---Truly-Jeff Walther is the god of MAC. Nobody on this planet knows more about macs than Jeff.
Jeff Walther <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 22:29:11 +0100 > >From: steve <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Hi Is it remotely possible to put a 233MHz chip > from a 9600 into a 7500? > >The label on the cpu says 9600 only but I can't > help but wonder if it's > >possible. > > This is why it is good to have a FAQ. This question > comes up two or > three times a year at least and there is always a > flurry of confusion > in response. It is a good question because there > are some very > confusing factors at work. > > I really should save the answer to my NotePad or > something so I can > just paste it in.... > > Anyway, the short answer is that any Apple PPC604[e] > up to and > including 233 MHz should work in your 7500. Any > Apple PPC604e at 250 > MHz or higher will not work in any machine except > the 8600/9600 > Enhanced, which are often called Kansas or Mach V > machines. > > Note that those are the rules for Apple processor > cards. Umax and > Power Computing both made 250 MHz PPC604e cards > which will work in a > non-Kansas machine. But there is also a 240 MHz > PPC604e card from > Power Computing which will not work in Apple > machines because it has > a bus speed setting of 60 MHz (the CPU cards from > the last > PowerCenter Pros). An exception to the exception is > that some Apple > machines, mainly 9500 or 9600s, might support a 60 > MHz bus if you're > lucky, so in a few cases the 240 MHz Power Computing > card could work > in an Apple machine. > > Why is this so confusing? Because: All the Apple > CPU cards were > compatible (except for occasional bus speed issues) > until the Kansas > machines came out. The Kansas machines used a CPU > card which plugs > into the same physical connector but which has a few > electrical > differences such that they won't work in other > machines. > > So we have full compatibility until Apple came out > with a few jokers > which aren't. The trick is identying those > incompatible cards. > Identification is further complicated by the > following: > > ***There are two different models from Apple named > 8600.*** > ***There are two different models from Apple named > 9600.*** > > The original 8600 and 9600 were just like earlier > (7500, 8500, 9500) > machines in terms of CPU card compatibility. They > have much nicer > cases than the 8500 and 9500, power supplies with a > different > connector, and a slightly updated ROM ($77D.34F2 , > or is it > $77D.34F1, instead of $77D.28F2). > > Then Apple came out with new machines. The official > name of the new > machines were "8600 Enhanced" and "9600 Enhanced". > These new > machines have the same cases and power supplies as > the original > 8600/9600, a slightly different motherboard (no > cache, CPU slot wired > a little differently, updated ROM $77D.34F5, and the > exact same > chipset), and use the Mach V CPU cards. The Mach V > CPU cards are the > ones which are incompatible with other x500/x600 > machines. They > shipped in these machines which are also called 8600 > and 9600. See > where the confusion comes in? > > Fortunately, there was no overlap in speed. An > Apple PPC604e card at > 250 MHz or higher is a Mach V card and is only > compatible with the > 8600/9600 Enhanced machines. An Apple PPC604e or > PPC604 card at or > below 233 MHz is built on the original design and is > compatible with > x500 and x600 (non-Kansas) machines. > > So it really isn't too difficult to keep the Apple > cards straight. > Just watch the CPU speed and remember that there > were two *different* > computers with the 8600 name and two *different* > computers with the > 9600 name. > > Now if you want to see CPU complication, try to keep > track of what > works in a Catalyst based Power Computing machine. > Hint, the Apple > cards don't, but again, they use the same connector. > > There are two ways to figure out whether one has an > original > 8600/9600 vs. the Enhanced version (assuming you > don't know which CPU > card shipped with it). The first is to look at the > motherboard. The > 8600 Enhanced lacks the L2 cache slot. On the 9600 > Enhanced the > soldered down L2 cache is not installed, so there > are empty spots for > square chips in front of the PCI slots. The second > method is to look > in Apple System Profiler. Go to "Production > Information" and look > at "ROM Revision" under that heading. The Enhanced > models have a > $77D.34F5 ROM revision. The earlier, non-Enhanced > models ahve a > $77D.34F2 (or maybe .34F1, my memory is hazy) ROM > revision. > > Jeff Walther > > -- > PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by > <http://lowendmac.com/> and... > > Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | > Refurbished Drives | > -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | > & CDRWs on Sale! | > > Support Low End Mac > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> > > PCI-PowerMacs list info: > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> > --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; > Send list messages to: > <mailto:[email protected]> > To unsubscribe, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For digest mode, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subscription questions: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> > > iPod Accessories for Less > at 1-800-iPOD.COM > Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal > www.1800ipod.com > -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
