ATI/Radeon 9800 Pro 128 AGP 4x/2x in Gigabit Ethernet dual 450 PMac G4

Question

Hi,
This is my first time posting to these discussion group... I've been going through related threads and have not found an answer to my problem...
I have a Gigabit Ethernet dual 450 G4. Awhile ago I upgraded the processor to a Sonnet 1.8ghz so I could run Leopard.
I just bough the ATI/Radeon 9800 Pro 128 AGP 4x/2x video card. I researched around and that seemed to be a card that would work in my machine. I even read a review on Amazon where someone had also upgraded to the 1.8 processor used this card with no issues.
I do have an older monitor - Apple Studio Display CRT with the ADC connector. So I also bought the Apple DVI to ADC adapter kit.
I installed the card and do not get any picture at all - I believe I have installed everything correctly. I'm pretty sure I can hear the fan on the video card in the machine. The monitor is getting power from the adapter since the button lights up when I press it - but it does not stay lit -- the monitor never turns on. Using my old graphics card the monitor makes a little "beep" when it turns on.
In reading the other topics I am wondering if it might be a power issue? According to Other World Computing's profile my machine has a max of 220 watts. Although they suggest this video card as one the will work in my machine.
I have disabled the hard drive that came with the machine (too small) and am using two Maxtor hard drives that I added - one ATA (120gb) and one SATA (500gb) that is connected to an SATA pci card. I also have two additional pci cards with usb 2.0/firewire ports.
In looking at the topics here I came across the link about taping the 3 and 11 pins on the video card. Even though the card I have is 4x/2x not 8x I thought I'd give it a shot. That did not work either.
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I don't wish to sound redundant here, but I've been reviewing the vendor's page:
It's OK- I don't mind beating this dead horse....
The maker says such to protect themselves from possible claims that may arise due to over loaded systems and power problems when their card is installed in said system.
Of course, 300w would be nice, but they didn't even specify the PSU rating a couple years ago. The Sawtooth, with it's 237w PSU, used to be listed as a compatible machine for the 9800...... They just didn't consider how far a Sawtooth might be modded.
Within reason, the early G4's (Sawtooths) are capable of using the Radeon 9800 Pro. The GE has the same 338w PSU as the DA (they are interchangeable), so there is plenty of power for the 9800.
One thing to remember, the requirements of the ADC port of the AGP slot are removed by using a non ADC card. This really changes the calculations of the power available.
It's kinda' a long post, but, if you care to get ALL the details, check the following:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7065653&#7065653
I think you'll be satisfied with the explanation.......
Which leaves your second, and very appropriate, point.
The main enemy of all, though, isn't power. Heat is the biggest concern.
Reducing heat/increasing cooling by using a third party fan on the 9800 is highly recommended. The 9800 is a hot card, and the stock fan is prone to early failure.
Adding additional cooling to remove the extra heat produced by the 9800, by using an exausting PCI fan, will also help the PSU provide adequate voltage to the system, by reducing the amount of hot air moving out of the PSU.
Super heated air moving through the PSU reduces the cooling ability of the PSU. A hot PSU doesn't produce reliable power.
So, add the 9800, add some cooling, and enjoy!