Building the Mac IIci of my dreams

[jasa1063]

It was 30 years ago I got my first Mac II series computer. It was a IIsi as I could not afford a IIci at the time. Now after all these years I wanted to put together an ultimate Mac IIci. I think, at least for myself, I have done just that. Here are the specs:

128MB 60ns memory
Big Mess Of Wires ROM-Inator II
DayStar Powercache 50Mhz P33 Accelerator w/68882 Math Coprocessor
ZuluSCSI 1.1 with 16GB SD Card - 2GB image file running System 7.1/w System Update 3.0, 2nd 2GB image file for extra storage
SuperMac Spectrum/8*24 PDQ video card
Astante 10Mbs Ethernet card
Radius Rocket Stage II 40MHz 68040, 128K cache, 32MB 60ns memory (Running it's own copy of System 7.1/w System Update 3.0)

What I like about this setup is having both a Daystar PowerCache and the Radius Rocket. Gives me the fastest 68030 and 68040 in one computer.

 

[Byrd]

@jasa1063 that's a cracker - all that Motorola in one box, nice IIci!

 

[MrFahrenheit]

That’s an amazing setup!

 

[Juror22]

That is fantastic! So much silicon, those cards must weigh 4 or 5 pounds. Even the ZuluSCSI hookup to the activity LED, nice attention to detail.

 

[Jockelill]

What a beauty!! I'm really envious of that Nubus accelerator!! One cracker of a card .

I was lucky recently in obtaining this IIci that had been used for some research purpose (the seller could not say what and I was also not allowed to get the drive ).


I noticed already on the back that there was a interesting card inside:


So I popped it open and found First a Carrera 040 with a weird 68040 with an very noisy fan!
Then there was a Toby and a Dayna Network card (nothing special).





But the last card really caught my attention:




Google hasn't revealed much, but it seems to be some kind of Image Grabber card (it pops up in some early 90s scientific articles), but I haven't been able to find any drivers or software for it. If anyone knows where to find or how to use I'd be very happy.

The logic board had some cap leaks, but was otherwise in really nice condition (no battery leak!) so after a recap and clean it now runs perfectly also driving multiple screens (the LC is just used as a stand here )

 

[jasa1063]

What a beauty!! I'm really envious of that Nubus accelerator!! One cracker of a card .

I was lucky recently in obtaining this IIci that had been used for some research purpose (the seller could not say what and I was also not allowed to get the drive ).
View attachment 44119

I noticed already on the back that there was a interesting card inside:
View attachment 44120

So I popped it open and found First a Carrera 040 with a weird 68040 with an very noisy fan!
Then there was a Toby and a Dayna Network card (nothing special).

View attachment 44121
View attachment 44126


But the last card really caught my attention:
View attachment 44123

View attachment 44124

Google hasn't revealed much, but it seems to be some kind of Image Grabber card (it pops up in some early 90s scientific articles), but I haven't been able to find any drivers or software for it. If anyone knows where to find or how to use I'd be very happy.

The logic board had some cap leaks, but was otherwise in really nice condition (no battery leak!) so after a recap and clean it now runs perfectly also driving multiple screens (the LC is just used as a stand here )
View attachment 44125

Nice setup. It is just like Christmas to find neat surprises like you did in that IIci you got!

 

[jasa1063]

I did one final upgrade today and installed 128MB in the Radius Rocket Stage II. The manual said it worked with 16MB SIMMs and I can now verify that it does indeed!

 

[Byrd]

@jasa1063 how do you find the Rocket for general playing around in the Iici - does sound work in most games?

 

[jasa1063]

@jasa1063 how do you find the Rocket for general playing around in the Iici - does sound work in most games?

I got if from a seller on eBay that had a spare one he was willing to part with.

Radius Rocket Stage 2 NuBus Accelerator Card for Apple Macintosh 68040 40MHZ | eBay

This card is a full mac on a card, used with rocket share program to run a separate computer within a window or use to help render for other programs etc. Here is your chance to own a unobtainium card aka one of the rarest apple macintosh cards.

www.ebay.com

I had heard about the sound issue with the Radius Rocket, but I have not found it to a problem so far. The Stage II was the last model sold by Radius and they may have fixed that issue by the time it was released, but that is only speculation on my part.

 

[Jockelill]

Can you also run some benchmarks ? Would be lovely to see!!

 

[jasa1063]

Can you also run some benchmarks ? Would be love

Can you also run some benchmarks ? Would be lovely to see!!

Here are a set of results running SpeedOMeter 3.23 & 4.02 on both the Radius Rocket Stage II & Mac IIci. From left to right are:

Radius Rocket Stage II - SpeedOMeter 3.23 showing the results against a Quadra 950
Radius Rocket Stage II - SpeedOMeter 4.02 showing the results against a Quadra 950
Mac IIci - SpeedOMeter 3.23 showing the results against a Mac IIci
Mac IIci - SpeedOMeter 4.02 showing the results against a Mac IIci with a DayStar PowerCache 50Mhz

The Radius Rocket Stage II does not register the disk results from SpeedOMeter 4.02 for some reason.

 

[olePigeon]

Awesome. Your IIci is nearly identical to mine before it bit the dust, except mine had a regular Radius Rocket.

 

[SophieRose]

Wow, this is just extreme.. I love it

 

[Unknown_K]

Not much info on the Neotech frame grabber other then it was sold in the USA by Advent Computer Products, Inc. in California. Neotech was a company based in Surrey, England.

 

[Phipli]

It was 30 years ago I got my first Mac II series computer. It was a IIsi as I could not afford a IIci at the time. Now after all these years I wanted to put together an ultimate Mac IIci. I think, at least for myself, I have done just that. Here are the specs:

128MB 60ns memory
Big Mess Of Wires ROM-Inator II
DayStar Powercache 50Mhz P33 Accelerator w/68882 Math Coprocessor
ZuluSCSI 1.1 with 16GB SD Card - 2GB image file running System 7.1/w System Update 3.0, 2nd 2GB image file for extra storage
SuperMac Spectrum/8*24 PDQ video card
Astante 10Mbs Ethernet card
Radius Rocket Stage II 40MHz 68040, 128K cache, 32MB 60ns memory (Running it's own copy of System 7.1/w System Update 3.0)

What I like about this setup is having both a Daystar PowerCache and the Radius Rocket. Gives me the fastest 68030 and 68040 in one computer.

I've been trying to build a similar dream machine for years, the main thing I'm missing? The IIci! My childhood IIci is still at my parents house.

My target setup will be :
IIci 128MB, SCSI2SD
Radius Precisioncolor
Audiomedia II
33MHz Rocket
Daystar Turbo 601

Gives me 030, 040, 601 in one box

I'd probably put an ethernet card in some of the time instead of the audio card for ease of use, unless I build a SCSI ethernet adapter (which I should).

 

[jasa1063]

I've been trying to build a similar dream machine for years, the main thing I'm missing? The IIci! My childhood IIci is still at my parents house.

My target setup will be :
IIci 128MB, SCSI2SD
Radius Precisioncolor
Audiomedia II
33MHz Rocket
Daystar Turbo 601

Gives me 030, 040, 601 in one box

I'd probably put an ethernet card in some of the time instead of the audio card for ease of use, unless I build a SCSI ethernet adapter (which I should).

That would be quite a setup