Still, though this is the system bus, the PCI bus is even slower, and it works the same on PC's. I don't expect awesome gaming performance, but regular old video playback, not even MPG2. I should at least be able to get that.
It's a 300MHz G3, to end any confusion. What I'm getting at is the 16 bit part. Why is it only 16 bit when this is supposedly a 32 bit system? In fact some sites say that the data path to the CPU is 64 bit? I can get this out of a P233MMX CPU with a 66MHz bus; in fact I can play DVD's on it. I know this doesn't have an actual MPEG decoder on the vid card, but it isn't the problem. I don't feel that the bus should have to much to do with either. Unless video playback demands that much bandwidth out of the system. Maybe this is where I am confused, perhaps I am underestimating what video demands on a system. Maybe I should start looking for a G3 system, or motherboard? -----Original Message----- From: PCI PowerMacs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of J. Blanton Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 6:24 AM To: PCI PowerMacs Subject: Re: PCI Bus 16 bit on 8/6/03 2:36 AM, Mr. Elusive at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> I don't just don't think my video card is the problem. Sorry for >> the long post of data. >> > > 'Also, you are running on a 50MHz bus, and you are running a G3 upgrade > on that. It is just infeasable to expect similar performance to a > similarly speeded but newer system...' > > Did you read the other part of my post? It's not just your vidcard, its > your whole setup. you are running a 400MHz chip on a 50MHz bus. This > restricts the ability of your processor to send and retrieve data from > the other systems on your board (memory, pci slots, etc) because all > the data must flow on that 50MHz bus until it reaches your chip; > compare that to the 167MHz bus of the MDD or the 800-1GHz range of the > G5, that is a ton more bandwidth for data. In other words; your card > may be capable of good video playback, but if you are trying to play a > large HQ file, the slower system bus becomes a big factor as you pull > the data off the disk, to memory; then getting sent to the chip for > decoding, and is likely, IMHO, your biggest issue with your video > playback. > I second that notion. Most people don't realize what a major difference a faster system bus means to performance. I've got a 7300 G3 470mhz CPU with a 47mhz bus and at times it seems quite slow compared to my father's iMac with a 400 mhz G3 and a 100 mhz bus. You'd be much better off with ,at the VERY least, a B&W G3 or an early G4. Most of your hardware (including your video card) will be supported. I've seen B&W's around $300 on certain reputable sites. My two cents: J.Blanton Austin TX 78749 -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
