Pondering a 700mhz Headless eMac Conversion

[iMac600]

If anyone can recall one of my recent liberations, 2x 700mhz eMac G4's, you will also remember that one of them runs beautifully. The other one does not. The display has a flicker which could indicate an imminent failure of the analog board and/or video circuitry.

Instead of throwing this machine away, I would like to salvage the logic board from it. A little rough around the edges, I managed to accidentally damage the AirPort card slot but no matter, it still works and it works well.

So... a PC tower? No. I was thinking more of a slimline case, the kind your old stereo tuner comes in. Something I can slide in underneath my TV and use to play DVD's and watch streaming video. Or sit atop my desk and use it as a server. Endless possibilities in a slimline case.

Now, what I need to confirm is whether I should go ahead with the project using the headless schematics as found here...

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eServer/

...or would it be a better idea to diagnose and repair the CRT? Perhaps the flicker is a minor issue and there's nothing at all wrong with it. Perhaps it's a serious issue and should be scrapped ASAP.

This is where I need your help. Pros and Cons of doing the headless Server/Set Top Box/Desktop Machine conversion as opposed to keeping it a fully assembled eMac. I'm guessing there will be little support for the CRT but enlighten me anyway folks.

Cheers

- MB

 

[Charlieman]

Hack it into a slimline case. The CRT is dodgy and you've already damaged the Airport slot, so use it as an opportunity to build something different. And treat it as a learning exercise, being prepared to buy a replacement eMac board if necessary.

It'll be a bit power hungry, so make it easy to turn on and off.

 

[Franklinstein]

For the slimline case:

Pros:

*Custom goodness for you to have your way with.

*Small form

*Easily transportable

*Not super heavy

*Cooler running

Cons:

*No more integral display

*Additional expenses in building the special enclosure and power delivery and all that.

For keeping it in one piece:

Pros:

*It's a real Mac, just as Steve intended.

*It could easily be deployed for use as a normal computer

Cons:

*It may be super expensive to procure the required replacement parts, and even then it may die.

*You've already got one

*It's frickin' huge and pretty much unstackable, so unless it's got an immediate use or new owner lined up, it may be difficult to store.

I'd probably do the mod, unless everything else about the computer is pristine. Even then I'd probably still do the mod, keeping the shiny case bits for an uglier but more functional computer.

 

[Bunsen]

Slimline case, and eMacquarium!

 

[luddite]

Would it fit in an LC case?

 

[iMac600]

Would it fit in an LC case?

The board is probably about the same size as a Macintosh LC board, but there is nowhere near enough room in there for an optical drive, 2 speakers, the logic board and a power supply. Not to mention all the supporting wiring. (PSU extenders, switches and long IDE cables)

Wouldn't exactly look too good underneath the TV or as a desktop server either... unless of course you hack the foot off and paint it black. Like an interactive television box but narrower...

I could throw it into a DVD player case, or a stereo tuner case. I have a spare one of each.

 

[Bunsen]

610/660/6100 pizzabox

 

[iMac600]

I really do want to go for a case that looks... good. :lol: So there's no chance it'll be a classic Mac case. Besides, if I found a 610/660/6100 case I have a 6100 board that needs a case.

Only concern I have is that i'll pull the board out, chop the wiring and trash the eMac case... only to think back again later and go "No, what did I do that for!". So it needs some serious thought beforehand.

 

[Christopher]

do what everybody else is doing. Make your own G5 tower case!

 

[Byrd]

Remember the pinouts posted on bodnar's site are for a completely different model - the ATI-based eMac 800Mhz+. The nVidia-based eMac 700/800Mhz models are different beasts completely.

I was given two eMac 700s and set about doing the same thing (I had a vision of mounting a 17" LCD behind the existing white bezel, and putting the eMac guts behind it), but the VGA pinouts are incomplete (MacRumors has a big thread on this and includes some incomplete 700 VGA pinouts). You can't use a mini VGA --> VGA adapter as this results in washed out colours. Got it to boot off ATX easily though by making a harness out of a molex connector.

Good luck,

JB

 

[Christopher]

You can't use a mini VGA --> VGA adapter as this results in washed out colours.

Just get a loop through of some sort, that usually stabilizes the video.

 

[Larry767]

Is the ATX voltage to eMac logic board connector the same on the 700 MHz board as is documented on lbodnar's page? I keep seeing people who claim that they've got their 700 MHz board working but nobody tells what they did to get it working.

 

[Byrd]

I used a "molex" power connector to power up mine, which was very simple to wire up - and you could use either an ATX or AT power supply for this.

The MacOS rumours link on making a headless eMac was where I got my info regarding the eMac 700.

JB