I've been a Mac guy for a very long time (I can remember what a big deal it was when I moved our university paper's network to System 7!) and one of my favourite pieces of Apple hardware is the G4 Cube (left). My Cube is the slow one — the 450 Mhz “Trinity” with the 20 GB (!) hard drive.
The drive, after years of silent service, has finally given up the ghost.
I'm thinking that, while I've got the Cube on the computer shop hoist to replace the drive, I might as well upgrade the processor.
Now, over the years I've heard bits and pieces about the advisability/difficulty of this procedure. So, before I shell out the dough and crack open the case, anyone out there — and only 150,000 Cubes were made before Apple discontinued them — got any experience with this or can point me to some reputable bulletin boards on this subject?
My usual computer vendor for this stuff is Other World Computing, now MacSales.com, and they have three processor upgrades they can sell me: All three are from PowerLogix. I can choose to move up to a 1 Ghz processor, a 1.5 Ghz processor or a dual 1.5 Ghz processor. I'm leaning to the 1.5 Ghz processor – as this machine is used at this point for not much more than e-mail, Web surfing and light word pro duties. I want to be be able to install Leopard on it (which requires at least a G4 running at 1 Ghz).
So what's your advice?
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Well, frankly you should replace it with a Mac Mini. If the price difference is less than $300 or so (don't know what an upgrade costs) than it's not worthwhile as Apple won't be supporting the G4 processors in the new OS releases. A Mini is fairly inexpensive and faster.
Just in case there's other comments like this — the Mini's a great product. And, here at home, the Cube is part of a Mac family that includes an iMac Intel Core 2 Duo and a 13″ Macbook. But the Cube, while not a terribly great computer per se is an aesthetic treasure. Heck, a Cube's in the Museum of Modern Art. So I'm not keen to junk it, particularly if a few hundred bucks can make it modern again. My concern is whether these processor upgrades do what they say they do …
Why don't you call MacDoc.com and see if they can help you out. They specialise in Mac upgrades and reselling used/refurbed units, and I'm sure they could tell you whether your upgrade plan is sound, or whether an alternative exists around the same price point.
I have an OWC/Powerlogix processor upgrade (1.5Ghz) in my aging PPC G4 (orig 450MHz, I think). Works just fine. Just thought I'd thank you for bringing that to folks' attention. (I tried the FastMac upgrade first, but the machine always smelled like it was about to catch fire.)
As for upgrading older machines, the site I always check first is Lowend Mac. The cube page here: http://lowendmac.com/ppc/power-macintosh-g4-cube.html
There's upgrade info and a variety of related links. Personally, I wouldn't go beyond Tiger on the G4, because of the graphics card. I find Leopard really stresses out graphic cards on older Macs, but that's just my personal thoughts.
Please post how you make out with the upgrade though!
Disclaimer: I like OWC products so much, I now work for the company!
OWC ilene
Community Web Manager/Editor
Thanks Ilene — Good point about the video card. I hadn't considered that. Most of the offline chats I've had with friends focuses on concerns about heat dissipation from the faster processor and that some upgraded products — don't know whose — create so much heat that the case can crack …