Comments on: Need help with 30" Cinema Display

Question: Need help with 30" Cinema Display

unclejeffy — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:43:27 -0800

Am I stuck using my 30" Apple Cinema HD Display at 1280 x 800 for the forseeable future?

So I bought a 30" Apple Cinema HD Display to replace my aging 23" model. I checked with my Apple rep to make sure it was compatible with my Dual 2 GHz G5. Check. Imagine my surprise when I hooked it up and saw icons the size of silver dollars! I double checked my settings, but sure enough, 1280 x 800 was the highest possible resolution, not the 2560 x 1600 I was expecting.

Turns out I need a new video card. Apparently, the best and really only "available" card that will support the full resolution is a ATI Radeon X800 XT-Mac Edition AGP. But no one has one available anywhere! Other World Computing put one on back order for me (at least 11 days out) but said they obviously can't guarantee it'll be available then. I can't even find a used one anywhere.

Am I just stuck with this resolution until someone has them available? Or is there some sort of work around? The low resolution is surprisingly irritating, so if I'm stuck with it for a while, I guess I'll just hook the 23" display back up. Thanks in advance.

By: CommonSense

CommonSense — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:58:43 -0800

You're going to have to get a new video card. No way around it.

In the meantime, me and my quad-core G5 can keep that lovely 30" warm for you. ;-)

By: furtive

furtive — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:12:52 -0800

All the macbookpros will handle it, for the record.

By: unclejeffy

unclejeffy — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:14:28 -0800

Uh, let me think about that, CommonSense. NO! :-)

Thanks for the dose of reality, too. Not what I want to hear, but what I already knew, deep down.

By: birdsquared

birdsquared — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:35:24 -0800

You could always give SwitchResX a try - maybe it'll open up other resolutions to display.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:38:48 -0800

I've been searching Google for a firmware patch that allows Windows-based ATI cards to be used in Macs. I'd feel around forums for something along this line, since you'd then be able to buy a card, patch it and use it in your Mac sooner and cheaper than through OWC — or, better, to be able to reuse your current card, if it supports dual-link DVI with a newer firmware.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:02:32 -0800

You're certain your PowerMac G5 doesn't have a PCI-Express slot? If it does, there are a wider variety of card options available to you.

By: mphuie

mphuie — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:11:57 -0800

There is a Nvidia 6800 Mac Edition AGP, as well as an X850 Mac Edition XT AGP, which will both support the 30" ACD.

ikkyu: No, PowerMac G5's do not have PCIE slots

By: mphuie

mphuie — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:14:06 -0800

FWIW, here is an ebay auction for the Nvidia 6800 AGP. (Not affiliated with seller)

By: pmbuko

pmbuko — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:14:10 -0800

SwitchResX will not work. You need a video card that is dual-link DVI capable in order to reach those upper resolutions.

By: mphuie

mphuie — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:20:36 -0800

Another ebay auction for the X800XT Mac Edition (auction ended w/o bidders, try contacting the seller?

By: mphuie

mphuie — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:24:13 -0800

Sorry for the spam. Search ebay for "ati G5" and "nvidia G5" for a lot more results.

By: jeblis

jeblis — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:29:30 -0800

What you might try and do is see if there is a setting on the monitor to display the 1280x800 resolution at a 1 to 1 pixel resolution. You won't be using the whole screen, but LCDs always look best when pixels are mapped 1-1. Everything should look normal size until you get a new video card.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:41:30 -0800

If you'd bothered to read the link I'd provided, mphuie, you would learn that you are mistaken.

You sounded very definitive, though. Bravo.

By: mphuie

mphuie — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:34:35 -0800

Thanks for the update, I didn't know they supplied PCIE in the G5's. (I was almost positive that my dual 2.0 G5 was the last revision).

By: squirrel

squirrel — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:49:12 -0800

I have the latest revision of the dual-core 2GHZ G5, and it uses PCI-E cards. There are several inexpensive graphic card options. I bought it in Jan 2006. I hope you're in the same boat.