PowerMac G3 Investment

[Eidorian]

I just got a free PowerMac G3/350 B&W from work. I'm thinking about turning it into a file and media server. I already have 1 GB of RAM in it and I found an old DVR-104 x2 SuperDrive for it. I'll eventually just get a used PowerMac G4 later but this sounds like a good machine to start with. I'll carry over the SATA controller and two drives I plan on buying.

- Sonnet Tempo SATA
- x2 250 GB Serial ATA Hard Drives

Is this too much for an old PowerMac G3 B&W? Should I hold out for the money on the G4 and do it then? Or will the G3 hold out until I get my G4?

 

[livingfortoday]

If you're gonna get this stuff anyways, and already have the G3, you might as well just try it out. I had a 300Mhz G3 tower running Jaguar which I tried that with for a while (only I used a regular IDE drive), and it wasn't too responsive. I tried making either be a folding machine (45 days per unit!), then a bittorrent machine (incredibly slow download rates, 100% CPU usage at all times), and then a music server (just too dang slow switching songs and such).

Maybe you'll have better luck. Can't hurt to try!

 

[840quadra]

Buy a cheap (or expensive G4 ZIF upgrade), you will be glad you did.

Mine is only a G4 500, but does all of what the pervious poster wanted to do. It folds (about 10 days per WU) not great, but ok, Torrents work fine, and it plays audio quite well, and doesn't do too bad with video files.

For whatever reason, the B&W is faster at ripping DVDs in OSEX then my G5, I think it has something to do with the DVD drive, but it is still quite cool!

 

[aquajet]

Of course a ZIF upgrade for the blue and white won't work with a G4, unless it's a Yikes! model

 

[Eidorian]

I use Bits on Wheels as my Mac torrent program. Slick, fast, and simple. It has very low CPU usage.

http://www.bitsonwheels.com/

I'll stick with the G3 350 CPU in it for now. It's just a file server for my network. iTunes and file sharing for the most part.

 

[doucy2]

i have a g4 case mobo ad 500mhz processor i can sell you
along with just about any other g4 part

 

[Eidorian]

i have a g4 case mobo ad 500mhz processor i can sell you
along with just about any other g4 part

Nah, I'd be looking for a complete PowerMac G4. 400-500 Mhz is fine. If I get the drives and PCI SATA controller I won't be able to save up enough for the PowerMac for a few months. College is a bit more important and this is more of a Christmas thing for me.

 

[doucy2]

Nah, I'd be looking for a complete PowerMac G4. 400-500 Mhz is fine. If I get the drives and PCI SATA controller I won't be able to save up enough for the PowerMac for a few months. College is a bit more important and this is more of a Christmas thing for me.

i have a complete on
well actually 2 at the moment and a quicksilver

 

[Eidorian]

i have a complete on
well actually 2 at the moment and a quicksilver

I'd rather wait until I get home. There's a used Mac store back home. Shipping is killer on towers. Thanks though!

 

[doucy2]

I'd rather wait until I get home. There's a used Mac store back home. Shipping is killer on towers. Thanks though!

np
good luck on building it
u'll love the g4 when you get one

 

[Eidorian]

np
good luck on building it
u'll love the g4 when you get one

AltiVec and AGP. Yes that'll be a great improvement. If I'm really luckly I can get a Quicksilver 2002 from work. If I hold out long enough and it doesn't need to be swapped. It's our backup machine.

 

[840quadra]

Of course a ZIF upgrade for the blue and white won't work with a G4, unless it's a Yikes! model

Yeah, that is kinda obvious .
He got a free B&W which has a ZIF socket, I wouldn't expect him to try to use the processor form this system in a later G4. It sounds like he wants something faster then a Sawtooth.

For the OP

- Pull out the G3 Processor
- Install a G4 ZIF processor

You now have a poor mans G4 PCI, especially considering the slow G4 ZIF processors can be had for ~$100 or less on good days at Ebay.

I have done this, and my G4 B&W is a quite potent member of my G4 family, and does quite well even at 500 MHZ.

 

[Eidorian]

Yeah, that is kinda obvious .
He got a free B&W which has a ZIF socket, I wouldn't expect him to try to use the processor form this system in a later G4. It sounds like he wants something faster then a Sawtooth.

For the OP

- Pull out the G3 Processor
- Install a G4 ZIF processor

You now have a poor mans G4 PCI, especially considering the slow G4 ZIF processors can be had for ~$100 or less on good days at Ebay.

I have done this, and my G4 B&W is a quite potent member of my G4 family, and does quite well even at 500 MHZ.

Surprisingly enough I've pulled the CPU's out of these PowerMac's before. I've had one brainless for a week and had to put the CPU back in to give it away.

Removal and installation is very easy and painless.

 

[840quadra]

Surprisingly enough I've pulled the CPU's out of these PowerMac's before. I've had one brainless for a week and had to put the CPU back in to give it away.

Removal and installation is very easy and painless.

Well I don't know what was for, but I wasn't saying that you were an ID10T or anything, I was just clarifying what my first post was suggesting .