“Wicked fast” is the phrase that best summarizes the breakthrough performance of the Power Mac G4 – the first personal computer classified as munitions and under export restriction because of its power. Offering up to twice the performance of the Power Mac G3 and three times the power of a Pentium III at the same clock speed, the G4 was Apple’s first serious pro computer after Steve Jobs became iCEO.
Designed in graphite gray, silver, and clear plastic, it even looks professional. And with 1-4 gigaflops (billion floating point operations per second) performance at 500 MHz, it was a supercomputer by government definition when it was released.
Note that there were two very different versions of the Power Mac G4. Even though both looked the same from the front and sides, they have different motherboards and features. The Yikes! models uses a modified Yosemite (Blue & White) motherboard, while the AGP model covered here is based on the superior Sawtooth motherboard.
Ram: 64/128/256 MB standard on 400/450/500 MHz models, expandable to 2 GB (although Mac OS 9 will only recognize 1.5 GB) using PC100 SDRAM (3.3V, unbuffered, 64-bit, 168-pin, 100 MHz) in 4 DIMM slots
L2 Cache: 1 MB 2:1 backside cache
Hard Drive: 10/20/27 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/66 on 400/450/500 MHz models. Maximum IDE drive size is 128 GB without third-party support. See How Big a Hard Drive Can I Put in My iMac, eMac, Power Mac, PowerBook, or iBook? for three options.
Video: ATI Rage 128 Pro in AGP 2x slot (was Rage 128 prior to December 1999); supports resolutions to 1600 x 1200 with 32-bit support, includes VGA and DVI ports.
Vram: 16 MB
Gestalt Id: n/a
Upgrade Path: via CPU upgrades
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 30.0 lb.
Speedmark: 159 (500 MHz), 146 (450 MHz)
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
Part Numbers: M6921, M7232, M7824, M7825, M7827
See: Online resources and links for the Sawtooth Power Mac G4
single 450/500 MHz PPC 7400 (a.k.a. G4), in mid-April 2001 Apple switched the 500 MHz Cube to the cooler running 7410
Clock speed
450–500
Introduced
August 2000
Discontinued
April 2001
personal computer by Apple
Stunningly compact, the Power Mac (not Macintosh) G4 Cube came as a surprise, despite numerable contradictory rumors. Just 7.7″ square and a bit under 10″ tall – about the same height at the 2013 Mac Pro , but with a larger footprint – the Cube does everything the iMac DV does (except contain a monitor) – but with the same 450 MHz G4 processor as the Sawtooth Power Macintosh G4 .
Like the iMac, the Cube is a quiet fanless machine cooled by convection. The hard drive, ports, and AirPort antenna are all built into the Cube, but the power supply and twin Harman Kardon spherical speakers are external. The Cube supports both digital and VGA displays using the same ATI video subsystem as the Power Mac – and it’s on a 2x AGP slot, making it possible for serious gamers to replace the video card with something even better.
Best of all, the Cube shipped with Apple’s incredible optical mouse, where the entire mouse acts as a button, and the 108-key keyboard, eliminating the need to immediately buy a better mouse and keyboard (which many iMac and G4 owners had been doing).
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: single 450/500 MHz PPC 7400 (a.k.a. G4), in mid-April 2001 Apple switched the 500 MHz Cube to the cooler running 7410
Ram: 64 MB standard, expandable to 1.5 GB using PC100 SDRAM (3.3V,unbuffered, 64-bit, 168-pin, 100 MHz) in 3 DIMM slots
L2 Cache: 1 MB 2:1 backside cache
Hard Drive: 20 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/66 with 30, 40, and 60 GB options. Maximum IDE drive size is 128 GB without third-party support. See How big a hard drive can I put in my iMac, eMac, or Power Mac? for your options.
Video: ATI Rage 128 Pro in AGP 2x slot (was Rage 128 prior to December 1999); supports resolutions to 1920 x 1200 with 32-bit support, VGA and ADC connectors, and digital video output
Vram: 16 MB
Upgrade Path: processor upgrades
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 14.0 lb. (6.6 kg)
Model Identifier: PowerMac5,1
Latest Firmware: Power Mac G4 Cube Firmware Update 4.1.9 (bad link)
Speedmark: 139
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac G4 Cube
line of tower computers designed and manufactured by Apple
The Power Mac G5 was introduced on 2003.06.23 – the same day Intel officially unveiled the 3.2 GHz Pentium 4. In terms of increased clock speed, that means Intel had a 6.7% speed bump the same day that Apple announced a 40% improvement in clock speed (from 1.42 GHz to 2.0 GHz), allowing it to call the Power Mac G5 the world’s fastest personal computer at the time.
Apple is using the 64-bit PowerPC 970 processor from IBM, since Motorola abandoned its G5 development plans long ago. The PPC 970 is based on the same POWER CPU core as IBM’s supercomputers. .
Both the Power Mac G5 and the PowerPC 970 CPU were designed from the ground up to support symmetric multiprocessing (using two or more CPUs to run processes in parallel). The PPC 970 uses the same Velocity Engine instructions as the AltiVec engine in Motorola’s G4 processor, and it’s fully compatible with existing 32-bit software.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Announced: June 23rd, 2003 Shipped August 18th, 2003 Also introduced November 18th 2003: Dual 1.8
Pram Battery: 3.6V 1/2AA
Weight: 39.2 lb. (17.8 kg)
See: Power Mac G5 Overview and Hardware Reliability (Article + MacinTouch 2006 Stats) .
Known Compatible Ssds: Sandisk SSD Plus 2.5″ OWC Mercury Electra 3G/6G 2.5″ Older Intel SATA SSDs or legacy style SATA SSDs Crucial MX500 M.2 SSD + M.2 to 2.5″ SATA SSD Adapter (by IcyDock) Fanxiang , S&K , Drevo, and other Chinese AHCI style SSDs See: Adding SATA to your PowerPC Mac .
Top-Tier Gpu Upgrades: ATI Radeon X850XT vs Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL .
Modernizing Your Wifi: Add Wifi 4-Draft and Bluetooth 2.1 to your PowerPC Mac .
Shipped: August 18th, 2003
Also Introduced November 18Th 2003: Dual 1.8
Model Identifier: PowerMac7,2 Apple Model Number: A1047 (EMC 1969) All Power Mac G5s shipped in Silver anodized Aluminum color
Note: Only the 1.6 Ghz “Base” model maxes out at 4 GB RAM. 4 RAM slots total. .
Wifi: antenna and connector for 802.11g AirPort Extreme card
Power Supply: 450W (661-2903) for single CPU models, 600W (661-2904) for duals IEC 60320 C14 Inlet is used for power connection interface on all 3 models. See: Which Power Supply Works in My Power Mac G5?
The 75 MHz Performa 5200 was the first PowerPC Mac with an integrated monitor. Although the PPC 603 CPU was superior to the older 601, this computer’s architecture kept performance of the 5200 – and it’s monitor-less twin, the 6200 – comparable to a 66 MHz Power Mac 6100 .
To save money, Apple based the motherboard on the Quadra 605 with its 25 MHz bus and 32-bit memory, even though the 603 is a 64-bit chip. Apple also used an 8-bit IDE controller for the hard drive. This is the kind of thinking that had crippled the LC with a 32-bit CPU on a 16-bit bus in 1990.
Because of unusual architecture, installing a 25-pin SCSI terminator to the SCSI port (if you have no SCSI devices attached) will improve network stability.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 75 MHz PPC 603
Bus: network and SCSI run at 10 MHz, RAM and IDE at 22.5 MHz, CPU at 37.5 MHz, graphics at 30 MHz
Performance: XXX (relative to SE)
Ram: 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB using 70ns 72-pin SIMMs (two slots, each supports a 4, 8, 16, or 32 MB SIMM), 32-bit memory bus, installing RAM in pairs of identical speed gives slightly more efficient performance
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: 256 KB
Video: thousands of colors at 640 x 480, 256 at 800 x 600 and 832 x 624
Vram: 1 MB, not expandable
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Sound: may have 8-bit or 16-bit (if capacitor C255 is present, motherboard has 8-bit sound)
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
See: Online resources and links for the Performa 5200
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.
The 5400 was the first PCI-bus Power Mac with an integrated monitor. It was available in black in the UK, the first black desktop Mac since Mac TV .
This model was sold as the Power Mac 5400 in the education market and under the Performa 5400 name in the consumer market. Speeds ranged from 120 MHz to 200 MHz.
Although the 5400 replaced the 5260 , it had an improved motherboard design that overcame the most egregious failings of the Road Apple x200 series .
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 120, 180, or 200 MHz PPC 603e
Bus: 40 MHz
Performance: XXX (relative to SE)
Ram: 16 MB (120, 180 MHz) or 24 MB (200 MHz), expandable to 136 MB. 8 MB on motherboard. Accepts one or two 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB 70ns 168-pin DIMMs.
L2 Cache: 256k
Hard Drive: IDE, 1.2 GB on 5400/180, 1.6 GB on 5400/120 and 200
Video: 15″ screen, thousands of colors at up to 800 x 600, 256 at 832 x 624
Vram: not expandable
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Cd-Rom: 4x or 8x
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
The 75 MHz Power Macintosh 6200 (a.k.a. Performa 6200, 6205, 6210, 6214, 6216, 6218, 6220, and 6230!) was one of the first Macs to use the PowerPC 603 processor. Although the CPU was superior to the older 601, the computer architecture kept performance of the 6200 – and it’s built-in monitor twin, the 5200 – comparable to the 66 MHz Power Mac 6100 .
To save money, Apple based the x200 motherboard on the Quadra 605 with its 25 MHz system bus and 32-bit memory, even though the 603 is a 64-bit chip. Apple also used an 8-bit IDE controller for the hard drive instead of the more expensive SCSI used in earlier Macs. (This is the kind of thinking that had crippled the LC with a 32-bit CPU on a 16-bit bus five years earlier.)
Because of unusual architecture, installing a 25-pin SCSI terminator to the SCSI port (if you have no SCSI devices attached) will improve network stability. Also, if you are using a serial printer and no modem, connect the printer to the modem port to avoid network problems.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 75 MHz PPC 603
Bus: network and SCSI run at 10 MHz, RAM and IDE at 22.5 MHz, CPU at 37.5 MHz, graphics at 30 MHz
Performance: XXX (relative to SE)
Ram: 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB using 70ns 72-pin SIMMs (two slots, each supports a 4, 8, 16, or 32 MB SIMM), 32-bit memory bus, installing RAM in pairs of identical speed gives slightly more efficient performance
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: 256 KB
Hard Drive: 1 GB IDE
Video: thousands of colors at 640 x 480, 256 at 832 x 624
Vram: 1 MB, not expandable
Gestalt Id: 42
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Weight: 19 pounds
Cd-Rom: 4x
Sound: may have 8-bit or 16-bit (if capacitor C255 is present, motherboard has 8-bit sound)
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 6200 (Performa 6200)
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.
The 5400 was the first PCI-bus Power Mac with an integrated monitor. It was available in black in the UK, the first black desktop Mac since Mac TV .
This model was sold as the Power Mac 5400 in the education market and under the Performa 5400 name in the consumer market. Speeds ranged from 120 MHz to 200 MHz.
Although the 5400 replaced the 5260 , it had an improved motherboard design that overcame the most egregious failings of the Road Apple x200 series .
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 120, 180, or 200 MHz PPC 603e
Bus: 40 MHz
Performance: XXX (relative to SE)
Ram: 16 MB (120, 180 MHz) or 24 MB (200 MHz), expandable to 136 MB. 8 MB on motherboard. Accepts one or two 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB 70ns 168-pin DIMMs.
L2 Cache: 256k
Hard Drive: IDE, 1.2 GB on 5400/180, 1.6 GB on 5400/120 and 200
Video: 15″ screen, thousands of colors at up to 800 x 600, 256 at 832 x 624
Vram: not expandable
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Cd-Rom: 4x or 8x
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
The Power Mac 5500 was the second PCI-bus Power Mac with an integrated monitor; it replaced the slower 5400 . It shipped in 225, 250, and 275 MHz versions. Xemplar distributed a 225 MHz educational version in the UK as the Power Macintosh One. A black 275 MHz “Director’s Edition” was available in Australia. The 5500 was the direct predecessor to the Beige Power Mac G3 All-in-One .
A reader notes: “Many PM 5500s sold in Australia in 1998 did not have any Level 2 cache fitted. This seriously hampered the performance.” Adding a 256 KB or 512 KB L2 cache makes these much better performers.
The logic board of the 5500 is based on the “Gazelle” architecture, which is shared by the 20th Anniversary Mac and the Power Mac 6500 , the latter being essentially the same computer without a built-in display.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 225, 250, or 275 MHz PPC 603e or 603ev
Bus: 50 MHz
Performance: not measured
Ram: 32 MB, expandable to 128 MB using two 64 MB 60ns 168-pin EDO DIMMs. Supports 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 MB DIMMs.
L2 Cache: 256 KB (apparently not present in some 5500s sold in Australia)
Hard Drive: 2 GB IDE
Video: ATI 3D Rage II chip set
Vram: 2 MB SGRAM
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Resolution: 15″ screen, millions of colors at up to 832 x 624, thousands at up to 1024 x 768
Cd-Rom: 12x or 24x max.
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 5500 (Power Mac One)
The 60 MHz Power Mac 6100 was the entry-level Power Mac when Apple introduced its first PowerPC models in March 1994. Built into the Quadra 610 case, the 6100 contains a PDS (processor direct slot) that can be converted to a NuBus slot with an adapter.
The Power Macintosh 6100 was also marketed under the Performa brand, where its model numbers were 6110CD, 6112CD, 6115CD, 6116CD, 6117CD, 6118CD. It was also sold as the Apple Workgroup Server 6150.
To save money, the 6100 uses system memory for video (up to 615 KB, depending on resolution and bit-depth), not separate VRAM. Thus, one way to improve performance is to add a video card, either the Apple AV card or a third-party video card. (This also makes it possible to run two monitors, one from system memory and the other from a video card.) Another is to add a 1 MB level 2 cache, as noted on our benchmark page . More details at PowerMac 6100 Graphics Updates .
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 60 or 66 MHz PPC 601
Bus: 30 or 33 MHz
Ram: 8 MB, expandable to 264 MB using matching pairs of 80ns or faster 72-pin SIMMs (Apple does not support 64 or 128 MB SIMMs, since they were released after the computer and Apple has not verified compatibility.)
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: optional on 6100/60, 256 KB standard on 6100/66, supports 256 KB to 1 MB L2 cache
Hard Drive: 160-250 MB on 60 MHz, 350-500 MB on 66 MHz
Vram: none on motherboard, used 640 KB of system memory, 2 MB on AV card
Gestalt Id: 75
Code Name: Piltdown Man
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Ethernet: AAUI connector on back of computer, requires AAUI adapter
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 14.0 lb
Cd-Rom: 2x standard
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
The 75 MHz Power Macintosh 6200 (a.k.a. Performa 6200, 6205, 6210, 6214, 6216, 6218, 6220, and 6230!) was one of the first Macs to use the PowerPC 603 processor. Although the CPU was superior to the older 601, the computer architecture kept performance of the 6200 – and it’s built-in monitor twin, the 5200 – comparable to the 66 MHz Power Mac 6100 .
To save money, Apple based the x200 motherboard on the Quadra 605 with its 25 MHz system bus and 32-bit memory, even though the 603 is a 64-bit chip. Apple also used an 8-bit IDE controller for the hard drive instead of the more expensive SCSI used in earlier Macs. (This is the kind of thinking that had crippled the LC with a 32-bit CPU on a 16-bit bus five years earlier.)
Because of unusual architecture, installing a 25-pin SCSI terminator to the SCSI port (if you have no SCSI devices attached) will improve network stability. Also, if you are using a serial printer and no modem, connect the printer to the modem port to avoid network problems.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 75 MHz PPC 603
Bus: network and SCSI run at 10 MHz, RAM and IDE at 22.5 MHz, CPU at 37.5 MHz, graphics at 30 MHz
Performance: XXX (relative to SE)
Ram: 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB using 70ns 72-pin SIMMs (two slots, each supports a 4, 8, 16, or 32 MB SIMM), 32-bit memory bus, installing RAM in pairs of identical speed gives slightly more efficient performance
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: 256 KB
Hard Drive: 1 GB IDE
Video: thousands of colors at 640 x 480, 256 at 832 x 624
Vram: 1 MB, not expandable
Gestalt Id: 42
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Weight: 19 pounds
Cd-Rom: 4x
Sound: may have 8-bit or 16-bit (if capacitor C255 is present, motherboard has 8-bit sound)
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 6200 (Performa 6200)
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.
The 120 MHz Power Mac 6300 and Performa 6320 replaced the 100 MHz Performa 6300 ‘s 100 MHz 603e CPU with a 120 MHz 603e.
To save money, Apple based the x200 motherboard on the Quadra 605 with its 25 MHz system bus and 32-bit memory, even though the 603 is a 64-bit chip. Apple also used an 8-bit IDE controller for the hard drive instead of the more expensive SCSI used in earlier Macs. (This is the kind of thinking that had crippled the LC with a 32-bit CPU on a 16-bit bus five years earlier.)
Because of unusual architecture, installing a 25-pin SCSI terminator to the SCSI port (if you have no SCSI devices attached) will improve network stability. Also, if you are using a serial printer and no modem, connect the printer to the modem port to avoid network problems.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 120 MHz PPC 603e
Bus: 40 MHz
Performance: 48,860 Whetstones
Ram: 16 MB, expandable to 64 MB using two 72-pin 80ns SIMMs, installing RAM in pairs of identical speed gives slightly more efficient performance
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: 256 KB
Hard Drive: 1.2 GB IDE
Vram: 1 MB, supports up to 800 x 600 resolution
Gestalt Id: 42
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Weight: 19 pounds
Cd-Rom: 8x
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
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.
The 6400 replaced the Performa 6360 and used a new tower configuration. It was available in 180 MHz and 200 MHz configurations. The neatest feature: a built-in subwoofer for very rich sound.
The 6400 was replaced by the Power Mac 6500 . The Performa/Power Mac 5400 is virtually identical to the 6400 – but with a built in monitor.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 180 MHz or 200 MHz PPC 603e
Bus: 40 MHz
Performance: 80,429 Whetstones
Ram: 16 MB, expandable to 136 MB using two DIMMs
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: optional on 180 MHz, 256 KB on 200 MHz
Hard Drive: IDE, 1.6 GB on 180 MHz, 2.4 GB on 200 MHz
Vram: 1 MB, supports thousands of colors up to 800 x 600, 256 colors up to 1024×764
Code Name: Alchemy
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Cd-Rom: 8x
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
Two Pci Slots: top slot may accept a 12″ card, but bottom slot will only handle a 7″ card
The Power Mac 5500 was the second PCI-bus Power Mac with an integrated monitor; it replaced the slower 5400 . It shipped in 225, 250, and 275 MHz versions. Xemplar distributed a 225 MHz educational version in the UK as the Power Macintosh One. A black 275 MHz “Director’s Edition” was available in Australia. The 5500 was the direct predecessor to the Beige Power Mac G3 All-in-One .
A reader notes: “Many PM 5500s sold in Australia in 1998 did not have any Level 2 cache fitted. This seriously hampered the performance.” Adding a 256 KB or 512 KB L2 cache makes these much better performers.
The logic board of the 5500 is based on the “Gazelle” architecture, which is shared by the 20th Anniversary Mac and the Power Mac 6500 , the latter being essentially the same computer without a built-in display.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 225, 250, or 275 MHz PPC 603e or 603ev
Bus: 50 MHz
Performance: not measured
Ram: 32 MB, expandable to 128 MB using two 64 MB 60ns 168-pin EDO DIMMs. Supports 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 MB DIMMs.
L2 Cache: 256 KB (apparently not present in some 5500s sold in Australia)
Hard Drive: 2 GB IDE
Video: ATI 3D Rage II chip set
Vram: 2 MB SGRAM
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: DB-25 connector on back of computer
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Resolution: 15″ screen, millions of colors at up to 832 x 624, thousands at up to 1024 x 768
Cd-Rom: 12x or 24x max.
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 5500 (Power Mac One)
