Graphics card questions

[Mercedes1787]

I'm thinking of upgrading my mac to 4 gig (6 gig if the April 2008 model can hold it) and getting a better graphics card, which is better, the Nvidia GeForce 9400m or the best ATI Radeon HD card (what is the best ATI Radeon HD card) I'd use the graphics performance for Gaming and I want the visual settings to be at their highest. So simple, whats better for 3D Gaming Nvidia Geforce 9400m or the best ATI Radeon HD?

 

[the8thark]

I think you'd be good to read this topic where I asked basically the same question.
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/apple-desktops/192242-nvidia-geforce-9400m-question.html
But I'll summarise it for you.

Nvidia GeForce 9400m = Graphics card which shares memory wirh main memory. Great for most tasks. But does not render 3D well at all. So stuff like 3D games it will not do so well. Mind you I'm talking the best of 3D games.

ATI Radeon HD 4670 = Graphics card with it's own memory and does not share with the main memory. Can render 3D very well. Good for cutting edge 3D games. And the optional better ATI card is the same only a little better.

Which one to get? The first one unless you want to play a lot of 3D games and 3D video editing. In that case get the dedicated graphcs card (The ATI)

 

[Mercedes1787]

what about the ATI Radeon HD 5970? is that better than the 4670 for 3D gaming, and what's with sharing memory?

 

[chscag]

Unless you intend on buying a new Mac with the desired graphics card you mentioned, there is no way possible to upgrade your current iMac. An iMac is actually a large notebook computer built vertically and can not be upgraded other than the hard drive and memory.

The graphics chipset is integrated within the main board (logic board) and is actually surface mounted to it. Even though the GPU in your iMac uses discrete memory separate from system memory, there is no way to change it out for a newer and better chipset.

Regards.

 

[Mercedes1787]

My graphics card isn't integrated, mines the April 2008 Model, all the ones after that are integrated (I think)

 

[pigoo3]

My graphics card isn't integrated, mines the April 2008 Model, all the ones after that are integrated (I think)

All the models before it as well!

- Nick

 

[Mercedes1787]

Is the ATI Radeon HD 5970 compatible with the 2008 intel aluminum iMac (8,1)
If not, where can I get some reliable drivers for it to work with my mac.

 

[chscag]

My graphics card isn't integrated, mines the April 2008 Model, all the ones after that are integrated (I think)

I don't think you understood what I wrote to you, so let me be more clear:

Your graphics chipset is integrated within the main logic board. In other words it's not a separate entity or circuit card. By integrated, it means it's soldered to the board - as I mentioned to you before - surface mounted. Therefore, there is no way to change it out to a newer graphics chipset.

Yes, your graphics chipset has its own memory and does not use memory from the main system memory, however, it's still soldered down to the main board. In other words, what you have is what you have unless you purchase another machine.

The only Intel Mac that can accept a new graphics card is the Mac Pro.

Regards.

 

[Mercedes1787]

man thats tight, the shop owner said the graphics card wasn't integrated, little...
Can you order any 27" iMacs with an ATI Radeon 5970 in it?

 

[rippingviper]

No. Go to apples website and customize one, you'll find you won't get that graphics card in it. 4850 is what you get.

 

[Mercedes1787]

man the 4850 is good, but I want more power(5970), I probably wont get a new iMac till the make one with a graphics card which I can swap.

 

[rippingviper]

I doubt you'll ever be able to swap out a video card in an imac. as said previously, an imac is a laptop built vertically with a big screen. all the parts inside are mobile parts. If you want inter-changability you need a mac pro not an imac.

 

[bobtomay]

If what you want is a top notch gaming rig, I'd suggest you quit looking at Macs to begin with and build your own Windows system like the rest of us.

 

[Mercedes1787]

what do you mean by "Build your own" I know about hardware in comps but not allot.

 

[bobtomay]

I mean buy a case, motherboard, RAM, video card, sound card (if you need better than the integrated one), hard drive, power supply, optical drive or two, a copy of Windows and build your own rig to the specifications you want.

That $3.5k - $4k Alienware rig you've been drooling over can be built for about $2k if you do it yourself.

 

[Mercedes1787]

do the 27" have the 4850 standard? and how long would it last playing these games with high visual settings

Battlefield 2142

Fable

COD4

Quake 4

Enemy Territory: Quake wars

Bioshock

Toca Race Driver 3

 

[Mercedes1787]

I mean buy a case, motherboard, RAM, video card, sound card (if you need better than the integrated one), hard drive, power supply, optical drive or two, a copy of Windows and build your own rig to the specifications you want.

That $3.5k - $4k Alienware rig you've been drooling over can be built for about $2k if you do it yourself.

Sounds cool, although I'm only 14 and this sounds pretty complex, and PC's are venerable to viruses so I wouldn't do to well with that since my first comp was an Imac g3 (the blue 1 that looks like half the emac) so I could keep this mac but use that one for gaming, sounds good. Do you know places where I can get the recourses for this in Australia

 

[pigoo3]

I probably wont get a new iMac till the make one with a graphics card which I can swap.

Good luck waiting! The first iMac was released in 1998...and to the best of my knowledge...no iMac in the last 12 years had a user swappable video card.

Not to say it won't ever happen...but if I was a gambling person...I wouldn't bet that it's going to happen anytime soon!

- Nick

 

[Mercedes1787]

I'll probably just get a 27" 2.8 quad imac (ATI Radeon HD 4850 come standard, 512 mb memory) I'm getting a ps2 slim soon, for games like NFSU2, GTA SA, GTA 3, GTA VC (Not stories) MC3 Dub Remix ect ect.

Also, how long would an ATI Radeon HD 4850 Last running the games I listed above (+ NFS Carbon) on High Visual Settings? And how fast and smooth would it run as well?

 

[Mercedes1787]

*BUMP* how long would the ATI Radeon HD 4850 last playing games on high visual settings, I'm gonna wait for the next iMac, if they don't include something like an ATI Radeon HD 5970, I'd probably wait till next year, get a job (ill be 15 then) and save for a Mac pro, its tough though cause I wanna make a powerful one, but it gets to expensive.