About G4 processors

changomarcelo

changomarcelo

Friend of the elves
Does anybody know if a G4 processor could be installed in an original G3 machine?
I ask this because a friend of mine saw a website where they sell G4 processors and asked me if I was interesed in buying one for my Mac (he knows nothing about Macs).
 
i don't sugest it, it would be a far better money investment if you got a brand new g4.
 
I agree. I don't think processor upgrades are worth the price, especially since you don't always get improvements like L2 and L3 cache, faster system bus, etc.
 
Perhaps they can, but why? I love my Power Mac 8600, but I will only upgrade it to a G3/500 the most. The reason is because of its limited 50 MHz bus speed. Yeah, sure I can get myself a G4/500 card, but why waste the money when you can use it to get yourself a used G4 or a soon-to-be discontinued G4; I'm eyeing on the dual 1 GHz, but don't plan to buy it until next year around this time.

If you have the original G3, that means your system's bus speed is only 66 MHz. Your processor may run faster than your bus; head running faster than the body. Ever experienced you thinking faster than you can talk? Painful, isn't it? Be kind to your Mac. Upgrade it to a G3/500 and run the latest OS 9 on it, and get yourself a G4 system to run OS X. I prefer a desktop since I have a PowerBook G4/500. I think video card is very important since OS X has the best graphic art in all current OS right now.

Hope this helps.
 
Originally posted by divibisan
Yes

If you buy a G4 Upgrade card you can put it in a G3 and even a pre-G3 Powermac
Click to expand...

He´s asking if it is possible to replace the processor, not to add a upgrade card ;)
 
Yes, and I ask why bothered? Even with a G4 processor, the entire computer isn't going to run as fast as an actual G4 Power Macintosh. So I suggested him to upgrade his machine to a G3/500 the most and get himself a real G4 Power Macintosh.
 
Yes, it's possible to add a processor upgrade card to your Mac, but you can't replace the processor itself. You could replace it with a faster G3, but soldering processors isn't something I'd recommend ;)
 
you dont have to solder on the processor upgrade.. ever heard of the ZIF slot. The new processor fits right were the old one was.
 
I spent $9,100 NTD ($260 USD) to get myself a Blueberry iMac (Revision D running at 333MHz) so I could use it to exchange for a Beige G3 running at 233MHz.

Would I put a G4 ZIF upgrade in the G3? The answer is no. But I would put one into a B&W G3 if I get one with a good deal, like for $20,000 NTD ($572 USD). "Why?" you might ask. Well, the B&W G3s have 100MHz bus speed while the original G3s only have 66MHz bus speed.

In short, either invest your money on a real G4 Power Mac, or get a G3 Power Mac with at least 100MHz bus speed, since early G4s have only 100MHz bus speed as well.

Current G4s have other advantages as well:
1) L2 cache
2) AGP slot for better, faster graphics system
3) 133MHz system bus
4) Faster than 500MHz G4 processors
5) Faster hard disk drive interface
6) Faster memory

So why get a G4 chip upgrade for your G3, I may ask?
 
Originally posted by <SNIPER>
you dont have to solder on the processor upgrade.. ever heard of the ZIF slot. The new processor fits right were the old one was.
Click to expand...

I believe G4s use BGA packaging, and can't really be socketed (this is why they are on daughtercards). So, it's not a simple matter of buying a new G4 chip and shoving it in the ZIF slot on the G3 motherboard.
 
The first G4s had a ZIF slot, the newer ones uses an other one specific for the G4s.
 
The B/W G3 machines use a ZIF socket, just like the first 350/400 MHz G4 Yikes! machines. You can put a G4 ZIF processor into the ZIF socket (replacing the G3 ZIF), do a simple firmware upgrade (required for B/W G3s because they have a G4 processor-upgrade blocking mechanism) and you've got a G4 machine with a 100MHz bus.

The maximum speed on ZIF processors now is 550 MHz. It used to be 500MHz, but PowerLogix just came out with a 550MHz G4 ZIF upgrade with a 2.5:1 cache ratio.
 
And, a 550 MHz Powerlogix upgrade shouldn't have any problems running at 650, maybe 700 MHz :)
 
Whoa... i doubt that. First of all, it's a 533MHz processor. It runs at that speed in a 66MHz bus computer. It runs at 550MHz in a 100MHz bus computer.

If you could overclock these things reliably to 650MHz or even 700MHz, I'd be impressed. I haven't heard of people overclocking something like that 100MHz... without some SERIOUS modifications.
 
Originally posted by ElDiabloConCaca
Whoa... i doubt that. First of all, it's a 533MHz processor. It runs at that speed in a 66MHz bus computer. It runs at 550MHz in a 100MHz bus computer.

If you could overclock these things reliably to 650MHz or even 700MHz, I'd be impressed. I haven't heard of people overclocking something like that 100MHz... without some SERIOUS modifications.
Click to expand...

Whah? I overclocked the Powerlogix G3 card in my previous Mac, an 8600, from 300 to 420 MHz, it was perfectly stable. Without adding additional cooling. It even booted at 480 MHz, but it was, uhm, extremely unstable. Almost worked at 440.
I've overclocked my iMac/333 to 400 MHz, and my G4/400 to 500 MHz, everything is stable. Usually, running a 550 MHz processor at 650 MHz would be no problem.
 
Originally posted by ksv


Whah? I overclocked the Powerlogix G3 card in my previous Mac, an 8600, from 300 to 420 MHz, it was perfectly stable. Without adding additional cooling. It even booted at 480 MHz, but it was, uhm, extremely unstable. Almost worked at 440.
I've overclocked my iMac/333 to 400 MHz, and my G4/400 to 500 MHz, everything is stable. Usually, running a 550 MHz processor at 650 MHz would be no problem.
Click to expand...

is there any way you can tell me hopw to overclock my 466 g4? are there any viciblegains to this?
 
Yeah, there are, but you need very good soldering skills to do it, you have to remove the processor card from the motherboard and solder extremely small resistors. Impossible if you don't know soldering...
 
i don't know soldering, but do have extreeme skill at burning small mooving ants with a magnifying glass...that outh to be a tranferable skill... :)
 
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