PowerPC mini vs. Dual 867 MDD G4

[zen.state]

I just got a dual 867 MDD powermac very cheap and i'm very happy about it. I also have a Mac mini G4 1.25Ghz.

One of them must go and I would like some input on which one would be better to keep.

The mini has a slightly faster bus but the MDD has dual cpu and L3 cache. I know the MDD is more expandable but I want feedback on which system will be better looking forward. I will sell the other.

Please share any thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Shadow]

Single threaded-Mini
Multie threaded-PowerMac.

 

[Demon Hunter]

I'm working on a Dual 800 MHz G4. Still running strong after years of use.

Also, the prices of G4 upgrades can only go down. You might get a sweet deal on one of the new G4s, whereas you can't upgrade the Mac mini's processor.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Both are near obsolete when compared to any new Mac. I would sell both and get a new Mac.

 

[zen.state]

Both are near obsolete when compared to any new Mac. I would sell both and get a new Mac.

you make a good point but I still need a PowerPC Mac for at least the next 2 years.

 

[timswim78]

I just got a dual 867 MDD powermac very cheap and i'm very happy about it. I also have a Mac mini G4 1.25Ghz.

One of them must go and I would like some input on which one would be better to keep.

The mini has a slightly faster bus but the MDD has dual cpu and L3 cache. I know the MDD is more expandable but I want feedback on which system will be better looking forward. I will sell the other.

Please share any thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

What are your intentions with the computer? They should make all of the difference in deciding which one to keep.

 

[Mernak]

Personally, I would keep the PowerMac just because you can expand it so much, that way you can upgrade it so it doesn't seem so old, it also has a faster (and probably bigger) hard drive. The Mini is nice just because it is really small, but if you have the space I would go for the powermac. There was an article on Low End Mac about this here.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I'd stick with the dual 867. Are you planning to put any money into it? My sum up on the G4 tower:

Pros:
- extremely upgradeable
- easy to upgrade RAM/hard drive/optical drive/CPU/video card etc.
- can handle multiple internal 3.5" hard drives
- faster hard drives
- slight speed advantage when using dual processor aware apps
- can be significantly faster than the Mini with CPU/video card/RAM upgrades

Cons:
- louder than the Mini
- slower when not able to use both CPUs (unless you upgrade)
- physically larger case

What apps do you run everyday? The mini's hard drive is pretty slow, which negates the CPU speed advantage somewhat, but the dual 867 would really shine with a G4 upgrade from OWC.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

I've seen Intel MMs going for 300 before- go with one of those.

 

[zen.state]

I have decided to keep the MDD. Within a year I will upgrade it to a dual 1.6 or dual 1.8 from Sonnet. I have ordered another 1GB of ram (2x512MB) for it and once I get that in there there will be 1.5GB. Thats a good amount for me as I have 1GB on the mini and find it to be a little too little

I have also just bid on an Nvidia Geforce 4 MX 64MB on ebay. The MDD has a 32MB version of the same card. Looks like I may get the vid card for under 10 bucks. Good price for doubling vram.

Let the upgrades begin!

 

[sysiphus]

Don't spend too much on the Geforce 4 MX--it, UNLIKE the Geforce 4 Ti, is actually slower than a Geforce 3, and is indeed very similar to a Geforce 2. The VRAM improvement would be nice, but I'd simply buy a Ti or a decent Radeon instead...Have fun either way.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

For a video card, I'd recommend getting a PC Radeon 9800 Pro and flashing it to the Mac - you can pick them up cheap pretty much everywhere these days, and it is an easy flash for a beginner if you get the most compatible cards. Check the Strangedogs buyers guide for the Radeon 9800. It will give you full Core Image compatibility and good performance in most games. Good luck!

 

[dmw007]

I have decided to keep the MDD. Within a year I will upgrade it to a dual 1.6 or dual 1.8 from Sonnet. I have ordered another 1GB of ram (2x512MB) for it and once I get that in there there will be 1.5GB. Thats a good amount for me as I have 1GB on the mini and find it to be a little too little

I have also just bid on an Nvidia Geforce 4 MX 64MB on ebay. The MDD has a 32MB version of the same card. Looks like I may get the vid card for under 10 bucks. Good price for doubling vram.

Let the upgrades begin!

Smart choice, a Power Mac G4 is just so much more expandable than a Mac Mini.