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traktimino · Feb 10, 2004, 05:42 PM

i need to update my good old sawtooth and my budget isn't that small. here is what i'm planning to get

dual 1.2 ghz gigadesigns upgrade
radeon 9000
maxtor 60 gig HD
512 mb of ram ( I aalready have 256)

how do u think this will perform, any helpful comments welcome

Lateralus · Feb 10, 2004, 05:50 PM

I would save some money and step down to the OWC 1.4 for $449. I don't think the Dual would be worth the premium over the single processor upgrade.

Also, you'd might as well shoot for an 80GB or 120GB HD. They rarely cost more than $20 over the 60GB drives at places like NewEgg.

And the money that you would save by going with the 1.4GHz single processor upgrade, I'd use it to max out the RAM, or at least put it over 1GB. Sinking that much money into the machine and leaving it at what is commonly considered the least amount of RAM any OS X user should have would be a bad idea, I think.

As far as performance, if you put the 1.4 and a gob of RAM and a zippy HD with an 8MB buffer into your machine, I think I would be jealous of you.

Your macine would rock.

Lateralus · Feb 10, 2004, 05:55 PM

Also, many people here will tell you to sell the G4 and buy a new one. I swear, MacNN has one of the biggest anti-upgrade group of members of any Mac message board. Ignore them.

Upgrading your machine can be fun as hell, and if you've had it for a while, keeping it and upgrading it can be a 'sentimental' thing.

traktimino · Feb 10, 2004, 06:20 PM

hmmm u really think the OWC 1.4 would be better? i looked around on the forums and everybody else seems to recommend duals. I mean im not really trying to save money ;-) dont worry ill ignore them, I love upgrades

Lateralus · Feb 10, 2004, 06:53 PM

I think if it were a single processor 1.2GHz, it would be more debateable whether or not it is a better value. But the fact that it is a 1.4GHz chip will partially make up for the advantage that the Dual 1.2s would have in performance. Plus, you are more likely to get an overclock out of the 1.4 single processor than out of the Dual 1.2. Dual upgrades have proven a bit more tempermental when overclocked.

I don't know, I keep bouncing back and forth between the single and the dual myself for my machine. If the price gap weren't quite as big, I'd figure that the dual would be a good choice. But Given the speed of the single processor and the price of the dual, it is a toss up.

If you go for dual, make sure you do it for the right reasons and not just because of the dual praise around the message boards. Because sometimes, that second CPU will provide little to no performance boost depending on what you are doing.

Frankly, any of the upgrades you get will make your Sawtooth feel like a new machine. And I think that if I had to choose between a Dual 1.2 upgrade and 256MBs of additional RAM vs a 1.4 and another GB of RAM, I would go with the Single and the GB of RAM.

RAM is gold.

Macola · Feb 10, 2004, 08:07 PM

Either way, post back your results. I'm looking into building a G4 (from a Gigabit board and case) and I'm also caught in the single vs. dual trap...

SSharon · Feb 11, 2004, 02:36 AM

I've never upgraded the proc in my mac (dual 1.0 MDD) but I do love upgrading everything else it has. Adding an extra 512 chip was first upgrade and it looks like its going to get some more soon. Second third and fourth hard drives are nice (one external). And I agree that you should get an 8mb 7200rpm large drive (I got a western digital 160gb 8mb for $80 so how much cheaper can a 60gb drive be?), then if you need it add a fast cdrw. I could not stand the slow burning speeds of the superdrive so I put in a 52x lite-on that I got from newegg and I love it. I have also added am Eye-TV, the ATI remote-wonder, and lots of other USB goodies like wireless logitech KB and mouse.

Definately don't sell such a great building macine, just keep buying it presents like I do (my friends think I'm nuts, but they all use PC's so look who's talking).

Oh yea, and as for the dual vs. single debate. duals are great but I'm not sure they are as an upgrade, I always here about problems and slower bus speeds, and heat issues, so its better and cheaper to get the faster single proc. and invest in ram.

just my (long) $.02

DrBoar · Feb 11, 2004, 03:59 AM

I got 1.2 GHz G4 and Radeon 8500 as ewll as 640 MB RAM in my old G4/400 and it really feels as fast as my dual 1.25 at work

. Selling the computer to just get an other G4 would be a bad idea. If your suggested setup is to slow then everything south of a dual 1.8 GHz G5 will be to slow as well.

The G4/400 never really liked OS X it was to slow for it really. Now I feel I can have my upgraded computer well into 2005. More RAM than 256 is a given and I would look inot those disks with 8 MB caches and a 80-120 GB size.

Duals really does not make that much differens in Office netbrowsing and most games and such stuff. The dual was not aviable at the time I bought my 1.2 and I would not have payed the extra 200-250 dollars but if you do a lot of video compresion and other SMP it will be worth it.

My upgraded of my aging G4/400 will keep it going until I can get a dual CPU dual core G6 3 GHz+ monster next year

bbales · Feb 11, 2004, 09:25 AM

Originally posted by DrBoar:
I got 1.2 GHz G4 and Radeon 8500 as ewll as 640 MB RAM in my old G4/400 and it really feels as fast as my dual 1.25 at work . Selling the computer to just get an other G4 would be a bad idea. If your suggested setup is to slow then everything south of a dual 1.8 GHz G5 will be to slow as well.

The G4/400 never really liked OS X it was to slow for it really. Now I feel I can have my upgraded computer well into 2005. More RAM than 256 is a given and I would look inot those disks with 8 MB caches and a 80-120 GB size.

Duals really does not make that much differens in Office netbrowsing and most games and such stuff. The dual was not aviable at the time I bought my 1.2 and I would not have payed the extra 200-250 dollars but if you do a lot of video compresion and other SMP it will be worth it.

My upgraded of my aging G4/400 will keep it going until I can get a dual CPU dual core G6 3 GHz+ monster next year

What brand upgrade card did you get? And how do you think it would perform if you got just an 800 MZ upgrade?

Eriamjh · Feb 11, 2004, 11:02 AM

More RAM.

Seriously, probably better to sell.

Lateralus · Feb 11, 2004, 12:53 PM

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
Seriously, probably better to sell.

Go away.

Xyphoid Process · Feb 13, 2004, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by traktimino:
dual 1.2 ghz gigadesigns upgrade

Make sure your Sawtooth can accept a dual processor - earlier revisions (mine included) can't accept more than one chip. For details, run this utility:

http://www.powerlogix.com/downloads/...SICChecker.sit

tr · Feb 13, 2004, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
Go away.

sawtooth foooorrrever!!!

i'd say max out all the other stuff first. i put in 2 gb RAM, an 8500, a superdrive, and big ass hard drives. then get the fastest proc upgrade that you can afford. that's the step i'm on...just got to save some dough. i'm looking at the gigadesigns models.

tr

LeeG · Feb 13, 2004, 06:44 PM

I am at the exact same point. I juiced the RAM to 1Gb, added a second internal drive, Radeon 8500, pioneer 104 superdrive, & bluetooth to my G4/500.

I was thinking of a gigadesigns card also, but now I have been thinking I would just sell it and put the cash towards a low-end G5. I can't make up my mind-

Lee

ReggieX · Feb 13, 2004, 08:56 PM

Get the single processor, and more RAM.

osiris · Feb 17, 2004, 04:27 PM

I'm in the same boat, but I have gig o' ram and that a made a nice difference from when I had only 512. I'd get the memory first.

A friend gave me a Radeon 9000 and I didn't see a huge difference from my older 32mb Radeon. In fact, XBench reported lower OpenGL scores for some reason, but games are indeed smoother. go figure...

Now I may get the OWC Mercury Extreme 1.4ghz card and let the mighty Sawtooth live on for another year or two. I'm too sentimental with this aging beauty!

If you get an upgrade, let us all know what you got.