ATI FireGL X3 256 in MDD FW800

[dopemann]

Hallo, I'm wanting a new VPU for my Mac and I don't know how to flash, but I have read a lot of posts in forums and saw pics of cards that are flashed. So I want an ATI FireGL X3 256 for my MDD FW800.

1. Is this a good GPU for Mac?
2. Is it possible?
3. What performance boost would I expect.
4. Would the Dual DVI work?
5. Is there any other better Cards than the FireGL X3 256.

If anyone could help me.

Thanks

[aquamac]

Hi dopeman & welcome to aquamac forums.

Yes, the Fire GL is an excellent card for MDD G4's. It has Dual DVI & both work. The reason I know this is that I have one & have done this mod! The other good news is you can do the mod yourself. The X800 XT 108 reduced rom is available from strangedogs downloads, but the device id needs to be changed on lines 3 & 8 FROM 48 4A TO 4D 4A.Use Hexeditor 2.0 for Mac OS X to do this. The rom must be installed in the NO CONFIRM flasher of Graphicellerator (also linked from aquamac or strangedogs & the card must be flashed in a mac. You will need a PCI card or VNC & Chicken of the VNC to see what you are doing!

Performance boost? With a dual 1.42 you will see xbench scores of over 200, for what that's worth. But you will certainly be able to play any current games.

The big downside is that of the cost, in the UK you are looking at £500!

If you need further help you know where we are.

[dopemann]

Thanks for the positive information. I have found a FireGL X3 256 here in Germany on Ebay for arround 150 Euros, I think thats a suitible price for such an advanced Workstation Card. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the card uses the X800 Chip? Could I use like Apple Remote Desktop to flash the Card, or is it better I install a PCI card? Does this Card come from ATI or is it from Third Party, because I saw only ATI original cards on Ebay with this Model? And how is the performance FireGL vs. 7800 GS vs. X850XT. I also saw that the X850 XT Platinum Edition from ATI (Original ATI Card) for 300 - 350 Euros, would that also be flashable, because I only found info on Third Party Cards, I preffer Original Cards than Third Party, keeps my Mac original. I also have difficulty in understanding wich is better, ATI or Nvidia, since ATI has better performance than Nvidia? But I thank you for your great site and forum for helping my GPU Problem. I also recieved a hint from you for your site from Strangedogs forum. I'm the one thats trying to Watercool my MDD with pelitier elements rather than the old fashioned way of using a radiator. It takes up too much space at the end and its limiting my system from being completly cooled. I also found it great that you converted your QS with the Aquagate system for CPU and the Thermaltake system for GPU, but at the end your only cooling two Modules in your Mac. My concept goes towards the G5 and it's nice Watercooler, with the only diffrence that with the pelitier device I'm able to push the water temp to below 0 degrees with no sound or massive piping in the Mac. I found a great Pipe/Fitting maker here in Germany. It's quite simple, two pelitire pads cool an Aluminium tank and one bigger Heatsink cools the hot side of the pelitier devices, and the whole system is then driven by one or two Laing pumps wich then go into Y-Split's wich then go into the various parts CPU Block, GPU, RAM and HDD. The system is designed for 6mm Copper Pipe that gets cut and bendt to be as Original looking as possible. I also want to kick all the PC users that cool their system with those huge radiators and towers that look like nuts. And it's fairly cheap, Pelitier devices can be bought for as littel as 10 - 30 Euros with a tempreture diffrence of 75 kelvin. (20 - 50 Watt). But the project is still in it's early stage and all parts like the water tank, CPU Carrier Plate and mountings to the original Apple case have to be custom build by myself and that will take me a couple of weeks work welding and cutting Aluminium sheets. I thank you for my helping me solve my GPU problem.

[aquamac]

Hi dopeman,

The ATI FireGL X3's are genuine ATI cards & use the X800 chip. 150 euros is a fantastic price, get it quick. X3 is the only card that will have working DVI. I ran 2 x Apple 20" monitors on mine as it is the only card with external TMDS chips onboard. Should support 30" Apple Display also. X850 is dual VGA only as are all other X800's.
X3 is a 12 pipe card. X800 XT is a 16 pipe card, but in all the tests I've done in a G5, I have found no difference, this includes Doom 3 time demo's & Halo. This is the card that Apple could have easily supplied but never did!
I see no reason why you cannot use Remote Desktop, although VNC for OSX is easy to use & free if you Google it. Chicken of the VNC goes on the controlling mac you are working from.

7800 GS is good also, around the same performance as X3 in a MDD, but only has 1DVI against the X3's 2. Also a 128 rom switch needed on this one. Also Gainward 7800GS card is dual DVI, but will not fit in the MDD with the std heatsink & having looked at this closely it does not have the same mounting holes as the PCI-E 7800 GT's, so you cant get hold of one of those heatsinks to solve that problem.

Your Watercooling project sounds incredibly interesting & I would love to feature it on aquamac when you get it finished.
There is an enormous amount of interest in watercooling MDD's as they are noisy.
I also had to fabricate parts to adapt the Aquagate to make it work, so I know what you are up against.

Good luck & let us know how you get on!

Steve.