upgrading a g3 imac
27 July 2005, 08:20 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 3,409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
upgrading a g3 imac
what do i need to upgrade the hd and the cd drive, at the mo it's only got a 4gb hd and normal cd rom drive and ideally want to put a dvd/cd rom drive in it and say a 40 gb hd.
i've looked on the apple site but can't seem to get anywhere with it and if i look on egay im not sure what fits. so anyone out there have or know what i need to get to do the upgrade?
i've looked on the apple site but can't seem to get anywhere with it and if i look on egay im not sure what fits. so anyone out there have or know what i need to get to do the upgrade?
28 July 2005, 03:13 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: elsewhere
Posts: 1,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
scoobyboy I am here to stalk you again 
The short answer would be to sell it and pick up a new Mac mini or maybe a second hand eMac or something
What model iMac is it? I presume it is one of the very first ones with a tray load (laptop style) CD-ROM. If so, any low RPM 3.5" IDE HDD will do. Keep it low RPM to minimise heat, say 5400. I don't think the IDE controller will recognise >127GB and it will only do ATA66 anyway so won't be a speed demon.
To put a burner in it will probably cost you the same as what the whole thing is worth. I think Teac and Newer Technologies both made internal tray load CD-R drives (not DVD-R) but they were expensive and are probably relatively rare. External drives (like the Iomega ZipCD I had) would be limited to USB1 which is pathetically slow and limits you to 4x burn speed.
The short answer would be to sell it and pick up a new Mac mini or maybe a second hand eMac or something
What model iMac is it? I presume it is one of the very first ones with a tray load (laptop style) CD-ROM. If so, any low RPM 3.5" IDE HDD will do. Keep it low RPM to minimise heat, say 5400. I don't think the IDE controller will recognise >127GB and it will only do ATA66 anyway so won't be a speed demon.To put a burner in it will probably cost you the same as what the whole thing is worth. I think Teac and Newer Technologies both made internal tray load CD-R drives (not DVD-R) but they were expensive and are probably relatively rare. External drives (like the Iomega ZipCD I had) would be limited to USB1 which is pathetically slow and limits you to 4x burn speed.
Last edited by class_A; 28 July 2005 at 03:18 PM.
28 July 2005, 08:08 PM
#3
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 3,409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hi class a hows things?
it's a slot loading type 350mhz with just over 512mb it's actually my dads ( i got a 1.6 g5) and i just wondered if it was easy enough and relatively cheap to do he doesn't want to spend loads of dosh as it does what he wants it to do. if it is then he would go for it but if it's going to cost like hundreds then i think he'll stick with it as it is.
it's a slot loading type 350mhz with just over 512mb it's actually my dads ( i got a 1.6 g5) and i just wondered if it was easy enough and relatively cheap to do he doesn't want to spend loads of dosh as it does what he wants it to do. if it is then he would go for it but if it's going to cost like hundreds then i think he'll stick with it as it is.
29 July 2005, 07:08 AM
#4
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: elsewhere
Posts: 1,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SB, not bad
350 is better than I imagined although means it is the second generation iMac. From what I remember these are harder to disassemble that the original, ironically because they made it "easier" to upgrade! RAM and AirPort are behind a little door in the base but anything else requires a dismantling session and I think that would expose some of the CRT workings too (read lethal voltages if you touch the wrong part without discharging the caps first!).
I'll have a nose around and see what I can find. Does that particular model have FireWire? If so, probably easier to stay external and get a FW HD and burner.
350 is better than I imagined although means it is the second generation iMac. From what I remember these are harder to disassemble that the original, ironically because they made it "easier" to upgrade! RAM and AirPort are behind a little door in the base but anything else requires a dismantling session and I think that would expose some of the CRT workings too (read lethal voltages if you touch the wrong part without discharging the caps first!).
I'll have a nose around and see what I can find. Does that particular model have FireWire? If so, probably easier to stay external and get a FW HD and burner.
29 July 2005, 10:12 AM
#5
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sheffield; Rome of the North
Posts: 17,582
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It doesnt have Firewire USB 1.1 only, and the SLs are a b*stard to disassemble too. When you do get it apart, a standard notebook form-factor slot loading optical drive will fit but you wont get all of the functionality.
Simon
Simon
29 July 2005, 11:12 AM
#6
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,882
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They are a pain to take apart - but you can do it fairly safely.
Any standard HDD should do upto about 120gb. Slot loading CDRW will be harder and more costly to source.
Might be better looking for a cheap iMac 450/500 from ebay?
Any standard HDD should do upto about 120gb. Slot loading CDRW will be harder and more costly to source.
Might be better looking for a cheap iMac 450/500 from ebay?
29 July 2005, 11:29 AM
#7
Scooby Regular
I agree with Class A, flog your imac on ebay, and get an eMac.
Better than spending money trying to upgrade an old machine.
Better than spending money trying to upgrade an old machine.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Brzoza
Engine Management and ECU Remapping
1
02 October 2015 05:26 PM