Typically i found the whole PPC experience an exercise in frustration - have owned a CyberstormPPC@180/060+Cvision and still own a blizzardPPC@200/040+bvision
When i had my cyberstorm, it actually had to earn its keep -this is going back at least 15+ years. i'd have MJPEG video recorded via a digital broadcaster and AD516, and then i'd script up some arexx stuff for imageFX to apply some operators (frame by frame) onto the video. big jobs would still have to run overnight. i think there were some PPC operators, or at the very least i was able to use some PPC datatypes to load/save the frame data.
but then. it was a proper mix and match as to what patches worked with what. having a stable system, and keeping it stable was a bloody pain.
it'd be like, OS3.1 to 3.9 fine, tweak the rom update, able to install boing bag 1 and 2, but not three, only one update version of cybergraphics seems to be happy. not able to run the PowerUP/WarpOS hybrid kernal on the PPC side or it'd crash, only able to run pure WOS. Then various config flags in cybergraphics and WOS seemed to conflict. then you'd find a new set of PPC datatypes and they'd crash out the PPC WOS kernal on workbench startup - so the PPC chip was unavailable to do anything before you'd even got going.
it was a freaking mess.
playing games was possible. if you were a glutton for more punishment. I remember playing a lot of GLsokoban as that was the only thing that'd just about run at a decent frame rate.
i think i managed to chug my way though to around 2/3rds the way through Heretic 2 - though shear determination. Before i got to a point where i was getting killed by something, but couldn't actually see what was killing me. #deskthrow
Wipeout2097 actually worked. it was still pretty jerky, transparency effects wouldn't work more often than not, and bitmapped sprites, again, transparency and mipmapping issues on the permedia2.
don't even bother trying anything on a CV64/3D via warp3d Unless you like looking at a slideshow. the bilinear filtering at least made it a pretty slideshow. not to mention kept bumping up against the limits of 8Meg graphics ram on the permedia2, or 4meg of the CV64/3D
then there was heat and power. the C and Bvision cards get hot. not just the Permedia2 chip, but the PCI chipset glue logic chips as well. those guys need heat sinks too! it makes me wince when i see those chips running exposed with no sinks or active cooling.
The G-Rex runs the same chips, and at least on the gen2 G-Rex for the A4k they fitted it with a fan as standard.
A PPC equipped A4k only has one 5Volt connector on the mainboard from the PSU. it should be strong enough to cope, but it's worth keeping an eye on, and making sure it's clear of dirt once in a while.
The Commodore A4kT was supplied with an AT type power supply and that has thin bendy "tongues" inside the power plug that press onto the power pins poking out the A4kT's mainboard. My machine would burn through it's tongues in the connector plug usually about once a year.
The CyberstormPPC and Mark3 run 64bit ram interfaces. while this is great, the ram controllers hidden between the simms benifit from having some air movement. something that doesn't really happen unassisted in an A4k case. i remember cutting "air intake" holes in my A4kT's front face plate. sacrilege now i know.
My A1200 is fitted with a PicoPSU, so no power issues there. just heat to deal with. and be careful when screwing down the bolts holding the Bvision to the BlizzardPPC, as if you over-tighten them, you can bend/flex the board which may lead to issues with the physical connection between the two. also, the IndivisionAGA i have won't fit with the Bvision as the connector on the Indie is quite chunky and occupies the same space as the Bvision card. so make your choice inie, or bvision.
then on the blizzard, the PowerUP kernal is in flashrom, so has to be disabled before firing up WOS and then blah blah blah software issues, patch conflicts etc.
I have bought OS4.1FE but i've never managed a successfull install. fails on finding CD rom , fails part way through after finding the CD, change the ram, fails somewhere else. It's just a repeat of my previous experience.
Linux APUS was another non-starter for me too. my background is unix so i thought i was in with a shot. when i saw that i needed to re-compile the kernal to inject my permdia2 graphics drivers - which was why the window manager wouldn't load, i thought i'd just cut my losses there and then.
so if crashing:-
check cooling and check power
then check software.
when it runs, it runs great. ram is fast, disk is fast, an 060 is "how it should be" for your general workbench experience. switching from An A3640 to a CS Mk3 060 on my A3k is like you've got a new machine.
A PPC... not unless you have the skills to do some bonkers overclocking is it really worth the time, effort and aggravation.
I'd seriously love a CS PPC again to try to re-live those times, see if i can fix where i failed last time, and of course, for the brag. but day-to-day, you're so much better off with a good 060 card. but of course, IMHO.
