25 MHz 68LC040 (one reader reported the Canadian Quadra 605 runs at 33 MHz)
Clock speed
25
Introduced
October 1993
Discontinued
October 1994
personal computer by Apple
What was the smallest desktop Mac prior to the Mac mini ? Apple’s LC series, which measured just under 3″ tall, although it had as big a footprint as four Minis. And the Quadra 605 (also known as the LC 475 and Performa 475 or 476) was the most powerful model in this diminutive line.
Apple completed the LC line with what could have been called the LC IV. As with its ancestors, the Quadra 605 was designed to be inexpensive. It shares many components with previous LC models, although it uses a new (equally compact) case that’s flat rather than angled upward in the front. To reduce cost and power use, Apple used the 68LC040 CPU, helping to make this the first Quadra to sell for under US$1,000. For compatibility, it retains the LC expansion slot.
The Performa 475 and 476 differed in the size of the hard drive that shipped with them; the 475 had a 160 MB drive, while the 476 had 230 MB. The Quadra 605 has a different Gestalt ID than the LC and Performa versions.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 25 MHz 68LC040 (one reader reported the Canadian Quadra 605 runs at 33 MHz)
Fpu: none, 68LC040 can be replaced with 68040 CPU
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 80, 160, or 250 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB (remove both 256K VRAM SIMMs, plug in 512K replacements; supports 512 x 384, 640 x 480, 640 x 870, 832 x 624, 1024 x 768, and 1152 x 870 resolutions. We have a field report of an 800 x 600 option as well.
Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 89 for LC 475 and Performa, 94 for Quadra 605
Upgrade Path: Power Mac card
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 8.8 lbs.
Cpu Performance: 10.3 (relative to SE); 0.88, Speedometer 4.06; 7.08, MacBench 2.0 CPU; 22 MIPS (see benchmark page for more details); 4074 (68040 upgrade) Whetstones
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 605 / LC 475 / Performa 475, 476
Finding the market confused with five product lines (Mac II, Centris, Quadra, Performa, and PowerBook), Apple renamed the Centris models in October 1993.
At the same time, the CPU in the Centris 610 was boosted from 20 MHz to 25 MHz. (The 8/160 version sold in the U.S. was based on the less expensive 68LC040 chip.)
See our NuBus Video Card Guide for information on adding a NuBus video card, which also requires a NuBus adapter.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 25 MHz 68040 (68LC040 only on 8/160 sold in U.S.)
Performance: 12.1 (relative to SE); 7.93, MacBench 2.0 CPU
Ram: 4 MB on motherboard, expandable to 68 MB using 80ns 72-pin SIMMs; motherboard has 2 SIMM slots, which can be filled independently; can use 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, and 32 MB SIMMs. If SIMMs are not the same speed, faster SIMM should be in bank 0 (frontmost slot).
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 160 or 230 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB 512 x 384 @ 16-bit 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 16-bit @ 1 MB 832 x 624, 1024 x 768, 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 53
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card , Power Mac 6100 (requires some case modification)
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 14 lb.
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 610
The Quadra 630 was the last Mac designed around the 68040 processor. It was designed to replace the Quadra 610 . LC and Performa versions of the 630 use the less expensive 68LC040, which lacks an FPU, while the Quadra 630 sports a full 68040. The slide-out motherboard makes upgrades very easy.
The 630 was the first desktop Mac to use an IDE hard drive, a type of drive common in the IBM compatible market and less expensive than SCSI drives, instead of Apple’s traditional SCSI hard drive. However, the CD-ROM (when present) is a SCSI device and the 630 retains its external SCSI port.
The 630 was quite cleverly designed for a computer with no industry standard slots. It contains an extended LC PDS that supported both LC and extended LC cards, a comm slot for a modem or ethernet card, and a video slot for either Apple’s Video System Card or TV/Video System card. To top it off, the DOS Compatibility card plugs into the CPU socket and also uses the PDS, but it leaves the comm and video slots free.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 33 MHz 68040
Fpu: built into 68040 CPU
Performance: 12.5 (relative to SE); 10.00, MacBench 2.0 CPU see Benchmarks: Quadra 630 for more details
Rom: 1 MB
Hard Drive: 250 MB IDE (first desktop Mac with an IDE hard drive rather than a SCSI drive)
Video: 1 MB VRAM, does not support portrait monitor 512 x 384, 640 x 480: 16-bit 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit
Addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 98
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card , 6300-series motherboard
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 4.5V alkaline
Weight: 19 lbs.
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 630
Internal Hd Format: Cannot See IDE Drives (Apple Knowledge Base 18360) notes that due to changes in the way modern IDE drives are formatted at the factory, early versions of Apple HD SC Setup (ones that come with System 7.5.1 and earlier) will not recognize them. You should boot System 7.5.2 or later and use Drive Setup 1.0.3 or higher with these drives.
Finding the market confused with five product lines (Mac II, Centris, Quadra, Performa, and PowerBook), Apple renamed the Centris models in October 1993. At the same time, the 68040 CPU in the Quadra 650 was boosted to 33 MHz.
The floppy drive mounting sled used in the Mac IIvi , IIvx , Performa 600 , Centris 650 , Quadra 650, and Power Mac 7100 can also be used for a hard drive if you no longer need the floppy drive.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 33 MHz 68040 CPU
Performance: 14.6, relative to SE; 21.9, Speedometer 3; 1.19, Speedometer 4; 29 MIPS see Benchmarks: Quadra 650 for more details
Ram: 4 MB or 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 132MB or 136MB using 80ns 72-pin SIMMs; motherboard had 4 SIMM slots which can be filled individually but should ideally be filled in interleaved pairs; can use 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, and 32 MB SIMMs
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 230 or 500 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB 512 x 384 @ 16-bit 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 16-bit @ 1 MB 832 x 624, 1024 x 768, 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 36
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card, Power Mac 7100
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 25 lbs.
Nubus: 3 NuBus 90 slots
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 650
Initially introduced as the Centris 660av (the two models are identical except for the nameplate), the Quadra 660av shares the same case design as the Centris 610 .
In addition to a faster 25 MHz 68040 CPU, the 660av includes a 55 MHz AT&T digital signal processor, introduces the GeoPort high speed serial port, has a new audio-video connector on rear, and can digitize video using built-in ports. (For even more AV horsepower, look into the 40 MHz Quadra 840av .)
A dead or low-voltage PRAM battery can temporarily kill off built-in video – see Macintosh Computers: Low Battery Can Cause No Video for more information.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 25 MHz 68040 CPU
Performance: 12.4, relative to SE; 0.89, Speedometer 4 see Benchmarks: 660av for more details
Ram: 8 MB, expandable to 68 MB using 70ns 72-pin SIMMs; motherboard has 2 SIMM slots which can be filled independently. Cannot use 64 MB SIMMs
Rom: 2 MB
L2 Cache: optional
Hard Drive: 230 or 500 MB
Vram: 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 53
Upgrade Path: Power Mac 6100
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 14 lb.
Dsp: 55 MHz 3210
See: Online resources and links for the Centris 660av (Quadra 660av)
computer introduced by Apple Computer in early 90s
October 1991 saw the introduction of the firest Macs using Motorola’s high-octane 68040 CPU. The Quadra 700, built in the same chassis as the Mac IIci , was built as a minitower, although with no front accessible hard drive bays. The Quadra 700 and 900 were the first Macs with built-in ethernet, using Apple’s AAUI connector.
Unlike the IIci, the Quadra 700 had only two NuBus expansion slots. Also unlike the IIci, it can support a two-page display without the need to add a video card.
If you are running a Quadra 700 without an internal hard drive, you must have an internal terminator installed in the computer.
Ram: 4 MB on motherboard, expandable to 68 MB using a single bank of 4 80ns 30-pin SIMMs; can use 1 MB, 4 MB, 8 MB, or 16 MB SIMMs (can only recognize 64 MB of memory)
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 80, 160, or 400 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB or 2 MB; internal video does not support 16-bit mode 512 x 384: 16-bit @ 512 KB, 24-bit @ 1 MB 640 x 480, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 24-bit @ 2 MB 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 22
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 13.6 lbs.
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 700
Apple introduced a new case design with the Quadra 800, one later used by the Quadra 840av and two Power Macs, the 8100 and 8500 . Perhaps the most frustrating case to work with, it has three front accessible drive bays. One is for the floppy drive; the others may hold CD-ROM, a DAT drive, a SyQuest mechanism, etc.
The Quadra 800 (a.k.a. Workgroup Server 80) introduced a higher speed SCSI bus to the Macintosh line as well as accelerated internal video. It also uses interleaved memory to squeeze out about 10% more performance.
By using faster memory and interleaving, the Quadra 800 outperformed the Quadra 950 , according to the Macworld review.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 33 MHz 68040
Performance: 16.4, relative to SE; 1.31, Speedometer 4; 29 MIPS; 5332 Whetstones ; 38,216 Whetstones with 100 MHz PowerPC upgrade
Ram: 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 136MB using 60ns 72-pin SIMMs; motherboard had 4 SIMM slots which can be filled individually but should ideally be filled in interleaved pairs; can use 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, and 32 MB SIMMs
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 230 or 500 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB 512 x 384 @ 16-bit 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 16-bit @ 1 MB 1024 x 768, 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 35
Upgrade Path: Quadra 840av , Power Mac PDS card; Power Mac 8100 , 8500
Adb Ports: 2
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 24.0 lbs.
Din-8 Serial Ports: 2
Cd-Rom: 2x
Nubus 90 Slots: 3
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 800
October 1991 saw the introduction of the firest Macs using Motorola’s high-octane 68040 CPU. The Quadra 700, built in the same chassis as the Mac IIci , was built as a minitower, although with no front accessible hard drive bays. The Quadra 700 and 900 were the first Macs with built-in ethernet, using Apple’s AAUI connector.
Unlike the IIci, the Quadra 700 had only two NuBus expansion slots. Also unlike the IIci, it can support a two-page display without the need to add a video card.
If you are running a Quadra 700 without an internal hard drive, you must have an internal terminator installed in the computer.
Ram: 4 MB on motherboard, expandable to 68 MB using a single bank of 4 80ns 30-pin SIMMs; can use 1 MB, 4 MB, 8 MB, or 16 MB SIMMs (can only recognize 64 MB of memory)
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 80, 160, or 400 MB
Video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB or 2 MB; internal video does not support 16-bit mode 512 x 384: 16-bit @ 512 KB, 24-bit @ 1 MB 640 x 480, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 24-bit @ 2 MB 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
Addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 22
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 13.6 lbs.
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 700
Apple replaced the Quadra 900 with the 950, boosting CPU speed from 25 MHz to 33 MHz. Because Apple removed some “wait states” from the video section, the 950’s internal video is about 20% faster than the 900’s – and the faster CPU helps things along even more. The 950 can display 16-bit video on a 19″ monitor without the need for a third-party video card.
The Quadra 950 is built like a tank and obviously designed to sit on the floor. With 16 SIMM slots, you can add incredible amounts of memory, along with plenty of huge hard drives. This is obviously designed to be used as a server.
According to Apple, the monstrous power supply can support two 25-watt NuBus cards and three of the more typical 15-watt cards.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 33 MHz 68040
Performance: 14.7, relative to SE; 10.14, MacBench 2.0 CPU; 21.9, Speedometer 3; 1.19, Speedometer 4; 29 MIPS (see Benchmarks: Quadra 950 for more test results)
Ram: 4 MB, expandable to 256 MB using 80ns 30-pin SIMMs; motherboard had 4 banks of 4 SIMM slots; can use 1 MB, 4 MB, 8 MB, and 16 MB SIMMs (8 MB and 16 MB SIMMs are not supported by Apple)
Rom: 1 MB
L2 Cache: optional, PDS
Hard Drive: 230 MB, 500 MB, or 1 GB
Video: 1 MB VRAM, expandable to 2 MB; internal video does not support 16-bit mode 512 x 384: 24-bit 640 x 480, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 1 MB, 24-bit @ 2 MB 1152 x 870: 8-bit
Addressing: 32-bit
Gestalt Id: 26
Upgrade Path: Power Mac PDS card; Power Mac 9500
Adb: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: separate internal and external busses, DB-25 connector on back of computer, max. 4.4 MBps read
Serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 36.8 lbs.
Cd-Rom: 2x
Nubus: 5 NuBus 90 slots
See: Online resources and links for the Quadra 950
