Apple Dropped Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL and Added ATI Radeon X850 XT Graphics for Power Mac G5s--Why?

One can no longer order a Power Mac G5 with the top of the Mac line Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card (Nv6800UL). The Nv6800UL was the first card that Apple produced to drive its 30" Cinema Display. In fact, the Nv6800UL can drive two of them at the same time but uses the space of two slots. In its place, Apple has resurrected the slower and cheaper Nvidia GeForce 6800 GT DDR that was itself once dropped from the available cards. While slower, the Nv6800GT still drives two 30" Cinema Displays and takes up two slots like the Nv6800UL. The Nv6800GT costs $350-400 as a CTO option or $499 as an aftermarket kit. Shipping time on the latter is a long 3-4 weeks.

Apple finally added the best of ATI for the Mac, a Radeon X850 XT, as a CTO option for the same $350-400 as the Nv6800GT. The X850 XT is a slightly faster model of the X800 XT that has been shipping in quantity since April. It can drive only one 30" Cinema Display but it has an ADC port for legacy Cinema Displays and takes up the space of only the graphics card slot. Unfortunately, it's not yet offered as an aftermarket kit.

In our top of the line graphics card comparo, we recommended the now discontinued Nv6800UL over the ATI X800 XT for use with a 30" Cinema Display because it was generally a bit faster overall in our tests and far less problematic. The small speed margin of Nvidia over ATI is surely lost between the slower Nv6800GL and the faster X850 XT that are now available.

Why did Apple do this? Perhaps the sales of the Nv6800UL at $599 tanked after the introduction of the X800 XT at $499 but with discounts. Or perhaps, it's in anticipation of Apple shipping an OEM version the new, faster, better Nvidia GeForce 7800. We think this is more likely since the Nv6800GT is showing a long wait time. In any case, right now the ATI Radeon X850 XT is king of the hill. [Bill Fox]