Upgrading an Indigo 500MHz iMac

[Moo-Boo]

Greetings my fellow Mac kids,

Great to be back again. I'm not sure if this is an easy question or not, but if I add a 7200rpm 80G HD and increase the total RAM on my 500MHz iMac to 1GB, will that noticeable boost performance? At the moment, I'm running 10.4.5, have a 20G HD (Maxtor, either 4200 or 5400rpm) and 512MB of RAM.

I could opt for a low end used eMac, but that would entail me selling my iMac. The slot load iMacs (Indigo especially) are nicer to gaze upon than the eMac, but the G4 processor is much faster. But it's a damn side heavier and would only sport a 40G HD and 256MB of RAM.

I'm trying to save up for a MacBook Pro and the iMac is adequate, even for basic video editing, but doesn't enjoy running Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Anyway, your invaluable advice and consolation is always very much appreciated!

Take care,

Matt (and the cat)

 

[macEfan]

If your going to buy a macbook pro sooner or later, dont go out and buy the emac unless you can really get a good deal.. IF you decide to keep your imac, just upgrade the hard drive... Spending more money on a 512mb ram stick just doesn't seem worth it if you are going to buy a new computer in the near future anyway...

 

[dmw007]

Greetings my fellow Mac kids,

Great to be back again. I'm not sure if this is an easy question or not, but if I add a 7200rpm 80G HD and increase the total RAM on my 500MHz iMac to 1GB, will that noticeable boost performance? At the moment, I'm running 10.4.5, have a 20G HD (Maxtor, either 4200 or 5400rpm) and 512MB of RAM.

A faster HDD and more RAM would provide an increase in performance- but I don't see it being that much of a difference (not for gaming anyways). Unless you can get the parts to upgrade your iMac G3 rather inexpensively, I think you should probably just put that money towards the purchase of a new iMac.

 

[California]

I put a 120 gig hd and 1gb of memory in my mom's iMac 500mhz and it runs Tiger and iLife 06 very very FAST. I figured that if the machine ever got really outmoded, we'd pull the hard drive and not lose anything. Great machine. Does yours have a cdrw? Mine was academic version, only had a cdrom drive -- had to use external burner with it.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

For everything EXCEPT gaming, the faster HD and more ram WILL improve performance. However, to get improved game play (FPS), you ALSO need a much faster CPU and a much better video card with way more vram, neither of which is possible with your machine.

save da moohlah and get your mbp or newer iMac sooner

 

[disconap]

I suggest the RAM over the hard drive. A 512 stick isn't that expensive, and Tiger runs worlds better on 1gig than it does on 512 (512 is the bare minimum, which means most if not all is being used regularly). If you upgrade the HD, I also suggest sticking a fan in there, the G3 imacs generate a lot of heat.

 

[Moo-Boo]

Thanks for the sage advice, kids. The majority of you suggested that I upgrade my HD or RAM, or both. At this stage, I will do exactly that. It should make for an excellent machine, and not break the bank. The MBP should be well worth the wait. It might not be for six months, maybe even next year, but it's a worth exercise in restraint and discipline. I must remind myself that only a mere couple of years ago, I would have killed for a machine like the Indigo iMac. I should be grateful for what I've got!

Thanks kids until we talk again,

Matt (and the cat)

 

[Moo-Boo]

I put a 120 gig hd and 1gb of memory in my mom's iMac 500mhz and it runs Tiger and iLife 06 very very FAST. I figured that if the machine ever got really outmoded, we'd pull the hard drive and not lose anything. Great machine. Does yours have a cdrw? Mine was academic version, only had a cdrom drive -- had to use external burner with it.

Thank you for the compliment, it is a great machine, looks good too! Yes, mine has a CD-RW in it, but will be installing a DVD-ROM into it in the next couple of days. As for what to do with the CD-RW, I have no idea yet, but if I get lucky, I might be able to buy a cheap iMac off eBay, do it up and sell it locally. Or give it to my mum and wean her off that blasted PC!

Take care and keep dispensing your great advice,

Matt (and the cat)

 

[California]

Thank you for the compliment, it is a great machine, looks good too! Yes, mine has a CD-RW in it, but will be installing a DVD-ROM into it in the next couple of days. As for what to do with the CD-RW, I have no idea yet, but if I get lucky, I might be able to buy a cheap iMac off eBay, do it up and sell it locally. Or give it to my mum and wean her off that blasted PC!

Take care and keep dispensing your great advice,

Matt (and the cat)

I have a buyer for you if you want to sell the iMac cdrw drive. Might be me or a friend of mine with a 400 iMac. Let me know, but no pressure. BTW, the largest hd you can put in a G3 iMac is 120 gigs. Over that, it doesn't recognize the space. And don't worry about no internal fan. The newer 7200rpm hds run cooler or as cool as the stock 20gig 4200rpm drives.

 

[rickschmauss]

hate to throw water on the HD size

I have a buyer for you if you want to sell the iMac cdrw drive. Might be me or a friend of mine with a 400 iMac. Let me know, but no pressure. BTW, the largest hd you can put in a G3 iMac is 120 gigs. Over that, it doesn't recognize the space. And don't worry about no internal fan. The newer 7200rpm hds run cooler or as cool as the stock 20gig 4200rpm drives.

I had My 400 MHZ DV running on a 160gig Maxtor 5400rpm. Granted some space might have been unrecognized. Wish I could remember. I'm downsized to 40gig at 7200rpm and using external firewire when I want extra breathing space. She's still a favorite for suring or itunes. I've probably put entirely too much time into mine over the years........ sentimental reasons, I guess. Changed the flyback on her, too. It was quite a project, but fun!!

 

[California]

I had My 400 MHZ DV running on a 160gig Maxtor 5400rpm. Granted some space might have been unrecognized. Wish I could remember. I'm downsized to 40gig at 7200rpm and using external firewire when I want extra breathing space. She's still a favorite for suring or itunes. I've probably put entirely too much time into mine over the years........ sentimental reasons, I guess. Changed the flyback on her, too. It was quite a project, but fun!!

What's a flyback?

 

[aquajet]

What's a flyback?

Flyback transformer. It's used to generate the high voltages required for the CRT to operate.

 

[California]

I'm impressed that he was brave enuf to change that!