[G4] Video Card Upgrade Question

[Richard Klein]

Philip J Robar wrote:
> 
> On May 7, 2007, at 2:19 PM, Preston Peek wrote:
> 
>> I've just purchased a Samsung 22" widescreen monitor, but can only 
>> attach it
>> to my analog VGA port (no DVI on my G4). The picture, even on a Hi Def 
>> DVD,
>> is not so hot. I know someone who runs this monitor from a PC for gaming,
>> and he's blown away by it. Not so me.
>>
>> My question is: If I upgrade my video card (I'm looking at a Mac ATI 
>> Radeon
>> 9200 128MB AGP DVI Video Card) will this improve my resolution? Will
>> increasing the RAM (which I badly need) help?
> 
> The video card and its analog connection is probably not the problem. 
> LCD monitors have a native resolution and refresh rate. If the former is 
> not set correctly the display will look bad, if the latter is not set 
> correctly, but the former is things will be a little fuzzy. Check the 
> manual for the correct settings.

That's an excellent point.  What model is your monitor?  The 226BW has a 
native resolution of 1680x1050; it won't look as good if you set your 
desktop to any other resolution:
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Digital/LS22MEWSFVXAA.asp?page=Specifications

Also, wiggle your video cable.  A DVI connection will give you a 
slightly crisper picture, but you should be able to get a pretty darned 
good picture even with an analog connection.  Still, a cable that 
doesn't make a good connection can really screw up the picture.

Can you give us a better description of what, exactly, is wrong with the 
picture, though?  Is it blurry or distorted or snowy (that one's pretty 
unlikely), or is video jerky?

>> And on a related issue: Is anyone familiar with the $299 "SuperCharged 
>> 1.5
>> GHz PowerMac G4 CPU Upgrade G-Celerator, 1.53 GHz with the 
>> supercharged 2MB
>> Cache... The "Plug & Play" 1.5 GHz that will more than triple the 
>> speed of
>> your Power Macintosh G4 system!?" Worth it. I could sure use some speed

Never heard of that particular one.

-- 
Rich