The Source for Mac Performance News and Reviews
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Graphics Cards | Media Players/TV/Capture/Scanners/Cameras | Displays DVD/Video Utils/Players | Coolers, Tips & Tweaking | Misc. Articles | |
(later articles first. For video card coolers see below) | |
| (Dec 2011) Replies to a reader request for Mac 5870 user feedback from longer term use. (i.e. any app or OS issues seen over time, would they buy again, etc). Also includes some owner's notes on flashed models (including 6870s) as well as comparison of 5870 vs 6870 hardware features and clock rates. | |
| (Nov 2011) 2008 Mac Pro owner notes on using a flashed PC Radeon 6870 video card in his Mac Pro running OS X Lion. (Using 64bit EFI rom from Netkas noted earlier.) | |
(to fix intermittent black screen/no video/freezes) |
(Oct 2011) Hopefully a fix for this issue (intermittent freezes/black screen, no video) noted here on Oct. 13th - BUT that update required OS X Lion. (Files were not 10.6 compatible.) The affected MacBook Pro owner that commented on the problem in Oct. 14th news runs 10.6.8 and per the (Oct. 2011) Apple doc on the issue, OS X 10.6 users must take their MBP to an Apple dealer/ASP for service. Per his later report after taking it in, if confirmed an affected model, the fix is a motherboard swap. (Update: On Nov 14th, 2011 Apple posted an updater for 10.6.8 users) (BTW: The Apple doc has a note that if symptoms persist after the update, Apple service is reqd. They also note an extended service period (beyond the std warranty) for this issue.) |
| (Aug 2011) Post from Netkas regarding a 64bit EFI ROM for flashing PC Radeon 6870s for use in Mac Pro 2008 and later. (EFI64 models, Mac Pro 3,1 and later models.) | |
| (Mar 2011) Posts from Netkas regarding ATI drivers (kext) from early 2011 MacBook Pro's 10.6.6 build's working with reference (std/PC) Radeon 6870 cards (less boot screen). Also said to work with PC/ref 5870s as well. | |
| (Feb 2011) Apple has posted a doc with info on certain S/N ATI 2600 with Distorted Video issues that they're offering to replace with a 'version 2' of the card. (Or provide a refund if you purchased a replacement card due to this defect previously. Per a report the amount was capped at $250.) | |
| (Sept 2010) Apple has posted a doc with info on certain S/N ATI X1900 XT's with Distorted Video issues that they're (finally) offering to replace (with Nvidia 8800GTs reportedly as X1900's are no longer available). The doc also notes a refund is possible if you previously paid for a replacement for one of the affected (S/N) X1900 XTs. (Several readers have sent feedback on the replacement/refund program as well.) | |
| (April 2010) Comments from a 2009 Mac Pro owner on using both an Nvidia GTX-285 and an ATI 4870 graphics card. (By using Y adapters off the Mac Pros 2 Aux Power Connectors, since each card requires 2 power connections.) I know in the past some Mac Pro owners had used ext PS or adapters off the PATA Optical drive connections in pre-09 Mac Pros. And yes, he knows that apple lists 300W Max for the PCIe cards in the manual. | |
| (July 2009) Reader notes/links on flashing a PC XFX brand Radeon 4870/1MB vram for use in his (PCIe 1.0) Mac Pro. | |
Mac Edition Review (vs ATI 4870 and GT120) |
(June 2009) Review/comparisons of EVGA's Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 Mac edition vs the Mac ATI 4870 and the base Geforce GT120 card, tested in a 2009 Mac Pro 8-core 2.66GHz system. Includes pages on apps/game tests, power (watts) usage, benchmarks and Bootcamp/Vista use. (Including EVGA's Precision utility that supports the Logitech G15 keyboard's LCD display for realtime FPS, GPU temperature and clock speed reporting.) |
(vs Nvidia 8800GT & ATI X1900) |
(June 2008) Review of the ATO Radeon HD 3870 Mac/PC Edition PCI-Express 2.0 card (backward compatible with PCI-Express 1.0 Mac Pro Systems). Includes tests in OS X Leopard and Windows Vista vs Mac Nvida 8800GT and ATI X1900XT cards in a 2008 Mac Pro (PCIe 2.0) as well as previous PCIe 1.0 Mac Pro (2007/2006) models. |
USB-to-DVI adapter |
Mac Mini owner review of the EVGA UV16 Plus USB-to-DVI adapter to drive a 2nd monitor (or TV) via a Displaylink Mac driver. Also includes link to Feb 2007 report from a Mini owner on the Matrox DualHead2Go. |
| Article from July 2008 (later updated) on the issue of flawed (packaging defect) Nvidia GPUs - including the 8600M used in many MacBook Pros. Updated to include Apple's later doc on the issue that noted affected MacBook Pro model production ranges and a warranty extension. Also includes reader reports, links to info on the issue, actions by other notebook mfrs and more. | |
| A page of 2008 Mac Pro owner experiences on the Mac ATI 2600XT firmware update (from Mar. 10th, 2008). Most feedback so far was not good - and some that had problems are getting new cards from Apple support... | |
| 2008 Mac Pro owner notes/tips/links/info on flashing a PC 8800GT card (with large enough eprom) with the OEM Mac 8800GT ROM. Includes notes/links on making a bootable (DOS) USB flash drive and more. | |
| Mac Pro/X1900 XT owner feedback on the Oct. 16th, 2007 release of an ATI X1900 XT firmware update (and EFI driver update). Includes notes/links to examples of issues not fixed some readers said (such as display artifacts - although some said it helped.) Also includes links to previous articles on X1900 XT cooling mods, tips, overheating/display artifact issues, etc. | |
| More reader notes, tips, screenshots, etc on ATI X1900 XT display artifacts (from overheating). Included are more comments on card cooler swaps, using SMCfancontrol to increase Mac Pro bay fan speeds and card revisions. | |
| ATI X1900 XT display artifacts (from overheating) caused by clogged heatsink fins on the card. Worth checking if you've used one of these cards for any period of time, especially in a dusty enviroment. | |
| Mac Mini owner notes on using Matrox DualHead2Go to run dual (analog) monitors with a Mac Mini under OS X. (We're still looking for OS X tweak to enable dual monitors on Mini w/DVI Splitter cable only - it works in Windows XP on intel-cpu Minis) | |
| Mac Pro owner's Unreal Tournament 2004 (flyby and botmatch) and Quake4 performance tests his Mac ATI X1900 XT at stock clock speeds and overclocked. (Game tests at various quality settings, SMP enabled/disabled, etc.) | |
| Mac Pro owner Quake4 performance tests of his original OEM 7300GT card vs a Mac ATI X1900 XT at stock clock speeds and overclocked. | |
| Comments and Photos from Quad G5 owner on quieting his Nvidia 7800GT card using an Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 (Fan/heatsink swap). | |
| Comments and Photos from Quad G5 owner on quieting his Nvidia 7800GT card using a Zalman VF-900cu Cooler (Fan/heatsink swap). | |
| Including notes on Mac Pro/FX-4500/Rosetta use, Quad G5/FX-4500, Alias' Maya 8.0 Graphics card issues listing, etc. | |
| A Mac Pro owner notes how he quieted his Mac ATI X1900 XT card with an under $25 Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) cooler. | |
Reports on Overclocking X1600 (using ATItool) | Notes on (big) differences in the core/memory clock rates of iMac and MacBook Pro ATI X1600 graphics vs some PC/notebooks and reports on overclocking the Mac's X1600 GPU core/memory clocks using ATItool for Windows XP. |
| April 24th, 2006 news page item on iBook G3 graphics problem repair (where BGA chip solder joints break). Includes notes it may not be a permanent repair. | |
(No Video at boot w/some Macs) | Notes/Info from OWC and ATI on the new tech note from April 2006 that no longer lists the Digital Audio and Quicksilver models as compatible with the card. (Includes links to past posts on the no video at startup issue with some macs.) |
| Notes, photos and screenshots on a Flashed PC Nvidia FX5200 PCI card in a B&W G3 showing OS X Tiger core image and quartz extreme support without any hacks. | |
| Comments and screenshots on Mac 7800 GT PCI Express card OpenGL feature support. (And question on only 4 texture units and no multisample AA support listed in 10.4.3) | |
| Reader article with photos on mods to an OEM G5 Nvidia Geforce FX5200 card to enable it to be used in a 4x AGP tower (Digital Audio, QS, etc.) | |
| Owner reports from users of the ATI Mac X800 XT graphics cards. (Includes reports from some LCD display owners on video corruption on wake from sleep and how to sign up for a beta test program.) | |
| Detailed review of the X800 XT graphics card for G5s. Includes pages on 2d/video, 3d, games and the ATI control panel features. | |
| Mac 6800 owners reports, issues and tips on the Nvidia Geforce 6800 Ultra DDL card. (Notes on fan noise, tips for making system/boot CDs to address the kernal panic issue when booting from disks with pre-10.3.5 OS installed and more.) | |
| Review includes photos, install info, 2D/Video (Motion, DVD, Image quality, resolutions list, etc.) and 3D/Game tests. Test system is a Dual 2GHz G5 with comparisons to the OEM ATI 9800 Pro card. | |
| Dual 2.5GHz G5 w/6800 Ultra card owner report including performance tests and some comparisons to a Dual 2GHz G5 w/OEM 9800 Pro 128MB graphics card. (Not the 9800XT model.) | |
| Illustrated guide on mods to install a VGA Silencer on an OEM 9800 Pro card for the G5. (Mods required to backside clamp since the area in the G5 is too small to fit with the stock clamp.) | |
| Reports on the Sept. 2004 Universal (retail) Radeon Firmware Updates and ATI Displays 4.4 update (which added OEM card support for 3D/GL overrides feature). | |
| Reports on using the ATIcellerator II dynamic (on the fly) Overclocking utility from owners of Desktop and Powerbook/iBook ATI onboard graphics users. Some reports include performance tests of stock GPU/memory clock speeds vs OC'd speeds. | |
| Reader reports on a firmware mod (unsupported by apple) to enable dual display support for iBook's w/Radeon Mobility chip, eMacs w/ATI graphics and iMac G4/G5s. (Does not work with Mac Mini and some other later models, nor older iBook/iMac models that had older graphics chips.) | |
| First reader feedback/tests on the 128MB Mac Radeon 9200 PCI Card. Includes tests with Call of Duty, Quake3, Jedi Knight II and Halo. | |
| Answers from Nvidia on questions regarding the Mac Nvidia 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card. | |
| A Quicksilver 2002 Dual 1GHz owner sent a few test comparisons of the 9800 Pro vs 8500 AGP cards. | |
| Review and install guide on the (very quiet but expensive) Verax G03 cooler for the ATI 9800 Pro. | |
vs BTO/OEM 9800 (tests in Dual G5 system) | Performance tests comparing the Retail ATI 9800 Pro to the BTO/OEM 9800 Pro card in a Dual G5 System. (See below for a previous article with 9600 vs 9800 tests.) |
| First tests with a Dual G5 2GHz system with 9600 Radeon vs 9800 Radeon (retail) graphics card vs a Mirror Drive Door Dual G4/1.25GHz with Radeon 9800 card. Includes game tests (UT2003, Quake3, RTCW, UT X PR3) and a few apps tests and benchmarks. Also includes notes on installing the retail 9800 Pro card in a G5. | |
| Reader reports on Lightwave 3D 7.5 freezes with ATI graphics card/drivers (from 10.2.5 to 10.2.8 reportedly). | |
| Information and Frequently Asked Questions on the ATI 9800 Pro Mac Edition graphics card. Includes info on the "3D/OpenGL overrides" features that enables FSAA and other features in games that do not normally support it. | |
(vs Geforce 4Ti, Geforce 3, Radeon 9000, Radeon 8500) | My first tests with the OEM ATI Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card tested in a MDD dual 1GHz G4. Comparison tests vs. the ATI Radeon 9000, 8500, Nvidia Geforce 4Ti and Geforce 3 cards. |
Update Feedback | On Oct. 16th, 2002 ATI released a driver update for OS 9 and OS X. This page includes reports and comments from users of various ATI graphics cards and onboard ATI graphics chips. |
Flashing for Cubes | Reader info on how he flashed and underclocked the Mac ROM into a PC Geforce 2MX card. (For use in a Cube w/o a fan on the card. Mac GF2MX fanless cards are rare now and often expensive.) |
8500 Radeon Card | Reader Photos/Info on how he modified his Cube (moving the Power Supply board) to be able to install a Radeon 8500 AGP card. (Note - 80mm case fan also installed for cooling.) |
on PCI Radeons |
Reader feedback on the hack to enable Quartz Extreme support for PCI Radeons in OS X 10.2/Jaguar and later. (Note the pros and cons in the reports.) |
| A first look and performance tests of the Mac GeForce 4 Titanium 128MB, dual output AGP graphics card. (Performance tests vs GeForce 4MX, GeForce 3, Geforce 2MX, etc.) | |
| (Updated to include link to July 2002 driver update) Download links, info and reader reports on the ATI driver update (for OS 9.2 and OS X 10.1.0-10.1.5) released on June 24th, 2002. | |
| Reader reports on the ATI driver update (OS 9.2 and OS X) released on March 9th, 2002. (For Radeon series and Rage128 cards - officially for retail cards but this page also includes reports from iBook and powerbook G4 owners as well as OEM Rage128/Radeon card owners. See the article for compatibility notes.) | |
| Link to the Nvidia Driver update 3.0 (v1.1) for Mac Nvidia graphics cards. Includes reader feedback also. | |
| Comparing the Radeon 8500 AGP Mac edition to the BTO ATI Radeon 7500, Nvidia Geforce 4MX, GeForce 3, Geforce 2MX, and Radeon AGP in a Dual 1GHz G4 system. OS 9 and OS X tests, 2d, scrolling, 3d and game tests as well as comments on DVD playback. Includes a photo of the 8500 card and lists of resolutions available with a Sony FW900 widescreen monitor in OS 9 and OS X. | |
vs Radeon 7500 Tested in Dual 1GHz G4 | Comparing the BTO ATI Radeon 7500 vs Nvidia Geforce 4MX in a Dual 1GHz G4 system. OS 9 and OS X tests, 2d, scrolling, 3d and game tests as well as comments on DVD playback. Also includes photos of each card and lists of resolutions available with a Sony FW900 widescreen monitor. |
Tested in Dual 1GHz G4 | A graph of Quake3 performance comparing the Geforce 4MX vs GeForce3 in a dual 1GHz G4 system. (Resolutions from 640x480 to 1600x1200.) |
| I sent a long series of questions to ATI about their new graphics cards for Macs. (Including the new Radeon 8500 AGP 64MB DDR retail graphics card), as well as a few questions about driver updates for previous Mac ATI graphics cards like the original Radeon and VR128. | |
Owner Comments (dual monitor card) | A page listing owner reports on the PCI Radeon 7000 Mac Edition graphics card w/Dual Monitor outputs. Includes comments on use in OS X and from both older Mac owners and those with modern Macs. |
Driver Update Feedback | On Jan 7th, 2002 ATI released a Radeon/Rage128 driver update for OS 9. However I and others saw problems with the "ROM Xtender" file (v1.08) with some CRT displays. (One reader with a Nokia 445 said it fixed an issue he had with pixel jitter however.) See the article for download links and reports/tips. |
| A lot of mixed reports on the 9/1 ROM Update released in Oct 2001 for ATI Radeon, Nexus128 and Rage Orion PCI cards. (The PCI Radeon gets a Flash ROM update - with some pros and cons). Includes comments on OS X manual install of ROM Extender file. | |
Game Performance | Quake3 and Unreal Tournament performance tests with the Radeon PCI graphics card. (results from tests in a B&W G3 66Mhz PCI slot with G4/500, G4/400, G3/500 and G3/350 CPUs.) |
with Quicksilver G4/800 DP GeForce 3 vs. Radeon | An owner of a Dual G4/800 system tested Quake3 beta for OS X with both a GeForce 3 and Radeon graphics card installed. |
Info/Articles/Tests | Info, specs and features of the 2nd generation of ATI Radeon graphics cards. Includes links to (PC) performance test comparisons with pre-production cards and drivers. |
a Mfg Mistake? | Reader comments on Cube Radeon graphics cards with no fan on the heatsink (the original model had a fan for cooling). |
for use in Macs | Reader comments on flashing PC GeForce 3 cards for use in Macs. Also see this related article. (Geforce 3Ti models are not compatible with mac firmware - and this may be a violation of the apple software/rom licensing.) |
for use in Macs | Reader comments on flashing PC Geforce 2MX cards for use in Macs. (No reports on PCI models working - and this may be a violation of the apple software/rom licensing.) |
(in 4xAGP and 2xAGP Mac) | Comments and Performance tests on a G4/733 system with Nivida GeForce 3 AGP graphics card. Updated to include results of tests in a Gigabit G4/500 DP 2xAGP slot system (Apple notes the GeForce 3 requires a 4xAGP mac, so this is not a supported system with the GeForce 3 card.) |
| A reader tested these 3 graphics cards in his dual G4/533 system running both OS 9.1 and OS X. * Updated for OS X Quake3 1.29f beta tests with the GeForce 3. | |
Q3 Tests in Dual G4/533 (OS 9.1 vs OS X) | A reader tested both these cards in his new dual G4/533 system running both OS 9.1 and OS X. |
Tests in 2xAGP G4/500 | Tests of the 4xAGP Geforce 2MX Mac card in a G4/500 (2xAGP slot, 100MHz bus). Quake3 scores in 32bit mode from 640x480 to 1600x1200 are shown, as well as 16bit mode tests and a MacBench Publishing (2D) comparison. Also includes Lightwave 3D 6.5 speed tests and image quality comparisons. |
| Info on the features of the Geforce 3 for Mac as well as answers to questions I had during a conference call with Nvidia. | |
| GeForce3 (aka NV20) with 64MB of DDR RAM comes to the Mac | |
Performance Tests | A reader with a new 2001 G4/533 sent a review that includes performance tests with the Geforce 2MX card. |
| A peek at the new OEM Nvidia Geforce 2MX AGP graphics card available in the 2001 G4s. Includes a photo of the card and answers to frequently asked questions from Nvidia, as well as a press release. | |
Dual Monitor AGP Graphics card | Exclusive first photos, specs, features and comments on the Matrox G400 based proMAX DH Max AGP graphics card with dual monitor ports. |
AGP Version Review | A very comprehensive review and performance comparison. Includes tests in 2d, 3d, Photoshop and Word 98 scrolling as well as 3D games like GL Quake1, Quake2, Quake3 and Unreal Tournament. Complete coverage of ATI's software controls and video/TV output, screenshots in several 3d games, Quicktime/DVD tests (including TV out) and much more. Test system was a single CPU G4/500. (Requires G4 Tower system with AGP slot.) Watch for a review of the PCI version when it's available later this year. (Note: I've also got a page with Radeon Driver Update 1.1.1 feedback.) |
(How much faster is it than the Rage128 Pro AGP?) | A detailed performance comparison of the OEM ATI Radeon AGP card option on new G4s against the standard Rage128 Pro AGP card. Includes tests in 2d, 3d, Photoshop and Word 98 scrolling and 3D games like Quake1, Quake2, Quake3 and Unreal Tournament. Test system was a dual G4/500. |
| Read the detailed review of the first official Mac retail 3dfx card - the dual chip, 64MB Voodoo5 5500 PCI graphics card. Includes tests in 2d, 3d, games and pages on software controls and the card design/features. | |
| Reader Mark Anthony reviews the single chip/32MB version of the Voodoo5, which retails for about $180. Includes tests in 2d, 3d, games and pages on software controls. | |
Performance Tests | See how the Rage128 PRO AGP graphics card compares to the original Rage128 AGP included with the early G4 systems. Is it worth the $99 upgrade cost? Includes tests in Photoshop 5.5, RaveBench, MacBench 5.0 as well as 3D Games like Quake1, Quake2, Quake 3 Arena, Unreal, and Unreal Tournament. |
Driver Feedback | Reader comments on using what may be the last version of the Voodoo4/Voodoo5 drivers and ROM. Includes a download link to this "unofficial" release. |
ROM/Driver Feedback | Reader comments on using the "unofficial" Beta13 ROM/drivers for the Voodoo3. Includes a download link to this "unofficial" release and comments from one owner that it enabled deep sleep mode on his G4. |
| A reader sent results of Voodoo3 ROM and Driver tests in Quake3 using Beta9 through Beta13 ROM/drivers as well as several versions of the Voodoo4/Voodoo5 driver extensions. | |
| Reader report on a Nexus128 (32MB) graphics card tested with Lightwave 3D v6, Fireworks 3, Flash 5, and Form Z 3.0 with the ATI Radeon 1.0 driver update. | |
w/ATI's Programmers | A series of questions and answers from ATI's programmers on the features of the new Radeon graphics card. (See the links below for a full review of the Radeon card.) |
G400 Max Info | Initial press release/info on a dual output Mac version of the Matrox G400 Max card. (See the fall 2000 first look/tests on the shipping version of the card.) |
| Mac 3D Card Roundup | (Nov. 1999) Compare the new VillageTronic MP960 (Voodoo3 chip) to the Formac Proformance 3, 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 and 3000,and ATI Rage128 Orion in 2D Macbench/3D Games and movie playback Also included are important driver installation notes on the MP960 as well as comparisons of AGP cards in an Apple G4 AGP system. Photos of the Voodoo3 3000 and MP960 are also included. |
| Compare the new Formac Proformance 3 to the Voodoo3 2000 PCI (with Mac beta drivers) and Rage128 Orion. 2D/Apps/Benchmarks/Games and more are tested. Also comments on using their 3D Glasses option in games like Quake, TRII, Carmageddon and Unreal. Performance results, compatibility info much more in this 7 page (by topic) review. |
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| Tests with one and two Voodoo2 (SLI mode) cards with 3dfx's Mac drivers in games like Quake2, Q3test, Unreal and Falcon 4. Performance results, compatibility info and how to configure dual Voodoo2 SLI. Surprising Mac SLI results... |
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| The most detailed review on the web or print of the ATI Rage128 Orion vs the 3Dfx banshee chip based Game Rocket from IXMicro (a clone of the VillageTronic MP850). Includes 2D, 3D/Apps, Games (Quake1, Quake2, Q3test, Unreal and Falcon 4) performance, specs and more. |
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| Page dedicated to owner feedback and reports on the ATI Rage128 VR graphics card. Lists configurations from working systems and tips on video capture (includes info on the 'ATI Havoc' codec that seems to allow 640x480 capture with a fast Mac) |
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| Compare the Voodoo3 2000 PCI (with Mac beta drivers) against the Voodoo2 (single card and SLI mode), Game Rocket and Rage128 Orion in games like Quake2, Q3test, Unreal and Falcon 4. Performance results, compatibility info and tests in Macbench 5, Lightwave 3D OpenGL as well. |
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| Dual Voodoo II chipsets on one PCI Card. This is one hot card (literally). Updated to include tests in a Mac G4/450! | |
| Microconversion's Game Wizard Voodoo II Preview - framerates, screenshots and more! | |
| 3dfx Banshee Chip based Mac Rocket comparison to many other cards in a PTP, 8600 and 9600. | |
| VillageTronic's "Jack of all Trades" video card | |
| VillageTronic's $99 (SRP) 8MB 3Dfx Voodoo1 graphics card is one of the most affordable ways to increase your Mac's gaming performance. It also features a nice Tweaker utility and unique reversable cabling system than can eliminate the need for Mac/Vga adapters in some cases. |
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| Review of the first 3DFX Voodoo 1 3D card for the Mac | |
| Reader written review of the Mactell Vision 3D Pro II Lite 4MB Card | |
| PC card adds 2nd monitor desktop capability for the PowerBook G3 | |
| Update on how the ProRez compares to the Apple G3/266MT onboard RageII+. | |
| Fast 2D card for the money in its day, but dismal 3D performance/support. | |
| Comparison of the ATI RagePro Xclaim 3D, VR & MacTell Vision 3D. | |
| A fast 2D graphics card in its day. (Actually made by Formac.) | |
| ATI and IXMicro's High End 2D/3D cards of 1998 | |
| Very Detailed Video card performance and features comparison of the top 2 cards from 1997 | |
| 3Dlabs Permedia/Glint Delta combo | |
| New 3D chips boosts speed/features | |
| Macbech 5 Graphics Primitives tests show a mixed bag of performance on the 8MB Banshee from VillageTronics. |
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| Page with a reader submitted patch for running Carmageddon 3Dfx game on Voodoo1 cards with more than 4MB of memory. *Does Not* work with 3dfx Voodoo 2 cards (neither does Carmageddon) | |
| Answers to common questions on swapping Rage128 cards, 33/66MHz slot compatibility and much more. |
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| This page has answers to my questions on the new 3dfx next generation VSA-100 (aka Voodoo4/Napalm) retail cards due to ship in Spring 2000. Includes info on DVD player and drivers as well as their official press release. |
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| (Mar 2010) After years of putting it off, I finally did my own AppleTV Hard Drive Upgrade, using a better method (IMHO) that avoids ripping off the entire bottom rubber cover. See the linked guide for info/pictures, ATVcloner freeware, take-apart notes and more. | |
| (Jan 2010) Mac/OS X user feedback from WD TV Live and Asus O!Play Media Player owners. Includes tips, pros and cons and notes on 3rd party software and firmware. (Bottom of page has WD TV Live related reference pages, FAQ, supported devices listing, supported disk formats, WDTV Live related Forums (WD's and others), B-RAD's homebrew WDTV Live firmware page and his Inside look at the Live's hardware and firmware/design.) | |
| Catch-all page with iPhone owner notes and tips on converting DVD/Videos for use on the iPhone. (Includes notes/links on software like Handbrake and VisualHub as well as using Quicktime Pro.) | |
| Reader tests of ElGato's Turbo.264 USB 2.0 Hardware Encoder vs standard Quicktime H.264 export speed with an iBook G4, Quad G5, Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo. | |
| Catch-all page of Apple TV user reports, tips, issues, mods/hacks, drive upgrades and listing of over 40 Apple docs on Apple TV setup, networking and troubleshooting. | |
| EyeTV 200 comparison (vs EyeTV 200) with encoding tests (G5 tower and iBook), notes on exporting to iDVD, iMovie and more. | |
| A reader's writeup on his Sawtooth (1999 model) G4 Tower Media Center Project. | |
| A Mac Mini owner report on using the Miglia USB 2.0 Evolution TV which has hardware MPEG encoding (unlike the ATI/ElGato EyeTV Wonder). | |
| A PowerBook G4 owner report on using the USB EyeTV/Plextor ConvertX. Includes comments on MPEG video quality and more. | |
| ElGato doesn't officially support USB 2.0 PCI/PCcards with the TV Wonder, but a reader using an IOGear USB 2.0 PCI card sent notes that it worked well. Although with no hardware encoding, CPU usage is high. | |
| Reader's mini review of the ElGato USB TV Wonder (based on the PC ATI TV Wonder). | |
| Reader report on Neuston MC-500 (alternative to EyeHome) | Mac owner report on an alternative to the Elgato EyeHome Digital Media player device. (There's also a page here with many owner reports on the EyeHome digital media player.) |
| Mac Owner Reports on Nokia N-Gage (MM/Gaming/Bluetooth) Phone | Includes Tips/Tricks, N-Gage online resources, converting iTunes AAC files and OS X file copy/iSync issues. |
| Info and links to the Canon Digital Rebel/300D unofficial (modified) firmware that unlocks -some- of the 10D features (Mirror lock, advanced menu, FEC and others reportedly working.) | |
| In reply to a reader request (Feb. 26th, 2004), many Beige G3 owners wrote with their comments on using TV Tuners from ATI, IXmicro, Formac, EyeTV and Eskape's MyTV. (Also see articles below on EyeTV, Alchemy TV/DVR card, and TV Tuner drivers for OS X.) | |
| Reader reviews and tips on the Elgato EyeHome Digital Media player device. (updated frequently) | |
| Reader reviews and tips on the Alchemy TV tuner and (optional) Digital Video Recorder PCI card. (As of Jan 2009 still no update for OS X 10.5 support.) | |
| Reader reviews and driver update links/info on El Gato's line of EyeTV USB and Firewire DVR/TV Tuner devices. | |
| Feedback and tips on Apple's iSight firewire camera released at WWDC 2003. (See also the iChat AV feedback page) | |
| Feedback on Matrox's Beta OS X drivers for their RTMac (real-time effects) card. | |
| Sources and comments/tips on OS X drivers for PCI TV Tuner cards (TurboTV, Formac ProTV, Haupage WinTV, PCTV Rave). Also updated for USB TV Tuner reports from portable mac users. | |
| Aurora Design's Fuse Video Capture Card Rocks! | |
Canon N1220U USB Scanners | Reader report comparing these two popular scanners. Includes important information for those needing to scan 3d objects, not just flat originals. |
| Reader review of the low-cost, compact. Canon ZR-10 digital camcorder. | |
| (Oct. 2011) One of several reports from (adapted) ADC Display users that had problems with screen flicker/flashing after the OS X 10.7.2 update. This reader said after getting a case number Apple called him back to confirm they had replicated the problem and were working on a fix in a future update. | |
| (Feb. 2009) A page of user reviews (notes/tips/issues) on the 24in LED Cinema Display for Unibody MacBook/MacBook Pros. | |
| (Jan. 2009) Several OS X Leopard user reports on the (under $300) Dell SP2309W (2048 x 1152 native res) with built-in webcam and dual microphones. Includes notes on use with iChat, Skype, etc. | |
| 2007 iMac owner comments on the new model's display having less viewing angle, washed out color (custom profile can help) and some noted screen variations (darker top/brigher bottom). Not all had complaints however. | |
| Reader reports and tips on connecting Macs to HDTVs (LCD, Plasma, CRT). | |
| Reader reports and tips on VGA to Component Video/HDTV converters. | |
| Norman Shutler sent an article he titles "The last Pismo Upgrade" with comments on replacing the old backlight in his Pismo along with Brightness Enhancement & Anti-Reflective/Anti-Glare Display Films. | |
| This page has copies of all the Aluminum (20, 23 and 30in) DVI Apple Cinema display owner reports including some (but not all) noting color consistency problems (pink tint, etc.) - also includes a reader's theory on what is causing the problem. | |
| A lucky reader wrote up a short review of the Apple 30in Cinema LCD Display. | |
| Reader reports on Mac Graphics card compatibility with the 9 Megapixel (3800x1440) LCD display by IBM. (The IBM T221, also sold as the Viewsonic 2290b.) | |
LCD Display Info/Tips | Reader tips, info and comments on using the 24" Samsung LCD display DVI port. (Notes on limitations of DVI, tips on running 1920x1200 native resolution, notes on compatible graphics cards.) |
| Reader review of the 17-inch Apple LCD display announced in spring 2001. | |
Review | Reader review of the 22-inch Apple LCD display that we're all lusting for. (Original DVI connector model.) |
Graphics Card Support | Reader comments on support of widescreen modes with the Sony display. Includes comments from owners of Mac Geforce 2MX and Radeon graphics cards. *Updated* to include comments on modes supported by OS 9.2.2, GeForce 3, and OS X modes supported by Geforce 4MX and ATI Radeon 7500. |
Includes a DVD section | Check the DVD section of the Frequently Asked Questions for DVD burner drivers, DVD player mods and other DVD related info and tips. |
| (Jan. 2010) Reader notes on using freeware VLC player and MakeMKV to playback BR movies in OS X. | |
| Reader tests of ElGato's Turbo.264 USB 2.0 Hardware Encoder vs standard Quicktime H.264 export speed with an iBook G4, Quad G5, Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo. | |
Roxio Popcorn (DVD copy/compression app.) | Reader reports and tips on Roxio's Popcorn for Mac (released late 2004). |
| Links and notes on Mplayer and VLC/Videolan DVD software that doesn't require a Rage128 or later graphics chip like Apple's DVD Player. | |
(PCI DVD Decoder) | Tired of the sugglish software DVD player? Want TV out? Read this review of the Wiredinc.com Wired4DVD decoder card which features hardware DVD decoding, TV/Audio out and more. (NOTE: no longer in production and for pre-OS X use only.) |
SM-1212 6X/32X IDE DVD ROM Drive | The Toshiba DVD ROM drive worked Plug and Play in my Beige G3 and should as well in B&W G3s. Bootable and worked great with the Apple CD/DVD extension (OS 9.04 tested). Impressive Macbench performance as well compared to the stock Apple 24x drive. (For literally hundreds of reader reports on DVD drives - search the Drive Compatibilty Database.) |
(later posted items first) | |
| Short article w/photos from a G5 Tower owner on using an Accelero S1 Rev 2 cooler (passive) on his ATI X800 card - with mods to G5 tower's air deflector required to clear the S1 R2's heatsink. | |
| Short article w/photos from a Mac Pro owner on using an Accelero S1 Rev 2 cooler (passive) on his 8800GT. (Updated with temperature tests (Fanless) vs stock cooler and notes on adding a fan to this cooler.) | |
| Short article w/photos from a Mac Pro owner on using a Thermalright V2 cooler (w/fan) on his 8800GT and previous ATI X1900. (replied to the earlier article on the HR-03 Plus model). | |
(not recommended w/o fan) |
Info, photos and notes/warning from a Mac Pro owner that swapped the stock 8800GT cooler for the (passive) HR-03 Plus. (Did not use a fan option on the HR-03, which Thermalright recommends.) Update - see later article with notes/temp tests of HR-03 with Added Fan.) |
| Info and Photos from a G5 Tower owner on installing the TMG AT2 cooler on his Mac X1900 G5 Edition after seeing some signs of overheating. Includes notes that the G5 clear plastic cover could not be used due to the width of the AT2 heatsink. | |
| Older cards need cooling too - a G4 Tower owner with OEM Nvidia Geforce4 Ti 4600 card wrote with notes and photos on installing a Zalman VF700 cooler after the stock fan showed signs of failing. | |
| Info and Photos from a Mac Pro owner on installing the Zalman VF-1000 cooler that lowered temperatures and noise on his Mac X1900 XT. | |
| Info and Photos from a Mac Pro owner on installing a quieter Thermaltake TMG-AT1 cooler on his Mac X1900 XT cards. | |
| Info with Tips and Photos from a G5 tower owner on mods to install a Quiet Zalman VF900 CU cooler on his (noisy fan) Mac Radeon 9800 Special Edition. Includes info on retainer mods, fan speed controller wiring, etc. | |
| Comments, Notes and Photos from a Mac Pro owner on quieting his X1900 XT card using an Arctic Cooling Accelero S1. (Includes notes on fit problems with the Revoltec Graphics Freezer Pro in the Mac Pro, although he's using it in a PC on a X1950 card.) | |
| Comments and Photos from Quad G5 owner on quieting his Nvidia 7800GT card using an Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 (Fan/heatsink swap). | |
| Comments and Photos from Quad G5 owner on quieting his Nvidia 7800GT card using a Zalman VF-900cu Cooler (Fan/heatsink swap). | |
| A Mac Pro owner notes how he quieted his Mac ATI X1900 XT card with an under $25 Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) cooler. | |
| A reader article on installing the low cost/radial copper heatsink on his Mac 6800 Ultra. | |
| In an effort to reduce fan noise, a reader replaced the stock Mac 6800Ultra heatsink/fan with Arctic Cooling's NV Silencer 5 with positive results he said. | |
| Illustrated guide on mods to install a VGA Silencer on an OEM 9800 Pro card for the G5. (Mods required to backside clamp since the area in the G5 is too small to fit with the stock clamp.) | |
| Review and install guide on the (very quiet but expensive) Verax G03 cooler for the ATI 9800 Pro. | |
| Reports on using the ATIcellerator II dynamic (on the fly) Overclocking utility from owners of Desktop and Powerbook/iBook ATI onboard graphics users. Some reports include performance tests of stock GPU/memory clock speeds vs OC'd speeds. | |
| Reader reports on a firmware mod (unsupported by apple) to enable dual display support for iBook's w/Radeon Mobility chip, eMacs w/ATI graphics and iMac G4/G5s. (Does not work with Mac Mini and some other later models, nor older iBook/iMac models that had older graphics chips.) | |
| TennMax's 3Dfx Voodoo 3 Graphics card heatsink/fan combo. Reader article on the install. | |
| A reader's writeup on his Sawtooth (1999 model) G4 Tower Media Center Project. | |
| My site that covers reviews, tips and compatibility info on 3Dfx graphics cards for the Mac. Included are reviews of the 3dfx cards, performance comparisons, compatibilty/system page, game tips and more. | |
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