CPU upgrades and 9600 board faults...

[Schmoburger]

I recall reading somewhere... fairly recently even, that there was a certain CPU upgrade available for the 9xxx/8xxx/7xxx series PowerMac's that had an apparant link to failures of the onboard  SCSI controllers on 9600 logic boards when installed, inasmuch as machines fitted with said specific upgrade had a noticable failure rate as compared to other vendors or stock CPU's.

Can anybody verify this, and if so clarify which specific CPU uprgrade it concerned? Something makes Sonnet stick out as the brand in question but I can't be certain or remember much beyond that.

I have a Sonnet Crescendo G3/400 upgrade that came with my 9600 but given how scarce these machines and parts for them are in Australia these days, I don't want to put it in if there is a chance that it will fry things.

 

[trag]

That does not ring any bells for me.  Doesn't mean it never existed, but does mean that it must have been pretty obscure if it did.

There were issues putting G4 upgrades into the 6-slot PPC Macs (except the S900) which had problems with PCI cards in teh lower three slots.  There's some kind of Bandit arbitration bug on the second Bandit when a G4 is installed.  NewerTech or maybe PowerLogix found a solution to this, and then the solution found its way to Sonnet by way of hired engineers.

 

[Byrd]

Never heard of, Sonnet upgrades are usually very forgiving and don't tax the machine like others (with selectable bus, multiplier speeds .... Sonnet did none of that), so I'd go for it.

 

[Schmoburger]

Sounds like all systems are go then. Might do the switcheroo then. Would I be right in assuming the majority of programs wouldn't really be able to make use of the multiprocessing functionality of the stock processors and as such I would pretty much be basically no better off than running a single 200MHz 604 in many applications?

 

[Byrd]

The Sonnet card will work well, and one day look out for one of their later G4 700/800/1000 upgrades which also run well in the 9600, and reliably.  It will feel like a new machine over the 200Mhz 604e.  

I used to have Newertech G3 500, then a XLR8 ZIF card in my 9600 but both were sensitive little things which were promptly put to one side when I found a cheap Sonnet 1Ghz on eBay.  I used to ignore Sonnet cards due to their lack of "tweakability" but they are better quality with more rigorous R&D having been carried out on them - it shows.

There aren't many MP aware applications apart from Photoshop, SoundJam and neither will produce huge gains even if the second CPU is used.  This link details some performance differences using G4 dual upgrades in OS 9:

https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/11832-dual-versus-single-cpu-in-mac-os-9-real-test/

Glad to hear your 9600 is up and running - they are my favourite Apple towers too.  Even Apple stores didn't seem to have them in their stores when they were released, I never sighted one.  Years later I bought a 9600/233 and made a good friend (literally - in the seller), later a 9650WGS I couldn't pass up - it was used for RIP printing for a high end fabric designer in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

JB

 

[Schmoburger]

Yeh I'm quite enjoying using it actually... posting this from it in fact. I still havent worked out exactly what it's affliction to the R7k or the properly working Rage128 is yet, but it is functioning fine witha TT in it so that suits me fine. I ended up tossing in the G3/400-1Mb Sonnet card this afternoon before work and it is still a little sluggish but noticably more fluid than with the 200MP card in it... There is also a good chance I am suffering Porsche-Syndrome going back to an old world PowerPC and G3 after using the G5 for so long. lol... I do still beleive there is some performance to be gained from cleaning up the system a little, as I beleive there is a bit of bloat in it. Also a properly functioning ATI card should probably bump the fluidity in a better direction.

But yes they were always a machine I lusted over in my early teens but I had only ever seen them in product brochures, advertising spreads and columns in MacAddict mag etc... Never once even saw one in the flesh until I bought this beastie. I remember there being a full page ad for the various Mac power-towers in one mag where it had I beleive the 6500, 8600, and 9600 all lined up and even on paper it looked impressive, as did the specs at the time. I'm definitely pleased to finally own one after nearly 20 years, and a MP example at that. I wouldn't mind getting a second one and running one as a stock configuration MP for posterity and the other souped up to the nines just to say I did.

In relation to another point you make, I like you, I have actually made a quite good friend out of what was a simple transaction. I have kept in regular contact with the guy in Canberra I bought this and the IIvx off (a not overly active member of the forums) and he is a top fellow and every bit as passionate about his vintage Mac hobby as I am. He actually sent me some extra goodies just last week to acompanmy the machines, which was a gesture I very much appreciated. I spent a good few hours at his place playing Mac's and intend to fit the fellow into my usual social rounds on my periodic Canberra trips from here onwards.