iBook G3 Dual USB upgrade questions

[AtaruBarreau]

Hi! During the pandemic, as I had left far away my PowerBook G4 12', I ended up using my iBook G3 (Dual USB, 500Mhz, 640Mb RAM) quite a lot under OS 9 for work, light internet, emails, and music stuff. I really marveled at what I could do with this underpowered computer. But now that I've been using it for the past months, I feel like upgrading. Mainly because the OG hard-drive is slow. I know the HD bus in this iBook release is only 66Mhz but still it's quite slow (my B&W feels a tad snappier with its modern IDE hard-drive for example). Plus 15Gig is good enough for having just one OS, and I'd like to have Jaguar or Panther as an other OS.

I'd like to upgrade with a either 128 or 64Gig SSD, but I've read that OS 9 is kinda picky; what should I be aware of before buying stuff for the iBook?

 

[Amethyst1]

I'd go for a modern mSATA or m.2 SSD in an IDE adapter combo. Avoid native IDE SSDs, they are old cr@p. I don't know if this iBook supports drives larger than 128 GB (48-bit LBA), so I'd probably stick to a 120GB SSD to be safe.

 

[AtaruBarreau]

I'd go for a modern mSATA or m.2 SSD in an IDE adapter combo. Avoid native IDE SSDs, they are old cr@p. I don't know if this iBook supports drives larger than 128 GB (48-bit LBA), so I'd probably stick to a 120GB SSD to be safe.

Ok that's exactly what I did for my PB G4 12' haha

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Ok that's exactly what I did for my PB G4 12' haha

Just completed that exact upgrade on my iBook and it's working very well

 

[Amethyst1]

Just completed that exact upgrade on my iBook and it's working very well

Cool. Any before-after comparisons?

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Cool. Any before-after comparisons?

Well, I didn't have OS X installed before so I can't compare that. OS 9 is much quicker to boot now and I'd say a bit more responsive though. I'd imagine that OS X would see similar areas gain performance.

 

[Amethyst1]

Ok that's exactly what I did for my PB G4 12' haha

Well then Another thing is 0v3rcl0ck1ng - my 500MHz dual USB ran fine at 600MHz.

 

[AtaruBarreau]

Well then Another thing is 0v3rcl0ck1ng - my 500MHz dual USB ran fine at 600MHz.

Ok! I think I'll pass, not because it's too advanced but because my soldering iron is garbage and unlike my iBook G4 this one works perfectly so I don't want to mess up its PCB with poor soldering iron and medicore skills haha. But maybe one day!

 

[Amethyst1]

Ok! I think I'll pass, not because it's too advanced but because my soldering iron is garbage and unlike my iBook G4 this one works perfectly so I don't want to mess up its PCB with poor soldering iron and medicore skills haha. But maybe one day!

I can relate - mine was already OC'd when I received it; I wouldn't even have thought of attempting this myself.

 

[christiann]

Hi! During the pandemic, as I had left far away my PowerBook G4 12', I ended up using my iBook G3 (Dual USB, 500Mhz, 640Mb RAM) quite a lot under OS 9 for work, light internet, emails, and music stuff. I really marveled at what I could do with this underpowered computer. But now that I've been using it for the past months, I feel like upgrading. Mainly because the OG hard-drive is slow. I know the HD bus in this iBook release is only 66Mhz but still it's quite slow (my B&W feels a tad snappier with its modern IDE hard-drive for example). Plus 15Gig is good enough for having just one OS, and I'd like to have Jaguar or Panther as an other OS.

I'd like to upgrade with a either 128 or 64Gig SSD, but I've read that OS 9 is kinda picky; what should I be aware of before buying stuff for the iBook?

I’m right there with you. I’m doing a full upgrade. Here’s the link that shows everything i’m working on.

iBook G3 Snow, complete upgrade to PowerPC G4, superdrive, 512 MB RAM upgrade.

Your iMac is 700 MHz PowerPC 750cx (G3), I think, not compatible with 7400/7410. You can but the old CPU daughter cards from Sawtooth G4's on the cheap, and re-ball the CPU before you do the swap. The G3 can do everything the G4 can do sans Altivec, so if you have some software that can...

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