[CaptainZed]

I have started a thread in the iMac boards about this. Captain Zed has joined the team. Let's do this.

[CaptainZed]

I've got it my boys. All it takes is a little REAL research. I have the Mezzanine Connector that we are looking for. Finally, we can get things done. Here is the link to the site and the product information. I do believe we need to get the 160 circuit version.

Go to www.molex.com

You will have to do a little searching, but you'll find our part. The part number is 53467-1609. If you do a part search, it will come up empty. Scroll through the parts index and you'll find a link that says 53467-xx09. Click it. That's it.

e-mail me and we'll get to work.

Captain Zed

Your Hero

[gorefan68]

K, how are you sure this is it? Do they sell the male version? That's what I'd be interested in even more. But this is good news. I'll look about ordering one or two tomorrow. Then I'll see if I can get it soldered in within a week or two. (?)

- Ca$h

[CaptainZed]

I am sure this is it because I got the information from a gentleman in Taiwan who sells the GameWizard. They so have the male version, I just realized I gave you the part number for the female version. I will look into it and get it as soon as possible.

Let's get this done, finally.

Captain Zed

[The Godfather]

Interesting stuff. Hope you find the right connectors. Still, Cash should take a close-up picture of his iGamewizard so somebody else would compare it to a regular PCI Voodoo2.

Announcement: The Godfather has upgraded his iMac to a x86 laptop!
Armada M300/P2-333MHz/64MB/6GB/DVD/LT-PRO/3LB/Linux2.4

I will get back to Mac in a few years, when I can afford a Ti, under the condition that Apple won't put flowers in OSX <puke>.

The Godfather

[This message has been edited by The Godfather (edited 02-23-2001).]

[CaptainZed]

I also have an iMac Game Wizard. Are you still interested in seeing whether we can modify the iMac to take a better graphics card? I can take a picture of my GameWizard right now (have a webcam) and send it to you, if you'd give me your e-mail address.

captainzed@mac.com

[gorefan68]

Zed, did you find both of those part numbers yet? I'll order both, and if you can figure out where to just get a regular PCI slot (not mounted to a MOBO), that'd be cool. I can't find crap in any of those catalogs. I think it might be as simple as that. Big ribbon cable, and a male mezz and a PCI slot. Then just plug it in externally. I'd bet that it'd work fine.

- Ca$h

[PeteL999]

Will the part number of the female connector work with the gamewizard

Ca$h I don't think I'm Understanding you i think your saying that you could hook up an external PCI slot to your iMac. Does that mean it's possible to hook a radeon or GeForce to an iMac?!?!?!?

Zed Do you have the other part number?

[This message has been edited by PeteL999 (edited 02-28-2001).]

[CaptainZed]

I have ordered the connectors and I am currently waiting for them. Once I get the connectors I will try to solder it on and I will let everyone know if it works. It's all a matter of getting the right connector and from what I understand, the Molex connector is the one that is needed to enable the slot.

I have done a lot of research on this slot. Some people have stated that it is a typical PCI slot just with a different type of connector. This would make sense, as it is speculatated that Apple added the slot to make the iMac expandable if people did not buy the iMac. Apple made this slot a little different so they would be able to "exclusively" create upgrades. When I get my connector on, I intend on trying out a better video card, like a Radeon or something.

If that doesn't work, I have another idea. I suppose it may be possible to get a Y ribbon connector and put two Voodoo II cards in your iMac, one externally. This way you can enable SLI with your cards. Just an idea. Please e-mail me or continue posting here. I am very anxious to get this done. Thanks for your interest.

Captain Zed
captainzed@mac.com

[PeteL999]

Keep us posted. Whats the estimated delivery time?

[SpeedRacer]

Originally posted by CaptainZed:
I have done a lot of research on this slot. Some people have stated that it is a typical PCI slot just with a different type of connector. This would make sense, as it is speculatated that Apple added the slot to make the iMac expandable if people did not buy the iMac. Apple made this slot a little different so they would be able to "exclusively" create upgrades. When I get my connector on, I intend on trying out a better video card, like a Radeon or something.

I thought it was common knowledge by know that mezzanine is merely a derivative, distantly-related form of the PCI slot? I have seen the term mentioned in everything from expansion to processors but hardly ever in direct reference to PCI-based expansion slots. From what i've seen it seems unlikely that the term mezzanine automatically = PCI-based expansion. Aren't there voltage differences and PCI-card power issues involved as well? Heck, my PMCIA-equipped laptop has a PCI bus, but i doesn't translate into PCI-based expansion. That said, i'd love to see a connector that actually DOES fit. I already gave my experimental $25 to Digikey on a false lead by Ca$h, hehe.

Check out the latest mezzanine siting - mentioned in relation to the new IBM copper G3 chips...
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/27.ibm.shtml

Speed

[Evinyatar]

Okay, Mez might be electrically identical to PCI, but the software isn't there. The Mez slot is differently addressed than the PCI slot. That's why you won't see your iMac GameWizard card in the System Profiler, and the regular PCI drivers for the GameWizard don't work for the iMac GameWizard. You'll have to hack seriously if you want to make this thing happen.

[quitbanningme68]

Not true. Using os 9.0, and the latest greatest 3dfx voodoo2 drivers, you do NOT need the gamewizard extensions. What does that mean? OS9 (at least) recognizes the mezz as a regular PCI slot, and considering I've heard that the Mezz and PCI are electronically identical, I do indeed think that you could construct a PCI-Mezzanine adaptor, thus using a radeon or voodoo3 or even a voodoo5 in the 1st gen iMac. I hope it'll work, then I'll never upgrade.

- Ca$h

[micha schraven]

ummm Cash?

Do you think that it is worth the trouble to create a 233 mhz g3 with a voodoo 5? In Holland we have a phrase that goes about "putting a flag on a mudboat".

reminder : 233 mhz is not that great people..I have a 233 as an internetcomputer and it performs lousy. even with a 96 mb ram and 30 Gb drivespace.

it plays games like starcraft and total annihilation, but I can't really recommend Deus Ex

[TimmyDee51]

I think the point here is to get mezz connectors on those of us with faster than 233 MHz. I know that my 333 would work fine with a decent graphics card (even a Voodoo 3 or 4 or even a Rage 128 16 MB). If that isn't enough, there's always Powerlogix upgrades .

[quitbanningme68]

Originally posted by micha schraven:
ummm Cash?

Do you think that it is worth the trouble to create a 233 mhz g3 with a voodoo 5? In Holland we have a phrase that goes about "putting a flag on a mudboat".

reminder : 233 mhz is not that great people..I have a 233 as an internetcomputer and it performs lousy. even with a 96 mb ram and 30 Gb drivespace.

it plays games like starcraft and total annihilation, but I can't really recommend Deus Ex

You are aware of the CPU upgrades you can get right? A 500mhz G3 with a meg of l2 cache, and now a 500mhz G4. WEEEE!!!!!

- Ca$h

[CaptainZed]

March 6, 2001

I received two connectors yesterday in the mail. I mated them with the Voodoo II card and they are the correct connectors. So far, I have gotten further than anyone else who has attempted this. I am going to go to Radio Shack today and pick up a magnifying kit and try to install one of these connectors. I will try to get pictures. I wanted to put a Stealth cooler on the video card, but that will have to wait.

On another note, I am getting the iForce 500 MHz G3 on March 15. So, when that comes in, I'll be able to tell you how everything runs together. I recently put in a 30 GB Western Digital HD running at 7200 RPM. It's running a little hot, but I will fix that later. I'll keep all of you updated. Wish me luck.

Captain Zed
captainzed@mac.com

[PeteL999]

how much does the gamewizard heat the computer

[This message has been edited by PeteL999 (edited 03-06-2001).]

[CaptainZed]

Not all that much, but it is cramped in there and I don't want to cause massive overheating. The real reason I want the cooler is because I am going to use the Voodoo II incinerator to overclock the card. With the cooler you can stabely overclock it from 90mhz to 104 mhz.

Captain Zed

[quitbanningme68]

I don't think the cooler will work. Sorry. Besides, you can O/C it to like 100 anyway, and its not going to go that much faster if you O/C it.

- Ca$h

[CaptainZed]

Actually, Cash, you are wrong. On Accelerate Your Mac, they have tested the cooler on the Voodoo II. So you are wrong. Stop being so much trouble.

Captain Zed

[The Godfather]

Originally posted by micha schraven:
ummm Cash?

Do you think that it is worth the trouble to create a 233 mhz g3 with a voodoo 5? In Holland we have a phrase that goes about "putting a flag on a mudboat".

reminder : 233 mhz is not that great people..I have a 233 as an internetcomputer and it performs lousy. even with a 96 mb ram and 30 Gb drivespace.

it plays games like starcraft and total annihilation, but I can't really recommend Deus Ex

Two big reasons:

1. The fun of un-Steving the un-upgradable Apple computer.
2. The $300+ you are going to save because you won't buy a new iMac.
3. It's the classic iMac!

[SpeedRacer]

Originally posted by CaptainZed:
March 6, 2001

I received two connectors yesterday in the mail. I mated them with the Voodoo II card and they are the correct connectors.

Why V2? Are you going for the dual V2 config as opposed to a single V3? If so, why? This is interesting, though converting mezzanine -> PCI is what i'd really like to see.

BTW... anybody else notice the mezzanine-style connector adaptor used to mate the internal iMac CD drive -> thin IDE? Very interesting all these adaptors and proprietary connectors found in the original iMacs...

PS: Hey Captain, when are you going to post back with the part # for the male connector? Spread the wealth man.

Speed

[quitbanningme68]

I'm not being a pain. Yes, I have read that article. Did you notice that cooler was fitted on the 12 meg gamewizard vooodoo2? The full PCI card for big tower computers? Good luck getting a cooler inside an iMac....

Also, you won't be able to do SLI, that would require 2 pci slots, and there is only one. So... you can only have ONE video card.

- Ca$h

[The Godfather]

I know that the VESA bus can be expanded with just Y splitters. I have no idea if the PCI bus could be expanded the same way, it would be cool.

Why do you want to have 2 V2's? Triple monitor configuration?

The Godfather

[quitbanningme68]

No, with 2 voodoo2s you can do SLI, which is scan line interlace or something. Basically, each voodoo handles half of the screen, only its every other line. Its weird. I'd get a radeon instead, it'd be cooler.

- Ca$h

[SpeedRacer]

FYI: X recognizes the mezzanine port in the iMac as "Mezzanine-B" and the card name as "video". Everything else = not available.

X (or Classic) will not switch over to the v2 when called upon by a game. UT will only run in a window (ie: not accessing v2) switching to full-screen locks up.

I am also a bit confused as to how any driver in 9/Classic will help in X. A fundamental aspect of Classic running on X is that there is that Classic is isolated from direct access to the hardware. By this token i find it odd that anyone would expect 9 drivers to get the Gamewizard working in X.

Morever, after using X on an AGP graphics G4 vs. this Rev. A iMac there is simply no comparison. X runs exponentially faster on the G4 (more RAM, G4 CPU, Rage128 graphics). Sorry for the bad news folks, but Rage Pro nearly dies under the weight of Aqua.

Speed

[Evinyatar]

If you manage to get this to work, you might try to hook one of those EasyExpension things to your iMac http://reviews.macnn.com/reviews/eas...nsiont35.phtml
Now that would be cool. iMac with three PCI slots, and additional drive bays

[Feathers]

Now that's the smartest thing anybody has said so far. I drooled over a PCI expansion chassis used for ProTools thinking..."if only!"

The other thing of course, would be to put in a firewire card and bring the classic beast (the revB that is) completely up to date...especially when you already have a Newer 433mhz G4 daughtercard stoked up...like me

AND we've had the "...is it? isn't it PCI?.." arguement about a dozen times before. It IS. CHRP anyone. The profiler records three, count them, three PCI slots inside the machine. The graphics sub-system is essentially sitting in a virtual PCI slot. Three is the magic number.

AND we've had the "...is it? isn't it PCI?.." arguement about a dozen times before. It IS. CHRP anyone. The profiler records three, count them, three PCI slots inside the machine. The graphics sub-system is essentially sitting in a virtual PCI slot. Three is the magic number.

I don't think so. Why did the iMac Game Wizard need it's own drivers then? The reason is/isn't gets replayed so often is that people want to believe the mez is a standard pci. And what happened to zed anyway?

"...zed's dead baby, zed's dead."

[The Godfather]

Transferred to other thread

[This message has been edited by The Godfather (edited 04-05-2001).]

[mr_ryeman]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but what happened with this project? It seemed to have promise, but fizzled and then disappeared.

And what happened to CaptainZed?

I assume that it didn't work, and that was that.

[CaptainZed]

I'm back. A lot has happened since then, but I'll just talk about what concerns you.

I tried soldering on the connector to my Rev. C motherboard and got it on successfully. However, when I started up the computer I immediately began having issues. The monitor was good, which shows that the video card was being used. After a few minutes though, the monitor started burning in images or something of the like. After awhile, my entire motherboard fried. I've since bought a Rev. A motherboard and have the GameWizard on there. It's been a long time, but I am still very interested in messing with this old iMac. The project had a lot of promise and I would still be interested in seeing if we could get a better graphics card on there. I am getting the Sonnet Harmoni G3 500 Mhz with Firewire soon and this iMac would have a lot of power with a new video card. If anyone is interested in taking part in this project again, let me know.

Captainzed@mac.com

[CaptainZed]

[ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: CaptainZed ]