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So, Beige G3's.

My G3, which I use as 2nd machine:

G3 233 DT, overclocked to 83MHz systembus and CPU@292MHz. Working extremely stable! 384MB Ram, 500GB Sata HD, ATI 7000 64MB.

 
Desktop Model: Revision B ROM

G3 400mhz 1mb L2 cache-jumpered

512mb RAM

6mb VRAM

6oGb HDD

DVD Pioneer drive

16mb ATI dvd decoder video card

patched apple dvd player

Wings card

2-port PCI USB card

2 port PCI Firewire card

Running System 9.1

 
Thought I might post the machine I have the parts, but not the time to build -

CPU - 900 MHz Powerlogix CPU - We were going to try to overclock this to 1000

MB- RV 2 I believe. I don't know which ROM

RAM - 768 PC 133

HD - 20 gig 10,000 RPM SCSI - on Adaptec Scsi card

Vid - Rage 128 16MB with DVD Decoder

Firewire card for file transfers

This is a joint project with anhaedra. I think we might just do it in the B&W it is in right now. He has a pair of Voodoo 2s we might try as well.

In the blue and white, it plays back Youtube! I was very impressed. Just can't seem to get it past 900 though.

 
do you have the latest powerlogix software? Mine lets me go higher than that chip is rated for, so I don't see why it wouldn't do that with a 900 too.

 
My beige config is in the signature. Are there any ways to get the freaking dvd player to work on this thing?!?!?!?! I did a mod/hack where you delete the install check file in the installer package, but now the app wont open. I have an ATi 9200 in it as well as a DVD burner.
Get a Wired4DVD card... :-)

 
The best way to reset the pram is to disconnect main power, disconnect the PS from the motherboard, remove the pram battery, tap the power button to kill any residual voltage, and then let it sit 30 minutes.
I had to do that on a beiege desktop that OSX 10.3 was installed on and messed it up where it would not bong.
I don't know if this works on the Beige G3, but...

Hit the power button and before you get the start-up bong, hit the cmd-opt-p-r keys. Yes, this is the normal key combination for a PRAM zap, but holding the keys down before the startup bong resets more stuff (NVRAM in addition to PRAM?) than hitting those keys after the startup bong.

I tested this extensively on the Umax S900 and there is definitely a difference on that machine and therefore all the x500/x600 machines. I don't know if it extends to the Beige.

The reason I learned this was that the NVRAM patch for the E-100 card (combo UW SCSI/10/100 enet) would put the machine in a state where it would not boot but would fail at the black screen some times. The contents of the NVRAM were in an unbootable state. A regular PRAM reset wouldn't fix it, but the early PRAM reset would.

 
As you are probably aware, ASP tells you which ROM is installed:

$77D.40F2 revision A

$77D.45F1 revision B

$77D.45F2 revision C.

Somewhere (but which where escapes me) is an (incomplete) essay about chip differences as diagnostics of ROM version.

Codicil at 1550GMT: Eh! voilà!

http://eshop.macsales.com/Tech/Load_Page.cfm?page=zifrommainpage.html
That page is amazing in that they put soooo much work into categorizing the appearance of the ROMs and completely missed the simple and essential method of telling them apart....

That page focuses on the circuit board revision numbers and somewhat on the stickers on the modules. Any of the three sets of ROM chips can go on any of those circuit boards. The only reason there is any association between circuit board numbers and ROM revision is because of coincidental dates of manufacture.

The real way to tell them apart is to read the part numbers off of the two ROM chips themselves.

The rev. A chips (the two black chips on the circuit board) will have part numbers 341S0402 and 341S0403.

The rev. C chips will have part numbers 341S0494 and 341S0495

I haven't seen a standard Rev. B ROM yet, so I don't have it's ROM chip part number.

I actually have a Rev. B ROM, but it was non-standard. It was made with four flash chips by Apple instead of their standard two mask ROM chips, so it isn't any help regarding the part numbers of the ROM chips.

 
My Beige G3 is the music server for our house. It sits on the network and runs iTunes with sharing enabled and these: http://soundbridge.roku.com/soundbridge/index.php connect to the music server and play anything, including internet radio anywhere in the house.

MiniTower Beige G3

Rev. 3

Rev. C ROM

500 MHz G3/1MB cache

256 MB RAM (have another 512MB but music server doesn't need it)

6 MB VRAM

Wings card

Acard 6280M for > 128 GB support and faster ATA performance

2 X 120 GB Seagate HD

1 X 160 GB Seagate HD

OS 10.2.8

I also have a SIIG Firewire/USB2/Gigabit enet card and a Radeon 7000 for it, but I've never added them.

 
Bringing back an old thread, I scored the best upgrade for my G3 yet: a real Woz autography on a blank bezel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [:D] ]'>

He was in town and did a presentation at the civic center with a Q&A session at the end. Never thought I'd get lucky enough to get to actually meet the guy and I only had to drive across town.

Pics to come when I stop drooling and get it put back on the G3. 8-)

 
I've got a DT sitting in the shed which I have to get round to playing with.... I'm unsure of the specs as I only paid cursory attention to it when i got it. It was just a machine i didnt yet have. I have a feeling it'd be a 233 or 266. If it is one of the slower models, and I can find where I put the old 300mhz ZIF i turfed out of my blue G3 when i upgraded it, I'll probably throw that in and soup it up a little just for a giggle, and I dare say when I get round to procuring a Radeon for my Yikes, i'll pass the old 16Mb Rage card down to the beige as well. :)

 
I purchased a tower model from the original owner back in 2002. It was a pretty tricked out original configuration, likely in the $5000 range!

-G3 300Mhz ZIF with 1MB cache

-Rev C G3 Motherboard with ATI Rage Pro and 6MB VRAM

-"Wings" A/V Personality Card with full video input and output

-8X CD-ROM

-128MB of RAM upgraded to 384MB

-6.4GB IDE HD

-Factory installed Firewire Card that reports as Firewire-200, not 400! Since replaced with a USB 2.0/Firewire combo card

-Factory installed Zip 100 drive with faceplate

Other Upgrades:

-Video was upgraded to an ATI XClaimVR 128 PCI card (16MB VRAM Rage 128 with Rage Theater chip controlling video I/O)

Right now it runs OS 9.2.2 and OS X 10.4 via XPostFacto.

Other "built to order" options the beige G3 had available (that I don't have) were as follows:

-DVD-ROM drive with the "Bordeaux" Personality card, this added a hardware DVD decoder in addition to the video capture features of the "Wings" AV card.

-10/100Mbit PCI ethernet card

-ATTO Tech PCI Ultra Wide SCSI card

 
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