can someone reccommend a graphics card?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hey hope someone can help.... I'm currently running a G4 mirrored drive doors dual 1ghz 2 gb machine but with only one piddly little 15" screen which is totally pathetic. I've seen some Belinea 17"/19" (cant remember) screens with VGA connectors for next to nothing and I wanted to get a pair of them, but I figure I'm going to need an appropriate card to drive them.



Any suggestions? I'd like something also which is powerful, but for 2d rather than 3d graphics, to take the strain off my processor for the visual side of things when running Logic (music sequencing app) as when my projects get particularly complicated, the screen refresh rate becomes unbearably slow. I know most mac graphics cards have DVI outputs, but you can get DVI to VGA adapters right? I just want to make sure I can get something that'll support two screens.



Thanks in advance for ay help!



Jon

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    leonardleonard Posts: 528member
    Unless you're going to get into 3D stuff your current graphics card is more than able to handle two monitors. Graphics cards more or less maxed out 2D performance many years ago. Today, you upgrade your graphics card for improved 3D performance.



    Your screen refresh problems in Logic are probably due to CPU bottleneck problems. The CPU can't output stuff fast enough to the graphics card as it has to do a lot of processing for your sound - especially when things get complicated. Maybe a person who knows Logic better can chime in, but I know Logic is a Pro app which needs CPU power.



    And yes you can get DVI to VGA adapters.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    cool thanks for that - I had no idea that 2d technology had reached a brick wall as it were... I was just hoping I could get something which would entirely take care of the display side of things to leave my CPU to do the audio crunching but I guess thats wishful thinking huh?



    so it would probably be a total nightmare to try to run two 17" screens right? and its not really possioble to upgrade my processor either? or maybe im better off just going for one large monitor?
  • Reply 3 of 3
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    "I'm currently running a G4 mirrored drive doors dual 1ghz 2 gb machine"



    Hi, I had a similar dual 1+ghz MDD G4 machine and I brought it to it's knees with Reason+Rewire+AbletonLive running off outboard M-Audio keyboard and music processor.



    I agree with previous poster. I have not used logic but in Reason, clearly the program will focus on the sound processing and that's why screen refresh is lagging.



    You've got a challenge here that it's time for a new CPU, unless you can figure out how to simplify your music tracks. I couldn't, in the sense that I'd have instruments and effects routing and all that to "chase" a specific sound I liked, so that was bogging down the CPU.



    If you move up to a G5, you will be amazed at the speed improvement and you'd drive two monitors easily.



    Now, Logic Universal Binary on a Intel Core2Duo iMac 17" or 20", and I think that would be a very very nice music setup to start with, and it will handle your current instruments/ tracks/ effects/ etc. like butter.



    My dual 1+ghz G4 MDD in Reason was maxing out the CPU. I got a 1.6ghz *single* G5, and the CPU bar was like at 10-15%, saying to me, essentially, "is this all ya got...???"...
Sign In or Register to comment.