Can anyone tell me why this may be happening? My videocard seems to freak out lately when any openGL based app, ie motion - google earth - is run!! Check out these screen shots and let me know what you think...
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1...ure16je.th.jpg
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/4...ure20oi.th.jpg

Can you post the mac model you have ? It may help determine where the issue lays.

...and while you're at it, exactly what video card is in that model of Mac.

And tell us if you are using any system hacks. (System hacks are programs that run all the time and change the behavior of your system in some way. CandyBar is an example.)

Also, tell us if you're using any non-standard video drivers, or video-related peripherals.

Trevor

System Specs:
 

I am not using any system hacks. The computer is a Mirror Drive Dual 1.42 G4 w/ 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM.

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: Power Mac G4
Machine Model: PowerMac3,6
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)
Number Of CPUs: 2
CPU Speed: 1.42 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
L3 Cache (per CPU): 2 MB
Memory: 1.5 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.6.0f1
Serial Number: XB31707ZN1Y

Graphics Card:
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro:

Chipset Model: ATY,R350
Type: Display
Bus: AGP
Slot: SLOT-1
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x4e48
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-A07525-114

I am using standard ATI Drivers - and the only video related item I have is a firewire DataVideo box for brining in DV content. But this is not connected to the videocard...

Try reverting to the drivers that came with OS X and see if that fixes the problem.

Trevor

How exactly can I go back to the drives that OS X uses?

I don't think that is a driver issue. That is either a bad display or a hardware issue with the video card itself. If you have another video card swap them out and test or test with another display.

Does the problem occur during the boot process or only in the OS?

To revert back to the OS X drivers probably won't fix this unless a recent update broke them. IME, the manufacturer of the card writes way better drivers than any other developer. Not to mention the default drivers built into OS X were written by ATI in the first place, they are just older than what is currently released.

Get them from your backup or from the Install CD/DVD using "Pacifist".
Note that Software Update might have updated them since the date of your CD/DVD.

Drivers are kernel extensions, stored in /System/Library/Extensions

Of course, you might be right. But it's free to revert to older drivers, and it's expensive to replace the video card. Given that there is a possibility that it is a driver fault, reverting to older drivers is a good and free first troubleshooting step. If possible software fixes don't work, then and only then is it time to give up and say it's a hardware fault.

The drivers included with OS X are indeed written by ATI. However they are more thoroughly tested by Apple than by ATI, which has only a small Mac team. When ATI releases updated drivers that are not bundled with OS X, they are only tested by the small ATI QA department. When there are updated drivers bundled with OS X, they are tested both by ATI's QA department as well as by Apple's QA department, and in many cases by an external beta group, and select members of ADC that has access to advance drivers.

Additionally, even if the drivers bundled with OS X were not more thoroughly tested, the important factor in this case is that they are different. If a problem occurs when using one driver, then a valid test is to use a DIFFERENT driver. So if bwolson had problems with Apple's driver, a valid first test to help indicate if the driver was at fault would be to install the drivers downloaded from ATI's website. Because they are different binaries a problem could occur in one and not the other. In this case it is reversed--a problem occurs when using ATI's driver, so let's try the one bundled with OS X and see if the problem goes away.

Again, this could very well be a hardware fault, but let's eliminate the possibility of a software fault first.

Trevor

Another question just occurred to me--are you overclocking your Radeon 9800? If so, turn off the overclocking immediately.

Trevor

I'm just speaking from experience. I have seen that problem a ton on both macs and PCs with the ghosting of images and artifacts on the screen. Almost always it has been a hardware issue and almsot always it has been a video card.

Of course there are other factors, but for me the fastest way to test this would be to just toss another ATI video card in the system. It doesn't even have to be the same card, just a radeon family card. Since all radeons use the same driver.

As far as the driver being the issue, only if an actual update (from the OS, or the driver) caused this issue then I would not suspect the driver itself. The user of this system has not indicated if they have recently done either.

You may want to physically check the card for blown caps on it. That is usually the case when this happens and was very very common in imac g5 and the first generation of G5s. It has been somewhat of a known issue.

Please list any or all updates you have recently run, also have you tried a new user account, or any other basic troubleshooting steps?

I've seen this problem on a G5 with Apple's supplied video card with the 30" Cinema Display. Zapping the PRAM cures it.

Ok people I will try to respond to all these questions... and please understand I appreciate your taking the time to contemplate this issue.

1. No over clocking has been done to this card
2. I think its pretty obvious that if I put another card in the computer that it will not give me the same issues, even if the drivers are the same the card will run differently... plus I need this card to run motion and other applications. If it is a hardware issue I will have my company buy a new card (any recommendations if this is the case?)
3. The pram on this machine has been zapped more times than I care to say - im surprised the computer can still remember the date LOL...
4. I remember this issue starting back when I first installed tiger, but disappeared between OS 10.4.x and 4.4 - but i do have to agree with the user above that states that the ATI drivers are tested - and that even if they are not totally scrutinized by apple they should still be an update to what existed in 10.4

now, what are blown caps? I have inspected the card and have seen no physical signs of damage... I have multiple accounts on the machine and have run the card in all of them with the same results...

either way, against better judgment I will revert to the older apple drivers via pacifist and see if I can at least make the problem appear less often.

Any other ideas, short of buying a new card, would be greatly appreciated.

B.

sorry blown caps = blown capacitors. They will be bloated or have a curve on the top. In worse cases they will have the insides spewing out of them. Capacitors should be a cyliner type shape. If you see any disfigurement or bloating they are blown, which is a somewhat common issue with video cards.

here goes some GIS pics, see how they slightly look different

http://www.pcdoctor-guide.com/wordpr...deo-card-5.jpg

http://www.fozzilinymoo.org/Fozzolog...rd.640x480.jpg

http://www.seanadams.com/deadairport...lown_caps.jpeg

Have you reverted to the old video card drivers on your OS X Install CD/DVD using Pacifist?

Trevor

Have you installed the most recent ROM update for your video card? This was released in August 2005, but isn't easy to locate on ATI's site. Selecting the Mac OS X 10.4.x option will show the December 2004 update. Instead clicking "ROM Updates" will eventually lead you to the "August 2005 ATI RADEON Universal ROM Update for ATI Retail Mac Cards"

Important Note: Installing this ROM Update from 10.4.4 requires booting into Safe mode (Hold Shift during boot).

Ok so I have installed the original drivers using Pacifist, and have updated the rom... neither of which seem to have been able to rectify the problem... also I have not really noticed blown caps, I really have no idea what to do at this point. If anyone else has ever seen this problem and has a solution please let me know, as buying a new card will push back my production deadlines even further. Again thanks for all the help.

A blown cap will usually appear as lifted from the board more than the others. Perhaps tilted a bit. You would be able to see the rubber seal exposed under the metal can.

After all of your diagnostics, I would more suspect faulty video memory on the card or a bad contact in the AGP slot. Have you removed and reinserted the card?

I am pretty much certain (like 98%) that it is a defective video card. I see this issue all the time and almost always I replace the video card first thing and it fixes the problem.

I agree with tlarkin. You've eliminated software possibilities, which leaves a hardware problem. By far the most likely hardware problem that would show this issue is a defect in the VRAM on the video card.

The good news is that it is easy to replace the video card in your PowerMac. Just buy a new one (the Radeon 9800 is still available, so you could replace it with the same model if you wish--or go with a Radeon X800 for an upgrade) and pop it in.

Trevor