Trading in a G5 PowerMac for an Intel Mac Mini - any advice or comments?
in [UK Mac]
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From: Gwynne Harper on 6 Mar 2010 09:08 Gavin Lawrie <gavin.lawrie(a)2gc.co.uk> wrote: > I've not tried, but apparently you can get some PC versions > of ATI 4870 card to work in MacPro - but AFAIK Apple no longer sell an > upgrade card that works in MacPro 1,1 (something to do with the 1,1 > having 32bit EFI, and later versions having 64bit or some such). So if > latest graphics cards are your thing probably not best option. It appears that the Mac version of the 4870, although unsupported, works well in a gen 1 MacPro. This is not a theoretical interest for me, as my X1900 is overheating again - fed up with it, to be honest. <http://store.apple.com/uk_edu_5000702/product/MB999ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OT> There are performance comparisons all over Barefeats.com Gwynne -- My real email is net, not line.
From: SM on 6 Mar 2010 09:59 Elliott Roper <nospam(a)yrl.co.uk> wrote: > I flung an Apple flavoured 4870 in my Pro 1,1 same as yours. It works > fine. Simple instal. It is not supported, but works much better than > the GeForce 7300 which came as standard and far far far better than > that steaming turd of an XT1900 which was "supported" too. > > The only kernel panic I have ever had in Snow Leopard mentioned the > 4870 kext in the crash report, and I get a couple of funnies in full > screen mode in Aperture 3 which I think is software, but could be the > graphics. (using an adjustment brush on the second screen sometimes > blanks the thumbnails on the main screen even though the adjustments > HUD stays alive there.) > > It is still the fastest and most reliable graphics this machine has > ever had, and it is as quiet as the fanless 7300. I reckon it will make > the move to a newer Pro when I get sick of waiting for renders, > although the latest sensible Pro only benchmarks 3 times faster. My > upgrade threshold is 4 times. A 4870 is on my shopping list but two things are stopping me buying. The first is the DisplayPort to DVI connector in that there are a few negative comments on the Apple Store. You're using the 4870 with dual screens - are they DVI and is everything OK apart from the Aperture 3 glitch above? The second is the GTX 285 being not much more expensive but with 1GB. Anyone here using a EVGA GeForce GTX 285? A big plus for the 4870 is people using them seem happy which isn't always the case with G5 and Mac Pro cards. Stuart -- cut that out to reply
From: Ivor on 6 Mar 2010 11:10 Eddie <efl42(a)invalid.org.uk> wrote: > Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > > > On Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:41:23 +0000, Nige <nige(a)room.fsa.com> wrote: > > > > >Could anyone offer any advice/insight on this as a worthwhile move? > > >Looking at my G5 and comparing it with the diminutive Mac Mini, it > > >seems hard to believe I'd be 'trading up' - but the spec's speak for > > >themselves... don't they? > > > > Do it. They are wonderful little workhorses, and the latest ones will > > indeed spank the G5 on everything except on quantity of internal disk. > > > > Apple screw you for memory and hard drive, though - upgrade these > > yourself if you need to. The WD Blue 500gigs are superbly fast. > > > I was in the US last week and upgraded my brothers old MacMini to max memory. > Bought it from Crucial, took it down to Apple, in the local mall, and they > installed it for free whilst I waited. > > Do they do that here in the UK? Yes. I bought from Crucial and the local Apple Store installed it free although they managed to scratch the top case :-( Should have done it myself but not too clever with a putty knife. Ivor
From: Hugh Browton on 6 Mar 2010 11:37 On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 22:41:02 +0000, David Empson wrote (in article <1jevpf4.1aabtsslocojN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>): >> >> Sorry for the thread hijack - do you think a new Mac Mini will run a 30" >> Apple screen satisfactorily? > > Should do. You will need to buy the expensive "Mini DisplayPort to Dual > Link DVI" adapter (which also ties up one USB port). > It's got 5 USB ports! -- regards hugh hugh at clarity point uk point co (by the sea) (using Hogwasher) "The question of whether Machines Can Think... is about as relevant as the question of whether Submarines Can Swim." Edsger Dijkstra (1930-2002)
From: Elliott Roper on 6 Mar 2010 18:10
In article <1jext34.r8lhk5bus474N%info(a)that.sundog.co.uk>, SM <info(a)that.sundog.co.uk> wrote: > Elliott Roper <nospam(a)yrl.co.uk> wrote: > <snip> > A 4870 is on my shopping list but two things are stopping me buying. The > first is the DisplayPort to DVI connector in that there are a few > negative comments on the Apple Store. > > You're using the 4870 with dual screens - are they DVI and is everything > OK apart from the Aperture 3 glitch above? I had to buy the single mini display to DVI adapter for the second screen. Yeah, except for the one panic I mentioned that had its kext in the path. > > The second is the GTX 285 being not much more expensive but with 1GB. > Anyone here using a EVGA GeForce GTX 285? > > A big plus for the 4870 is people using them seem happy which isn't > always the case with G5 and Mac Pro cards. Yebbut, to be clear, mine is a Pro 1,1 (1st generation 2.66Ghz dual dual) which Apple still says the 4870 is not intended for. -- To de-mung my e-mail address:- fsnospam$elliott$$ PGP Fingerprint: 1A96 3CF7 637F 896B C810 E199 7E5C A9E4 8E59 E248 |