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5 Replies Last post: Apr 5, 2005 7:58 PM by emc2  
Click to view MW Forums's profile New Member 12,220 posts since
Aug 2, 2004
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Mar 22, 2005 9:50 AM

FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMacs

FastMac on Tuesday announced a G4 processor upgrade for CRT-based Apple iMacs equipped with slot-loading optical drives. The US$199.95 upgrade replaced the iMac's existing CPU with a Motorola 7410 CPU running at 550MHz with 1MB of Level 2 cache. FastMac estimates the CPU upgrade can result in a 3 to 4x boost in processing speed. more
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Click to view DPG4450Guy's profile Enthusiast 1,856 posts since
Sep 14, 2003
1. Mar 22, 2005 10:24 AM in response to: MW Forums
Re: FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMa
Pretty cool, if the quality is good.
For those that can't afford to get an eMac or just want the challenge of super-boosting their existing machine, this is really nice.
Click to view himbo's profile New Member 65 posts since
Nov 22, 2004
2. Mar 22, 2005 11:43 AM in response to: MW Forums
Re: FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMacs
Why doesn't it work with the Dalmation or Flower Power iMacs? My wife has a Flower Power that she loves, but we're getting to the point where there's stuff she can't run because of the G3 chip it's using. Upgrading it would be nice.
Click to view Ugh_MightyClub's profile New Member 13 posts since
Jul 26, 2001
3. Mar 22, 2005 1:35 PM in response to: himbo
Re: FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMa
The trouble with CPU upgrades is you've still got slow, out-of-date subsystems. By the time you upgrade the ones that matter you've spent almost as much or more than you would on a new system.

Plus, in my case, I think my Grape iMac's display is going south, and the slot drive has trouble kicking discs back out. I have an old monitor laying around, so a Mac Mini is tempting, but I hate to buy a new machine that's barely more powerful than my two year old iMac G4!
Click to view oliverchaddock's profile New Member 21 posts since
Nov 12, 2004
4. Mar 22, 2005 3:00 PM in response to: MW Forums
Re: FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMacs
I'm running a 450mhz slot-loading iMac and this upgrade is just what i was looking for - about 1.5 years ago. I would have definitely bought it then, but I think for most people with these machines the mac mini is the best way to upgrade.
Click to view emc2's profile New Member 3 posts since
Apr 5, 2005
5. Apr 5, 2005 7:58 PM in response to: oliverchaddock
Re: FastMac offers G4 upgrade for slot-loading iMacs
I have been wondering for a while if I could do the upgrade myself, using the G4 500 processor that I pulled out of my tower when I upgraded it's CPU. I have been holding on to it in case something happened with the replacement, but I have had no problems (kudos to OWC 1.33 gHz Mercury Extreme) and I would rather try the upgrade than face what either an old iMac DV or a used G4 CPU is worth on eBay. I bet there are a lot of other people out there who have pulled the slower processors out of old "Sawtooths" and still have them lying around. This could be a great way to upgrade an otherwise functional, but annoyingly slow G3 machine.
Besides that I would like to know if anyone has seen a way to "unlock" the mirror image display limiter on these machines the way that has been done on the eMac? (see below)

"Even though Apple limits its use only to mirroring the main screen, it is possible to lift that limit and run dual-screen configuration using AppleScript firmware updater from Klaus Rutemller."

http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html

I have four other mac's between home and work, but t would be really fun to trick this one out since it is an oldie AND a goodie. (gumdrop)

BTW aside from reluctant ejection of CD/DVDs this machine has always preformed great.