8500 logic in 7200 case possible?

[MidnightCommando]

So. I'm set to conquest a 7200 this week.

From what I understand, a 7200 is basically a 7500 without the daughtercard, and limited expansion possibilities.

ISTR the 7500 and 8500 boards are quite similar. Are they similar enough that I could drop an 8500 logic into a 7200 case and have a semi-7500?

If it's not possible as-is, how extensive would case modifications need to be to accomodate the 8500 logic? Would the 7200 PSU be compatible with the 8500 board?

I understand the reverse procedure would give me an 8200, a rare beast. Would anyone want such a thing?

TL;DR I want a 7500 and I want to know if what I have available to me will let me make one up. Also, would an 8200 result?

 

[tmtomh]

Can't answer all your questions with certainty, but yes, the 8500 mobo should work fine in that 7200.

AFAIK the 7200 PSU and mobo connectors (to power, SCSI, floppy, etc.) are all identical to the 7300-7500-7600 series. And I know from personal experience that one can put 8500-8600 mobos into the 7x00 machines.

So you should be good to go. As to whether the result counts as an 8200, that's more of a philosophical question.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

It would certainly eliminate the 8500's biggest drawback (that damn case).

 

[Bunsen]

It would be a substantial improvement on an 8200:

Essentially a Power Mac 7200 repackaged in Apple's mini-tower case

I nominate it a 7700 :ii:

/ETA/ wait... is an 8500 just a 7500 in a tower?

 

[Gorgonops]

/ETA/ wait... is an 8500 just a 7500 in a tower?

Correction: a 7500 in a really horrible excuse for a tower.

I was under the impression, which is probably wrong, that the 7200 had a lower-rated power supply than the 7500, but I could be completely wrong about that? Other than that I'm pretty sure the form factor is the same across all the 7xxx-8xxx-boards. So far as I know the only meaningful distinction between the 7500 and the 8500 is the lowest-end 7500s came with a PPC601 CPU card, while the 8500 was never sold with anything less than a 604.

The 9xxx's of course have the six slot board, so that won't fit.

 

[zuiko21]

AFAIK, the A/V daughterboard on the 8500 had video input and output connectors, while the 7500 had input only.

Love that 7500. My first Mac, actually. Dad still uses it for music score editing (and playback!)