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Video card question
We are in the process of swapping out a computer with Apple, as the brand new Dual 2.3 G5 they initially sent us had an unfortunate logic board/pci bus meltdown (luckily, after we finished our project).
But in the process of getting the new computer, we’ve hit an interesting hitch with Apple. They are no longer recommending the Radeon X850 XT video card w/256 of video ram which we had initially purchased this August. They now want to give us a NVIDIA card instead and have shipped us a new, dual core 2.3 Ghz G5 with the NVIDIA GeForce 6600 card w/256 ram installed in the machine. My question is: is this a comparable card to the X850 XT or am I getting ripped off by Apple? I’ve heard the GeForce 7800 is a faster card with up to 512 of ram. Should I be pushing for them to give us a 7800?
System details: Dual Core 2.3 Ghz G5, XServe RAID storage (via Fibre Channel), AJA Kona 2 i/o, editing on Final Cut Pro HD, Motion, After Effects, DVD Studio Pro. Working mostly with HD footage from the Panasonic Varicam (some as uncompressed HD, some as DVCPro HD codec).
Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.
Jennifer Isenhart
Wide Eye Productions -
8 Replies
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Was the computer that had a melt down a Dual 2.3 or a Dual Core 2.3 If it was just a dual 2.3 ghz be prepared to fork out some more dollars if they send you a new dual core machine.
1. It has the PCI e bus so none of you cards will work in it.
2. FCP 4.5 will not work with the video card that comes in the new machines so you will have to upgrade to ver.5 -
I think the cards are pretty comparable… the 512 mb card is certainly better, but costs more of course.
Jerry
Apple Certified Trainer
Author: “Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro 4” Click here
Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D
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the machine that had the meltdown was a dual 2.3 G5 (not a dual core).
I already have FCP HD v.5, however, I am now worried about whether my Kona2 card will work in this new machine. I just got the dual core machine yesterday and have not tried the Kona2 card. Will it work with the PCI-e slots? What about the fiber channel connection to the XServe RAID? It’s supposed to be a PCI-x connection, is it not?
Jennifer Isenhart
Wide Eye Productions -
Give the configuration of our system (see original post) and what we are using it for (editing and compositing HD footage), do you think we should spring for the 7800 card w/512 of video ram?
Jennifer Isenhart
Wide Eye Productions -
[Jennifer Isenhart] “I already have FCP HD v.5, however, I am now worried about whether my Kona2 card will work in this new machine. I just got the dual core machine yesterday and have not tried the Kona2 card. Will it work with the PCI-e slots? What about the fiber channel connection to the XServe RAID? It’s supposed to be a PCI-x connection, is it not?”
No, the Kona 2 will NOT work in that machine, nor will ANY PCI-X card.
The Kona LHe is the only video capture card that I know of which will work in the new Dual Core machines.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com“The Rough Cut,” an original short film premiering December 7th in full High Definition in Atlanta.
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https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
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Jennifier,
You have a much larger problem that you may be overlooking.
Your Kona 2 WILL NOT WORK IN THE DUAL CORE 2.3!!!!
What you had before and what you have now are two different CPU’s.
If you intend on keeping the dual core than kiss the Kona 2 goodbye and be ready to change over due to the PCI-E issues.
Did you explain to Apple that all your hardware was based on PCI-X and your replacement mac had to be PCI-X.
I would not open up the dual core return it and demand to get the same version you had before.
Your case now open up an interesting warranty service issue for many others who are on the PCI-X platform who may find that Apple Care is useless if it means replacement of the CPU with PCI-E machines which will obsolete all their PCI-X hardware.
Once again Apple screws their end users in a manner only they can do best.
It’s similar to buying a car which uses unleaded gas and then have the warranty replace it with a diesel model and then finding out there are no diesel fuel stations within five hundred miles of your location.
Tony Salgado
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this is a difficult issue. If you can believe it, our HD edit station has been down since the end of (*&^%$#$!!!) September because that is when our dual 2.3 G5 (PCI-x) machine had its meltdown. I cannot believe how difficult Apple has been to deal with on this. If they had just handled the problem immediately (instead of forcing us to go through three long, drawn out on-site repairs– during which their Apple Certified tech managed to fry our first Kona 2 card while replacing the logic board), we wouldn’t be in this position.
They gave me NO indication that they were swapping me for a different machine. They said they would ship me the exact same configuration that I had. Well, I guess it’s back to another two weeks of wrangling with Apple. Problem is, we finally convinced our biggest client to go HD and now we have an upcoming edit in December. At this pace, I’m afraid we’re going to blow our first HD project with our best client.
THIS SUCKS!!!!
Sorry for the vent, but I am so fed up with Apple. I guess I’ll go back to my desk and call my favorite 800 # again and again and again…
Jennifer Isenhart
Wide Eye Productions -
Sorry to hear of your frustration and dissapoinment but this sounds like a case of Apple should be supplying you with the new computer and a new kona PCIe card and a new PCIe card for you raid so you can get back to work asap or at least ship you one of the dual 2.7ghz PCIx machines they are still selling.
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