Re-conquest! Power Macintosh 5200CD

[oneboyarmy]

I was visiting family this weekend and remembered my stepfather's parents had inherited a 5200CD from me when I was in college. I asked about it and they had set it in the garage and would be more than happy if I took it back! It has yellowed a bit since I gave it to them, but it is still in good condition. It used to belong to my college, oddly enough, as did many of my old Macs.

I'm not 100% sure of the what's under the hood, but I'll update with specs once I get a chance. I believe it's only got a 500MB or maybe a 1GB hard drive, and 16MB of RAM. That said, I believe I have a 5400 or 5500 logic board I picked up ages ago - the question is, can I just drop it in? I've seen a few things that say I'd need to change the PSU. I also eyeballed a 6500 board which I've read will work... but I just can't find much info on compatible boards and such.

I'm not sure what I plan to do with it just yet. Leaving it stock doesn't appeal to me very much, as it's too much of a slouch for the old software I'd want to run on it. Then again, I have other machines available for such things.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Nice, I was happy with the re-conquest of it's desktop cousin, a 6290CD.

I haven't tried it yet, but I've got a 6500 board to test, from all I've heard, it should be plug-n-play for your 5200 and my 6290. A CrescendoG3 RoadApple AIO with a 50MHz bus ought to be quite nice.

 

[oneboyarmy]

I think the 6500 is supposed to be the most plug-and-play because it can handle the voltages the right way. I saw that the 5400 board might need a power supply swap, but I read elsewhere that it would work as long as there wasn't a PCI card installed. I'm going to test the board I have sometime in the next few days when I'm home for a while... and take the Mac out of the trunk of my car.

 

[MinerAl]

From what I understood back in the Color Classic hacking days, the 6360-x400s needed 3.3V from the PS for PCI to work.

Dunno about the x500s.

 

[oneboyarmy]

So, here it is, booted up for the first time!

Running OS 8.1 and there was a copy of Free Guard installed that really limited use of the machine... I have no idea what in the world was going on there. That nonsense had to go.

On the plus, the x400 board (200Mhz) works perfectly! Dropped in 64MB of RAM and installed OS 8.5. I'd have gone to 8.6, but the CD-ROM drive is being incredibly finicky so I'll need to find another solution as it won't read most of my CD-Rs... or will read them once and crap out.

The 1GB hard drive is a bit noisy so it might get replaced, but no rush on that.

Now, to find a cache module (the socket is totally empty :O ) and I should be set. The CRT is still nice, bright and crisp, so that was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Keep an eye open for the 6500 board, the reason it's plug and play is that it rolls its own 3.3V for PCI onboard. Don't plug a PCI card in there, no sense hazarding card & controller. The 25% increase in system bus speed is a real kick in the pants as well.

I'll look through the stuff for Cache DIMMs, my cup all but runneth over with G3 cards for that slot.

 

[markyb86]

That machine right there brings back memories. A ton of math blaster, and an encyclopedia that I cant recall, was all I did when I had access to the one classroom computer. I think I even stayed after for tutoring just to play.

 

[TheEisenfaust]

Those Power Macintosh models had the coolest startup chime. In my opinon, they actually beat out the 6100 in epicness. Not TAM worthy, but close second. Full orchestra power!

 

[oneboyarmy]

I actually *did* drop a PCI card in it with a successful boot and no issue, but I wasn't about to stress test it. Morbid curiosity, I suppose! I was still tempted for the 6500 board, but I'm not that obsessed with keeping this machine going. A G3 card sounds fun though, I've never seen one of the cache slot upgrades.

Losing the fancy start-up chime was the downside of switching to the 5400 board, but the performance increase is totally worth it, IMHO. :lol: Road Apple no more!

(I feel like I should also fire off some crappy comment about the Spindler Plastics, a piece of something flew off and hit me in the face. Wretched Mac shrapnel! > )

 

[uniserver]

i hear ya, I have (2) 5200's and (1) 5400, the plastics on the 5400 are brittle and yellow as hell.

but---- The 5400 case/tube does 800x600, the 5200 case/tube witch is white still, and not so brittle only does 640x480.

i could get nutts and put the Tube in the 5200 from the 5400, but ahhh… i just don't care that much about them…. :-(

 

[bse5150]

The 5400 case/tube does 800x600, the 5200 case/tube witch is white still, and not so brittle only does 640x480.

Are you sure about that, uni? My 5200 did 800x600 without any modification.

Yep, everymac.com confirms 800x600 and 832x624 in 8-bit (256 colors).

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_performa/specs/mac_performa_5200cd.html

 

[uniserver]

you might want to check that, i think that info is wrong.

Yes, i'm pretty sure about that.

Charles

 

[bse5150]

Apple History confirms 800x600. http://apple-history.com/5200

I wasn’t interested in the power of the integrated Video Card that delivered amazing graphics to the 15inch Monitor with up to 832×624 resolution,

Another confirmation. http://512pixels.net/2012/05/old-mac-of-the-month-the-performa-5200/

Apple confirms... http://support.apple.com/kb/SP294

I'm relatively certain that I used to run my Performa 5200 at 832x624 with WordPerfect 3.5 and the TV tuner card. It was kind of cool... Until the poor girl died... Tragic. But I don't want to talk about that... You know, repressed memories and everything.

 

[Macdrone]

My 5200 runs higher also Uni, may want to check your motherboard or system software or whatever. I have to agree that it should be the same as the 5400 series.

 

[uniserver]

maybe i'm thinking about the LC575?

I'm gonna have to lug it back in now... i'm not too happy about this.

but now i gotta to check this out.

 

[uniserver]

one of my (2) 5200's

This was installed retail 8.6 disk.





my 5400, - yea like the mac startup chime much better.

used same install disk - 8.6 the 5400 looks like it actually goes to 1024x768

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Interesting . . . the 5200 RAMDAC appears to limit the display to 16" @ 8bit with the same 1MB VRAM that's available to the 6400 which allows 19" @ 8bit . . .

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_performa/specs/mac_performa_5200cd.html = 1 MB VRAM = 16" = 832 x 624 @ 8bit MaxRes

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/specs/powermac_5400_200.html = 1MB VRAM = 19" = 1024 x 768 @ 8bit MaxRes

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/specs/powermac_5500_225.html = 2MB VRAM = 21" = 1152 x 870 @ 16bit & 1280 x 1024 @8bit MaxRes

. . . I think I'd check the part numbers for the CRT and yoke assemblies before making any assumptions about running earlier AIO models at higher resolutions . . .

. . . the MoBo may be willing, but the Display itself may be weak. :?:

I've pretty much run 640 x 480 @ 16bit for video off any of these systems for playing VHS movies or TV in the rugger's room or after I moved. A PCI card found its way into the 6360 very shortly after I got it to run the 20" & later 21" Radius displays at high resolutions and bit depths.

Double the VRAM, 3.3V circuitry on board for PCI, 25% faster system bus and G3 capability puts the 6500/5500 MoBo almost in the must have category for upgrading the 5200 and its RoadApple offspring as I see it. It's better in almost every way than even the 6400/5400.

 

[LCGuy]

i could get nutts and put the Tube in the 5200 from the 5400, but ahhh… i just don't care that much about them…. :-(

You wouldn't have to do that much - great thing about the 5xxx series is that they actually have a full metal chassis underneath, you can just take the plastic pieces off each machine and swap them around, no messing around with CRTs or analog boards required.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Do you remember offhand if the the CRT's are different parts? I haven't looked at the Service Manuals to see, but I can hardly imagine Apple using a better multiscan monitor setup than necessary for either model.

Apple don' give away ice in the winter.

I almost wish I had a 5xxx to max out, Sonnetize, hack in a Trinitron, second PCI slot and paint black to match my USB peripherals. But it's a great honking beast for just a 15" monitor. I've got all the parts necessary, but I'd almost have to get rid of one of my five 21" - 22" Trinitrons to fit it into the HackLab . . .

. . . maybe when one dies. It would look GREAT sitting next to the black 22" ViewSonic running off a good PCI card! }