Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Poll: G4 Tower PCI slots--used or empty?

Poll: G4 Tower PCI slots--used or empty?
Thread Tools
chris v
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 05:48 PM
 
And what's in them?

I've got 1 slot filled with a Midiman Delta 44 (4 audio in, 4 audio out) analog/digital converter.

You-all who have towers with empty slots, fess up!

CV

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
r3nt
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Aug 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 06:30 PM
 
I almost bought a cube (I didn't think that I'd ever use any PCI slots), and now I'm really happy that I didn't...

I bought a Digidesign 001 system and use ProTools LE. This takes up 1 PCI slot.

r3nt
     
bluedog
Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 08:27 PM
 
I have a RageOrion128 as a secondary monitor - PCI, and an Adaptec 2940U2W for SCSI drives. BTW, the SCSI drives show up fine in OSX, you just can't boot from them without a ROM update (that adaptec says will never happen aside from their current cards).

The third slot is open; I've been interested in the new sound cards.
     
camera punk
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: athens jawjer
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 09:45 PM
 
Adaptec 2906 SCSI card (dead weight, but worth keeping around)
Belkin 4 port USB card (100 times better than a hub)

sorry, nothing fancy. all the fancy stuff's on the firewire ports.
     
Leonis
Senior User
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 09:57 PM
 
2 PCI slots are filled

1) ATI XClaim 3D 8MB video card
2) Empty <-------- Was thinking about adding a Matrox RT card....however after many testing I was very disappointed about this product....so....this slot will be emptied until I switch to another machine, I think...
3) Sonnet Temp IDE Controller



------------------
My comic web site
My portfolio web site

I don't use spell checker.
MacPro 2.66, 5GB RAM, 250GB + 160GB HDs, 23" Cinema Display
MacBook Pro 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM (from work)
MacBook (White) 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM
     
chris v  (op)
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 10:04 PM
 
Originally posted by r3nt:

I bought a Digidesign 001 system and use ProTools LE. This takes up 1 PCI slot.

r3nt[/B]
Ooh, now I'm jealous. I wish I had the bux (or the outboard gear) to run ProTools. I just finished a project in a studio where we mixed the whole thing in ProTools. Really cool stuff. The 24 track interface, and software (so you can import from a 2 inch 24 track analog deck) runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 GRAND!?

Still, to dream, eh?

CV


When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
Cipher13
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 11:00 PM
 
1. Adaptec 2906 SCSI card.
2. -
3. Extra graphics card... not used...


------------------
     
AirSluf
Senior User
Join Date: Nov 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 11:08 PM
 
Two empty and a OEM SCSI card. Yes I do use it! But I have to boot back into 9 to use the scanner
     
exa
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 11:14 PM
 
Biege G3 anyway... 3 pci slots...

1. Voodoo 3 2000
2. 2 port USB card
3. Midiman Audiophile 2496 (oh the sweet sound)

also have a 2 port firewire card and a 10/100 ethernet card that I can't seem to make fit in the box... I need more pci slots... argh...
     
Bigc
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Stonyford, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2001, 11:50 PM
 
soundblaster, 2930 scsi
     
Ruddigger
Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Riverside, Ca
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 12:27 AM
 
Ummm... Empty...For now... I want a second monitor...

Must stop...Speaking in...Monotone phrases...


Now, where's my Root Beer?
Proud owner of the Original Macintruck
     
scott brown
Forum Regular
Join Date: Feb 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 01:50 AM
 
g4/733

radeon stock graphics card

pci slots:
xclaim vr 128 video card
apple ultra scsi card
apple ultra wide scsi card (from beige g3)
emagic audiowerk2 digital audio card

512 MB RAM
60 gig ide, 30 gig ide, 9.1 gig UW SCSI
DVD-R
UW SCSI Plextor 12x4x32 cdrw
various external SCSI perpherals (scanner, HD, etc)
Nokia 447XI Plus 17in monitor
Nokia 447XS 17 in monitor

[This message has been edited by scott brown (edited 05-25-2001).]
12in PB 867/640/60/SD/AE
17in PB 1.33/1GB/80(5400rpm)
     
juanvaldes
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 05:32 AM
 
Originally posted by camera punk:
Belkin 4 port USB card (100 times better than a hub)
.[/B]
Can I ask why the PCI card is better then a hub? I have a hub and it seems to work just fine.
okay... I have 3 free slots...can't afford to buy anything to put in em! Hell I Technically still owe my father $2400 or so for my computer setup as is. I would like to get a Radeon and use my current Rage Pro for a second monitor (can I do that?)
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive.
- Thomas Jefferson, 1787
     
Cipher13
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 08:57 AM
 
Originally posted by juanvaldes:
Can I ask why the PCI card is better then a hub? I have a hub and it seems to work just fine.
okay... I have 3 free slots...can't afford to buy anything to put in em! Hell I Technically still owe my father $2400 or so for my computer setup as is. I would like to get a Radeon and use my current Rage Pro for a second monitor (can I do that?)
You can't do that because your current rage pro is an AGP card, and so is the Radeon, unless you got the PCI version - which would be a real waste.

And the problem is, you have only 1 AGP slot

Do you really need the Radeon? The Rage 128 is great for me, if its enough for you, I recommend you get another one of them, a PCI one for dual-monitor support...

The reason the card is better, is because the bandwidth is not shared between the 4 ports (a hub turns 1 port into 4, and therefore, if you have 4 devices on it all working at max throughput, then they'll only work at 12Mb/s divided by 4... get what I mean?

Not to mention you need a powered hub for it to be any good - the card provides power, I'd say.

Now, the card is much faster as it has all the bandwidth of PCI to spare, and doesn't feed off a single 12Mb/s USB port.

HTH

Cipher13

------------------
AIM: Cipher1387
ICQ: 48111606
mail: [email protected]
     
TheDoctor
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: May 2000
Location: IL, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 10:31 AM
 
I currently have the OEM SCSI card using one slot.

I plan to get the SoundBlaster Live! card and another video card, which would leave me with one open slot.
     
Colonel Panic
Senior User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: NY, NY
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 10:53 AM
 
Cipher! With all your digs on the Cube's expandability I thought you'd have some kick ass stuff in your PCI slots! A SCSI card for legacy peripherals and an unused graphics card, with one slot still open?
Come on, get a digidesign system(they rock) w/ProTools, put that slot to work!!



     
chris v  (op)
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 12:02 PM
 
What originally got me thinking about tis was an article Charles Moore, a Cube advocate, wrote at AppleLinks.com. He theorized that 8 out of 10 towers didn't have any cards in their PCI slots.

I figure the percentage of tower-owners, around here anyway, who were using their slots would be signifigantly higher. So far, only one in thirteen has all empty bays.

CV

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
G4ME
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Maine
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 12:02 PM
 
Ha ha I beat you all I have just my stock rage 128 pro in my AGP leaving my three PCIs empty. I want to repace the reage with a Radeon but my mom won't let me untill I have more money in the back and I pay off my car insurance. Hopefully I will get a soundblaster live and maybe a USB or even a IDE controller card.

------------------
I Have a Super Computer

I GOT WASTED WITH PHIL SHERRY!!!
     
Death2windows.....
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 04:57 PM
 
Chris, a nice 64 track system can be had for $7,995. A nicer 64 track setup can be had for $12,000. If you can come up with $800-900 you can get a 24 track system with an input box with the Digi-001. You should try to get your own setup and record whenever you like. The Protools software is very easy to use. Balance the cost of the Digi 001 against the cost of recording studios. Joe
     
jog
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: switzerland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 07:36 PM
 
adaptec 2906 and macpicasso 750 graphic card, both currently unused...
     
OverclockedHomoSapien
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 09:17 PM
 
One used: Soundblaster Live. This POS card doesn't support sleep.
[FONT="book antiqua"]"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1816.[/FONT]
     
G4ME
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Maine
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 09:29 PM
 
What do you mean that soundblaster doesn't support sleep will the computer crash after sleep? or will it not wake? card useless after it wakes? as a potential buyer I need to know.

------------------
I Have a Super Computer

I GOT WASTED WITH PHIL SHERRY!!!
     
Locutus27
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Saint Charles, IL, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 09:43 PM
 
ATI PCI Radeon 32mb DDR PCI 66 mhz Slot
3dfx Voodoo 5 5500 64MB PCI
OEM ATI Rage 128 16MB DVD Mpeg 2 Daughter Board
OEM ATI VR Xclaim 8MB A/V from Education B/W G3 A/V

All running in a B/W G3 400 Rev B DVD Zip 384 MB aand Mac OS 9.1
Dual 34.5GB Maxtor IDE HD's.

Locutus27

Waiting for a sweet DP deal... : )

     
Locutus27
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Saint Charles, IL, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 09:50 PM
 

All used with 4 Apple Displays ; (2 )B/W 17 Studio Displays and (2)Graphite 15 LCD DVI.

Locutus27

     
Scotttheking
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: College Park, MD
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 11:05 PM
 
Slot 1 - stock rage 128
slot 2 - 4 MB video card, don't remember where from
slot 3 - 3 channel firewire card (one SWEET card)
slot 4 - empty, for now, will have ATA-100 card soon

Machine is a B&W G3-400

------------------
G3 400, 384, 12 + 75 GB
PM 8500 - 150, 48, 1 GB
PM 7100 - 66, 32, 700 MB
PM 6100 - 66, 40, 4.5 GB
My website
Help me pay for college. Click for more info.
     
zac4mac
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: near Boulder, Colorado
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2001, 11:19 PM
 
Slot A: OEM Radeon AGP(to 20" Apple MultiSync)
Slot B: 2930CU OEM SCSI for peripherals; scanner, M-O, Jaz,CDR
Slot C: Waiting for the next Great Thing
Slot D: Orion PCI(to Compaq V70 17")

Slot C will either get a sound card or a drive controller in the coming year.
     
camera punk
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: athens jawjer
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 30, 2001, 12:03 AM
 
Originally posted by juanvaldes:
Can I ask why the PCI card is better then a hub? I have a hub and it seems to work just fine.
a hub is 4 (or more) ports sharing a 12 Mbps connection. My USB card has four ports, each at 12 Mbps. i've noticed it speeds some things up, like scanning and syncing my Visor, but YMMV.
     
Cipher13
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 30, 2001, 02:30 AM
 
Originally posted by Colonel Panic:
Cipher! With all your digs on the Cube's expandability I thought you'd have some kick ass stuff in your PCI slots! A SCSI card for legacy peripherals and an unused graphics card, with one slot still open?
Come on, get a digidesign system(they rock) w/ProTools, put that slot to work!!


But i *CAN* put more in if I need to

DigiDesign? I'd have no use for it. And anyway, those things are soooo expensive down here its not funny
I could buy an iMac for that price...

Cipher13

------------------
AIM: Cipher1387
ICQ: 48111606
mail: [email protected]
     
chris v  (op)
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 1, 2001, 10:10 PM
 

Sent a letter in to Moore's Mailbag with the results of my "poll." Here it is:

Greetings!
As a Cube (home) and G4 Tower (wk.) owner, I was interested in your PCI slot assessment. I've owned a few Macs over the years, and just got around to using a slot for an audio card here recently.

I did my own informal, and highly unscientific, poll on PCI slot usage over on the MacNN boards, and was slightly surprised by the results.

Out of 19 respondents: (18 G4 & 1 B&W G3)

3 with 0 slots filled.
6 with 1 slot filled.
7 with 2 slots filled.
1 with 3 slots filled.
2 with 4 slots filled.

I agree with your assessment that the Cube is perfectly expandable through Firewire, and I think it's been short-changed. My Cube's got a 40 gig firewire HD, a CD-RW and a Zip attached to it, and I can't think of anything else I need, or even want. It's a very capable, and stable machine.

But it does look like pros are using their slots, and for a pretty wide variety of uses. folks who responded are using SCSI cards, ProTools cards for audio, IDE, extra USB and Firewire ports, video cards for dual monitors, etc. the cards seemed to run the gamut. One respondent professed to have four video card with a monitor attached to each!

Chris


There you have it,
CV

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
chris v  (op)
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 1, 2001, 10:12 PM
 
Edit-- double post-- itchy "enter" finger.

[This message has been edited by chris v (edited 05-02-2001).]

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
Boodlums
Forum Regular
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 25, 2001, 01:02 AM
 
Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Slot 1 - stock rage 128
slot 2 - 4 MB video card, don't remember where from
slot 3 - 3 channel firewire card (one SWEET card)
slot 4 - empty, for now, will have ATA-100 card soon

Machine is a B&W G3-400

Hey, I'm getting a G3/400 this week. (finally replacing my 6100!)
Why did you get a firewire card when the B&W comes with fw already?

I need both SCSI 160 and 50-pin SCSI. I was going to get an Adaptec 29160N
but MacGurus.com recommend one ATTO card and one Miles -- I don't want to
use up 2 slots just for SCSI, cuz I need music recording PCI stuff (and now
after reading this thread I'll want a USB card too...)

thanks,
-Walter
     
Scotttheking
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: College Park, MD
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 25, 2001, 01:06 AM
 
I have a rev 1 G3.
I don't know if this happens on all rev 1 G3s, but for me, my firewire does not work.
I discovered this after I spent $600 to get a good firewire drive (one of the new 40MB/sec ones), so I added a card.
Also, it is a Firewire RAID card, so if I expand, I can have a very fast RAID system on it.
Benchmarks on RAID for it are around 100MB/sec transfer rates.

------------------
G3 400, 384, 12 + 75 GB
PM 8500 - 150, 176, 4.3 GB
PM 7100 - 66, 32, 700 MB
PM 6100 - 66, 40, 1 GB
And the lowest of all:
Athlon Thunderbird 1000MHz, 128, 8GB
My website
Help me pay for college. Click for more info.
     
IceEnclosure
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 25, 2001, 10:35 AM
 
533 single processor, all slots open... grr

I can't afford any knick-nacks or whirly-gigs as of yet..

A USB card sounds nice though..hmmm (looking around at the many USB peripherals on my desk)



------------------

G4 533, iMac 333
ice
     
chris v  (op)
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Sar Chasm
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 25, 2001, 11:16 AM
 
Funny this topic should crop up again today. I just ten minutes ago finished stuffing a 2 port firewire card in the tower. Don't have a use for it yet-- it came free with the Pyro Firewire enclosure, and I figured what the heck.

Now, I need more devices! Sure would like a good Fireweire scanner...

CV

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
Corinthian
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 25, 2001, 11:18 AM
 
I have an Adaptec 2906! Quite useful for CD-RW, though you may find it too slow. I would say it's a balance for speed and price, quite a good bargain. I cannot think of anything that should be added to the PCI slot for being a normal, teenage user.
TiBook rulezz~~

TiBook 800/512/40/Combo Drive
TiBook Giga/512/60/SuperDrive
     
dfbennett
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: New England
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 26, 2001, 02:48 PM
 
When I first got my G4 Sawtooth in Dec 99, I installed a SCSI card to use my external SCSI CD-R. I got a new firewire burner in April and sold the SCSI card and the old burner so now all my PCI slots are empty.

------------------
Regards,
Dave
Regards,
Dave
     
Dr Evil
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Fort Wayne, IN USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 26, 2001, 04:51 PM
 
I have an Orange Micro 930U Scsi card and OEM Rage 128 in my 350 b/w g3. i only use it for my burner, and 4x is getting mighty slow. I am looking to get a firewire burner this summer along with a shinny new DP G4....
Quicksilver G4 867mhz 384mb/60gig
iBook 300 320mb/20gig
Athlon Xp 1700+(1.47GHz) 512mb ddr/26gig, GeForce 4 TI 4200/128mb
http://mayodreams.dyndns.org
     
capone
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2001
Location: eWorld
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 26, 2001, 05:20 PM
 
1. Radeon PCI
2. empty (i want a sound card)
3. SCSI Card


------------------
-capone

G4/400 448 30,10 Rage128, Radeon
Performa 6116CD/60/700
Quadra AV
LC 575
LCIII
Apple IIgs

Visit MacNETv2, where you can voice all your Mac opinions freely.
     
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
May 27, 2001, 01:28 PM
 
All three are filled. Video card for 2nd monitor, adaptec UW 2940 and sonnet tempo ide card.

I'd find a use for at least one more PCI slot if it was in there too!
     
kingturd
Forum Regular
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Turdville
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 27, 2001, 03:17 PM
 
DP 500 G4... just has a SCSI card in the PCI slot, although my AGP and all my RAM slots are used.
233 G3... has a Voodoo2 and USB card

What ever happened to the old Apple computers like the 9500? It had at least 5 PCI slots and 12 RAM slots... mmmm.. 12 RAM slots...
     
ginoledesma
Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 28, 2001, 09:24 AM
 
1 used (2nd NIC), 2 free.
     
godzappa
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Ontario, Canada
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 28, 2001, 04:12 PM
 
G4 400 (PCI Graphics)

No slots taken.. kinda sad, but really, I just havent had the need to buy any cards, and if the Cube had been out when I was in the market for buying I would have probably gone for a cube (although the price at launch would have put me off).

Saying this I will probably opt for a PCI Radeon by the summer, unless a really drool-worthy new Powermac is released, in which case I may have to just buy a whole new system.



------------------
James
http://monsters.z-team.com/
PowerMac G4 DP867 [DDR]
PowerMac G4 400 [Yikes]
15GB iPod 3G
iSight
2003 MINI Cooper
     
Macinstine
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Bakersfield,CA,USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 28, 2001, 07:05 PM
 
Fast wide SCSI / Fire wire
Radeon PCI
10/100 ethernet

Wish some one would make a fast erther net USB combo card orange makes one but it's PC only.

in My Biege MT
     
ddiokno
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: The Valley of the Sun
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 28, 2001, 07:27 PM
 
One Adaptec Ultra SCSI card....in a B&W G3 400....
dave
     
Norm1985
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Northbrook, IL, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 29, 2001, 02:40 AM
 
Rage 128 Pro Graphics card from Blue and White
SCSI Card
-

DP450

------------------


E-mail: [email protected]
AIM: Norm1985
ICQ: 34049393


[email protected]
AIM: Norm1985
ICQ: 34049393
     
S_Lanaway
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Toronto
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 29, 2001, 01:56 PM
 
2906 SCSI card
Delta 44 sound card
http://www.titancreative.com
http://www.scottlanaway.com
     
   
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:03 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,