6800 3D rendering issue/bug
I've been playing UT2004 and Halo on my new G5 2.5 since last Friday and everything was screaming until yesterday, when suddenly lots of white "dashes" appeared on the screen, flickering like crazy. I quit the game (UT at that time) and the dashes disappeared. So I restarted the game, and they were back again, even in the main menu page - sort of strobing/flickering. I tried changing resolutions etc. - no change (apart from the size of the "dashes"). I called MacSoft - they asked me to trash a couple of files - no change. Tried it with Halo - same thing.
Just got off the phone with Apple tech support. After about 15 mins on the phone with them (and eventually discussing with a senior tech) they told me this is an issue with the 6800 card. It's something they are aware of and are looking into it but don't have a fix as of now. It's a 3D rendering issue (I re-ran the Cinebench tests and the same effect occurred).
Well, that's a pain, but I just wanted to inform anyone who might be curious about the 6800/G5 combination that there's a nasty bug out there.
Just got off the phone with Apple tech support. After about 15 mins on the phone with them (and eventually discussing with a senior tech) they told me this is an issue with the 6800 card. It's something they are aware of and are looking into it but don't have a fix as of now. It's a 3D rendering issue (I re-ran the Cinebench tests and the same effect occurred).
Well, that's a pain, but I just wanted to inform anyone who might be curious about the 6800/G5 combination that there's a nasty bug out there.
Comments
Originally posted by auslander
Well, that's a pain, but I just wanted to inform anyone who might be curious about the 6800/G5 combination that there's a nasty bug out there.
Thanks. Hopefully, 10.3.6 will fix it.
I just don't trust situations when the vendor (nVidia) can't get something done when they promised because there always end up being bugs or things they missed.
But hey, as soon as those things are worked out I'll got ahead and order!
Originally posted by Placebo
How are your framerates in Onslaught?
To be honest, I've not been playing in that mode. I can check it out for you. How do I check frame rate?
Originally posted by auslander
To be honest, I've not been playing in that mode. I can check it out for you. How do I check frame rate?
I think hit the tilde key, then type stat fps and hit enter... frame rate should show up in a corner somewhere.
Originally posted by MCQ
I think hit the tilde key, then type stat fps and hit enter... frame rate should show up in a corner somewhere.
Holy crap! I never saw that game mode before. It's awesome - I almost forgot to come back and report framerates!
For the most part I saw mid 50s - lowest was 42 and highest was 72 I think. Resolution was 1900x1200.
Originally posted by auslander
For the most part I saw mid 50s - lowest was 42 and highest was 72 I think. Resolution was 1900x1200.
That's damn sweet, especially at that resolution.
Originally posted by Placebo
That's damn sweet, especially at that resolution.
Well, I presume that it's because there's a lot going on in ONS mode that the framerates are low, but in the modes I usually play, I saw rates of 100 - 120 constantly (in BR and Instagib modes).
Can't wait to try ONS mode more once I understand it. By the way, in this slew of tests the odd strobing was mild at first, then got less and less until it went away completely. Weird. No crashes at all, touch wood.
Originally posted by auslander
Holy crap! I never saw that game mode before. It's awesome - I almost forgot to come back and report framerates!
For the most part I saw mid 50s - lowest was 42 and highest was 72 I think. Resolution was 1900x1200.
Oof!
...
I'm sorry I just passed out! Goodness...
Must control myself. Must wait for Rev. C, must wait for Rev. C...
Screed
THis isn't the first issue with 3D, and OpenGL on the Mac that is plaguing my ability to have a competitive workflow.
Originally posted by onlooker
This is the kind of reports I was waiting for before ordering a 2.5GHz G5 with that card. (although I never imagined the G5 constraints, or the 6800 delays) I was hoping (dreaming) that it would be able to compete with PC cards in 3D renders. Sometimes being a Mac user isn't all its cracked up to be. Unless Apple reworks the PowerMac by MWSF and does something to make PC graphics cards close to plug, and play. Rather than Mac, and PC versions. I am going to have to buy a highend PC with all the bells, and whistles as a second computer to survive instead of a new PowerMac.
THis isn't the first issue with 3D, and OpenGL on the Mac that is plaguing my ability to have a competitive workflow.
Well, since my original post outlining the bug I've had far better luck. The "dashes" have since completely disappeared, for whatever reason. Of course this is the nature of bugs. I have no doubt this will be addressed asap.
Buying a high-end PC won't make you immune to bugs (I own two and they are full of them)
Originally posted by onlooker
Not my point. The card, the computer, and the rendering isn't even trying to be competitive. The options for PC highend 3D graphics cards are endless, and what I was hoping Apple could deliver. They can't.
The 6800 Ultra is on par with high end graphic cards on the PC. Apple is not attempting to deliver a system that is open to third party manufacturers. It is a closed architecture.
To say that the 2.5 G5 with the 6800 is not competitive is wrong. Pricing may not be the best, but if that was a concern shared by everyone, Apple would be out of business.
Originally posted by talksense101
The 6800 Ultra is on par with high end graphic cards on the PC. Apple is not attempting to deliver a system that is open to third party manufacturers. It is a closed architecture.
To say that the 2.5 G5 with the 6800 is not competitive is wrong. Pricing may not be the best, but if that was a concern shared by everyone, Apple would be out of business.
It's not competing, or even a contender, and is no where near the level it could if Apple were to change the way the graphics was handled on the Mac, and open it up more to PC card compatibility.
It competes with none of these cards. Most of them would most likely more than double the performance of that basic 6800 in 3D apps. SOme of them will do more than double the performance, and the Pure Card is still a PCI.
According to ATI and nVidia there hasn't been sufficient professional demand for these cards to be made compatible with OS X.
I expect that this will change in the future with OS X becoming increasingly popular - but for now and in the forseeable future WinNT and Irix will remain the popular OSes for high end 3d production.
I don't know why you were expecting the GeForce6800 to compete with high-end 3d card solutions on the Mac when it doesn't even do so on the PC.
Originally posted by cinder
I edited this quote down to the 1 sentence I was adressing
~onlooker
Onlooker, those cards are so far out of the consumer and prosumer market I think it's totally ridiculous to expect Apple to have any BTO options for cards like that.
You misunderstand what I'm saying. Rethinking the graphics on the motherboard design, and do away with the Mac cards all together. Start using PC cards. If apple opened it up it would not be difficult to get hardware developers to send PC, and Mac versions of compatible drivers with most of the cards, and a lot we cant get right now. Initially a few cards would come with it, but eventually as emails, and demand rose they would port them all. Especially if people like Pixar, and other studios who use Mac's asked for them.
Another really highend Video Content card the Nvidia Quadro FX 4000 SDI. These cards practically had "I want Final Cut Pro" written on them from their inception.
THats what I'm getting at. BTO is not applicable here. I'm talking about BYO (bye your own)
This could also help in pricing with some of the BTO options. Apple would have to have a few cards to chose from at the store, but having them made Mac specifically would no longer be equated into their pricing.
Originally posted by onlooker
You misunderstand what I'm saying. Rethinking the graphics on the motherboard design, and do away with the Mac cards all together. Start using PC cards. If apple opened it up it would not be difficult to get hardware developers to send PC, and Mac versions of compatible drivers with most of the cards, and a lot we cant get right now. Initially a few cards would come with it, but eventually as emails, and demand rose they would port them all. Especially if people like Pixar, and other studios who use Mac's asked for them.
Another really highend Video Content card the Nvidia Quadro FX 4000 SDI. These cards practically had "I want Final Cut Pro" written on them from their inception.
THats what I'm getting at. BTO is not applicable here. I'm talking about BYO (bye your own)
This could also help in pricing with some of the BTO options. Apple would have to have a few cards to chose from at the store, but having them made Mac specifically would no longer be equated into their pricing.
The problem is that cards need to be modified to speak to the Mac's OpenFirmware, a non-trivial task.
Originally posted by cinder
That being said, you're 5 posts away from '1337' which is awesome.
He's there now.