G5 PCIX video card in a G4 tower?

#1 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 06:04

The early G5's were PCI-X and had PCI-x video cards. Would those video cards work in the G4 towers that had PCI-X slots?

#2 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 06:23

The early G5s were PCI-x and had AGP video cards. No, they don't work in G4s because they are keyed the opposite way.

#3 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 06:49

I can’t speak for other cards but I modified a GeForce FX 5200 AGP card from a G5 to work in a MDD. One thing I lost in the mod was ADC power. It's not a great video card but it was free.

#4 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 07:18

One thing I lost in the mod was ADC power.

I got such a card, except I think it's ATI, and there exists a way to "hack" the ADC power to connect to the G4's ADC slot which involves taking a chunk of ISA card of approximately the same size and soldering it to the cards misplaced connector and offsetting it with wires so that it fits into the slot properly.
I bookmarked it somewhere, and I'll post it up here at some point if I find it.

c

EDIT: Also, pins 3 and 11 have to be taped off or disconnected somehow on some cards, otherwise they interfere with the G4's AGP slot, causing a no video condition.

#5 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 07:52

Also take note of how your G4 AGP slot is keyed and how the donor card is keyed.

#6 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 08:34

Were those AGP G5's AGP Pro (which can be confused with PCI-X because of the long card edge)?

#7 Thu, 5 Sep 2013 - 17:10

Yeah, it was an AGP Pro slot. As I recall, the early cards are keyed for 1.5V.