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marioandretti12

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 27, 2005
4
0
Houston, Tx
I'm going to upgrade the processor on my dual "DA" g4, im pretty newe to macs a recent convert from pc to mac. So the question is.. should i buy a aftermarket processor card such as the sonnet duet or OWC dual or go for a OEM dual processor from apple?
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,489
6,391
Twin Cities Minnesota
marioandretti12 said:
I'm going to upgrade the processor on my dual "DA" g4, im pretty newe to macs a recent convert from pc to mac. So the question is.. should i buy a aftermarket processor card such as the sonnet duet or OWC dual or go for a OEM dual processor from apple?

It is your call. I went with OEM and went from a Single 533 to a Dual 533 in my Digital Audio.

If you want a faster processor that didn't come in the Digital audio from the factory, you will most likely want to go with aftermarket. Installing a Quicksilver processor in a Digital Audio is possible, but you will need to understand how it gets power as it needs to draw extra power from a 4th foot on the Motherboard. Since this 4th foot isn't installed on a Digital Audio Motherboard, you will need to run power to it.

If you do this Wrong, you can fry your motherboard, Processor, and possibly even the power supply.

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za9ra22

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2003
1,441
1,931
marioandretti12 said:
I'm going to upgrade the processor on my dual "DA" g4, im pretty newe to macs a recent convert from pc to mac. So the question is.. should i buy a aftermarket processor card such as the sonnet duet or OWC dual or go for a OEM dual processor from apple?

If you're new to doing such things, it seems to be most wise to opt for the aftermarket third-party processor upgrade for one very simple reason - the processor will come with simple instructions on how to fit it and set it for the speed you require. An Apple-sourced processor will generally not since these are either sourced as used components having been pulled from a working system, or as parts intended for use by authorized service personnel.

I'd suggest you visit the OWC site at http://www.eshop.macsales.com/
 

Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,678
5,511
Sod off
I've got an ex-dual 533 DA myself. Great machine!

I would avoid the OEM Apple parts, since the only upgrade you could do would be to use another DA CPU card - but you already have the fastest DA they made! (I'm assuming you have the dual 533). You could put in a 667MHz or 733MHz CPU but they are actually slower than the dual 533s (they use a different G4 CPU that is less efficient than the 7410s used in the dual 533).

I would also avoid using a CPU from a Quicksilver - you have to do some modifications and risk ruining the CPU and/or your motherboard if something goes wrong.

My recommendation would be a third party CPU upgrade. Like za9ra22 said, OWC is the place to go. I bought OWC's own 1.4GHz upgrade for $300, and it makes a huge performance difference - especially if you upgrade the hard drive and video card at the same time.

Another upgrade I'd recommend is Power Logix's 2.0 GHz upgrade for $369. Even though it is 600MHz faster, the speed difference isn't all that huge due to the fact that the OWC chips have L2 and L3 cache, while the Power Logix only have L2. The OWC units are also more reliable, if the xlr8yourmac.com testimonials are any guide.

But there are a ton of possibilities to choose from. Even at the bottom end you can get a 1GHz upgrade for under $200, which is the same or only slightly more than you'd pay for an Apple Quicksilver OEM card that will require soldering and praying.

Good luck!
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,489
6,391
Twin Cities Minnesota
Lord Blackadder said:
I would also avoid using a CPU from a Quicksilver - you have to do some modifications and risk ruining the CPU and/or your motherboard if something goes wrong.
Good luck!

Isn't that what I typed in my last sentance? :) :p


Anyway,

I have to agree with the other two posters, as It looks like the best bet would be to go with an aftermarket processor. I have only one in my collection of computers, and it is an Xcelerate (sp?) G4 500 MHZ that I have installed in my B&W Powermac.

Instructions are a good thing, however like anything upgrade, you can find detailed directions for it on the web.
 

marioandretti12

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 27, 2005
4
0
Houston, Tx
Im going to go with a aftermarket such as the ocw or powerlogix. I have the dual 533 atm, but I dotn think OCW makes a dual processor upgrade only a single, so with that ill be looking towards the powerlogix.
 
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