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Cube dual 500Mhz deal

mymemory

mymemory

macrumors 68020
Original poster
May 9, 2001
2,495
-1
Miami
Ok, I need your recomendations on this.

I have a PowerMac G4 400/ 320Ram, 20GB HD/ 16 VRam/ internal ZIP and one PCI slot USED for my external 4X CD burner.

I friend of mine is offering me a Cube with dual 500MHz, 20GB HD, 256Ram, Nvdia G4 II video card/ internal CD burner (no DVD player).

Now, he told me, give me your computer and think how much money the difference could be for the Cube. I know the Cube is faster, I do not want to use more PCI slots, but I will have to pay for an external zip drive and the memory and some other peripherals.

I would like the dual 500 processor for rendering issues, but just from the top of your head:
What would you do?,
Would you get that Cube?
How much extra money would you pay for that Cube?
Thanx
 
I didn't know a dual 500Mhz G4 Cube was made :confused: was it a mod done afterwards?
Anyway, that doesn't really matter, the fact is, that it is a dual 500Mhz cube and that sounds sweeet! I would love one!
If I were you I'd go for it, but I have no idea how much you should pay.
 
I do not see why a dual 0.5GHz Cube would not be possible, if you have the right technology. Last year I searched www.xlr8yourmac.com for a while and came about a page in which some guy managed to insert a dual 450MHz CPU into their Cube. If I remember correctly, the temperature stayed the same, and that probably would have been my biggest concern. But since the 450MHz and 0.5GHz chips are the same, and since one does not throw off too much heat, the upgrade should doo just fine.

Right now I am mostly happy with my single 0.5GHz Cube (still waiting for Jaguar). There are a few things I want to see go faster, but I do not really need a dual processor. If I wanted one I would wait a long while and until faster processor cards were in large quantities, so that the dual 0.5GHz CPU price would come down. But a dual 0.5 sounds incredible.

As for an offering, I would offer that person a free coffee break from work! What an offer :)
__________________

Fear the King.
 
G'day mymemory!

You really have to weigh up the pros and cons of getting the Cube.

You say it has a dual-processor, which means it was done by a hobbyist - no dual-processors have ever been commercially produced (except by enthusiasts who use non-standard parts, and even cut away part of the chassis. That's not to say it won't work - the Sonnet dual 500Mhz Encore does a superb job inside a Cube).

The dual-processor upgrade takes away a few things though:
1. The silence - a fan is now required to keep the system from burning up.
2. The warranty - now voided, because the Cube has been adapted (there's a Star Trek line in there somewhere...)

The Cube is small, light and VERY powerful - even moreso that this one has the DP 500, AND a GeForce 2MX (which means it can run the new X.1.5 Quartz thing without a hitch - as well as Wolfenstein at a decent framerate - possibly a more important task...)

It also depends if you want to eventually upgrade your computer - once you buy a Cube, you're stuck with buying FireWire or USB peripherals. A 400Mhz G4 Tower has the old board (I think), which means it's upgrade options are limited as well - lower bandwidth because of a smaller bus speed, slower speeds on memory chips, etc. But it does have expansion options for drives (optical - CD/DVD writers - and hard drives), graphics cards, memory, and even heftier processors than DP500's.

I'm biased - I've got a Cube, and I love it. It does everything I want, it's small, quiet, and it looks cool. Bearing all that in mind, my ideal upgrade path for my computer (after, of course, my warranty expires!) is everything that you mentioned about the Cube you've been offered.

Personally, I'd get it.

On the other hand...
;)
 
The guy has sells Apple computers and he like to do experiments with them, he just took this Cube and add a bunch of things to it, actually it has a 80GB Barracuda drive but I guess I'm gonna place mine if I do the exchange.
 
If you want more information on the DP500 upgrade for the Cube, the fan issue, and available graphics cards for use in a Cube, then take a trip to:

www.cube-zone.com

and:

www.xlr8yourmac.com

The latter has benchmarks, the first has testimonials and step-by-step instructions on how to do the upgrades.

Happy reading!

:)
 
Persoanlly, I wouldn't go for the cube (I'd rather have PCI slots for future expansion/upgrades). I would recommend saving your money and waiting to see what comes out at MWNY. If you know you want something new, and will be getting just about enough cash together to get a new system, then offer to sell him your G4 tower now, and get a new system in a month. Why is he offering to 'trade' the cube with you anyway??

As for what to offer him... how about offer to not kick his a$$ when you become disatisfied with the cube in a few months, considering the possible announcements that are about to happen.

BTW, what kind of 4x burner do you have that requires a PCI card??? How did he mod the cube to put a burner into it?? From all the information I have access to (from Apple, deep sources) the cube shipped with a DVD-ROM drive, and no burner. I wouldn't trust a burner that he modified to fit into a cube. That alone could be why he wants to unload it on you.
 
Originally posted by AlphaTech
From all the information I have access to (from Apple, deep sources) the cube shipped with a DVD-ROM drive, and no burner. I wouldn't trust a burner that he modified to fit into a cube. That alone could be why he wants to unload it on you.
Click to expand...

Alpha, if you take a look here you will see that the Cube eventually did come with a CD-RW as an alternative to the DVD-ROM. But I still like the DVD version, since I find watching movies more exciting than burning CDs. :)

Unless I am misunderstanding this, I am sure that the Cube came alt. w/ a CD-RW.
__________________

Fear the King.
 
Originally posted by King Cobra


Alpha, if you take a look here you will see that the Cube eventually did come with a CD-RW as an alternative to the DVD-ROM. But I still like the DVD version, since I find watching movies more exciting than burning CDs. :)

Unless I am misunderstanding this, I am sure that the Cube came alt. w/ a CD-RW.
Click to expand...

I didn't look too long or hard for the info. which I put in my post... I never paid all that much attention to the cube, since it wasn't really for me. I prefer to have either the towers or laptops.
 
I need to get a Titanium and I want one so bad. Because:

(1) I need something faster than the toilet-seat iBook (a science teacher saw it and called it that).
(2) I will need to take notes in class, especially when it comes to college.
(3) I want to show off more people who use peecees! :)

Speaking of which, Alpha, I couldn't join you with your stinkpad flamewar this morning/afternoon. I had class. I probably would have been ready for the occassion, but I figured that you would be the expert. :)
__________________

Fear the King.
 
I figured you were doing something like that (wasting your time and all :D). I had plenty of people rally to the side of the Mac and open up some cans of dumb-ass whoop-ass on that stinpad person (if you call it human).

We even had moderators in on it... good thing I have plenty of cans to go around :D

Trolls... we hates them...
 
Trolls and newbies...I do not even want to imagine what comes after that!

And I have to waste time at class (unfortunately, since I can't be here). But when I come home and round up the homework I will be right here waiting for a self-painted bullseye for as much as I can.

And as for moderators stepping in...you did mention that it was helpful to be supported by a moderator. They help make the hair on trolls stand completely vertical after flamming. :D
__________________

Fear the King.
 
Help!!!

I got the Cube (I can get my old G4 any way since I haven't pay anything yet), but help me.

I just plug the Cube to my monitor and all I get is 640x480 resolution, I have a Sony CTR monitor. How do I do?, I can't find drivers for the Nvidia card (I do not know if such thing exist). How can I get more resolution?
 
Which OS are you running on it??? Have you run the software update?? How about zap the pram??? You can do that by holding down the apple+option+p+r keys on boot (right after it chimes) for 2 or 3 chimes.

You could also hold down the apple+option+o+f to get into the open firmware and then type (without the quotes) "reset-all" it will then reboot for you.
 
I did the first one and nothing, I still with 640x480 resolution and is anoying big time. I just downloaded the latest drivers for the nvidia and they are not compatible with this machine. :( :( :( I guess I'm gonna take my old Mac back tomorrow:(
 
did you do the apple+option+o+f???? try it, could fix it.

If it doesn't, just remember, I was the one saying don't do it earlier :p :D
 
I finally did it, I didn't had the nvidia extensions in my system, I had to installed the extensions in another partition and everything fixed (3 hours later), but there are not 2 processors in this computer, there is only one 450 MHz :mad: and the audio cables are too anoying. Too many cables, the computer get too hot and is very fragile btw. I may end up using it naked (without the acrilic vest).

I may tell you later what I did to it. I may get my old g4 back after all. :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by mymemory
I finally did it, I didn't had the nvidia extensions in my system, I had to installed the extensions in another partition and everything fixed (3 hours later), but there are not 2 processors in this computer, there is only one 450 MHz :mad: and the audio cables are too anoying. Too many cables, the computer get too hot and is very fragile btw. I may end up using it naked (without the acrilic vest).

I may tell you later what I did to it. I may get my old g4 back after all. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I hope you are talking about the computer and not yourself... It really isn't recommended to have the cube running without the complete case together. There is more involved in the case then just acrylic/plastics. Besides the fact that you won't be able to use it sitting vertically, since you would crush the cords, or crimp them at the very least. Since it doesn't have the dual 500 as you though, I'd hunt down that 'friend' and either have him give you the DP or your computer back.

Now you see one of the reasons I always go with just one partition... don't have to worry about files being on the wrong one.
 
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