Mac upgrade maker Sonnet Technologies Inc. on Friday announced that it is shipping its Encore/ZIF G4 800MHz and 1GHz upgrades. The CPU upgrades replace the chips inside Beige Power Mac G3s, Blue & White G3s, and PCI-based Power Mac G4s (sometimes known by their internal Apple code name, “Yikes.”
The new Encore/ZIF upgrades are based on Motorola’s 745X series, according to Sonnet, and are equipped with 256KB of Level 2 Cache as well as 1MB of SDR Level 3 Cache. Sonnet claims the new upgrades can increase performance to as much as 317 percent of that of a stock 350MHz system. Sonnet CEO Robert Farnsworth added, “With a 1.0 GHz processor installed, these machines are enabled to use any modern iLife application.”
The 800MHz model costs US$349.95, and the 1.0GHz model costs $499.95. Beige Power Mac G3 owners are directed to look specifically for the EG4-1000-1M product part number when ordering their upgrade; that version is designed specifically for use in that computer.
Sonnet also announced a corresponding price drop for its Beige Power Mac G3-only Encore/ZIF G4 700 part; it costs $299.95, while supplies last. And the company continues to maintain what it bills as an “entry-level” model, the Encore/ZIF G4 500, which works with all Beige G3s, Blue & White G3s and PCI graphics-based G4s, for $199.95.
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