Where to upgrade

[lnp]

Hey everyone. So, a few threads ago, I told y'all that I've got a job this summer producing continuing education videos for paramedics. Now, while I'm building the infrastructure for this, I need some advice about how to stretch my aging powerPC tower beyond the first build of an Intel based tower.

Basically I've got a PowerPC with a dual 1GHz G4 processor that was bought at the high end model. Its served me well and its a great machine, but starting to show its age as far as what programs can run on it. For example, it can't swing Motion because of the graphics card on it. I've maxed out the RAM and have a few extra hard drives in it spinning at 7200 RPM, but I still think I can push it further.

However, I don't know what graphics cards can go into it and I don't know how hard it is to install those cards.

Does anyone have any thoughts about where I could upgrade with a focus on being able to do video editing and install and run Motion as well? (Not the new motion, but the one that came in the Apple Studio package that shipped with the first Final Cut Pro HD.)

[begay]

Go to the Apple Motion URL - http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/motion/specs.html .

They list all the supported video cards for Motion 2, which I'm sure will support Motion 1. Just remeber to get an AGP Quartz Extreme card if you want to replace the original video card in the PMG4. A PCI Express graphics card is also supported by Motion 2 too.

According to the specs of the PMG4, the AGP slot is labeled as a 4X slot.

[dcv]

Looks like Motion requires at least an ATI Radeon 9600. A froogle search (http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=mac+radeon+9600&btnG=Search) has them in the $150-$250 range (unless I'm mistaken, the 8X AGP cards should work in 4X slots, no?). Any ATI card 9550 on up supports Quartz Extreme, so you should be good on that too.

Not being familiar with FCP's hardware requirements, I've found this thread (http://www.dmnforums.com/cgi-bin/readwholethread.fcgi?forum=apple_motion&post=050412194540.htm&toppostid=177), and this is one guy's concise breakdown of where you should focus:

Speed of performance is affected as follows:

System RAM affects the number of frames in timeline that can play back.

Video card processor affects the number of effects and frame rate that can play back.

Video card VRAM affects the number of layer objects that can be played back.

CPU affects speed of calculating particles and behaviors.

EDIT: Really obvious place I should've linked to for Mac ATI cards: http://shop.ati.com/searchresults.asp?search=keyword&search_field=description&search_criteria=mac&image1.x=0&image1.y=0

[nlopez]

Cards can do both 8X and 4X (and 2X), but they don't have to so make sure to get one that matches the capabilities of your system. $150 for a Radeon 9600 sounds painful though.

[dcv]

ATI is the exclusive vendor of Mac-specific ATI video cards, which means that they can charge scary amounts of cash if they want to (but at least if you get it from ATI's website, they give you free shipping - it's almost a perk).

But yeah, poking around ATI's website, their 9600/9800 Pro PC/Mac edition cards do support G4s with 4X slots, except for the Quicksilver G4s (https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=21888 ).

EDIT: In case you have the Quicksilver G4, it's only the 9600 that doesn't work. The 9800 looks like it would work just fine.

[lnp]

I'll check out the 9800. I have to admit that I don't know much about video cards though. I guess I'm just trying to find the one that'll give my system the most kick (its a quicksilver by the way) and keep it a decent media machine for a little longer.

[dcv]

Nifty. Without buying a G5, I'm pretty sure the 9800 is the highest end upgrade card you can get.

http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2737900

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=mac+radeon+9800&btnG=Search+Froogle

Since you maxed the RAM and hard drive space, the video card seems like the last upgrade left, and upgrading video cards is pretty easy. May your Mac give you a few more years of good use.

[dparm]

I've been in a similar situation, Lars. At a certain point I just suddenly said, "Well, this thing is only so fast." There's a finite number of tweaks and upgrades. And often, there are non-upgradeable things that slow you down (like the speed of the RAM, for example).

Time to buy a new computer!

[lnp]

Time to buy a new computer!

That's true enough. But for right now I need to focus on cameras and the like. Besides, I think I'm going to wait for the Intel towers to come out and see how they are. I kind of only need to hang on that long.

So is installing a video card just as easy as installing a PCI card?

[dcv]

Upgrading your video card is just like installing a PCI card (except I think the 9800 you'll have to plug into your power supply) - pop the side off, drop the card in, plug it into the power supply, reboot, enjoy.

And I'd wait for the Intel Towers, too - Conroe chips sound scary fast http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspx?i=2713