Thread
Quicksilver G4!
I found a Quicksilver G4 in a computer recycling bin today. Sticker says it's an 867 MHz, and it has no RAM or HD. I found it in pieces, but it has the logic board, PSU, optical, and zip drives.
I'm not going to be home until about 6:30 or so, so I'll try it out then.
Woo!
I'm not going to be home until about 6:30 or so, so I'll try it out then.
Woo!
Sounds like you have most of the essential components there. What a great free find!
Update: It works! I'm posting from it now. SWEET. 
I have 1GB of RAM installed, but it's only seeing 768MB. I'm about to try that stick in another slot.
I put a 30GB HD in, with Leopard.
I have 1GB of RAM installed, but it's only seeing 768MB. I'm about to try that stick in another slot.
I put a 30GB HD in, with Leopard.
Thats sweet, what kind of video card?
GeForce2, 32MB RAM
Excellent find.
Just enough specs to run the latest OS, and it's free.
Truly a great score.
Enjoy your new box.
Just enough specs to run the latest OS, and it's free.
Truly a great score.
Enjoy your new box.
might be that that ram stick is either faulty or the ram slot is fried ( which might be why it was junked in pieces)
either way good find
either way good find
Even if one slot is fried, couldnt you just put in 3 512mb sticks to still get the maximum of 1.5gb? because at least 2 slots support 512mb sticks, if the RAM limit is 1.5gb, there would have to be 512x2 and 256x2.
still, quite a nice find. I have been trying to get a G4 system for under $100, which seems to be unobtanium lately.
-digital
still, quite a nice find. I have been trying to get a G4 system for under $100, which seems to be unobtanium lately.
-digital
It was the stick. I didn't realize one of my 256MB DIMMs is PC100, and the Quicksilver only sees 133.
Oh, well. 768MB is plenty for me. I can always add another 128MB to get 896MB, if I really needed it.
Oh, well. 768MB is plenty for me. I can always add another 128MB to get 896MB, if I really needed it.
it can only read PC133? I thought it was interchangeable. I know PC133 runs just fine in PC100 slots, it just throttles down. But PC133 slots should be perfectly compatible with PC100s. I know my mom's toshiba laptop takes PC2100, but i was using a PC2700 stick in the second slot. I tried the opposite, and the PC2100 worked just fine in a PC2700 slot. Maybe the stick is just totally dead...
-digital
-digital
When I get home later (on iPhone in pre-calc now 
), I'll try some other sticks in it.
I remember that stick particularly working in my Cube, and seeing that it was PC100. That stick is the one that's reportedly not working.
), I'll try some other sticks in it.I remember that stick particularly working in my Cube, and seeing that it was PC100. That stick is the one that's reportedly not working.
You can't use PC100 memory in PC133 slot even though they are physically compatible. The memory would be overclocked 33%. You can put PC133 memory in a PC100 slot because it's not being overclocked.it can only read PC133? I thought it was interchangeable. I know PC133 runs just fine in PC100 slots, it just throttles down. But PC133 slots should be perfectly compatible with PC100s. I know my mom's toshiba laptop takes PC2100, but i was using a PC2700 stick in the second slot. I tried the opposite, and the PC2100 worked just fine in a PC2700 slot. Maybe the stick is just totally dead...
-digital
You are on crack.it can only read PC133? I thought it was interchangeable. I know PC133 runs just fine in PC100 slots, it just throttles down. But PC133 slots should be perfectly compatible with PC100s. I know my mom's toshiba laptop takes PC2100, but i was using a PC2700 stick in the second slot. I tried the opposite, and the PC2100 worked just fine in a PC2700 slot. Maybe the stick is just totally dead...
-digital
PC100 will not run in a PC133 board. Ok, sure you can cram the stick in there. Heck if it was a god module with an SPD chip it could run ok. However most of the time the answer is no.
By running the PC100 stick, he drops the bus from 133MHz to 100MHz. This places a large bottleneck in the system, which of course affects overall system performance.
Remind never to hire you as a tech.
LOL! Thats what I have been trying to tell him! JK!
Maybe he always has PC-133 and the system's he uses are always down clocking them.
Maybe he always has PC-133 and the system's he uses are always down clocking them.
I honestly just haven't noticed; the majority of my RAM comes from machines I've inherited in some particular way. Well, except my 512MB stick, which I bought new a few months ago.
Still in school, anticipating the last bell in about 20 minutes :-/
Still in school, anticipating the last bell in about 20 minutes :-/
Sigh...
Ok, look. On a PC-133 system, you can use either PC-133, or PC-100. If you run PC-133 this will ensure normal operation and keep the system bus at 133MHz. If you run PC-100 then the bus will drop to the highest speed of the slowest stick. In other words you drop the entire system bus from 133MHz to 100MHz. This is not good. Buy better RAM.
On a PC-100 system you can still run either module. Although some older systems have problems recognizing high density modules. Feel free to mix and match PC-100 and PC-133 sticks. If you stick a PC-66 stick in there, the same rule applies. The system bus will drop.
On a PC-66 system (G3's, PII, Celeron, K6, K5, etc.) you can run any damned module you want. There is nothing slower than PC-66 so go for it. Keep in mind though that the sticks must be SDRAM modules and not SIMMS. There are PC-66 SIMMS out there for a few franken-motherboards that appeared for a short time.
Ok, look. On a PC-133 system, you can use either PC-133, or PC-100. If you run PC-133 this will ensure normal operation and keep the system bus at 133MHz. If you run PC-100 then the bus will drop to the highest speed of the slowest stick. In other words you drop the entire system bus from 133MHz to 100MHz. This is not good. Buy better RAM.
On a PC-100 system you can still run either module. Although some older systems have problems recognizing high density modules. Feel free to mix and match PC-100 and PC-133 sticks. If you stick a PC-66 stick in there, the same rule applies. The system bus will drop.
On a PC-66 system (G3's, PII, Celeron, K6, K5, etc.) you can run any damned module you want. There is nothing slower than PC-66 so go for it. Keep in mind though that the sticks must be SDRAM modules and not SIMMS. There are PC-66 SIMMS out there for a few franken-motherboards that appeared for a short time.
Swing and a miss. The RAM does not get over clocked. The faster ram gets under clocked.
Sorry but I've tried moving memory out of PC100 machines into PC 133 machines and they DO NOT WORK EVER in my experience.
What you say also makes no sense because if the system bus drops, so does the speed of the CPU, the drives,and everything else that depends on the bus for it's timings. Putting a PC100 stick in a 533 Digital Audio (which I have never gotten to work anyway) would lower it to a 400mhz machine if your logic follows.
The bus should lower itself to the speed of the lowest RAM. In this case PC-100. Now on certain machines, the whole bus is effected. On some machines just the memory bus is affected. I am not sure if the QS will drop the whole system bus, or just the memory bus.
No way in hell does it auto-OC the RAM from PC-100 to PC-133.
No way in hell does it auto-OC the RAM from PC-100 to PC-133.
Exactly. PC-100 does NOT work in PC-133 boards at PC-133 speeds. IME moving the RAM from a PC-100 machine to a PC-133 machine is hit and miss. Either it will work (albeit at slower speed), or it won't run at all. In the rare instance you can find PC-100 RAM that is happy at PC-133 speeds.
If it matters, I've never managed to get PC66 RAM to run in PC100 systems.
Me too, although its deathly so, but it works.
Where are you people at that you are sticking slower RAM in higher speed machines?
Some PC-66 modules will work. It depends on if they have an SPD chip. If not, then it more than likely is not going to work.
Some PC-66 modules will work. It depends on if they have an SPD chip. If not, then it more than likely is not going to work.
Basically its a case of, "If I run out of faster RAM, or I have bigger slower RAM than I do smaller bigger RAM" for me, as I assume it would be for others.
These didn't have an SPD chip.
These didn't have an SPD chip.
You nailed it for me.
For what it's worth the physical ram ceiling of a QuickSilver is actually 2 gigs, and OS X can address and use that much, the stated limit of 1.5 gigs was for the benefit of Mac OS 9, which could only address that much.
I've also got to agree that it would probably be best to stick to the proper ram speed of your machine where possible, although Ive got a few PC100 systems with PC133 in them.
Other than that though, congrats on the QS! I'll admit that the QS has long been one of my favorite models of G4. (Even if it is really only a cosmetic update from the digiAudio [] ]'>
I've also got to agree that it would probably be best to stick to the proper ram speed of your machine where possible, although Ive got a few PC100 systems with PC133 in them.
Other than that though, congrats on the QS! I'll admit that the QS has long been one of my favorite models of G4. (Even if it is really only a cosmetic update from the digiAudio [
] ]'>Most systems can and many do run the CPU front side bus at a different speed then the memory.
"Cosmetic upgrade"? This is actually one of the more uglier products I've seen of Apple. I don't like the front at all.Other than that though, congrats on the QS! I'll admit that the QS has long been one of my favorite models of G4. (Even if it is really only a cosmetic update from the digiAudio [
Really? I actually really like the QS. Of course, it's no MDD -- but it's arguable that the whole PowerMac G4 line left a bit to desire, cosmetically. [] ]'>
] ]'>
The QS is good looking. It's that damned MDD tower that should never have happened. The hardware was great. The mirrors were not.
I still like my old sawtooth I used to have.
Favorite of the entire case series is the B&W. Mine still looks good.
I still like my old sawtooth I used to have.
Favorite of the entire case series is the B&W. Mine still looks good.
At first, I personally hated the QS design. But once I saw one IRL, I actually really liked it.