[help] Upgrading a G3


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I just won this G3. It looks like I got a pretty sweet deal, but anyways...

How do I upgrade the RAM? Is it standard PC100 memory? I was looking on crucial's site and they wanted like $86 for 256MB :unsure:. It also said to get theirs because you have to make sure you have a certain chip density on the module. Is this true? Also through my little bit of research I've found that there's 4 slots in this puppy and it'll go up to a gig (is this right?). So can anyone recommend where to get the cheapest 256MB modules to put in this thing? (I did find a site specifically for Macs for around $44/module, but cheaper would be nicer :D)

Also, on upgrading the processor, I found this. Is this my best/only deal for that type of upgrade?

Thanks a lot for any help you guys can offer. Oh, and this will be my first Apple computer :cool:

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Apple-History says that it can take PC133 RAM, max of 1GB (4x256), so I'd say any good quality RAM, not el-cheapo brand, would be fine.

And that looks like a pretty good deal for that kind of performance upgrade, considering you spent only $132 + Shipping, check eBay though to see if someone's selling one for cheaper.

And congrats on your... "new" Mac :D

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for better future-proofing id be more inclined to go for a G4 upgrade. it would last you longer, and give increased usability

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for better future-proofing id be more inclined to go for a G4 upgrade. it would last you longer, and give increased usability

Altivec isn't used by very many programs, and for about the same price, he can get a processor that is 400Mhz faster. Remember, Altivec is the ONLY difference between a G3 and a G4. If, in the future, Altivec is required for other software, he could still upgrade it to a G4 (probably at a higher frequency and lower price), but for now, a 1Ghz G3 will smoke a 600Mhz G4 on just about any benchmark out there.

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I'm nearly certain that I've read somewhere (maybe www.xlr8yourmac.com ) that the G3 (and PCI G4 machines) can't run the later 745x G4's, so, 600MHz is as fast as you can go with G4's.

this being the case, I guess it's possible you may see IBM AltiVec enabled G3 upgrades, as opposed to G4 ones at faster speeds.

See http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/G3CARDS/powerlo..._800/index.html for a review of G4/500 ZIF vs a G3/800 one.

Other things you may want to look at for not much money are:

PCI Radeon card from YellowDog for $35 - https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=177041

A PCI ATA/100 or ATA/133 card - especially if you have a Revision A B&W. See http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/G3-ZONE/yosemite/newfeatures.html

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I'm nearly certain that I've read somewhere (maybe www.xlr8yourmac.com ) that the G3 (and PCI G4 machines) can't run the later 745x G4's, so, 600MHz is as fast as you can go with G4's.

Well I have to ask then why sonnettech would have 800 and 1000 MHz upgrades that specifically list being compatible with:

?    Power Macintosh G3 All-in-one

?  Power Macintosh G3 Blue & White

?  Power Macintosh G3 Desktop

?  Power Macintosh G3 Minitower

?  Power Macintosh Server G3

?  Power Macintosh G4 (PCI Graphics)

?  Macintosh Server G4 (PCI Graphics)

And thanks for all of the o:)er info too :).

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Well I have to ask then why sonnettech would have 800 and 1000 MHz upgrades that specifically list being compatible with:

because they are G3's.

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Other things you may want to look at for not much money are:

PCI Radeon card from YellowDog for $35 - https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=177041

Unfortunately, there might not be any more of those left. I e-mailed them the other day about them, and at the time, there was only one left, but I didn't have the money at the time to get it (I wish I had).

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Interesting, never noticed that... up to 1GHz too!

I'm assuming it's an overclocked 744X CPU, as I'm nearly 100% certain that the later G4 CPU's (745x) are not compatible with the B&W machines. Unless they've found a way round it.

I'll have to see if I can find out where I got that gem of information.

I wonder does that mean someone will come up with a faster G4 upgrade for some of the G3 PowerBooks...

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This is interesting...

The bus speed is lowered to 66 MHz because Sonnet Engineers could not get a 100MHz system bus speed to work with their G4 upgrades that are above 600MHz on the B&W.
This has something to do with the incompatibility with 745X series G4s (700 mhz and up) and the B&W/Yikes G4. Only Sonnet knows the exact reasons why they couldn't go full speed.

http://www.macworld.com/forums/ubbthreads/...sb=5&o=&fpart=1

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