G4 Cube Monitor Support

[BoomerangThree]

Hi All,

I'm a newbie G4 Cube enthusiast and I have a G4 Cube in my possession and now I'm looking for an Apple Studio Display LCD Monitor for it.  

I have my eyes on the eBay listing in the link below, but I need some education.  I understand that the Cube directly supports the ADC connector and the monitor in the link below has a DVI-D single link to ADC adapter.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293302079638?ul_noapp=true

1. Will the adapter, DVI-D single link to ADC adapter directly support the G4 Cube, i.e. hook up directly with no additional adapters, ect?

2. Any other education you can provide so I purchase the correct monitor with adapter will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any support and education you can provide.

 

[corgski]

A stock cube will have a single ADC port and a single VGA port. That monitor will connect directly to the ADC port without any adapters - the ebay description is describing a different monitor than the one pictured.

The DVI-D to ADC adapter is only necessary if you plan to put a graphics card in the cube that has DVI out in place of the ADC port. That said, it's nice to have as those monitors require that adapter for any system that doesn't have an ADC port.

 

[BoomerangThree]

Really appreciate the support and education!

Thanks

 

[corgski]

Of course! I hope you have all the fun with your cube, it's a gorgeous machine.

Also, be extremely gentle with the kickstand on the back if you buy any apple monitor of that era. My 15" LCD studio display has a broken stand and all I did was look at it wrong. :'(

 

[BoomerangThree]

My thoughts exactly regarding the G4 Cube being a gorgeous machine,  let alone the fact that it was only manufactured for 1 year and units built probably number 50k or less.  I can’t Find the exact number.  I’ve owned many a PC over the last 35 years, but I use and collect Apple products for their engineering prowess and beauty.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

HEH! Make that Industrial Design prowess.  :wink: As kickstands etc. indicate, Apple wasn't very good at mechanical engineering in those days, at least not within the designed for looks limitations imposed upon that department from on high. At least they stopped shipping Crumbling Towers after the second coming. :approve:

Enjoy the Cube, many do love the lil' things.

 

[BoomerangThree]

I stand corrected.

Happy Birthday to the USMC and me.

Semper Fi

 

[swamprock]

Be aware that if you decide down the road to buy/use a 20" or larger (or is it 23"? Mine is a 23") Apple ADC monitor that you'll need a beefier video card in your Cube; something with at least 32mb of video RAM. The ATI Rage that comes stock won't cut it. I power mine with a Geforce 3; a card that is pretty much a unicorn these days, but there are other options that I can't think of at the moment.

I have to agree on the beauty and marvel of engineering that the Cube was for its time. I'm on my third Cube and plan to keep this one, as it's in almost flawless condition (and was priced accordingly.... phew!).

 

[BoomerangThree]

Thanks Groovy, corgski, Trash80to_HPMini, swamprock,

The video card limitations was one the 1st Cube lessons I learned online.  That’s why I came here for confirmation.

Trash80... I have one of those I purchased new way back and learned my skills and subsequent career started with.  That along with the ,TI-99/4A & Commodore 64.  Still have all of them.

 

[corgski]

Be aware that if you decide down the road to buy/use a 20" or larger (or is it 23"? Mine is a 23") Apple ADC monitor that you'll need a beefier video card in your Cube; something with at least 32mb of video RAM. The ATI Rage that comes stock won't cut it. I power mine with a Geforce 3; a card that is pretty much a unicorn these days, but there are other options that I can't think of at the moment.

I have to agree on the beauty and marvel of engineering that the Cube was for its time. I'm on my third Cube and plan to keep this one, as it's in almost flawless condition (and was priced accordingly.... phew!).

Geforce 2MX is generally the next option people choose. The cube specific version is just as much of a unicorn, but the regular Mac version apparently works with active cooling, or you can use a Geforce 4MX or ATI Radeon 9000 if you relocate the VRM, fabricate a custom face plate for the card (or go without and be real gentle) and add active cooling.

Here's a macrumors thread about it: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/g4-cube-gpu-upgrade.2030782/

 

[BoomerangThree]

Geforce 2MX is generally the next option people choose. The cube specific version is just as much of a unicorn, but the regular Mac version apparently works with active cooling, or you can use a Geforce 4MX or ATI Radeon 9000 if you relocate the VRM, fabricate a custom face plate for the card (or go without and be real gentle) and add active cooling.

Here's a macrumors thread about it: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/g4-cube-gpu-upgrade.2030782/

Excellent, I’ll save the thread for future reference.  This Cube I’ll most likely leave stock for prosperity, but I do have my eyes on another one for mods, and even another one for a possible Hackintosh.  But these are wishes at this time, one step at a time.  

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Prosperity, posterity or both! :lol: I'm using an HP ZR24w off the DVI port of the G3Force4 MX in my Quicksilver. But the stock ATI Rage should support 1920 x 1200 in 24-bit just fine?

The squarish base would go nicely with the cube. The band is already brushed aluminum lookin' so spray the black parts of the case silver a/o graphite, add a deep clear coat and it'll look better than the 17" Apple LCD picture frame. Does the styling of later and cinema displays match all that well with the Cube anyway?

I started out programming in Basic on a Trash80 in an adult ed class I took with my then wife at the Middle School my son would later attend. Bought C64 at the end of the class in the spring and my wonderful ex bought the FDD for my birthday in June. Great stuff, never used a tape drive!

Happy birthday to you and the Corps! Marine I take it? Thank God I didn't have to enlist as planned, it was at the tail end of US involvement in VietNam and they ended the draft just for me! My very low number nor anyone else's was called that year. Mixing reluctant draftees from the general pool into the Marine Corps in that time frame was a very low ebb in the flow of a long and storied history. Semper Fidelis, something to live by for a lifetime, thanks for your service, sir.

 

[BoomerangThree]

Posterity... just like the younger generation, my increasing reliance on spellcheckers and laziness to actually re-read what I've written continues to catch up with me.  

Thanks for the HP ZR24w recommendation.  In addition to the Apple Display which I want to pair with the Cube for looks, I need another monitor for a security NVR (old Dell monitor finally bit the dust after 12 years).  Looks like I can pick up a HP ZR24w refurb for $100.  Nice recommendation and a monitor that I can use with the Cube.

Yeah, I'm a Marine from 1977, enlisted after Viet Nam was over.  Actually signed up to be a grunt, but thanks to someone watching over me, I ended up a Bulk Fuel Engineer with the Air Wing, then pulled into administration.  In hindsight, I wouldn't have been a good grunt, but I was an excellent admin chief and that is where I was introduced to computers.

I'm in the process of now of researching threads breaking down the Cube, polishing the acrylic case, ect...  They journey continues...

 

[corgski]

I'd be interested to hear what you come across for polishing the cube. I've been working on mine (which has a spot of fogging on the inside from either acetone or CA glue I assume) by hand using Meguiars ScratchX and PlastiX polishing compounds, which are my usual go-to for restoring glossy plastics and it's working ok but I'm nowhere near an expert in this thing.

It's hella slow going doing it by hand, but I couldn't get a random orbit sander with a buffing pad down inside the body and wouldn't trust it not to melt the plastic anyway.

 

[BoomerangThree]

I'd be interested to hear what you come across for polishing the cube. I've been working on mine (which has a spot of fogging on the inside from either acetone or CA glue I assume) by hand using Meguiars ScratchX and PlastiX polishing compounds, which are my usual go-to for restoring glossy plastics and it's working ok but I'm nowhere near an expert in this thing.

It's hella slow going doing it by hand, but I couldn't get a random orbit sander with a buffing pad down inside the body and wouldn't trust it not to melt the plastic anyway.

I sure will.  I have a cracked, unusable G4 acrylic case that I plan on experimenting on and will update you when I get around to it.

 

[ScutBoy]

The Mac Radeon 7500 is a great video card for the Cube. Does not need extra cooling, and can drive the 23" ADC display directly.

You will need to remove the fence from the back of the card, since it won't fit in the Cube, but I've done this on many with no ill effect.

Can be found on eBay for $10-$20, or can often be found in QuickSilvers or MDDs that are otherwise might be heading for the recycler...

 

[BoomerangThree]

Thanks ScutBoy,  I'm looking at eBay now.  At $10 - $20, why not.  I plan on a 2nd Cube, so that will be my upgrade version, with the 1st Cube staying stock.

 

[TheDoctor]

The Mac Radeon OEM card that Apple shipped in the DA PowerMac G4s works in the Cube and supports ADC.  You'll have to swap the fence with one from a Cube video card.  This is the card I have in my Cube.