Thread
Cube for $20!
Another interesting thing, my Cube says "Assembled in the USA" while others I have seen said "Assembled in Singapore" or something else. Very strange.
I have an iMac G3 from around that time period that was "Assembled in USA" also. Maybe they were remanufatured?
I don't know. The Cubes were/are so sparse, I doubt any got remanufactured. Thanks to a serial number decoder, I was able to obtain this info:
Serial number: XA0440***** (covered for protection)
Model Number: M7642
Group1: PowerMac
Group2: G4
Generation: 4
Machine Model: PowerMac5,1
Model introduced: 2000
Production year: 2000
Production week: 44 (November)
Production number: 48 (within this week)
CPU speed: 450MHz
Memory - flavour: PC100-L-100
Memory - maximum total: 1.5GB
Memory - largest module: 512MB
Factory: XA (ElkGrove/Sacramento, California)
The Cube came out in July of 2000, so I think this one was manufactured a little to early to remanufactured or even refurbished.
Serial number: XA0440***** (covered for protection)
Model Number: M7642
Group1: PowerMac
Group2: G4
Generation: 4
Machine Model: PowerMac5,1
Model introduced: 2000
Production year: 2000
Production week: 44 (November)
Production number: 48 (within this week)
CPU speed: 450MHz
Memory - flavour: PC100-L-100
Memory - maximum total: 1.5GB
Memory - largest module: 512MB
Factory: XA (ElkGrove/Sacramento, California)
The Cube came out in July of 2000, so I think this one was manufactured a little to early to remanufactured or even refurbished.
Elk Grove is where all of the reman stuff ships from these days.
My Cube was assembled in Singapore.
EDIT: some info on the history of the Elk Grove campus
My Cube was assembled in Singapore.
EDIT: some info on the history of the Elk Grove campus
I'm confused. When did the plant turn into a refurb factory? That also explains why my refurbed iPad came from an Elk Grove address.
I have two slot load iMacs -a Summer 2000 and an Early 2001....they were both built in Taiwan. I haven't seen a Mac from Singapore since....the Platinum era? *shrugs*
Weird, very weird.
Anyway, on a (semi) good note, I browsed thru eBay and found the original power cord that runs from the converter box to the wall. Cord is white and the ends are translucent. For $10, I splurged. Total investment is up to $75. Not as much as I would have liked to spend, but still cheaper then the price of a working Cube on eBay. I can return the power supply even if the computer doesn't work and get my $40 back, but I'm stuck with the Apple power cable, but I can use it with an iMac G4. Even if it Cube doesn't work, I'm keeping it. I will feel much better when I know that it either works or doesn't, and its not in my brain 24/7. HOPEFULLY, USPS doesn't mess up again and say that its going to be delivered tomorrow and never does (like today). Typically, (knock on wood) my mail lady comes in the morning, around 10ish. So, I will hopefully know by tomorrow early and won't have to wait all day.
I have two Cubes - one made in the US, one made in Singapore, so it sounds right.
UPDATE #4: I think the Cube tried to kill me.
I wake up and sitting on my door step is a Priority Mail shipping box. Seeing how it was San Jose address, I knew it was my Cube power cord. So I grabbed it, and went out to my mailbox to get the mail. I walk in, go get the Cube, monitor, and my eMac's keyboard and mouse and set it up in my kitchen. I plug in the power supply to the Cube, then the power cord to a standard 120W US wall outlet (not a surge protector, straight into the wall). It made a "pop" noise. I tried turning on the monitor, nothing happened. Tried turning on the Cube. Almost instantaneously, I smell this very weird and potent smell, and unplug the power cord from the power supply. As soon as I return to a normal sitting position, the Cube starts emitting a white smoke. 8-o Not wanting to burn down my house, I quickly pull out the power adapter from the Cube, then the monitor cable (ADC cable). What could have caused this? I'm afraid to lift the guts of the machine out of the acrylic case thinking that its going to burst into flames. Please help.
PS: Yes, I'm fine and the Cube didn't cause any harm or damage to me, my friends (who where here) or my house.
I wake up and sitting on my door step is a Priority Mail shipping box. Seeing how it was San Jose address, I knew it was my Cube power cord. So I grabbed it, and went out to my mailbox to get the mail. I walk in, go get the Cube, monitor, and my eMac's keyboard and mouse and set it up in my kitchen. I plug in the power supply to the Cube, then the power cord to a standard 120W US wall outlet (not a surge protector, straight into the wall). It made a "pop" noise. I tried turning on the monitor, nothing happened. Tried turning on the Cube. Almost instantaneously, I smell this very weird and potent smell, and unplug the power cord from the power supply. As soon as I return to a normal sitting position, the Cube starts emitting a white smoke. 8-o Not wanting to burn down my house, I quickly pull out the power adapter from the Cube, then the monitor cable (ADC cable). What could have caused this? I'm afraid to lift the guts of the machine out of the acrylic case thinking that its going to burst into flames. Please help.
PS: Yes, I'm fine and the Cube didn't cause any harm or damage to me, my friends (who where here) or my house.
It sounds like it's time to take it apart and look for what's burnt.
You released the mystic blue smoke.
From my own experience, this is not a good sign. I am crossing my fingers it's a simple problem with a simple solution.
:'(
From my own experience, this is not a good sign. I am crossing my fingers it's a simple problem with a simple solution.
:'(
If R2-D2 has taught us anything, it's that everything is okay unless you see the magic smoke.
Steve put it in there. :beige: A friend who owns a computer shop says he can do a tear down diagnosis for $35 and can put the money towards the repair. I'm think I'm going to do it myself. We'll see.
I'm doing the repair myself. Good experience. Anyway, I went to take the pillars out and one looks burned. Upon further investigation, its the pillar next the VRM, and it looks like the VRM has a couple little white and yellow boxes puffing out. Anyone have a spare board?
Do you have a camera?
Snap us a pic!
Snap us a pic!
Here you go:
PowerMac G4 Cube VRM by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
PowerMac G4 VRM Issues by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
PowerMac G4 Pillar Burn Marks by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
UPDATE #5: Tore apart most of the Cube, down to the logic board (backside of the processor). The poor thing has (what I originally thought was soda) coffee all over the inside. I had a hard time trying to reinstall the RAM, as slot #3's (farthest in away from the edge) RAM holders have dried coffee in them. The HDD and RAM were upgraded. Originally, from the factory, it would have had 20GB HDD and 64MB of RAM. It has currently a 80GB Western Digital HDD, and 1.5 GB of RAM. With these specs, I'm guessing the lady I bought it from bought it second-hand, now I bought it third-hand. If the lady would have cared more about the machine, I would have said I was the second owner. But who ever had this machine originally, cared about it.
Coffee stains:
Coffee & RAM by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
More Coffee by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
On the worse side, the video riser card fried. I'm guessing thats what smoked. Now up to 2 boards I have to replace, the DC to DC board (VRM) and the video riser card. Here are the pictures of it fried:
Riser Card is fried 2 by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
Riser Card is fried by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
Coffee stains:
Coffee & RAM by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
More Coffee by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
On the worse side, the video riser card fried. I'm guessing thats what smoked. Now up to 2 boards I have to replace, the DC to DC board (VRM) and the video riser card. Here are the pictures of it fried:
Riser Card is fried 2 by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
Riser Card is fried by 68k TheMacGuy, on Flickr
Do you have a soldering station?
Are you sure that's coffee? Based on your earlier pics, it's probably smoker's tar. If it is definately coffee and never cleaned up, it's most likely corroded away parts of the motherboard and is not repairable. I'd be really wary even if you repair/replace the VRM that it will smoke out just as quickly once again.
Same goes with the video riser board - that's a fairly simple part (it just reroutes the video connector right angles, more or less), that shouldn't fail unless something is seriously up with the motherboard itself. Be wary. Cube motherboards are pretty cheap now, I'd consider replacing that before all else (+ VRM which looks toasted, I don't think that'll be repairable). Resoldering the things that have "popped" off the board will most likely release more of the magic smoke ... what has popped off (tantalum caps, and ?) is not normal for a plain VRM failure (usually it's the MOSFETs that fail on these, and just the VRM fails, not everything else going all toasty).
Same goes with the video riser board - that's a fairly simple part (it just reroutes the video connector right angles, more or less), that shouldn't fail unless something is seriously up with the motherboard itself. Be wary. Cube motherboards are pretty cheap now, I'd consider replacing that before all else (+ VRM which looks toasted, I don't think that'll be repairable). Resoldering the things that have "popped" off the board will most likely release more of the magic smoke ... what has popped off (tantalum caps, and ?) is not normal for a plain VRM failure (usually it's the MOSFETs that fail on these, and just the VRM fails, not everything else going all toasty).
Tell you truth, I have absolutely no idea. No one in my family has every really smoked. It could be this "tar" but on the aluminum pieces in the Cube, the residue looks like a brown drop. I mean it is EVERYWHERE. If it is coffee, I guess its time to look for a donor machine.
I don't have a soldering station, but I quick trip to my dads and I'm pretty sure he does.
Sadly, I learned the hard way about coffee last night; tried to fix an old Apple Design Keyboard only to find that the coffee had completely etched the traces off the laminate. Bummer.
If you are set on repairing instead of replacing (GOOD ON YOU!!) I shouldn't think it would harm it to drop the board into a plastic container of isopropyl alcohol and try to just generally clean any debris and residue off the board before trying to remove/replace those caps, would it?
If you are set on repairing instead of replacing (GOOD ON YOU!!) I shouldn't think it would harm it to drop the board into a plastic container of isopropyl alcohol and try to just generally clean any debris and residue off the board before trying to remove/replace those caps, would it?
Remember that alcohol doesn't do much good on sugar-based goo so if that "coffee" was some Starbucks abomination, warm water would be a better cleaning agent.
Ah yes this I hadnt considered.
Hey would warm soapy water be okay if I rinsed the soap residue after?
How long do you let your boards dry after rinsing them? I've always figured as long as possible, but isn't there a chane of oxidizing things? Do you towel dry them?
Hey would warm soapy water be okay if I rinsed the soap residue after?
How long do you let your boards dry after rinsing them? I've always figured as long as possible, but isn't there a chane of oxidizing things? Do you towel dry them?
Personally, when I use water I get at it with a soft toothbrush then blow it out with compressed air. I check it again in a day or two with more air to be sure that everything is dry. If it needs it, I'll follow up with some cotton swabs and alcohol.
Thanks for all the help. I'm serious, thank you. My Cube may just live again!
But for this weekend, I'm going to take a break, relax, and come back to the Cube on Monday or Tuesday. For now, all the parts I took out are in anit-static bags stored below the Cube in the acrylic casing (good place to put it until I get it running).
Thats the plan. So far 2 boards are going to need to be replaced, video riser and VRM (DC to DC) board. The soldering for the broken piece for the VRM board is so small, it's going to be tuff. And the video riser board, well, that's damaged beyond repair. The board is chard around the chip that caught fire. The side of the logic board facing away from the DVD drive looks good, minor to no repairs needed. Guess it was good I pulled the plug out immediately after the smoke started.
But for this weekend, I'm going to take a break, relax, and come back to the Cube on Monday or Tuesday. For now, all the parts I took out are in anit-static bags stored below the Cube in the acrylic casing (good place to put it until I get it running).
Ok, about to start repairing again. I've just been so lazy over the past couple of days. 
Lets see what we find. I will try and remember to take pictures.
On a better note, my iCEO plush Steve Jobs look-a-like by Throwboy should be here today, and we all know how Steve loved the Cube!
Lets see what we find. I will try and remember to take pictures.On a better note, my iCEO plush Steve Jobs look-a-like by Throwboy should be here today, and we all know how Steve loved the Cube!
Ok, finished for the day. Its to hot in Southern California, and I don't want my sweat dropping into the computer. Its hot even with A/C! Logic board is out, nothing looks to serious. I will take a closer look tomorrow. The only things left in the shell are the CD drive, main Heat sink, and AirPort antennas. Also, my Throwboy Steve came right in the middle of the logic board coming out. Weird timing. Anyway, I got number 300 of 1200! Even number! Going on top of my 512kE.
To get rid of scuffs/scratches on plastic, you must use Novus 1, 2, and 3.