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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > ZIF G4 upgrades

ZIF G4 upgrades
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camera punk
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Join Date: Jan 2000
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Jan 3, 2001, 11:10 PM
 
I'm looking to get a upgrade for my yikes! G4. xlr8youmac.com has reviews for a few cards, but all their reviews generally sound the same.

i'm considering:

Metabox joeCARD G4/500
Metabox joeCARD G4/450 2MB cache
Sonnet Encore G4/500

Anyone know what that extra meg of cache translates into performance wise? Anyone have any knowledge on any of these?
     
Misha
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Jan 4, 2001, 12:22 AM
 
The extra MB is good for 1-2% performance boost in most applications... I think VPC gets a bit more of a boost, as much as 5%.

(Hint: It's not worth it... if it were, Apple would be using 2 MB.)
     
Tominator
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Pullman, WA USA
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Jan 4, 2001, 03:08 AM
 
None of those cards really has an edge on any other, except maybe better support on the Sonnet card. Personally, I don't think you'll see a worthwhile speed bump with any of them, not at the current prices anyway.
     
pathogen
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Join Date: May 2000
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Jan 5, 2001, 03:27 AM
 
If I had to buy a zif upgrade, it would be the smalldog.com sale of a 500mhz G4 zif socket CPU for $399.

Gee, I never thought the Yikes G4 still had a zif socket like the blue and whites and beige G3's.

Zifs are much better than PCI cards if your computer has the zif socket.

I got a 450mhz G3 Zif CPU for my beige G3 233 last spring, and it let me set the speed to 500 with on chip dipswitches! Anyhow, 500mhz G3 is plenty fast at the moment for me. And I know from my ibook that G3 366mhz is still good too.

But does the Yikes board have a zif? Anyhow...

My advice is plainly this: wait until the summer. There will be new releases of all sorts of CPU upgrades, ZIF and PCI this spring, as companies begin to offer paths to match the new releases from Apple - ie. faster G4's. The point is that you might want to wait until you see what OS X needs for you to feel comfortable (maybe DP or 600+) and then aim at getting as close to that.

And getting a Radeon PCI, when it comes out, will also make your graphics for games hummmmmmmm, and that's this spring too.

So, maybe you should wait.
When you were young and your heart was an open book, you used to say "live and let live."
But if this ever changing world, in which we live in, makes you give in and cry, say "live and let die."
     
camera punk  (op)
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Jan 5, 2001, 02:41 PM
 
Originally posted by pathogen:
If I had to buy a zif upgrade, it would be the smalldog.com sale of a 500mhz G4 zif socket CPU for $399.
where is that on their website? I can't find it. For that price, i'll upgrade right now.
     
jeffreyloaf
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: New Ringgold, PA USA
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Jan 5, 2001, 07:00 PM
 
Here is the address http://www.smalldog.com/macworld/powerlogix.html

It was in MacNN news yesterday, you must have missed it.

Jeff
In god we trust/ Cash is king /All others pay thru the nose
     
Lesliev
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Jan 7, 2001, 10:58 AM
 
Yes the Yikes has a zif socket. It does not have the Sawtooth motherboard has the same motherboard as the Blue G3. I upped my G3 with a 450mhz g4 that I overclocked to 500. It is an XLR8 card from
http://www.macgurus.com

You should check out that site even if you buy somewhere else They have a lot of great info
     
ddiokno
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: The Valley of the Sun
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Jan 7, 2001, 03:57 PM
 
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com also has awesome info on upgrade cards, site reviews of the various cards and makers as well as user ratings...
dave
     
   
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