# Enable quartz extreme?



## eric2006 (Feb 16, 2006)

I recently got a new PCI graphics card for my powermac AGP ( I know, it sounds weird, a PCI graphics card for an AGP model? Apparently, my AGP slot isn't fast enough for the new ATI AGP cards, it's only 2x AGP, and i need 4x or 8x) 
But anyways, I was surprised that quartz extreme was till not enabled. I have 128 mb of VRAM, so I _think_ that I have the power to.. I tried a program that enables Q.E., but it doesn't work. Am I stuck with a non-QE machine? Are there any new AGP that will work with my computer? Is their any way to enable quartz extreme? Thanks in advance.


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## sourcehound (Feb 16, 2006)

Quartz Xtreme has been disabled under Tiger because it is too buggy. Bad news, I know, but Tiger handles video differently so even though you might not get the "cube" effect with faster user switching I think you'll find it quite good enough!



			
				eric2006 said:
			
		

> I recently got a new PCI graphics card for my powermac AGP ( I know, it sounds weird, a PCI graphics card for an AGP model? Apparently, my AGP slot isn't fast enough for the new ATI AGP cards, it's only 2x AGP, and i need 4x or 8x)
> But anyways, I was surprised that quartz extreme was till not enabled. I have 128 mb of VRAM, so I _think_ that I have the power to.. I tried a program that enables Q.E., but it doesn't work. Am I stuck with a non-QE machine? Are there any new AGP that will work with my computer? Is their any way to enable quartz extreme? Thanks in advance.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Feb 16, 2006)

In addition, Quartz Extreme is only supported on the AGP bus.

Just about _any_ AGP card will be faster than the fastest PCI cards.  PCI is extremely slow compared to AGP, no matter how much VRAM the card has.


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 17, 2006)

sourcehound said:
			
		

> Quartz Xtreme has been disabled under Tiger because it is too buggy. Bad news, I know, but Tiger handles video differently so even though you might not get the "cube" effect with faster user switching I think you'll find it quite good enough!



that's actually wrong.  Quartz Extreme has been enabled since it was part of 10.2 Jaguar.

Quartz *2D* Extreme is still turned off by default, and was a feature of 10.4 Tiger.


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## eric2006 (Feb 17, 2006)

Well, are their any new cards that will work in an AGP 2x slot?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Feb 17, 2006)

There's this monster, which would absolutely rock in that system:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/ATI Technologies/100435058/

A bit pricey, but it's only about twice as much as the PCI card for MUCH better performance.


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## eric2006 (Feb 17, 2006)

Wow - thats expensive. But I wonder if I can justify it. Will this help with rendering times, burning DVD's, and other multimedia work, or will it just quicken up games and the mac os x "eye candy"?

And how many times better is AGP than PCI, would a 128 VRAM AGP card be equivalent to a 256 PCI card?


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## sinclair_tm (Feb 17, 2006)

there is a way to enable it for pci, i have done it on my 7500 running 10.2 and an ati 32mb card!  i'll post the how to when i get home.


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 17, 2006)

basically, PCI bottlenecks anything more than an old ATi Rage128 16mb card. AGP 4x bottlenecks anything better than a Geforce 2/3, and AGP 8x bottlenecks all the latest cards, hence the need for PCI-e 16x.

PCI will cripple anything better than a 16mb card. choose the best bus.


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## sinclair_tm (Feb 18, 2006)

well heres the info i have, and what i used for my 8600 running 10.2.


> Enabling Quartz Extreme for PCI Macs?
> 6:00 AM | Andy Largent | 6 comments
> 
> 
> ...


i have not had the need to try it with anything else, namely because i went to a g4 with a geforce 2 in 4x agp slot.


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## eric2006 (Feb 18, 2006)

I've tried that, and another program. That does nothing, the program stops my computer from booting. I hesitate getting an AGP card.. because this computer is on it's last legs for video editing. I don't know how much an AGP card will help for video editing stuff.


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