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grendelprime · Mar 28, 2005, 06:07 PM

Hello all, I'm a long-time PC user, and have done some PC modding (Small Form Factor) over the last few years, but most recently was smitten by the Mac Mini, though I haven't picked one up yet. I remember envying the looks of the G4 Cube, and still hunt for a good deal on eBay from time to time, but mostly find some nice G4 shells reasonably priced.

Being 'from the other side', I don't know how the performance of a G4 Cube stacks up against the Mini, but I would imagine some improvements have been made since the Cube debuted in 2000. Would it be worthwhile to pursue relocating a Mini's innards into the more spacious accommodations of a Cube?

Since it looks like OS/X on x86 hardware will probably not happen in my lifetime, the Mini is about the best route I have to try the OS hands-on. I just really like the style of the Cube.

I'm browsing CubeOwners.com, and a couple other sites I saw referenced to get an idea of what I'd be getting into, and any feedback or advice would be appreciated.

Link · Mar 28, 2005, 08:39 PM

A used cube can be had for about $300, and while you'd definitely end up paying more for a modern video card, you can cram up to about a radeon 9800 and dual g4s of some sort into there, you'd have a crapload more video memory than a mac mini and 512mb more ram capacity, not to mention the HD is swappable with a 7200rpm desktop drive.. unlike the mini's laptop drive.

Gigadesigns makes a cube upgrade (dual 1.6ghz!) for $749:
http://www.gigadesigns.com/products7AD1416C.html

There's also a few various ones for $349 and up...

As for video, that's a bit of an all-arond tricky one -- I think radeon 9200s will work, if anything a geforce 4ti, I'm really not sure at the moment..

As a whole, the cube is a bit bigger though, and with upgrades still quite a bit more expensive.. for a size comparison:

www.cube-zone.com shows one

Waragainstsleep · Mar 29, 2005, 12:51 AM

The mini will take a desktop drive (maybe two) if its mounted in a cube case.

ihatesuvs68 · Apr 2, 2005, 01:11 AM

I was fooling around with the idea of getting a cube, upgrading the CPU, ram, HD, graphics, and optical drive... but then you have to upgrade the power supply, case, etc... it sucks basically.

So... I ended up just getting a tower. It's loud and huge, but it does what I want. If money is no object, build a badass cube. It'd be cool.

Lateralus · Apr 2, 2005, 01:13 AM

You don't need to upgrade the power supply or the case of a Cube to accomodate those upgrades. It only 'helps' with the cooling of a video card, but it isn't necessary.

ihatesuvs68 · Apr 2, 2005, 10:30 AM

If you want a decent video card you're going to need to upgrade it. Check the cube owner forums.

Lateralus · Apr 2, 2005, 01:04 PM

Incorrect.

I've already owned two Cubes. All you have to do is relocate the VRM for many video cards to work. Most that will work seem to use passive cooling anyways. The case upgrade is optional.

Amacapart · Apr 2, 2005, 04:52 PM

Fastest video card to go in a Cube WITHOUT a case mod, VRM move or additional power is a GF3. (Mac or flashed)

If you want to run a Radeon 9700 or 9800 in there you will MOST DEFINETELY need an additional power supply. hpence at Cubeowners & I worked out these 2 cards for Cube, he still sells them. There is no way in HECK to get them to run on stock power.

Most Cube folks are going with the flashed 9200 AGP. It has 128 Megs of RAM but NO Pixel Shaders. Reason it is popular is that it requires NO additional work at all. VRM can stay where it was, etc. In fact most don't even have a fan allowing Cube to remin fairly quiet. 9200 runs MUCH cooler than he GF3.

There is no free lunch though, the GF3 is the only easy choice that has any real speed to it.

Cube with a 500 Mhz G4 and a GF3 runs 3D games faster than a Mini 1.42 with a 9200. Kinda sad for Mini....

MORT A POTTY · Apr 2, 2005, 05:36 PM

wrong, most people aren't flashing any video cards at all. you're just wrong.

you don't need a new Power supply

the newer processor upgrades come with a VRM bypass or something and use so little power that they can accommodate two CPUs with little hassle.

Amacapart · Apr 2, 2005, 05:46 PM

I realize policing these forums keeps you very busy, but perhaps you could swing over to Cubeowner (#1 Cube site) for just a moment to catch up on recent events.

If nobody is flashing 9200 cards then it is very odd that there are 34,000 + hits on the "9200 AGP" flashing thread.

A few minutes of reading over there will show you the 9200 has been THE hot Cube card for at least 6 months.

Go ahead....Cubeowner.com.

MORT A POTTY · Apr 2, 2005, 05:58 PM

I don't police them, I'm not even a mod, so why bother?

the fact is, MOST people don't flash them, there may be some curious people, but I guarantee you that it's not near as popular as you'd like to believe. card flashing is a pretty niche thing.

Amacapart · Apr 2, 2005, 06:15 PM

Go on, don't be afraid...Cubeowner.com. Read up on what's hot video card-wise.

Truth is, owning a Cube is pretty much a "niche thing"

Read the post by Link a few spots up, he knows about 9200.

Or, go to Ebay and do a search for "Mac Cube Video"

I just did, I found:

3 @ GeForce 2
2 @ GeForce 3
3 @ Radeon 7000
1 @ Rage 128

and, get ready for this.....

5 @ Radeon 9200

Making it #1 Cube card being sold on Ebay.

But, if you know something that the folks at Cubeowner & Ebay don't know, please share it with us.

Kind of ironic really. Mac Mini comes out at same time as this card was discovered. So, many Cubes are now getting upgraded with same card being put in the Cube's replacement. Only the Cube gets a 128 Meg version, the Mini just 32.

grendelprime · Apr 4, 2005, 05:49 AM

Based on what I've read so far, I think I'll cut my teeth on a Mini, but if all goes well, I'll pick up a Cube and pass the Mini along to someone else that's interested. I doubt I'll be doing much to the video though, my game-playing is pretty limited.

Thanks for all the replies, my USB KVM and Mini should be in by Thursday, I'll most likely be lurking until then.

Kyros · Apr 5, 2005, 08:24 PM

I can vouch that if you are not doing graphics work or gaming, the original 16 meg video card is fine. Expose is a bit clunky, but other than that, there is no problem. I'm going to go on an upgrading spree this summer, and I am aiming for a flashed 9200, but the pc versions are very hard to find by the looks of it (ebayers buy them out the instant they get in stock in all the more common places to find them) and flashed ones are pretty pricey. There is one single company that makes 9250's that work fine, (forgot name, it's on cubeowner) although they are a little more work to flash right, as you have to modify a 9200 ROM for it to work.

Amacapart · Apr 5, 2005, 08:46 PM

The card is Connect3D model.

9250 modded flasher was posted by a lunatic named "CubeNewbie2" who had OD'ed on Easter Eggs. It is already Hexxed for 9250 device id. The Connect3D card as a 9250 is WIDELY available. (Shentech has them, as does Monarch)

9250 works fine, just doesn't have OS 9 3D acceleration, 2D is fine.

Great Cube card for what it is. GeForce 3 is still faster but hard to find and only does one screen, 9200/9250 does 2.

mdobel · Apr 7, 2005, 12:35 PM

Wow you just made me think of something. You could empty out a cube, get two mac minis, stick 2 slits in the Cube Case, and insert the two mac minis. This would be very costly, seeing as my idea consists of a superdrive Mac Mini and a combo drive. Somehow, if possible, you could used both the processors at once (Like one system), but if not get two moniters, and just use a program go use 1 keyboard with two computers, etc.

Waragainstsleep · Apr 8, 2005, 04:31 AM

Heh. Thats small thinking. If you stripped the HD and optical drive from a Mini, you could fit eight of them in an Xserve case........