[jfpoole]

I have a B&W G3 400 Mhz running OS X 10.3.9. I'd like to get a new mac altogether but for now I can only afford to upgrade my current one. I'd like to go with maybe a G4 1Ghz so that I can run Photoshop and Dreamweaver at a more normal pace (they currently run sluggish, esp. Dreamweaver).

- First I would like general recommendations on brands and best place to find good deals (I was thinking OWC).

- I'd also like to know if I should get Altivec. I'm not even that clear what Altivec is actually, but based on the programs I'd like to run above I'd like to know whether I need it or can even run it on a G3.

- Lastly, is the ZIF upgrade process difficult and is there a good site with a guide for doing this?

Any other information, caveats and such is appreciated.

Thanks

[jfpoole]

One other thing I just thought of - do I need to upgrade my PC100 RAM at all in this process or is that irrelevant here?

Still kinda wondering if in the long run it's best both in performance and economic terms just to go with a newer mac, refurbished/secondhand, .

[Corpse of Chewbacca]

Upgrading the RAM is irrelevent. Stick with what you got.

This update will barely help. I don't suggest it.

[waxcrash]

If you are going to upgrade, stay away from the G4 processors - they slow down your bus speed in order to work. Get one of the G3 upgrades from PowerLogix. I upgraded a blue & white a few years ago with a PowerLogix 900MHz G3 and it is still running. It's a back up machine now, but has no problem running any of the Adobe CS2 apps. The upgrade only takes about 10 minutes to remove the old processor and drop in the new one. If you are willing to invest about $200 in your machine, get the PowerLogix 1GHz G3.

[jfpoole]

Originally Posted by Corpse of Chewbacca

This update will barely help. I don't suggest it.

That's kind of what I'm worried about. If the difference will be that insignificant, then I'm not so sure I'll go this route.

waxcrash: Thanks for the info. My Photoshop CS runs pretty good. It's when I use Dreamweaver MX 2004 that I notice the sluggishness. Even just clicking between two open document windows brings up the spinning color wheel.

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by amon

That's kind of what I'm worried about. If the difference will be that insignificant, then I'm not so sure I'll this route.

waxcrash: Thanks for the info. My Photoshop CS runs pretty good. It's when I use Dreamweaver MX 2004 that I notice the sluggishness. Even just clicking between two open document windows brings up the spinning color wheel.

How much RAM do you have?

$200 for a new proc. + $100 for some more RAM is half the cost of a mini which will be faster and be undr warranty. I have a b&w G3 and I use it as a music server since it wasn't worth upgrading all the components.

[jfpoole]

768 MB RAM.

I was looking at the minis, however I would sort of feel obligated to upgrade my monitor if I got one. I'd feel silly hooking up an old Viewsonic CRT to that thing. So that would double the cost.

[bowwowman]

Max da ram to 1GB, that will give a good bit of a boost at a nominal cost.
And then head over to xlr8yourmac.com to learn how to overclock your cpu for FREE.......

linky:

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/G3-ZONE/yosemite/OC.html

[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by bowwowman

Max da ram to 1GB, that will give a good bit of a boost at a nominal cost.

From 768MBs? I doubt it.

As for the CPU overclock, most of the 400MHz G3s I've come across have been aluminum based and don't overclock very well. Even the copper ones have problems reaching 500MHz.

[guzzi]

Alrighty!
Everyone seems all over the place on whether to upgrade an old Mac or not to upgrade.
I guess I'll add my 2pence for what it's worth.
If you can't afford a newer or new Mac, then my opinion is to go the upgrade route.
Put the total 1 GB of RAM in.
With OS X the more RAM , the better!
OWC has a G3 1.0 GHz upgrade ZIF from Power Logic $200
It runs at thae B &W G3's bus speed of 100 Mhz.
This should make many tasks more snappy.
If possible, and additional cost is not issue. either replace or add an internal 80 GB or 120 GB hard drive.
OS X likes plenty of free HD space to do its thing, also.
The upgrade costs maybe close to a Mac Mini or newer cost Mac, but with say a Mini, you may end up deciding whether to update your monitor which will not be that cheap. An older PowerPC Mini may still run $300-$400, you'll still need to add more RAM, plus with a new monitor could set you back around $1000 bucks.
Upgrading should keep it at or below $500, if you include upgrading the hard drive.
I upgraded my older G3 beige and kept that machine for nearly 7 years before purchasing the last of the "new" G4 MDD's that Apple was discontinuing with the new inroduction of the G5.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by amon

I was looking at the minis, however I would sort of feel obligated to upgrade my monitor if I got one. I'd feel silly hooking up an old Viewsonic CRT to that thing. So that would double the cost.

That wouldn't double the cost of the upgrade. If you feel compelled to buy a new screen with a new computer, maybe you just need a new monitor in the first place? However that decision should be made independently of the computer.

I would suggest you use the search feature and read through old discussions on that very topic. Consensus seems to be that 1) G4 upgrades for BW G3s are not recommended and actually slower. 2) If you do upgrade such an old machine, make sure to add all costs in advance.

Also, the graphics card is also a bottle neck that cannot be removed by upgrades since you are stuck with pci graphics cards.