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Intel iMac CPU Transplant Success

topgunn said:
The designed changed between the iMac G5 and the iMac G5 with iSight. I can only think of two reasons why this might have been done. A) Apple didn't want people to easily fool around with the guts of their computers and B) the change was required due to the thinning of the enclosure that happened at the same time as the iMac getting the iSight.
Click to expand...

iMac G5s came with iSight as well- at least the last rev did.
 
macenforcer said:
I got my kid the 2ghz core 2 duo 17" imac a while back and all he does is surf and play games. He is only 4 yrs old so he doesn't do much. I figured I could do some hardware swapping of his imac with the 1.66ghz mac mini I have seeing as how he doesn't need the power I figured I would grab his superdrive and his cpu and let him have mine. Well after a few hrs of starring at the superdrive in the imac I was finally able to get it out and swap it with my mac mini combo drive but that imac is setup is suicide. Worse than the powermac 8500 which was the most difficult mac to upgrade. I didn't even attempt it. He gets to keep the 2ghz core 2 duo chip by I got that superdrive.
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I have this sick desire to pick up a used 17" iMac and do a CPU downgrade...yes, make it an iMac Core Solo! :)
 
Question to topgunn

I have the exactly same machine here (t2400), and I really want to transplant a T7400 or T7600 whenever it gets cheaper.

Here is the thing:
After the transplant, could it read more than 2Gb of ram?
 
belcar said:
Another thing...
Is it possible to install a Santa Rosa CPU on that machine?

Sorry about the double post.
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Wow...digging this one out from the depths.

The answer to both of your questions is no. The RAM limitation is one of the chipset not the processor. The fastest CPU for your machine is the T7600.
 
topgunn said:
Wow...digging this one out from the depths.

The answer to both of your questions is no. The RAM limitation is one of the chipset not the processor. The fastest CPU for your machine is the T7600.
Click to expand...

Actually he could use the processor from the "Santa Rosa" iMac. It may or may not POST, but if it did POST (at least in the PC world) it would just lead to him having a CPU that runs at a lower speed (166 quad pumped versus 200). I say this because the CPU in the "Santa Rosa" iMac is Merom just like the iMac before it. With an EFI update I would be willing to bet the existing chipset could probably be OC'ed to run 34Mhz higher so the CPU runs at it's native speed. Shoot, with an EFI update you could probably run Penryn CPU's as well (or at least that is somewhat true in the PC world). Of course the RAM speed would still be stuck at 667, well as long as the memory speed is separate from the FSB speed, if it isn't then you are also OC'ing your memory 34Mhz which can be a bad thing if there isn't good enough cooling(or enough voltage).

So I guess in the end, for normal folks the correct answer really is no huh? :eek:
 
Hello all. out of all the searching on this subject. this has been thee most helpful thread. i have found way too much "cant be done/why?" posts.

anyways to the point...
i have a 1.83Mhz 32 bit Core duo early intel iMac. 2 days ago i attempted to update the Java version as one app told me to..Java V1.6+ would not install as my processor is a 32bit! not 64 like everyone else's! foreseeing future compatibility issues with app upgrades and "your mac is too old" stuff.. which lead me here looking to upgrade to a core 2 duo chip. i dont have a problem opening the iMac up as needs must. i work in Prototype electronics and with PCBs all day and have a wealth or solder/component/rework experience to call on from my co-workers if need be.

does BUS speed matter? mine is 667mhz most the chips i have read about have also been 667mhz.

i am looking at upgrading to
1) T5600 C2Duo 1.83Ghz/2MB/667Mhz
2) T7200 C2Duo 2.0GHz/4MB/667MHz
3) T7600 C2Duo 2.33GHz/4MB/667MHz
i am leaning towards option 1 or 2..

thoughts or tips would be grateful.
Thanks LP
 
leopard-pagan said:
Hello all. out of all the searching on this subject. this has been thee most helpful thread. i have found way too much "cant be done/why?" posts.

anyways to the point...
i have a 1.83Mhz 32 bit Core duo early intel iMac. 2 days ago i attempted to update the Java version as one app told me to..Java V1.6+ would not install as my processor is a 32bit! not 64 like everyone else's! foreseeing future compatibility issues with app upgrades and "your mac is too old" stuff.. which lead me here looking to upgrade to a core 2 duo chip. i dont have a problem opening the iMac up as needs must. i work in Prototype electronics and with PCBs all day and have a wealth or solder/component/rework experience to call on from my co-workers if need be.

does BUS speed matter? mine is 667mhz most the chips i have read about have also been 667mhz.

i am looking at upgrading to
1) T5600 C2Duo 1.83Ghz/2MB/667Mhz
2) T7200 C2Duo 2.0GHz/4MB/667MHz
3) T7600 C2Duo 2.33GHz/4MB/667MHz
i am leaning towards option 1 or 2..

thoughts or tips would be grateful.
Thanks LP
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I think you need to stay in the T7 family. I'm not sure if the T5 family works. I upgraded mine with a T7600 (2006 White iMac).
 

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so do you think that the T7700 will work? And where did you purchase the processor because I can't seem to find one on the market.
 
i haven't started looking for one yet. need to work out which one to get 1st.
google the part number will get you a few prices.
or this site seemed to have quite a few to pick from
http://www.cpuexpress.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=40&sort=20a&page=2

T5 v T7.. only difference i can see if the 2/4MB cache.

i am basically covering all my bases before 1) i buy a chip 2) fit it then it damage my Mother Board = replace iMac anyways which i cant afford!
i know its been a few years since this thread was started and i know several people have done the mod in that time. just wondering how those people got on with their macs afterwards?
 
i am sticking to 667Mhz bus speed, the 3 chips i posted earlier are all 667.
thing for me to do now is buy the chip, but finding a cheap one to buy.
i'll try and go for T7600 C2Duo 2.33GHz/4MB/667MHz as my 1st option. if upgrading, why not go for the max.
T7200 C2Duo 2.0GHz/4MB/667MHz is my 2nd option.
the hunt is on! ......
 
won a 2Ghz chip on ebay saturday. it came from a mac mini, only used for 10hrs....
tools are on their way
using heat sync paste from work
doing the upgrade at work on my day off. all ESD safe benches + soldering equipment if i need it.

www.sionics.co.uk
 
I am completely capable of doing this upgrade.

However, I'm curious of one thing. My iMac (Late 2007) 20" currently has the T7300 2.0ghz processor in it.

What fits in this thing?! No one seems to know. I'd like to put a T9300 or X7900 in, but I just can't figure out if the damn things will fit & function properly!

Thanks in advance!
 
macintouch said:
I am completely capable of doing this upgrade.

However, I'm curious of one thing. My iMac (Late 2007) 20" currently has the T7300 2.0ghz processor in it.

What fits in this thing?! No one seems to know. I'd like to put a T9300 or X7900 in, but I just can't figure out if the damn things will fit & function properly!

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

In theory, even T9900 should work (same socket) but I can't confirm this
 
Hellhammer said:
In theory, even T9900 should work (same socket) but I can't confirm this
Click to expand...

I agree, it should work.

But...

To me the T9900 wouldn't be worth it. Sure you would have the 3ghz clock speed but you would not have the full 1066 FSB (if you have a late 2007 iMac like me), and that is where a lot of the power comes from. I would rather stick with the T9300/9500, they have the 800mhz bus speed and are faster, yet still relatively reasonably priced.
 
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