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General discussion

Upgrade compatibility

Dec 14, 2007 7:41AM PST

I want to upgrade my G4 PowerMac (dual 500 MHz Gigabit). I have some questions about it, since I know a lot more about PCs than Macs, on the hardware end.

First question:
I'm pretty sure I couldn't use a processor from a newer G4 (i.e., Quicksilver or MDD), because of bus speed and possibly need for more power. But, if I were to change out the logic board <b>and</b> processor and PSU?

Second question:
When it comes to aftermarket upgrages from Sonnet, OWC, etc., would I see any improvement with a 1GHz processor, compared to the current dual 500MHz? Or would I need to go with something much faster to see any benefit?

Thanks in advance.

Discussion is locked

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Upgrade
Dec 14, 2007 11:35PM PST

First Answer:
Installing a processor from another, faster, G4 would probably not work as the physical layout of that area would not be the same.
Changing out the logic board would work but, you would find that the ouputs on the board did not match the output holes on the case.

Second Answer:
You would probably see a difference with the 1Ghz processor over the dual 500 Mhz. Dual 500Mhz do not equal 1 Ghz when it comes to processor speed.
There is also the difference in that way that a dual unit operates.
The 1 Ghz, on the other hand, operates as a single unit (duh!) all the time and should make a difference.

Of course, if you went with the dual 1.25 GHZ from either of those companies, you would see a major difference in speed.

Let us know how you get on

P

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Other questions
Dec 16, 2007 9:44AM PST

Thanks for the info. I thought most likely the dual processor only added a speed gain when multi-tasking, or using an app that supports multiple processors, but figured I'd ask just to make sure. So as I understand it, regular performance and responsiveness in my G4 really only reflects the 500 MHz clock speed.

But I was also wondering about other upgrades, and how much difference they might make. First and foremost, memory -- I'm currently running OS X 10.4 with 512 MB of RAM, and (at least) one of the 4 128 MB sticks is flaky. If I upgraded to 1.25 GB, that should improve the lag that I'm feeling, at least somewhat, right?

Also, upgrading the video card -- if I swap out the original 16 MB video card for a 128 MB model, that would probably help the lag when it comes to video-related tasks.

So between those 2 things, I would probably see a noticeable difference, right?

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Difference
Dec 16, 2007 8:44PM PST

Yes, you are correct.

Upping the memory to 1.25GB will make a noticeable difference but changing out the Graphics card will not be as noticeable.
That's not to say that you will not see a difference, just that the speed increase will not be as great as you see with the RAM upgrade.

I upgraded my old G4 with a pair of 1.25Ghz processors (OWC), 1.25GB of RAM and a better graphics card and saw a major difference.

P

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Thanks, here's an update
Dec 24, 2007 4:48PM PST

All the info you've provided has been really helpful, thanks! I just got 1 GB of RAM which I ordered and swapped out 2 of the old 128 MB sticks for 2 new 512 MB sticks. The difference is already noticeable! I'm still planning to upgrade the processor, but I haven't yet decided which processor upgrade to go with.

I wasn't able to find a dual 1.25 GHz processor upgrade from OWC (or anywhere else), so I'm considering just going with a 1.5 GHz single, since its benchmarks are actually better than some of the single ones that have higher clock speeds. I'll also take care of the video card at some point.

Thanks again for your help -- just with the extra RAM I already almost feel like I got a new Mac for Christmas Wink