iBook G3 HD Dilemma, what's the cheapest solution?

[Snial]

I had had problems with installing Mac OS X on my iceBook G3/600. It kept crashing some way into rebooting. I thought it was the dodgy GPU (screen keeps glitching, though I guess it could be cable issue). So, I thought the 60GB HD was OK and figured I could put it in my Mac mini G4.

After 1 hour of disassembling the iBook, I removed the HD only to find it rattles. Great, so that was probably why rebooting after installations kept failing!

So, the question is, IDE to CF or IDE to SD card? Is an SD card actually going to be fast enough? Is a >=64GB CF card too expensive? But then I'll also be back into the issue where the problem might not have just been the HD, my iBook G3 might finally be dying (I bought it from new in 2002) but I also didn't seem to be able to get the previous IDE to SD adapter + MicroSD to work in the Mac mini either.

What a dilemma, what do you suggest?



-cheers from Julz

 

[Phipli]

IDE to SD card? Is an SD card actually going to be fast enough?

I've had excellent luck with specific SD card adapters in my Pismos. They are way faster than the original hard disks. I've used them regularly for several years.

ASHATA SD To IDE Adapter SD To IDE SD/SDHC/SDXC/ Memory Card To IDE 44Pin | eBay

IDE interface: 44PIN. Support SD card type: SD card, SDHC, SDXC,, TF. This adapter card allows you to use the SD card with this superiority to connect to the standard ATA IDE interface as a standard IDE storage device.

www.ebay.co.uk

Or claiming to be in the UK

SD to IDE Adapter 44-Pin Male - Boot From SD Card On Old Laptops,Retro Computers | eBay

It also provides a convenient way of transferring data between old and new computers. No extra software or drivers are needed as it will be recognised by the computer as if it were a standard IDE hard disk at whatever the capacity of the SD Card is.

www.ebay.co.uk

You'll need to make something to hold them and stop them shorting. Mine are just covered in kapton tape. But don't tell anyone.

 

[treellama]

My clamshells have msata to ide adapters. You can find used msata drives for cheap and the clamshells have new enough IDE controllers that they work fine.

 

[Snial]

I've had excellent luck with specific SD card adapters in my Pismos. They are way faster than the original hard disks. I've used them regularly for several years.

ASHATA SD To IDE Adapter SD To IDE SD/SDHC/SDXC/ Memory Card To IDE 44Pin | eBay

IDE interface: 44PIN. Support SD card type: SD card, SDHC, SDXC,, TF. This adapter card allows you to use the SD card with this superiority to connect to the standard ATA IDE interface as a standard IDE storage device.

www.ebay.co.uk

I used a very similarly-looking one for my PowerBook 1400. It's got a 16GB µSD: Micro SD HC, UHS-1, which apparently can handle full HD video. However, in my PB1400 bench testing, even with the PPC drivers, it's slower than a 6200/75's SCSI.

http://oneweekwonder.blogspot.com/2022/11/my-new-mac-is-old-mac.html

Or claiming to be in the UK

SD to IDE Adapter 44-Pin Male - Boot From SD Card On Old Laptops,Retro Computers | eBay

It also provides a convenient way of transferring data between old and new computers. No extra software or drivers are needed as it will be recognised by the computer as if it were a standard IDE hard disk at whatever the capacity of the SD Card is.

www.ebay.co.uk

You'll need to make something to hold them and stop them shorting. Mine are just covered in kapton tape. But don't tell anyone.

My clamshells have msata to ide adapters. You can find used msata drives for cheap and the clamshells have new enough IDE controllers that they work fine.

I never knew that was possible - I always assumed Sata drives would be full size, so a IDE to SATA adapter wouldn't help. And you're right, they're cheap: £13 for 128GB new and £5 for an adapter.

Woah!

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Most hard drives from that time make a rattle noise when flipping them around. I forget what causes it but it’s normal. Sounds like your GPU or something else is dying

I’d get an IDE to USB adapter though and use that to check the health of the drive on a modern computer, just to rule that out.

 

[Phipli]

I used a very similarly-looking one for my PowerBook 1400. It's got a 16GB µSD: Micro SD HC, UHS-1, which apparently can handle full HD video. However, in my PB1400 bench testing, even with the PPC drivers, it's slower than a 6200/75's SCSI.

I've benched it in my Pismo, so that is the PB1400, not the adapter.

 

[Phipli]

Last time we had this discussion :

1400c 166 slow CF?

Some pretty telling numbers there.

68kmla.org

 

[Snial]

Last time we had this discussion :

1400c 166 slow CF?

Some pretty telling numbers there.

68kmla.org

OK, so the 1400/117's IDE interface is rubbish! That kinda makes me feel better, because I don't think it's too slow for my needs at all (VM on, at 33MB for 32MB real Ram).

 

[Phipli]

OK, so the 1400/117's IDE interface is rubbish! That kinda makes me feel better, because I don't think it's too slow for my needs at all (VM on, at 33MB for 32MB real Ram).

Would a PCMCIA to CF adapter be faster? I haven't benchmarked one. They do boot.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I'll go bench mine now.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Did some benchmarks with macbench 5.
View attachment 58207
Current System = 1400c/117 with stock 1GB HDD
1400c/166 disk test = 1400c/166, CF to IDE
3400c SD Card = 3400c/240, SD to IDE
is the IDE bus on the 3400 known to be better than the 1400? I’d assume so, but I’m not tearing down my 3400c just to test the SD adapter in the 1400.

Quoting my post from the other thread. The in-built CF got 41% the speed of a G3/300. The PCMCIA CF got 36%, so it's slower. I wasn't using the same card for both tests, but I'm fairly sure that my PCMCIA test card is actually faster than the one that's internal to my 1400c.

 

[Phipli]

Quoting my post from the other thread. The in-built CF got 41% the speed of a G3/300. The PCMCIA CF got 36%, so it's slower. I wasn't using the same card for both tests, but I'm fairly sure that my PCMCIA test card is actually faster than the one that's internal to my 1400c.

Shame.

What was the peak MB/s?

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I don't think it displayed that? If there's a way to see that, let me know.

 

[Phipli]

Quoting my post from the other thread. The in-built CF got 41% the speed of a G3/300. The PCMCIA CF got 36%, so it's slower. I wasn't using the same card for both tests, but I'm fairly sure that my PCMCIA test card is actually faster than the one that's internal to my 1400c.

Looking at the figures, a good external SCSI disk might beat both internal and PCMCIA.

 

[Phipli]

I don't think it displayed that? If there's a way to see that, let me know.

What software are you using?

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Macbench 5

 

[Phipli]

Macbench 5

It's there somewhere. I made a plot in MB/s with MacBench 4 on my Pismo. I don't tend to use it much so don't know where it is as an option though, off hand.

 

[MacUp72]

I would install a mSata adapter with mSata card in it, workes flawlessly in my PB G4 and Clamshell.
The above mentioned IDE to SD adapter is fine, too.

 

[Snial]

I would install a mSata adapter with mSata card in it, workes flawlessly in my PB G4 and Clamshell.
The above mentioned IDE to SD adapter is fine, too.

OK, so I ordered 3 mSata adapters + 3x 128GB mSata SSDs. Now... In my understanding, the iBook G3/600 (late 2001) doesn't support drives larger than 120GB in the ROM (no support for 48bit LBA). Does this mean @Phipli , that it gets treated as 120GB or it just can't handle it at all or I can use 128GB if I partition it?

I don't mind if I can only use 120GB, it's still 56GB larger than the next smaller option (64GB).

PS. I bought 3 because then I can use the second on the Mac mini G4 (which supports all 128GB I believe) and the iMac G4/1GHz at my Dad's house.

 

[Phipli]

Does this mean @Phipli , that it gets treated as 120GB or it just can't handle it at all or I can use 128GB if I partition it?

I think the limit is actually 128GB, but disks only came in 120 and 160GB or something, back then, so 120GB was the biggest disk... But...

What I did was partition my 128GB SD card in another Mac that was happy with them, into two 60GB partitions. Just avoid repartitioning it on the device itself.