[dpaanlka]

Other than the case, what (if any) differences are there between G4 Digital Audio and G4 Quicksilver machines? I'm planning on buying one to put a Sonnet upgrade in, so processor speed doesn't matter. Also have a Radeon 9800 to put in, so video doesn't matter either. So anything different, besides faster processor and video in the Quicksilver?

[Lateralus]

Nope.

[leehotti]

Quicksilvers look better, and have better cooling. Earlier models had different cooling setups, and didn't work as well.

[Lateralus]

How is the cooling setup between the two models any different? They both had the same terrible cooling system, except the QuickSilver's was louder.

[leehotti]

The fan is reversed. The intake fan is an exhaust fan on the DA, and the 120mm fan sucks in, instead of blowing out. Or am I thinking of earlier G4s?

[new newton]

The DAs were the last of the US-built Power Macs. Not that that matters.

The DAs don't have an audio-in jack. The QS might, but I don't recall. People weren't happy about the audio input being missing. Apple assumed everyone would switch to USB inputs. The other audio non-issue to be aware of is that the speaker on the QS is exposed. There used to be reports of kids sticking their fingers in them, and some places actually marketed speaker grills.

The later QS machines have the only real, none subjective advantage. They can support large PATA drives. 2001 QS and the DAs can't use anything over 127GB.

The DA will run any flavor of X, from the betas to current.

My DA seems quieter than the couple of QS I have at work. That shouldn't influence your decision much--that 9800 and the CPU upgrade will make plenty of noise. That's what drove me to getting a G5. With all the upgrades, the old G4s get pretty loud.

One other thing to consider is the power supply. They have the same rating between the machines. If you intend to cram the box full of goodies, you might want to consult with the tech guys at the upgrade companies before making a purchase. They can tell you which upgrades would be safe bets and which wouldn't.

[booboo]

Here's a lot of useless information from my personal experience:

The QuickSilvers have the same cooling as the Digital Audio's

Changing optical drives or removing the PSU is a much bigger pain on the Quicksilver, plus the front access to the 3.5" bay is restricted which mean some nice add-ons - like USB ports and CF readers, for example, which are a doddle on the DA, are not possible or restricted on the QS. You can still stick a HD in either, though.

The later QuickSivers have a Rev B ROM and so can support drives over 120GB - this is a big plus.

I've encountered more than a couple of flaky Rev A QS's. All DA rev's OTOH have been rock solid for me.

The QS PSU connector has a few more pins - although these are all duplicates of other pins, mostly concerned with carrting extra current to the ADC, IIRC, they're still required for power up.

The QS CPU board gets its (+12V IIRC ) from one of the mounting legs (stand-offs?)) so you can't put a QS CPU in a DA without doing a little mod - supplying the correct leg with 12V - then it will work (verified.)

The QS weak-spot is the AGP connector which is much flakier than the DA's, and is highly intolerant of having cards swapped with computer powered down - but plugged in . . . anyway, I'm one of many (google it) that have fried a QS AGP connector, and never a DA, despite having had many more DA's pass my way.

The QS 1GHz DP heatsink has a burn warning on it - it really gets that hot.

Best solution: Rev B QS mobo in a DA case!

Upgrade the CPU with a fanless Sonnet G4. Put a 12V 5cm fan on it regardless. Run it at 7V.

Replace the PSU and case fans with quiet ones (I bought to £1 illuminated fans which were great) Consider removing unused drive mounting and swapping the optical drive's ATA cable with a rounded one, and re-route it so as to allow better airflow through the holes at the bottom of the case.

Consider drilling more!

Consider a Sonnet SATA card to get round the 120GB limnitiation (if it applies) and when you're blown away by its speed, be happy that it's also bootable!

All you need now is a 4x AGP video card that does Quartz Extreme. I modded a FX5200 (which was very painful) . . . bear in mind the FX5200 pulled pretty much near the maximum current draw for the Mac's AGP port, and although fanless, runs hot. I suspect there are better (and easier) options now

Edit: new newton beat me to a few points ;-) But I will clarify that audio I/O is the same on DA's and the QS, and boy was the removal of 'audio in' a dumb move . . . and I will agree that the QS's are even noisier than the DA 733, which was the noisiest Mac I'd yet encountered. However, the DA/QS noise seemed like a walk in the park when the MDD's arrived, and raised the bar for noisy computing. and I don't mean that in a positive way!

The QS only had a faster factory-fitted video card - both the DA and the QS have a 4x AGP slot.

[Artful Dumf*ck]

Originally Posted by booboo

Changing optical drives or removing the PSU is a much bigger pain on the Quicksilver, plus the front access to the 3.5" bay is restricted which mean some nice add-ons - like USB ports and CF readers, for example, which are a doddle on the DA, are not possible or restricted on the QS. You can still stick a HD in either, though.[/i]

Not possible? Pffft.



http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=262644

[dpaanlka]

Well thanks... I was planning on buying a SATA card so that takes care of the HD issue... whether or not I buy a DA or a QS it will have these mods:

1.8ghz Sonnet G4
ATI Radeon 9800
Sonnet SATA + 200gb-ish hard drive

From what everyone is saying it sounds like DA is the way I should go. I have to admit though I was hoping to get the newer case.

[spork]

Adding more chaff to the wind.....
DA, as seen in sig has been rock solid and I love it. Would still like a CPU upgrade though. Imic (usb) solves the audio problem and 3 hd's is enough space for now. SATA card later if space becomes a problem. Allegro USB2 card and 2nd video card (ATI rage 128) were super easy to install and work like champs.
Hope that helps

[TheUnmember]

Get hte QS dude. Here's some inspiration as to just how badass they can be:

http://aqua-mac.com/quicksilvermodsw.html

[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by TheUnmember

Get hte QS dude. Here's some inspiration as to just how badass they can be:

http://aqua-mac.com/quicksilvermodsw.html

And the exact same mods can be done to a Digital Audio.

[dpaanlka]

Not only that, but I 100% do not intend to modify the external apperance of any of my macs. That just makes them look cheesy and childish in my opinion. I like how they look stock. If I wanted something with flashing lights and fans all over the place I would buy a PC.

[chris v]

Doesn't the Digital Audio have 4 ram slots a opposed to 3 on the QS?

[new newton]

Nope.

[chris v]

Originally Posted by new newton

Nope.

You're right. Had it confused with the "gigabit ethernet." I thought the Sawtooth-style mobo lasted up until the Quicksilvers.

[foo2]

Originally Posted by chris v

You're right. Had it confused with the "gigabit ethernet." I thought the Sawtooth-style mobo lasted up until the Quicksilvers.

GigE has 4 slots. (I'm an owner of a GigE with 4 256M chips in the board.)

[Tardbus]

Originally Posted by Lateralus

And the exact same mods can be done to a Digital Audio.

Yes but digital audios are uglier.

[dpaanlka]

I'm actually 50-50 on which one looks better. I think the Digital Audios look visually more exciting, and the Quicksilvers are more elegant.