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Back up 15 and punt · Jan 2, 2006, 09:01 PM

I currently have a Dual G4 450 that runs just fine. However, I have a requirement to run Virtual PC and Windows XP on this this system. Does anybody have any experience running Virtual PC on an upgraded dual CPU card? If so which one would you recommend?

chefpastry · Jan 3, 2006, 12:54 AM

If I were faced with this situation, I'd look in to finding one a deal for a PC laptop rather than get an upgrade to run Virtual PC. Recently, I've seen deals for PC laptops in the range of $450-$550 and no G4 upgrade will even come close to the performace one of these low end laptops will provide.

P · Jan 4, 2006, 02:12 PM

Another option is to get an even cheaper low-end desktop Wintel machine with a decent amount of memory and Win XP Pro. Then you can use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC (which can be headless, standing in a closet - I use one like that) over the network. Works very similarly to Virtual PC (only with the entire Windows system always running in a Mac window, not with the Win windows among the Mac windows like VPC can do) including copy-paste and file copy.

Lateralus · Jan 4, 2006, 02:37 PM

Agreed.

If I had to run Windows even somewhat regularly, I'd rather do it on a dedicated 333MHz Pentium II than under Virtual PC on ANY Mac.

Back up 15 and punt · Jan 4, 2006, 03:37 PM

There are other reasons as well for updating the processor. Running windows was just one of them. Applications are beginning to demand more and more resources and I really don't want another machine on my current network. This is especially true of a windows box.

Weezer · Jan 4, 2006, 04:11 PM

Id wait a week and see if the 7448 upgrades come out around CES. Gigadesigns has had their 7447 on sale for awhile now, and the 7448s have been available, so I gotta figure they are coming out soon.

Corpse of Chewbacca · Jan 4, 2006, 04:26 PM

I just got the Powerlogix 7447A 1.8ghz card for my Sawtooth G4 which was originally 400mhz. $299 from OWC. I am VERY happy. VERY VERY.

lars-man · Jan 4, 2006, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Back up 15 and punt

I currently have a Dual G4 450 that runs just fine. However, I have a requirement to run Virtual PC and Windows XP on this this system. Does anybody have any experience running Virtual PC on an upgraded dual CPU card? If so which one would you recommend?

Sorry, no experience, but I'm pretty sure that Virtual PC is not able to use more than one CPU. But getting a faster dual CPU upgrade should help anyway if you like to run more than one apps simultaneously (which I think you do). Don't forget to max out the RAM.

What about the Dual 1.8GHz upgrades that both, Sonnet and Gigadesigns, offer? As far as I know, these are the fastest dual CPU upgrades available. PowerLogix might offer a similar upgrade as well but I would not recommend them... Don't forget to have look at this: http://forums.xlr8yourmac.com/cpureview.lasso

Regards, Lars

Corpse of Chewbacca · Jan 4, 2006, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by lars-man

What about the Dual 1.8GHz upgrades that both, Sonnet and Gigadesigns, offer? As far as I know, these are the fastest dual CPU upgrades available. PowerLogix might offer a similar upgrade as well but I would not recommend them... Don't forget to have look at this: http://forums.xlr8yourmac.com/cpureview.lasso

Regards, Lars

Lars,

I put in a 1.8ghz Powerlogix 7447A upgrade into my Sawtooth last night. At $299 I couldn't go wrong. The L2 backside cache runs at a full 1.8ghz with 512mb. It's fast, cheaper than others and a good buy IMO.

P · Jan 5, 2006, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by lars-man

Sorry, no experience, but I'm pretty sure that Virtual PC is not able to use more than one CPU.

You're half right. VPC uses only one CPU in the regular "rootless" mode, where the Mac and Windows windows are mixed together. It does use the second CPU for graphics in fullscreen mode.

emark · Jan 11, 2006, 04:05 PM

w/ regard to Weezer's comment above, I too believe an upgrade to 7448 processors is imminent. note Powerlogix is entirely out of their dual 1.73 and dual1.8 7447s at OWC (their primary retail channel partner). This status has been the case for a few weeks, and they don't have a "backorderd" option. Also they put the dual 1.6 on sale.

As someone w/ a dual G4 to begin w/, I wouldn't consider upgrading to anything less than a dual processor...

If you make a move let us know how it goes. Good luck.

Weezer · Jan 11, 2006, 08:45 PM

I love being right:

http://www.powerlogix.com/press/rele...06/060110.html

Lateralus · Jan 11, 2006, 09:02 PM

Uh-oh.

I may have bought a G5, but I'm as big of a G4 fanboy as I ever was. If these things clock well, I think I'm gonna have to sell the G5 and build another G4 FrankenMac...

emark · Jan 17, 2006, 11:44 AM

I love being right too w/ the call of the vendor...wonder how soon we'll see product...come on freescale.