - two displays at 1200x1600 should have 128 Mg.

In the case of the new cinema display requiring a 256 Mg card where it drives the Tranquility game to speeds beyond playable [must keep the 60fps limiter on all the time], that is what it takes to drive the screen...

My G5 experience is with last year's ATI 128 mg card and this new NVidea 256 mg card - neither has slowdown problems with complex ArchiCAD 2d.

The issues that some PC users seem to have with their cards are largely absent with Mac.

[Richard Swann]

Lennox wrote:
Richard

it would be a shame to miss out on these goodies as its only a few weeks away.
quote

Thanks for that I had forgotten it was coming up, maybe I will wait. Apple might surprise us with something unexpected and tempting.
Thanks for the advice Dwight, not up to the cinema display yet, all theyll all be wanting one!
Thanks

[Dwight]

cinema display a very satisfying purchase at any size.