Powermac graphics card

Paul C

Paul C

Registered
Been locking at the price of grapihcs cards for my new powermac and they are soooo much more expensive than normal PC ones and their isn't that much choice :(
 
Yep...

If this gets you down, you really shouldn't compare the game markets.
 
But why should a grapihcs card (not for playing games) be more for a mac than a PC, is there something 'special' about mac cards?
 
Yes, they have a completely different firmware. To use a PC card on a Mac is not simply a matter of installing the right driver; you have to "flash" the card first. And I don't mean taking off your pants. ;)
 
True, and Macintosh programmers aren't exactly a dime-a-dozen. Supporting the Macintosh platform means finding experienced programmers proficient in Macintosh programming, raising the costs significantly -- coupled with producing the hardware. Many more Macintosh peripherals made by third-parties don't sell as well as their PC counterparts.

It's a hell of a lot cheaper to program and sell for the majority platform, unfortunately.
 
Also, you're probably comparing for instance, an ATI Radeon 9600 for mac, which is actually built by ATI, against a pc one, which is probably made by someone like SIS or MSI or whatever.
 
Arden said:
Yep...

If this gets you down, you really shouldn't compare the game markets.
Click to expand...
Saying that saying mac users should not compare the market is the totaly wrong attuade to take. Totaly. Why the hell should we not compare graphics cards, and flashing a card costs almost nothing, and i meen that. Why should we have to settle for not even 2nd rate hardware when the rest that we have is so good. The cards that come on the powermacs are a total joke, the 5200 is a pathetic card in every sence of the word, its mostley software driven. The only good one that is a very good card is the the radion 9800 and its a pro not even an FX for the cost of it. The truth of the matter is that most mac users dont want to go near the subject because to be honest, apple graphics cards are pants. And if they want to attract serious gamers they will start to get there act together.
And for the subject of "if you want to play games buy a pc", thats just a shocking thing to say comming from a mac user, I want to play games as good as the pc and if not better...And i want it on my mac! I have a pc for games and my powermac would OWN it for games if only the gfx was better.
Maby today we will see updated graphics cards and they will ditch the crappy 5200 and make the 9600 the standerd in the low end G5's.
Just a rant, but a Valid one.
 
I'm not saying don't compare the game markets at all. I'm saying that if comparing Mac cards to PC cards gets you down, comparing Mac games to PC games isn't going to make you feel a whole lot better.

And you're absolutely right. To get better, we need to tell the computer, card and game companies how we feel. But unfortunately, Apple's focus right now is on the professional and consumer application markets, and hardcore gamers have taken a backseat. And I don't see that changing much in the near future, unfortunately.
 
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