power mac g4 upgrade questions

[DraxgoN]

Hey,
I just aquired a power mac g4 from friend and wanted to upgrade it so that its good enough to record music. Right now the specs that I know are as follows:
Single cpu 400mhz
126 md ram
os 10.3

I'm not sure on the graphics or anything like that.

If anyone can help me with this? I have no idea where to start.

Also I have the oppurtunity to get a g5 for $500. Would it be better to just get that rather than upgrading the g4?

 

[cube]

G5

 

[DraxgoN]

I figured it would be better to get the g5. But I've decided to upgrade the g4 anyways just for the experience. I want to get the best out of this machine. Can anyone help me out?

 

[CubeHacker]

A 1.6ghz G4 upgrade processor costs about $200 online. I've seen dual 1.42ghz Powermacs going for under $300 on craigslist which would easily be twice as fast. I just don't see the point of spending $200 on a G4 upgrade unless you can get one for very cheap.

 

[Tallest Skil]

500? Get a brand new Intel Mac Mini. It will run 4x as fast as any G4 and twice as fast as any G5 you can buy.

 

[jodelli]

First off, you need to find out if it's a Yikes (PCI Graphics) or a Sawtooth (AGP Graphics). You can completely forget about upgrading a Yikes.

Even the Sawtooth is more expensive to upgrade than it's worth, and since you have to ask you probably can't be sure if you're actually getting compatible components.
As an example, not just any AGP card will work in one of these.

If you really want to do this I suggest you stick to an outfit such as OWC online that can tell you what part you'll need. Or some local Mac reseller that has lots of used pieces in the back room.

And 500 would be better spent on an Intel Mini, IMHO.

edit: The Gigabit Ethernet could have a 400mhz CPU as well. Same thing applies as with the Sawtooth.

 

[Dr.Pants]

Alright, hit (should be in the left-hand upper side), then More Info... then give us the model identifier. Dunno if this is in Panther, though... But it would help us figure out which model you are using.

 

[Fishrrman]

RE: power mac g4 upgrade questions

"Also I have the oppurtunity to get a g5 for $500. Would it be better to just get that rather than upgrading the g4?"

If the g5 is in good shape, that would be the best way to go.

You can always keep the g4 around "as is" for a backup or spare.

The g5's are far more _quiet_, too.

- John

 

[noodle654]

What are the specs of the G5? If it isnt dual core or quad it isnt worth it as you can buy a Mini for the same price.