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Help identify Radius videocard

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Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
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Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 10, 2025 - #1
Hi all, found an Quadra 650 with some cards inside but needed it for the videocard to place it in my Q700. But cannot find exact card it. It looks like a Radius Thunder IV but the numbers are not the same on the card and on Internet, is there someone how recognise this card? (DB-15)

thanks
Attachments:
tempImageYU8LTS.png (6 MB)
tempImagerg1hKX.png (5.9 MB)
tempImageFEUniB.png (7.7 MB)

Liked by JDW

JDW
Administrator
Japan
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Joined: Sep 2, 2021
Posts: 2,534
Likes: 1,982
Dec 10, 2025 - #2
Radius Thunder 24/GT NuBus video card (I have one, see photo below) along with the DSP daughtercard for Photoshop acceleration. When combined together, the two cards are called the Radius Thunder IV GX 1152. Higher end cards in the Thunder IV GX series simply have more VRAM and support higher resolutions and more colors, but performance is the same.

[Image: IMG_7688.jpeg]

The card itself draws a lot of power and that DSP card just adds to it, so if you don't take advantage of it for Photoshop acceleration, it's probably better to remove the daughter card. And in that case, you would want to store it in a protective antistatic bag and take care of it because those are rare.

You can see precisely how much power that video card consumes, even without daughter card, by looking at the card itself...


Built-in video of Quadra machines is faster than that card, but for older Mac II machines like my IIci, that's about the fastest card available for video.

Here's an excellent FAQ about the cards...

Attachments:
IMG_7688.jpeg [View]
1765402558587.png [View]

Liked by Kai Robinson

Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
--------
Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 10, 2025 - #3
Thanks JDW for information

Liked by JDW

Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
--------
Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 10, 2025 - #4
One question do you now what that black looks like floating ufo is doing? Left from the db15 connector

JDW
Administrator
Japan
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Joined: Sep 2, 2021
Posts: 2,534
Likes: 1,982
Dec 11, 2025 - #5
>> Peter-Erik said:
...do you now what that black looks like floating ufo is doing? Left from the db15 connector Click to expand...
I've never taken my little UFO guy apart to find out, but using my thermal camera I see it's one of the hottest parts of the board (61.1*C, after machine was on for 1 hour), which tells me it must be a heatsink of some sort.




Here's a card feature side-by-side chart:

Attachments:
1765412013834.png [View]
1765411824896.png [View]

Trash80toG4
Active Tinkerer
Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
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Joined: Apr 1, 2022
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 329
Dec 11, 2025 - #6
Nice find! I lucked into a bargain basement Thunder IV GX 1600 that was mis-listed on eBay. Getting one in a Q650 is pretty sweet. What other cards were in there?

Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
--------
Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 11, 2025 - #7
@Trash80toG4 wil make some pictures from that - but need to focus on rebuilding my SE/30 and SE first . (wil soon post some stuff about this)
@JDW thanks for your information.

Liked by JDW

Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
--------
Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 12, 2025 - #8
@Trash80toG4
@JDW

add some pictures from the Quadra 650 (Barn find) (the first thing I did is remove the battery no leakage) I guess a capture card but the chip with Raytheon on it?

I thought that Raytheon was something with Radars (ships)?

Any idea let me know

For now did not start the 650 -> busy with rebuilding SE and SE/30

be continued
Attachments:
IMG_4763.jpeg (1.8 MB)
IMG_4762.jpeg (1.6 MB)
IMG_4760.jpeg (2 MB)
IMG_4761.jpeg (2 MB)
IMG_4764.jpeg (1.5 MB)
Scherm­afbeelding 2025-12-12 om 16.50.01.png (64.2 KB)

JDW
Administrator
Japan
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Joined: Sep 2, 2021
Posts: 2,534
Likes: 1,982
Dec 13, 2025 - #9
Attachments:
1765584597005.png [View]

Peter-Erik
New Tinkerer
Bilthoven - The Netherlands - Europe - Earth
--------
Joined: Mar 24, 2025
Posts: 20
Likes: 7
Dec 13, 2025 - #10
Nice find, thanks

Liked by JDW

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