The 66 MHz 7100 was the middle of the Power Mac line when Apple introduced its first PowerPC models in March 1994. Built into the Quadra 650 case, the 7100 has three NuBus slots and a PDS (processor direct slot).
The 7100 uses system memory for motherboard video (up to 615 KB, depending on resolution and bit-depth) and also includes a separate PDS video card with its own memory, making it very easy to work with two monitors. For best performance, use the video card instead motherboard video with a single monitor.
Note that these so-called NuBus processor upgrades do not go into a NuBus slot; they derive their name from the fact that they work in NuBus Power Macs. The processor upgrades fit into the PDS, which is normally occupied by a video card on the 7100. These cards may also include a pass through connector (which may be an extra cost option), allowing you to plug the PDS video card into the upgrade card.
Ram: 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 136 MB using two pairs of 80ns 72-pin SIMMs (4 sockets total). Supports 4, 8, 16, and 32 MB SIMMs. Will not recognize more than 32 MB per SIMM even if you install 64 MB SIMMs.
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: optional on 7100/66, 256 KB standard on 7100/80, supports 256 KB to 1 MB cache
Video: internal supports thousands of colors at 640 x 480 and 256 colors at 832 x 642 PDS card supports thousands of colors at 640 x 480 and 832 x 624, 256 of colors at 1024 x 768 and 1152 x 870 AV card supports millions of colors at 640 x 480 and 832 x 624, thousands of colors at 1024 x 768 and 1152 x 870
Vram: none on motherboard, 1 MB on PDS video card (expandable to 2 MB), 2 MB on AV card (not expandable)
Gestalt Id: 112 (66 MHz), 47 (80 MHz)
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: 25.0 lb
Cd-Rom: 2x standard
Microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input including Apple’s PlainTalk microphone
Nubus Slots: 3
Power Supply: 230W
Height: 6.0 in
Width: 13.0 in
Depth: 16.5 in
Beware Bogus 256K Cache Module Ap2544-02: it doesn’t do anything on the 6100 or 7100.
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 7100
The Beige G3 is a third-generation Power Mac. It has a new motherboard with a faster system bus than earlier models, a third-generation PowerPC CPU, uses a completely different type of memory, has a different way of upgrading the CPU, and includes a personality card slot. The Power Mac G3 comes in desktop and minitower configurations and replaces the 7300 , 8600 , and 9600 .
The PowerPC 750 (G3) CPU was the first processor designed specifically for the way Macintosh works. Code compatible with the 603e, the G3 was tweaked based on the software Macintosh users ran. This moved the “entry level” chip past the previous powerhouse, the 604e, even at lower clock speeds. Macworld’s SpeedMark showed the 233 MHz is 22% faster than the 233 MHz 604e in the 9600/233.
The 233 MHz model usually comes in a similar desktop case to the 7200-7600. Because of the smaller motherboard, it has room for one more drive – mounted on the bottom of the desktop case itself. (The G3/233 was also available in a tower configuration, but only from the Apple Store.)
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Announced: November 10th, 1997
Discontinued: December 14th, 1998
Rom: 4 MB Macintosh ROM
Gestalt Id: 510
Code Name: Gossamer
Order Number: M6141LL/A (Desktop, 233 MHz) M6202LL/A (Desktop, 266 MHz, Zip drive, ATI 3D Rage II+ or Rage Pro) M6508LL/A (Desktop, 266 MHz, No Zip drive, ATI Rage Pro Turbo) M6431LL/A (Minitower, 233 MHz) M6142LL/A (Minitower, 266, 32 MB, 6 GB, 2MB VRAM, Zip, S-video + Comp.) M6459LL/A (Minitower, 266, 128 MB, 4 GB SCSI, 6 MB VRAM + 8 MB PCI VRAM)
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Apple Model Number: M3979 (Desktop, 233/266 MHz) M4405 (Minitower, 233/266 MHz)
Model Id: None
Cpu Performance 233 Mhz: 4.5, relative to 7500/80 266 MHz: 5.0, relative to 7500/180; 826, MacBench 5
Cto/Bto: 100 Mb/s Ethernet
Minitower Wings Personality Card: Composite Yellow/Red/White In, Out S-Video In, Out
See: Online resources and links for the Beige Power Mac G3 (1997)
The PowerWave was a desktop computer with a 120 to 150 MHz PPC 604 processor. The CPU is on a daughter card for easy upgrade, just like the Power Mac 7500 , 8500 , and 9500 .
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Introduced: 1995.10.30
Cpu: 120, 132, or 150 MHz PPC 604
Bus: 40, 44, or 50 MHz
Ram: 16 MB, expandable to 512 MB using 168-pin 70ns or faster Fast Page Mode DIMMs (interleaved) in 8 DIMM slots
The 80 MHz Power Mac 8100 was the fastest Power Mac when Apple introduced the line in March 1994, and it was the only model to ship from the factory with a 256 KB level 2 cache installed.
Built into a Quadra 800 case, the 8100 (a.k.a. 8115 in Japan as well as Apple Workgroup Server 8150) contains three NuBus slots and a PDS (processor direct slot). Like the other first-generation Power Macs, the 8100 uses system memory for video (up to 615 KB, depending on resolution and bit-depth). It also has a separate PDS video card with its own memory, making it very easy to work with two monitors. For best performance, use the video card, not motherboard video, when using just one display.
The 8100 was upgraded to 100 MHz January 1995, and a 110 MHz version was added in January 1995. It was replaced by the 8500 in August 1995.
Ram: 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 264 MB using pairs of 80ns 72-pin SIMMs in 8 SIMM sockets. Supports 4, 8, 16, and 32 MB SIMMs. Will not recognize more than 32 MB per SIMM even if you install 64 MB SIMMs.
Video: internal supports thousands of colors at 640 x 480 and 256 colors at 832 x 642 2 MB PDS card and AV card support millions of colors at 640 x 480 and 832 x 624, thousands of colors at 1024 x 768 and 1152 x 870 4 MB PDS card supports millions of colors at 640 x 480, 832 x 624, 1024 x 768, and 1152 x 870
Vram: none on motherboard, 2 MB on PDS video card (expandable to 4 MB), 2 MB on AV card (not expandable)
Essentially a Power Mac 7200 repackaged in Apple’s mini-tower case, the 8200 came in 100 and 120 MHz versions. Because the CPU is not on a daughter card, the only upgrade is replacing the motherboard with one from a Power Mac 8500 and adding a daughter card.
As with the 7200, increasing VRAM to 2 or 4 MB will improve performance, as will adding a level 2 cache.
Overall, it was pretty good computer, but we call it a Compromised Mac due to poor implementation of the promised upgrade path. It wasn’t until late 2000 that Sonnet managed to create an accelerator for this computer.
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Cpu: 100 or 120 MHz PPC 601
Bus: 40 MHz
Ram: 8 MB or 16 MB, expandable to 256 MB using 70ns 168-pin DIMMs (8 sockets), Apple notes “128 MB DIMMs can be used, but have not been tested” – this would bring total RAM to 512 MB.
Rom: 4 MB
L2 Cache: optional on 8200/100, 256 KB on 8200/120, supports 256 KB to 1 MB
Video: supports resolutions to 1152 x 870 (to 1280 x 1024 with 2 MB or more VRAM)
Vram: 1 MB, expandable to 4 MB
Gestalt Id: 108
Upgrade Path: CPU daughter card
Adb: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
Scsi: single SCSI-1 (5 MBps) bus
Serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
Ethernet: AAUI and 10Base-T connectors on back of computer
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Weight: 25.0 lb
Cd-Rom: 4x, possibly 8x on 8200/120
Pci Slots: 3
Power Supply: 150W
Height: 14.0 in
Width: 7.7 in
Depth: 15.75 in
See: Online resources and links for the Power Mac 8200
The Beige G3 is a third-generation Power Mac. It has a new motherboard with a faster system bus than earlier models, a third-generation PowerPC CPU, uses a completely different type of memory, has a different way of upgrading the CPU, and includes a personality card slot. The Power Mac G3 comes in desktop and minitower configurations and replaces the 7300 , 8600 , and 9600 .
The PowerPC 750 (G3) CPU was the first processor designed specifically for the way Macintosh works. Code compatible with the 603e, the G3 was tweaked based on the software Macintosh users ran. This moved the “entry level” chip past the previous powerhouse, the 604e, even at lower clock speeds. Macworld’s SpeedMark showed the 233 MHz is 22% faster than the 233 MHz 604e in the 9600/233.
The 233 MHz model usually comes in a similar desktop case to the 7200-7600. Because of the smaller motherboard, it has room for one more drive – mounted on the bottom of the desktop case itself. (The G3/233 was also available in a tower configuration, but only from the Apple Store.)
Specs (via Low End Mac)
Announced: November 10th, 1997
Discontinued: December 14th, 1998
Rom: 4 MB Macintosh ROM
Gestalt Id: 510
Code Name: Gossamer
Order Number: M6141LL/A (Desktop, 233 MHz) M6202LL/A (Desktop, 266 MHz, Zip drive, ATI 3D Rage II+ or Rage Pro) M6508LL/A (Desktop, 266 MHz, No Zip drive, ATI Rage Pro Turbo) M6431LL/A (Minitower, 233 MHz) M6142LL/A (Minitower, 266, 32 MB, 6 GB, 2MB VRAM, Zip, S-video + Comp.) M6459LL/A (Minitower, 266, 128 MB, 4 GB SCSI, 6 MB VRAM + 8 MB PCI VRAM)
Pram Battery: 3.6V half-AA
Apple Model Number: M3979 (Desktop, 233/266 MHz) M4405 (Minitower, 233/266 MHz)
Model Id: None
Cpu Performance 233 Mhz: 4.5, relative to 7500/80 266 MHz: 5.0, relative to 7500/180; 826, MacBench 5
Cto/Bto: 100 Mb/s Ethernet
Minitower Wings Personality Card: Composite Yellow/Red/White In, Out S-Video In, Out
See: Online resources and links for the Beige Power Mac G3 (1997)
