8500 CUDA Button

[Richard]

Where is the CUDA button on the Power Macintosh 8500? And how do you get to it? I got the outer case off, but I have no clue how to get the motherboard out. I did get the grid thing off the one side though, covering the motherboard which I do not know how to remove. :?:

 

[LCGuy]

You'll have to disconnect all the cables going to the motherboard on top, and remove the power switch, which pops out the front. Remove the screw from the centre of the motherboard (which you would have removed when you removed the plastic motherboard holder), and then slide the motherboard towards the front of the machine, and remove.

There's probably a couple of things I've forgotten, since thats for an 8100, but it should still be pretty much the same.

 

[Gil]

The 8100/8500/9500 case is horrendous. 8-o

 

[Richard]

Hmm, it refuses to slide out. It looks like the DAV card is causing this. It would appear that I must remove the DAV card. It looks absolutely horrible to remove. How do you do it?

 

[Christopher]

There is a couple of plastic tabs that hold the board in.

 

[Richard]

All there is is two tabs that are completely out of reach due to the unremovable plastic cover over them. Touching them with a screwdriver does not let the card come out. The 8500's case is sooooo brittle. It is falling apart as I attempt to open it!

 

[Richard]

I found the CUDA button after I got the mobo out. I realized I could have hit it while the mobo was still in. [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'>

*looks at decent pile of plastic chips from 8500*

[] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'> [] ]'>

 

[Richard]

And it is HORRIBLE trying to get it back together

 

[equill]

There would be no point in a CUDA switch that was not accessible when the Mac was ready to run, ie fully-assembled but not closed. Many CUDA switches are in obscure positions, but accessible they are, even if that means that a handlamp and a non-conducting stiff thin rod have to be used to reach them. They are often close to a daughter-card slot, not least because hardware upgrades necessitate, in best practice, that you use the CUDA switch as the last act before you close the Mac, and processor upgrades are chief amongst such upgrades. It is probably of no consolation to you that you have now learnt several things: that 8100/8500/9500 internal plastics become extremely brittle with age; their PCI (8500/9500) card retainers are perfectly bloody (often yours); the MLB is a horror to remove even for trivial tasks such as battery or RAM replacement; and the CUDA switch has to be accessible readily, if not easily.

de

 

[Richard]

Why does the mobo stick out to the side so the power button can't go back?

 

[equill]

Not being beside you to see what you mean by 'stick out to the side' I can only surmise that you were not able to get the rear of the board and the attached ports, the top two snap-tabs and the bottom two cut-outs all simultaneously aligned, and then to slide the MLB to the rear so that it could be held securely (by the central screw). After that, the heart-in-mouth replacement of the power-on switch and LED without breaking their plastic tangs is almost an anti-climax, no?

You may not be able to replace the metal casing if the MLB projects, so best of luck in getting it right.

de

 

[Richard]

The tabs are gone. [] ]'>

 

[Charlieman]

The 8100/8500/9500 case is horrendous.

In the EU and elsewhere, Apple sold the 8200 -- a faster 7200 in the 8100/8500/9500 case. At least the 8100 etc have decent hardware inside.

 

[Richard]

It seems that it is indeed impossible to put the 8500 back together. The back case is broken, and the clips on the inside of the main case are mostly gone, so the mobo can't fit in correctly nor can the back case go on.

Should I part it out?

 

[Rodus]

^^nah, time for a custom case mod [] ]'>

How about Lego, or Meccano? The possibilities are endless, you coulod have great fun as well and end up with somethhing truly unique.

 

[Charlieman]

It seems that it is indeed impossible to put the 8500 back together. The back case is broken, and the clips on the inside of the main case are mostly gone, so the mobo can't fit in correctly nor can the back case go on.
Should I part it out?

No. Leave it for a few days and then try again.

Use your third and fourth arms to hold the case internals together, and reserve your primary arms for putting the metal lid on. When you screw the case together, everything will become secure. You may need to miss out the front panel reset switch which will break anyway.

 

[Osgeld]

i know this is an old thread, but im new here and this is already the second time ive seen talk of the 8500's CUDA button and removal of the motherboard (which is a rite pain)

On my 8500 there is a plastic hinged arm holding the daughter-board down into the socket, its lightly latched to the base of the power supply frame thing, all you have to do is unlatch it, flip it back, remove the cpu and use the backside of an inkpen to press the button