[srfdriver22]

I've had a dead processor in my Dual G4 MDD 867. I've been waiting to see if there is an accelator board for my machine off of macsales.com to replace it with instead of paying Apple $700 to replace it. (Backstory: I had the other one replaced for the same problem over a year ago; APP has run out).

What should I do? I currently cannot afford to purchase a new machine, otherwise I'd already have a G5.

Does anyone know if there is an accelerator board in the works? Is there one out there now that I'm not aware of that will work? I want my Mac back!

Anyhow, any ideas/opinions appreciated.

[Lateralus]

I've been reading rumors of some of the major upgrade manufacturers currently developing MDD processor upgrades. The rumors are far from confirmed, and I tend to think they were created more from accepted logic than actual information. That logic being 'Well, every other Power Mac G4 has processor upgrades available for it, MDD upgrades must be coming soon'.

I think that MDD upgrades are a little further off than most people think. Reason being that in the two years since the MDD came out, the G4 has progressed very little. Most MDD owners have G4s that are almost as fast as the latest itterations of the processor, so there is very little reason for MDD owners to want to plunk down several hundred dollars for an upgrade. The exeption would be single processor 867MHz, 1GHz and dual 867MHz MDD owners. But the owners of those three models make up a small percentage of all MDD owners, and I doubt the upgrade manufacturers are jumping at the chance to sink hundres of thousands of dollars into developing upgrades to cater to such a small group.

I suspect that when faster G4s roll out of Motorola/Freescale, such as the 7448 which is anticipated to go to 2GHz, more MDD owners will express a desire to upgrade, and the upgrade manufacturers will deliver.

Until then, my advice to you is to spend a few hundred dollars on eBay to pick up an MDD processor card to replace your dead one. Stick with it until MDD upgrades are finally released.

[srfdriver22]

Your post makes a lot of sense.

I've searched google and ebay but have come up empty handed on any processor cards at all for the MDD. Do you know of another place to look or will I have to just keep checking back?

[Lateralus]

To be honest, I'm not even going to look for a place that sells them because I already know one thing: Whichever place carries one is charging too much for it. Charging too much seems to be a rule of selling Apple OEM parts.

There is no MDD CPU on eBay right now, but I run into them on eBay all the time. Bookmark the page that yields the search results for your search and check in on it every evening. If the past is any indication, you'll see somebody list one within the next day or two. Just keep your eye out.

Also, of note from this morning's tech news:

"Freescale, Motorola's chip division, is expected to debut its dual-core PowerPC G4 processor at the Microprocessor Forum in San Jose, CA, in October. According to The Register, the new G4 is expected to feature an on-board memory controller capable of supporting DDR 2 SDRAM, a Gigabit Ethernet controller, Rapid IO bus, and speeds eventually in excess of 2GHz. The processor "may also mark the next major leap in Mac notebook G4 processors" before the PowerBook G5. A successor to the MPC 7447A, used in current PowerBook G4 systems, is also in the works."

Looks like those faster Freescale/Motorola G4s/G4-derivatives that I spoke of above are affirmatively in the works.

[srfdriver22]

That's some sweet news.

Thanks!