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Author Topic: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!  (Read 4964 times)

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Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« on: October 20, 2010, 03:42:28 PM »
Hey Folks,

Saved a G4 Power Mac form the trash at work today!. It was sitting on the floor of the graphics dept. They were going to throw it and a 22" cinema display out!. I'd like to install The new MorphOS 2.6 on it.

Specs:

800 mhz G4
1.5 GB ram
Dvd-rw
Nividia graphics card (not supported I know)
scsi card
wireless network card
80 gb harddrive.

I guess the first thing I need to do before installing MorphOS is to change the Graphics card.

I have several ATI graphic cards (7000, 9200) lying around. I'm guessing that I'm going to have to flash them for Mac compatibilty before they will work?.

Another question is, what is the best/most compatitble PCI sound card to use with MorphOS?. I wouldn't mind doing some sample editing and tracker work on this setup.
 

Offline Franko

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2010, 03:55:34 PM »
Congrats on such a neat find... :)
I never understand why folk just dump old hardware like that, better to offer it to someone rather than throwing it on the scrap heap. :(
 

Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2010, 03:59:17 PM »
These are people that grip about having to use dual core G5's for graphics work. I think they tried to give it away before but nobody wanted it....
 

Offline SamuraiCrow

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2010, 04:04:13 PM »
You will have to reflash the video BIOS on the graphics card for it to work.  It seems that maybe your PowerMac may be up-to-date enough to use the on-board sound support so try it first.  If that doesn't work a SoundBlaster Audigy should do the trick.
 

Offline Franko

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2010, 04:08:02 PM »
My iMacG4 is only 800mhz and 1Gb Ram, yes it's pretty slow compared to a G5 but it's good enough for browsing the net and editing audio & simple movies, and runs a SNES emulator at full speed, but best of all I got it cheap and in good condition. :)
 

Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2010, 04:13:38 PM »
Looks like I'm going to need to read up on flashing video card BIOS's. never done it before. I've got several unused PC/cards lying around here I could do it with though.


Quote from: SamuraiCrow;585877
You will have to reflash the video BIOS on the graphics card for it to work.  It seems that maybe your PowerMac may be up-to-date enough to use the on-board sound support so try it first.  If that doesn't work a SoundBlaster Audigy should do the trick.
 

Offline hardlink

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2010, 04:18:57 PM »
Quote from: spihunter;585875
These are people that grip about having to use dual core G5's for graphics work. I think they tried to give it away before but nobody wanted it....


Tell me about it. I ordered the 2.8 GHz fastest dual core G5 they made just before they switched to Intel in hopes OS 4 would be ported to Apple hardware. Nope. This summer, I got a shiny new iMac 27" 2.8 GHz 4 core, and I couldn't make anyone take the G5, not even the MacHeads here (They already had an extra one:), so I had to scrap it (not allowed to take anything home). However, the iMac is about 4 times faster than the G5 was, so I can't blame your graphics department.
 

Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2010, 04:22:28 PM »
Yea, they only have one dual core G5 left in service that they make the new guy use! ;).
The rest of them are on the newer quad core Xeons....



Quote from: hardlink;585880
Tell me about it. I ordered the 2.8 GHz fastest dual core G5 they made just before they switched to Intel in hopes OS 4 would be ported to Apple hardware. Nope. This summer, I got a shiny new iMac 27" 2.8 GHz 4 core, and I couldn't make anyone take the G5, not even the MacHeads here (They already had an extra one:), so I had to scrap it (not allowed to take anything home). However, the iMac is about 4 times faster than the G5 was, so I can't blame your graphics department.
 

Offline AJCopland

Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2010, 04:53:03 PM »
What!!! They go for hundreds on ebay! Dammit I keep trying to get one!?!?! Shame you're over the pond :(
Be Positive towards the Amiga community!
 

Offline Jambalah

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2010, 04:53:13 PM »
Hi Spyhunter and congrats for this nice catch & save!!
You can read these interesting infos about flashing ATI graphic cards for mac:
http://themacelite.wikidot.com/ati-flash
Don't forget to take alook to the resistor mod here:
http://themacelite.wikidot.com/ati-section
Enjoy!
All things are doable in a better way, even those well done.
One can figure out the others......
 

Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2010, 05:08:12 PM »
Sweet! Thanks for the links. That saved me some trouble. I'm going to give this a go when I get home.

Quote from: Jambalah;585887
Hi Spyhunter and congrats for this nice catch & save!!
You can read these interesting infos about flashing ATI graphic cards for mac:
http://themacelite.wikidot.com/ati-flash
Don't forget to take alook to the resistor mod here:
http://themacelite.wikidot.com/ati-section
Enjoy!
 

Offline Jambalah

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2010, 05:18:03 PM »
Glad it is useful!
I'm trying with a 9200 SE and the major problem is... how to create a bootable cd!! =D
I'm a REAL newbie in this obscure pc operation...!!
All things are doable in a better way, even those well done.
One can figure out the others......
 

Offline Iggy

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2010, 06:29:56 PM »
Spihunter,
If you're going to use the 9200, the mod is less intimidating than it seems. I have one in my Powermac.
First, reflash the card using a Mac BIOS (I did this on a PC since the card initially works on a PC).
Next, examine the resistor mods. The instructions will tell you to move one tiny surface moubt resistor from one position to another. This is difficult and unecessary. Simply remove the resistor in question. The card will work fine (mine does).
Finally mask over the pins that must be covered with a strip of celophane tape and cut out the two that need to be covered with a razor or exacto knife.

Plug it into your Mac and you should be good to go. I'd never done this before and it intimidated me. It took me less than an hour and I'm typing this message to you on my MorphOS 2.6 equipped Powermac with my own modified Radeon 9200. It's really not that hard.
Congradulations on the great aquisition and good luck setting everything up.

BTW, once you have MOS installed your computer will be much more responsive. It's a much more effecient OS than OSX and 800Mhz will be more than fast enough (I'm only running a 933 Mhz mysdelf)
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Offline spihunterTopic starter

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2010, 06:37:42 PM »
Hey, Thanks for the tips Iggy!. I'm not sure if it's a 9200 or not. I'm at work now. I'm going to check when I get home.

Also, does anyone know if I can use the ADC port that comes on some Mac video cards with MorphOS?. It's the port that hooks to the Mac cinema displays?


Quote from: Iggy;585914
Spihunter,
If you're going to use the 9200, the mod is less intimidating than it seems. I have one in my Powermac.
First, reflash the card using a Mac BIOS (I did this on a PC since the card initially works on a PC).
Next, examine the resistor mods. The instructions will tell you to move one tiny surface moubt resistor from one position to another. This is difficult and unecessary. Simply remove the resistor in question. The card will work fine (mine does).
Finally mask over the pins that must be covered with a strip of celophane tape and cut out the two that need to be covered with a razor or exacto knife.

Plug it into your Mac and you should be good to go. I'd never done this before and it intimidated me. It took me less than an hour and I'm typing this message to you on my MorphOS 2.6 equipped Powermac with my own modified Radeon 9200. It's really not that hard.
Congradulations on the great aquisition and good luck setting everything up.

BTW, once you have MOS installed your computer will be much more responsive. It's a much more effecient OS than OSX and 800Mhz will be more than fast enough (I'm only running a 933 Mhz mysdelf)
 

Offline Nlandas

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Re: Score!! Saved a G4 Power Mac from the trash!!
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2010, 08:52:14 PM »
I am glad you scored something that you can use. We are recycling our remaining Mac G5s. They can't run 10.6, new software and we are required by policy to recycle the units. We can't just take them and give them away.

   Of course, not being a fan of the monopolistic, exclusionary, abusive company Apple - I think all Macs belong in a dumpster. I couldn't even bring myself to run Linux of MorphOS on one.

-Nyle

Quote from: spihunter;585870
Hey Folks,

Saved a G4 Power Mac form the trash at work today!. It was sitting on the floor of the graphics dept. They were going to throw it and a 22" cinema display out!. I'd like to install The new MorphOS 2.6 on it.

Specs:

800 mhz G4
1.5 GB ram
Dvd-rw
Nividia graphics card (not supported I know)
scsi card
wireless network card
80 gb harddrive.

I guess the first thing I need to do before installing MorphOS is to change the Graphics card.

I have several ATI graphic cards (7000, 9200) lying around. I'm guessing that I'm going to have to flash them for Mac compatibilty before they will work?.

Another question is, what is the best/most compatitble PCI sound card to use with MorphOS?. I wouldn't mind doing some sample editing and tracker work on this setup.
I think, Therefore - Amiga....