In article <4852cbca$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
ws917@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Frank P. Eigler) wrote:
> I've just placed an order for my first MacIntel ... did a lot of
research
> and, especially when considering an iMac, sought out user opinion about
> the graphic card(s).
Oh congratulations! I hope it's a sma****ng success for you. Please DO
post when you get it and tell us how you like it and all.
> The consesus is that while the nVidia cards are superior vis-a-vis their
> specs, the *drivers* are not mature enough at present to make the best
use
> of them. They excel at games and apps using OpenGL, but (currently) lag
> behind the Radeons in Apple core/pro apps. Many hope/suspect that Apple
> will be updating the drivers soon, but it's a bit of a gamble.
That's pretty much what I've read online as well. But people are much
more timely about posting their problems than solutions so I have found
very little since Apple issued the Nvidia firmware update (in late March
IIRC). So I was kind of hoping that the update alleviated the problems.
> Reading about experience's such as your daughter's was one significant
> factor in my decision not to go for an iMac.
I do think the iMac is a great, affordable computer--- especially if you
like something new every few years, don't care to tinker, and are not
worried about expandability. I almost bought one, actually, until I saw
how utterly impossible they are for anyone but a tech to get into.
That's when I decided to get another *easily* expandable Mac more like
my G4 PPC.
> ...I got the new (Jan 08) Mac Pro: tons of expandability, including
> two (!) PCIe 2.0 slots. This mean you have room for a second 'pro'
> GPU. When I read that Apple's nVidia drivers are up to snuff, then
> I'll likely buy that card and sell of the Radeon ... or maybe keep
> both! In your situation, you'd likely have to swap them out (I've
> read nothing concerning PCIe 1.0 cards, but would assume they're not
> camparable).
You know, I was wondering about two cards too. But I suspect that the
cards all have to be the same brand at least. Those two express slots
are very nice, even on the base model Mac Pro. I think you can drive
eight 30" displays with 4 ATI 2600 XTs. How great for people who do
presentations. Apple recommends the Nvidia 8800 (512 MB) for even
moderate gaming on the Pro, however. I'm not an "ultimate gamer" but I
do enjoy an adventure game now and then.
My husband has an ATI card in his 1.2 GHz G4 iBook and it can't even do
a decent job on the old Nanosaur game what with stuttering, artifacts,
and game interruptions. But I've never had such problems on my G4. It
still has the best *game* graphics of our three computers and it's never
choked on a movie or moderate Canvas use either. It has a Nvidia
GeForce2 MX (and is 7+ years old now).
> There is some debate about the ability to upgrade the GPU in a new iMac.
> It uses a MXM PCIe connector, so it's theoretically possible (though
> undoubtedly voids your warranty), but would require some technical
> expertise.
Trust me. You don't want to break down an iMac and it would cost a
bundle to have a tech do it--- if it's practicable that is. Given that,
be glad you ordered a Mac Pro.
> Google is your friend. There is lots of info and comparison test results
> out there. As well, selling off your current Mac to offset the costs of
a
> new one is always a viable option.
Absolutely. I've spent many long hours reading up on the Pro. It's
very exciting to see how far these models (G3, G4, G5, MP) have come in
the last 8-10 years. For a time, it seemed as though Apple had cut back
on the expandability of these units but now, they've improved that
again--- and just in time for me to get one. I love how they've
eliminated so much wiring and cable on the interior. The memory risers
seem like a big improvement, making RAM installation a good deal easier.
HD installation looks easier as well.
Now if only I could find some people with that Nvidia 8800 in a Pro...
to see how they are faring. Thanks for posting your helpful
information. :)
Madeleine
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