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Gary King

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 14, 2004
495
1
Which of my PC components can be used on a Mac, if I decide to get one? And is the Mac Mini the only Mac that can at least use a few PC components such as the keyboard/mouse and laptop?

My current PC:

Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200

ASUS P4 DDR 3PCI AGP Audio LAN VGA
Intel Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz
512 MB DDR RAM PC2100
Maxtor 60 GB 7200 RPM
Maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 128 MB
Samsung 15" LCD
LG 16X DVD IDE
LG 32X10X40 CD RE-WRITER
Soundblaster Live 5.1 Digital Audio
1.44MB Floppy Drive
PENT-4 Midtower 300W, USB Front

500W PMPO with subwoofer 3 pcs.
Microsoft PS/2 Keyboard Combo C59-00092
Logitech Opti Bulk PS2 mouse
 

CanadaRAM

macrumors G5
In the Mini, virtually none of your internal components are usable to upgrade.

The Mini is not internally upgradeable except for the RAM. Since it has but one socket, you want to put in a 1 GB PC2700 or PC3200 module. If your PC uses PC3200, and you have a 1 GB module, it may or may not work.

The hard drive from the PC will not fit the Mini, because the Mini uses a 2.5" laptop hard drive. You could buy a Firewire external case and use a 3.5" PC IDE hard drive in the external case. PowerMac G5's and iMac G5 use 3.5" Serial ATA hard drives, these are interchangeable with PC SATA hard drives. The older G4 PowerMacs and iMacs use IDE (parallel ATA) drives.

If your mouse and keyboard are USB, you can use those with the Mini, which is the only Mac to come without its own.

The video card, sound card and other PCI cards are almost certainly incompatible with Macs (and definitely incompatible with the Mini, as it does not have a PCI or AGP slot.)
 

homerjward

macrumors 68030
May 11, 2004
2,745
0
fig tree
since the kb/m are ps2 it can't use that, but it can use any of your drives in a firewire or usb case, or inside if you get a powermac. any mac can use the monitor (if it's vga--if not, just the mini, powerbooks and powermac can) come to think of it, if you get a ps2>usb adapter you can use the kb/m with any mac. the dvd/cd drives are pretty useless since any mac you get will at least have a combo drive which performs all the functions of your 2 drives. the RAM is too slow to use (iMac and powermac use pc3200 and mini and emac uses pc2700) but it could be used in an older mac that supports pc2100. if those speakers are 2.1 you can use them with any mac, if they're optical 5.1 you can use them on a new imac, a powermac or a 17" powerbook.
Gary King said:
And is the Mac Mini the only Mac that can at least use a few PC components such as the keyboard/mouse and laptop?
what do you mean by laptop?
 

mvc

macrumors 6502a
Jul 11, 2003
760
0
Outer-Roa
And, just in case you were wondering, none of your PC software will work either.

And the mini can't run Windows ;)
 

Mord

macrumors G4
Aug 24, 2003
10,091
23
UK
Gary King said:
Which of my PC components can be used on a Mac, if I decide to get one? And is the Mac Mini the only Mac that can at least use a few PC components such as the keyboard/mouse and laptop?

My current PC:

Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 <- can maybe be flashed to work but pointless unless you bought a second hand powermac

ASUS P4 DDR 3PCI AGP Audio LAN VGA
Intel Pentium 4 - 1.8 GHz
512 MB DDR RAM PC2100 <- could work of you bought an MDD 867MHz PM
Maxtor 60 GB 7200 RPM <- will work in any desktop bar the mac mini or you could put it in a FW caddy
Maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM <-ditto
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 128 MB
Samsung 15" LCD <-it'll work with any mac with a DVI port
LG 16X DVD IDE <- it'll work in any powermac and maybe an imac g4 or emac
LG 32X10X40 CD RE-WRITER <-ditto
Soundblaster Live 5.1 Digital Audio
1.44MB Floppy Drive
PENT-4 Midtower 300W, USB Front <- the psu will power a b&w g3 if the white lead is cut and the case can mount a g4/g3 logic board it's modded.

500W PMPO with subwoofer 3 pcs. <- as long as the mac has the right output it'll work
Microsoft PS/2 Keyboard Combo C59-00092 <- with a usb-ps2 adapter it'll work
Logitech Opti Bulk PS2 mouse <- ditto

there you go.
 
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