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Power Mac G4 "Quicksilver" 733

I

iMac600

68020
Free. Zero. Zip. Nada.

I'm not sure of its specs yet except it has a Seagate 40gb hard disk.

The reason it went for free is some complete idiot decided to flick it to 120v on a 240v line and blew the power supply, so i'll be rigging up a replacement PSU fairly shortly and pray to god that it boots.

More info soon.

UPDATE: It's actually a Macintosh Server G4 QuickSilver. Not that there's much different.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
'grats. Hope you get it running. I know you have been wanting a good machine for a while. here's your chance to get it!

 
I'm exploring the power supply options, if anyone could provide more information on these i'd really appreciate it.

I have a Sawtooth PSU and an ATX PSU ready to run, with modification if necessary. I have a feeling I can make it run with the Sawtooth PSU if I bump one of the lines up to 24-28v, but to do so I need to use an external power supply so one machine will occupy two outlets. Very dodgy hack but a last resort none the less.

 
You know what they say... If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.

I suppose if it is broken, then the quote might say something about how if it is broken, then fix it the wrong way until it's even more broken?

Anyway, congrats on the faster G4, hopefully your sawtooth hack works, or you can find the money to buy the proper PSU for it. I'd go the proper-PSU route anyway, especially if your sawtooth still works.

 
iMac, actually there usually IS a difference between the server versions and the desktop versions. usually they come decked out and with a SCSI card (almost always)

My main computer is a Quicksilver Server edition. runs solid as a rock.

I have no doubt that this will be a great computer for you, i know mine sure is :D

PM G4 Server 1GHz (x2) 1.5 GB 150gb, 100GB, dual layer dvd, scsi card.

Oh, and you cant beat free! (mine was free too :D )

 
Excuse me, but wouldn't e-baying the correct part solve the problem?
Click to expand...
If I fly it in from the united states, then yes it is.

At the moment I have some contacts going out for Quicksilver PSU's, although the search has proven fruitless so far.

I did try a modified ATX which, much to my dismay, did not work. It doesn't necessarily mean the machine is dead, but the odds are beginning to pile up against it.

For now I have the RAM from the Quicksilver in the Yikes, giving it a grand total of 896mb RAM. Much faster.

 
From Apple, for QuickSilver:

1) Connect Mac with a known-good cable to a known-good GPO. Make sure that the PSU loom is firmly in place (break and remake) at J23. Switch on the GPO. Do not start up the computer yet.

2) Connect voltmeter black to pin 11 of the 22-pin PSU connector. Red should measure near 'nuff to 25V (TRKL) on pin 22. If 25V is present, the PSU is probably OK. Check again after verifying your connections if you don't find 25V. If still no 25V, replace the PSU.

3) Start up the Mac. Does the fan spin? If not, replace the PSU.

4) See whether there is 3.3V between pins 11 (black) and 1 (red). If no 3.3V, replace the PSU.

5) See whether there is 5V between pins 11 (black) and 4 (red). If no 5V, replace the PSU.

6) See whether there is 12V between pins 11 (black) and 10 (red). If no 12V, replace the PSU.

If the PSU passes these tests, it is not the cause of 'no power-up'. If you wish to use a 'minimal system' for these tests, disconnect the HDD(s), keyboard/mouse and external devices before you begin. All the QS needs in this minimal mode is PSU, MLB (with RAM and CPU), speaker and power button.

de

 
That's the problem... it doesn't even have a PSU fitted. The previous owner removed it after it released the blue sparks (alongside the magic smoke).

 
That might have been useful knowledge to have had earlier. Apple, whether for Apple-ish reasons or because there are potentially embarrassing differences between them, in the same document as was the source for the above, states unambiguously:'Procedures for verifying the power supplies of other PowerMac G4 models differ substantially [from the QuickSilver, above]. Check their service manuals for detailed instructions'. You will need to keep that injunction in mind if you are tempted towards PSUs from other G4 tower models. Not the least implication is that voltages assigned to the pins of the PSU-to-board connector are different.

de

 
The pins in the connectors are quite similar, but the voltages are lower on other G4 PSU's (with the exception of the MDD, which doesn't fit- period).

I have a feeling the logic board of this Quicksilver is just plain dead. It has been subjected to quite high voltages and may have permanent damage. However, the same can not be said for the various components. The CPU, graphics card, RAM and hard disk are all fine.

Am I concerned? No. The reason for my lack of concern is a project I call "Silvertooth".

It is common knowledge that a Quicksilver CPU can be swapped into a Sawtooth. As can the RAM and graphics card. Not only that, but the Sawtooth does not require a proprietary power supply. Well, it does, but the differences are minimal. One or two wires at most.

The only downsides to running Quicksilver components in a Sawtooth board are that the frontside bus will need a clock up, any ADC displays will not function and drives are limited to 128gb. I don't consider these issues as drawbacks as:

A) I have clocked up a Sawtooth before

B) It's very unlikely i'll ever need to use ADC.

C) The 128gb limit can be corrected in open firmware.

The upside is a custom made machine with all the functionality of a Quicksilver, the ability to boot Leopard, plus an extra power connector on the back for an external display (which more than makes up for the lack of ADC power).

The only thing holding me back from completing this project is my lack of a Sawtooth (G4 AGP) logic board. If I could source up one of those, i'd most certainly be on the right track to what I consider computing nirvana.

 
I was impressed by my wife's 1GHz eMac when it arrived almost a couple of years ago, even though I have beige boxes with ZIF G4/500s in them. Apart from the larger display that she needed, the eMac has been rock-solid in 10.3.9/9.2.2 from the day of its arrival. Mind you, the previous owner had obviously looked after it. But still I didn't have a single native G4 amongst my clutch of half-a-hundred Macs. A couple of months ago I bit the bullet and decided to set myself up properly to do at least some of my work for clients remotely. In brief, that meant at least a 20-in. Cinema Display and a native G4 machine to drive it. From Applebits I bought a 433MHz DA tower, giving myself a 133MHz system bus and good-quality audio-out for one of my other editing interests. Although I usually edit sound using 3-way monitors, or 'phones, DA wasn't going to hurt for quick sound-checks.

Now with 1GB of RAM and a Radeon 7500 ADC card to drive an LCD, and having morphed to 533MHz and now 733MHz, the G4 tower is also rock-solid in 10.4.11 for most purposes and 10.2.8 for sound. Compressing to MP3 (processor) or calculating and displaying a wave outline (graphics), for example, is almost breathtakingly fast, especially by comparison with the same processes on a G3/500Mhz machine that was formerly my principal 'work' machine.

Despite having nearly forty ancients, I have no hesitation in singing the praises of a machine that in Apple's pantheon is somewhat less than godly now. Almost an ancient, too. G4 rules! But then, so will my newly-arrived IIfx when I have tickled it up a bit. Virtue is where you find it.

de

 
You need a Quicksilver power supply. A generic ATX won't work nor will the power supply from any other G4. Expect to pay about $70-$100 on ebay.

 
I did the necessary conversions to the PC ATX as to match the pins of the Quicksilver, sans the ADC power lines. The machine still didn't boot.

I found out how this machine died, one of the students decided to have a bit of fun and flicked the red switch on the back, switched it to 110v and plugged it into a 240v line. I wouldn't be surprised if the logic board was damaged, although it could have suppressed it in the PSU if I was lucky.

 
Are the G4's with ADC supplies built like crap or something? Just seems like they do not last very long, many units just get parted out since nobody wants to pay for a replacement.

I have a feeling that they will be worth a few dollars someday just because of rarity in working condition.

 
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