g4 sawtooth upgrading

[bling]

Quick question, if I buy a Sawtooth g4 400mhz Mac, and later I decide I want to put like a dual 1ghz motherboard in it, can I do that? Or does the case only take old sawtooth motherboards?

[rtgwbmsr]

In this particular situation: you are lucky as hell.
As long as you are sure this is a sawtooth G4 computer, you can put a processor up to 1.25 GHz on that board. Yup - you don't have to change the board.

A 800 MHz G4 would run you about $320 (PowerLogix)

http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=5504&Item=PLGPFG4800GS233

The 800 MHz dualies go for about $740
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=4957&Item=PLGPFD800100

Beware of the GigaDesign 800 MHz G4's. They have no L3 cache, and this SUCKS for performance.

Make sure you check dual processor compatability!:
http://www.powerlogix.com/support2/notices/pfdualg4100/

[ February 26, 2003: Message edited by: The Muffin Man ]

[bling]

how can I tell if its sawtooth, its a 400mhz g4 graphite colored mac... seems like one.

PS: What I really meant in my first post is:

Can I rip EVERYTHING except like the power suppply out of an old sawtooth mac, replace it all (new processor, motherboard, graphics card, memory, hd) and have it work? Is the only differance between the Sawtooth and Quicksilver CASES cosmetic? Or do they each have different chipsets or something.

this is the mac i'm considering:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3403136513&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebaylargephotohosting

[ February 26, 2003: Message edited by: MacBling ]

[rtgwbmsr]

That looks like a Yikes G4. Notice the lack of an AGP slot (brown slot on top)? That board is barely upgradeable...  :eek:  
This is an AGP G4 (again, notice the first slot is a brown one with an gfx card in it):


I don't know much about the case itself, and compatability. You almost never need to replace the motherboard in a Mac.

[bling]

so what does that mean... would have to buy a new computer?

[rtgwbmsr]

What I mean is: If you want to put any upgrade over 500 MHz, make absolutely sure it has an AGP slot.

As for the case thing, you can replace anything in it you want. I don't recommend chaning the motherboard unless it breaks though. And if you do change motherboards, you need to get a hold of the port shield for that motherboard. Also, the motherboard you are buying must have the exact same # of AGP&PCI slots

EDIT: Any 450 or 500 MHz G4's are AGP models (that is, unless the processor has been upgraded...)

[ February 26, 2003: Message edited by: The Muffin Man ]

[bling]

so could you, theoreticly, put everything that is in the "fastest" (2000$) mac on the Apple store, in this?

[rtgwbmsr]

In the one you linked to? I doubt it.

EDIT: Changing motherboards is further made a pain in the ass. The service manuals show that some motherboards will only go in some cases becase of a raised block (on the case) that serves as a heatsink for some chip on the back of the board.

I can't give you a straight answer. I recommend you do some research on this before going and buying anything. Here's what I think you want:
http://www.lowendmac.com/ppc/g4saw.shtml
This has an AGP slot, can be upgraded to 1 or 2 1.25 GHZ G4s, etc.

[ February 26, 2003: Message edited by: The Muffin Man ]

[bling]

oh... then I probably shouldn't buy it, its reeelly slow I was hoping to upgrade it to a decent level

[rtgwbmsr]

See my post above your last (I edited)

[bling]

what, does the processor GO in the AGP slot or something? I know nothing about mac hardware

so everything in this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3403136513&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebaylargephotohosting
wouldn't fit in this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3403343793&category=4601
?

[ February 26, 2003: Message edited by: MacBling ]

[rtgwbmsr]

The processor GOES in the processor socket. The non-AGP boards won't take processors above 500 MHz due to certain limitations. The easiest way to tell the computers apart is by the AGP slot.

Between the CPU heatsink placement and the chip on the back of the mobo I told you, I doubt the case would close (If you've ever seen the inside of the Quicksilvers, you'd notice the the processor socket moved from the place it was on the earlier models). But I'm not totally sure, and I have no viable way of knowing...

[hm_murdock]

the PCI Yikes G4s are really just blue G3s with a G4 on the board and a different color case.

The Sawtooth G4s are a new board design, and therefore support the faster processors. If you know about peecee hardware, it'd be like trying to put a P3 on a P2 chipset. There's simply things there that aren't compatible.

As for getting all the parts for a dual 1.25... why don't you just get a used dual G4? It'd be cheaper. Get it right out instead of buying a G4 and replacing everything. You can also just get a midrange used G4 (like a 533 or something) and then upgrade it later.