PowerLogix and Other World Computing are using their exposure at this week’s Macworld Expo to highlight new product offerings aimed at users of older Power Macintosh systems who want to upgrade their CPU with a faster replacement. They’re also offering owners of Apple’s discontinued Power Mac G4 Cube a new customization option with replacement cases molded in different colors.
First up is the previously announced US$239.99 PowerForce 750GX, a 1.0GHz G3 processor intended for “second-generation” beige Power Mac models ranging from the 7300 – 9600, as well as several “clone” Mac models built on the same motherboard design. The 750GX includes 1MB of Level 2 cache clocked at 1GHz, a built-in fan sink, fail-safe protection circuitry and “CPU Director,” a software tool that lets you adjust the card’s speed on the fly and improve compatibility with add-on PCI cards.
Also here are two new CPU upgrade cards aimed specifically at Power Mac G4 models. The PowerForce G4 ’47 and PowerForce G4 ’57 both draw less power from the Mac than the original CPU, according to PowerLogix, and sport independent power supply circuits.
The PowerForce G4 ’47, available in single and dual-processor models, operates at speeds from 1.2GHz to 1.7GHz and can be installed in the Power Mac G4 Cube as well. When used in the Cube, the ’47 uses “VRM Bypass Circuitry” that bypasses the original voltage regulator module — the power supply card — to enable it to work at speeds higher than 1.2GHz. It uses a universal design that works in any Power Mac G4 with a motherboard bus 100MHz or 133MHz. It also monitors its own temperature in real-time to make sure it doesn’t overheat. OWC expects to begin shipping the new cards within three weeks. The PowerForce G4 ’57 is available in single and dual-processor models clocked at 1.2GHz or 1.4GHz and can be installed in all 100MHz bus Power Macs. OWC hopes to ship the CPU upgrade within about a week.
Finally, fans of the Power Mac G4 Cube can customize their Cube’s look with a $139 acrylic “PowerCube” enclosure now available in white or black, accented with a perforated top grille made of anodized aluminum. The new white and black models complement a clear version already available. OWC President Larry O’Connor noted in a statement that the PowerCube enclosure better ventilates the Power Mac G4 Cube’s internal circuitry — useful if you’ve upgraded your Cube with a faster CPU or graphics card.