Reclaimed PPC chips from Mac accelerators

[Nlandas]

Since there seems to be a short supply of PPC chips and there are still some hardware developers out there with the know how to design PPC accelerators, I was just wondering why no one has started reclaiming old Mac PPCs from their processor daughtercards.

I work for a school and we are actually to the point where we are recycling PPC 604es at this point. I imagine that there must be 1000s of Macs being recycled that could have chips pulled from them. (Obviously, they are surface mounted.)

Has any developer looked at this?

[Piru]

I'd say the reason is obvious financial infeasibility of such a project.

[Oli_hd]

(Obviously, they are surface mounted.)

Worse, they are BGA, which when you remove they leave the balls they sit on behind, reballing them isnt a major job but it does add to the cost.
And anyway who said they are hard to get? 603e's for example can be bought from Digikey.

[tokyoracer]

@ Oli_hd

I would have said something in bad taste but it would be just far too easy. :lol:

So what ones have properly compatible chips?

[Nlandas]

Oli_hd wrote:

(Obviously, they are surface mounted.)

Worse, they are BGA, which when you remove they leave the balls they sit on behind, reballing them isnt a major job but it does add to the cost.
And anyway who said they are hard to get? 603e's for example can be bought from Digikey.

I guess I remember reading that all PPC chips were in short supply and that's one of the reasons why Apple was shifting to Intel. However, I guess that could have just been that the manufacturer's couldn't keep up with the demand for the current PPC Apple was using.

So we don't have any PPC accelerators any more because it's simply not large enough of a market so the production cost would be so high that even though I want one, I probably couldn't afford to justify spending on my classic hardware?

-Nyle

[Crom00]

I have a Power PC 604 266 card from newer Tech for an 8500. If I remember correctly they went in either a PCI or Processor Direct Slot.

Wouldnt it be easier to use this on a mediator with a driver. Provided Newer Tech allowed access to the source code or whatever makes it work.

[da9000]

Crom00 wrote:
Provided Newer Tech allowed access to the source code or whatever makes it work.

...and that is wherein lies the problem. If Sonnet or NewerTech or Daystar or Micromac, and all others released the docs or source code, then it would be much easier to have  PCI-based G3 or G4 accelerator for the Amiga. In fact, Elbox would make quite a killing, since they'd be selling Mediators in order for these accelerators to work. Which makes me wonder if they've looked or talked to said companies for the accelerator documentation... (they probably did, and they were told no)

Speaking of reballing... as most of you/us can see, it's really expensive (thus infeasible like Piru said) to have a new PPC design come to such a small market. It takes real balls for someone to do that. The Atari Falcon kids had such a guy, the guy who did the CT60. We're still waiting, coz the last ones with balls... well, they lost'em (Phase5/DCE)! :-)

Here's to keeping the hope alive.

[rkauer]

 I agree with da9000, nobody in Amiga community have the guts to make such a job like this.

 But remember, the "Shark" is nothing more than a rebadged Apple accelerator!