Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual



Apple Power Macintosh G4 1.0 DP (MDD) Specs

The Power Macintosh G4 is series of personal desktop computers released by Apple in 1999, and sold through 2004. This page is for the M5183 designation. Power Mac G4 M5183 troubleshooting, repair, and service manuals. Mirror images to be created - by use of negative scale factors. The scaling is the first thing done with the values and things like feed rate are always based on the scaled values. The offsets stored in tool and fixture tables are not scaled before use. Scaling may, of course, have been applied at the time the values were entered (say using G10). The OWC Mercury Extreme G4 processor is compatible with Mac OS 9.2.1 and later, including all versions of Mac OS X. If your computer is a Power Macintosh AGP Graphics, Gigabit Ethernet or Digital Audio model, you must upgrade it’s firmware to version 4.2.8. This cannot be performed using Mac OS X, you must boot into Mac OS 9. The Power Mac G4 MDD (Mirrored Drive Doors) was the 3rd Major Revision of the Power Mac G4. It Included an 867MHz, 1GHz, or 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 CPU in single or dual configurations, and a Dual 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 CPU. This computer was the fastest, most powerful G4-Based Macintosh, before Mid-2004 when Apple introduced the Power Mac G5. Apple's DIY Manuals for Power Mac G5. Apple's DIY Manuals for iMac. Mac Classic Internal Power pinout Portables. Ifixit.com has lots of very well-documented repair guides for Mac PowerBooks, iBooks, and MacBooks, no fee or registration required. These are step-by-step instructions with photographs, very well-written and easy to follow.

Identifiers: Mirrored Drive Doors - M8689LL/A - PowerMac3,6 - M8570 - 1914

All Power Macintosh G4 Models | All 2002 Models | Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others

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The Apple Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP (Mirrored Drive Doors) features dual 1.0 GHz PowerPC 7455 (G4) processors each with the AltiVec 'Velocity Engine' vector processing unit, 256k 'on chip' level 2 cache, and 1 MB of DDR SRAM level 3 backside cache. It shipped configured with 256 MB of RAM, an 80 GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive, a 2X DVD-R/CD-RW 'SuperDrive', and a 4X AGP ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM. AirPort (802.11b) was available by custom configuration.
The Power Macintosh G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors) series, so dubbed by Apple because of the 'mirror finish' on the drive bay doors -- but often called 'Wind Tunnel' by users referring to its noise -- was based on the architecture used by the Xserve G4. Compared to the 'Quicksilver 2002' series that it replaced, the Power Macintosh G4 'Mirrored Drive Doors' models all add dual processors with level 3 caches and an analog audio input jack. The low-end Power Macintosh G4/867 DP (MDD) uses faster PC2100 DDR memory and the higher-end Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP (MDD) and Power Macintosh G4/1.25 DP (MDD) have faster 167 MHz system buses, use faster still PC2700 DDR memory, and have superior graphics cards as well.
Like all previous Power Macintosh G4 models, the 'Mirrored Drive Doors' line uses a case design effectively the same as that introduced with the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) -- complete with a fold down door on the side that makes upgrading very easy -- but it is silver like the 'Quicksilver' models and adds the aforementioned mirrored drive bay doors along with four decorative indentions on the front reminiscent of the 'Ventiports' on a 1949 Buick Roadmaster.

To purchase or upgrade a PowerPC Mac -- as well as newer Macs -- see site sponsor Operator Headgap Systems. OHS has low prices, a warranty, and personal support.

Despite the age of this system, site sponsor Other World Computing has RAM, hard drives, SSDs, and other upgrades available for this specific Mac while supplies last.


  • Tech Specs
  • Ports
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Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual User

Machine

Click on the category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important.

Manual
Introduction Date:August 13, 2002 Discontinued Date:January 28, 2003
Details:The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended.
Also see: All Macs introduced in 2002.
Details:This model only is compatible with the 32-bit Geekbench 2 benchmark. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the PowerMac3,6 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.
Processor Speed:1.0 GHz Processor Type:PowerPC 7455 (G4) x2
Details:The PowerPC G4 includes the AltiVec 'Velocity Engine' vector processor.
Processor Upgrade:MDD G4 DaughtercardFPU:Integrated
Details:The Power Macintosh G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors) models have the processor mounted on a custom 300-pin daughtercard.
System Bus Speed:167 MHzCache Bus Speed:1 GHz* (Built-in)
Details:This system has 256k 'on chip' level 2 caches running at processor speed (1 GHz) and a 1 MB DDR SRAM backside level 3 cache with 'up to 4-GBps throughput'.
ROM/Firmware Type:Open FirmwareROM/Firmware Size:1 MB
Details:Boot ROM and around 1 MB, other instructions are loaded into RAM (NewWorld).
Details:This system has 256k 'on chip' level 2 caches running at processor speed (1 GHz) and a 1 MB DDR SRAM backside level 3 cache with 'up to 4-GBps throughput'.
Details:Supports 184-pin PC2700 (333 MHz) DDR SDRAM.
Details:*This system can support up to 2.0 GB of RAM, but can only use 1.5 GB while booting MacOS 9 (less than 1.0 GB per application).
Site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this Power Macintosh G4.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells RAM and other upgrades for this Power Macintosh G4.
In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this Power Mac G4.
Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs.
Manual
Details:N/A
Details:*By default, this model has an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM. It also could be configured at the time of purchase with a NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti graphics card with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM. The video card occupies a 4X AGP slot.
Details:64 MB DDR SDRAM provided by default ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card. It also could be configured at the time of purchase with a NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti graphics card with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM.
Display Support:Dual DisplaysResolution Support:1920x1200*
Details:*With the default ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card, Apple reports that this system 'supports digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels and analog resolutions up to 1600 by 1200 pixels'. The build-to-order NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti graphics card with 128 MB of DDR SDRAM can support digital and analog resolutions up to 2048x1536.
2nd Display Support:Dual/Mirroring2nd Max. Resolution:1920x1200*
Details:*Apple reports that the ATI Radeon 9000 Pro is capable of simultanously supporting dual displays (one using the ADC port and another using the DVI port -- DVI to VGA adpater also included). 1920x1200 maximum for digital displays and 1600x1200 maximum for analog.
Standard Storage:80 GB HDDStd. Storage Speed:7200 RPM
Details:By default, a single Ultra ATA/100 drive is installed. It also could be configured with up to four 10,000 RPM Ultra160 SCSI drives at the time of purchase (SCSI PCI card required), or a combination of ATA and SCSI drives (four total).
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this Power Mac G4.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells hard drives and other upgrades for this Power Mac G4.
Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs.
Storage Dimensions:3.5' (25.4 mm)Storage Interface:Ultra ATA/100*
Details:*Can officially support four internal hard drives or SSDs -- two Ultra ATA/100 (ATA-6) and two Ultra ATA/66 (ATA-5) -- drives larger than 128 GB are supported.
Standard Optical:2X 'SuperDrive'Standard Disk:None
Details:Apple reported that the 2X DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive 'writes DVD-R at 2X, reads DVDs at 6X, writes CD-R at 8X, writes CD-RW at 4X, and reads CDs at 24X'. By custom order, it also could be configured with a second optical drive. Both optical drives use a EIDE (ATA-3) bus.
Unlike the 'Quicksilver 2002' that it replaced, an internal Zip 250 drive was not available build-to-order.
Standard Modem:56k v.92Standard Ethernet:10/100/1000Base-T
Details:Internal modem and 10/100/1000Base-T (Gigabit) Ethernet standard.
Standard AirPort:802.11b (Optional)Standard Bluetooth:None
Details:AirPort (802.11b) was available as a build-to-order addition.
Details:USB 1.1 ports are dual channel. Apple advertised that this model has 'four USB ports' counting the two on the keyboard as well as the two on the system.
Expansion Slots:4 PCI*, APExpansion Bays:4 3.5', 2 5.25'

Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual Pdf

Details:*In the default configuration, this model has four open 33 MHz 64-bit PCI slots, and a 4X AGP slot occupied by the graphics card. It also has an open AirPort (802.11b) expansion slot.
It has four internal 3.5' drive bays -- two Ultra ATA/66 and two Ultra ATA/100 -- intended for hard drives and two external 5.25' drive bays intended for optical drives. By default, with a single hard drive and one optical drive installed, three internal 3.5' bays and one external 5.25' bay are free.
Incl. Keyboard:Apple Pro KeyboardIncl. Input:Apple Pro Mouse
Case Type:TowerForm Factor:Power Mac G4 (MDD)
Apple Order No:M8689LL/AApple Subfamily:Mirrored Drive Doors
Details:The Apple order number should be unique to this system.
Apple Model No:M8570 (EMC 1914)Model ID:PowerMac3,6
Details:Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model.
Also see: All Macs with the M8570 Model Number, the 1914 EMC Number, and the PowerMac3,6 Model Identifier.
For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section.
Details:N/A
Pre-Installed MacOS:9.2.2, X 10.2Maximum MacOS:X 10.5.8
Details:This system cannot run versions of MacOS X more recent than 10.5.8.
MacOS 9 Support:Boot/Classic Mode*Windows Support:Emulation Only
Details:*This model is capable of booting Mac OS 9 and using Mac OS 9 applications within the Mac OS X 'Classic' environment provided with Mac OS X 10.4.11 'Tiger' and lower ('Classic' is not supported starting with Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard').
Site-sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications.
Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual
Dimensions:17.0 x 8.9 x 18.4Avg. Weight:42.0 lbs. (19.1 kg)
Details:In inches - height by width by depth, (43.2 cm, 22.6 cm, 46.7 cm).
Original Price (US):US$2499Est. Current Retail:US$250-US$350
Details:Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated).
Photo Credit: Apple Computer.


Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.


Video (Monitor): 1 DVI, 1 ADC Floppy (Ext.): None
Details:One DVI and one ADC port provided by all stock graphics cards. A DVI-to-VGA adapter also was included.
Details:N/A
Details:N/A
Details:USB 1.1 ports are dual channel. Apple advertised that this model has 'four USB ports' counting the two on the keyboard as well as the two on the system.
Details:10/100/1000Base-T (Gigabit) Ethernet standard.
Details:N/A
Details:One analog stereo audio line in jack.
Details:Includes a rear mounted analog 16-bit stereo sound out jack and an Apple Pro speaker minijack, as well as a front mounted headphone jack.
Details:N/A
Details:115V AC (90V to 132V AC) or 230V AC (180V to 264V AC). 400W maximum.

Ten of the most popular Q&As about the Power Macintosh G4 models follow.



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Power Mac G4
DeveloperApple Computer, Inc.
TypeMini Tower
Release dateAugust 31, 1999
DiscontinuedJune 20, 2004
CPUsingle or dual PowerPC G4,
350 MHz – 1.42 GHz (Up to 2 GHz processors through 3rd-party upgrades.)
PredecessorPower Macintosh G3
SuccessorPower Mac G5

The Power Mac G4 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1999 to 2004 as part of the Power Macintosh line. Built around the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors, the Power Mac G4 was marketed by Apple as the first 'personal supercomputers',[1] reaching speeds of 4 to 20 gigaFLOPS. This was the first existing Macintosh product to be officially shortened as 'Mac', and is the last Mac able to boot into classic Mac OS.

The enclosure style introduced with the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) was retained through the entire five-year production run of the Power Mac G4, albeit with significant changes to match Apple's evolving industrial design and to accommodate increasing cooling needs. The G4 and its enclosure were retired with the introduction of the Power Mac G5.

PCI Graphics/AGP Graphics/Gigabit Ethernet[edit]

Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual Instructions

'Graphite' Power Mac G4
Rear view of a 'Graphite' Power Mac G4, showing the available ports

The original Power Mac G4 was introduced at the Seybold conference in San Francisco on August 31, 1999.[2] There were two variants, officially titled Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics) with 400 MHz, 450 MHz and 500 MHz configurations available, and Power Mac G4 (PCI Graphics), with 350 MHz and 400 MHz configurations. Colloquially, this generation of Power Mac is referred to as 'Graphite', owing to the colors of the case being similar to the iMac G3 Graphite.

Apple originally planned to ship the 500 MHz configuration in October 1999, but they were forced to postpone this because of poor yield of the CPUs. In response, Apple reduced the clock speed of the processor in each configuration by 50 MHz (making the options 350 MHz, 400 MHz and 450 MHz), which caused some controversy because they did not lower the original prices accordingly.[3]

The early 400 MHz (later 350 MHz) PCI-based version used a motherboard identical to the one used in Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) computers including the use of Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) processors sockets[4] (minus the ADB port), in a 'graphite' colored case and with the new MotorolaPowerPC 7400 (G4) CPU. The higher-speed models, code name 'Sawtooth', used a greatly modified motherboard design with AGP 2x graphics (replacing the 66 MHz PCI slot).

The PCI variant was discontinued at the end of 1999.[5]

The machines featured DVD-ROM drives as standard. The 400 MHz and 450 MHz versions had 100 MBZip drives as standard equipment, and as an option on the 350 MHz Sawtooth. This series had a 100 MHzsystem bus and four PC100SDRAM slots for up to 2 GB of RAM (1.5 GB under Mac OS 9). The AGP Power Macs were the first to include an AirPort slot and DVI video port. The computers could house a total of three hard drives, two 128 GB ATA hard drives and up to a single 20GB SCSI hard drive, with the installation of a SCSI card.

The 500 MHz version was reintroduced on February 16, 2000, accompanied by 400 MHz and 450 MHz models. DVD-RAM and Zip drives featured on these later 450 MHz and 500 MHz versions and were an option on the 400 MHz.

The Power Mac G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) model was introduced at Macworld ExpoNew York on July 19, 2000; the new revision included dual-processor 450 MHz and 500 MHz versions, and a low-end single CPU 400 MHz model. It was also the first personal computer to include gigabit Ethernet as standard. Most people saw this revision as a stopgap release, because higher clocked G4s were not available; the G4’s Motorola XPC107 “Grackle” PCI/Memory controller prevented the G4 from hitting speeds higher than 500 MHz.[citation needed] The dual 500 MHz models featured DVD-RAM optical drives. Zip drives were optional on all models. These models also introduced Apple's proprietary Apple Display Connector video port.

ComponentPower Mac G4 (PCI Graphics)Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics)Power Mac G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
Codename'Yikes!''Sawtooth, P5, Project E''Mystic, Medusa2, SnakeBite'
Color
Model identifierPowerMac1,2PowerMac3,1PowerMac3,3
Processor350 or 400 MHz PowerPC G4 (7400)350, 400, 450 or 500 MHz PowerPC G4 (7400)400, Dual 450 or Dual 500 MHz PowerPC G4 (7400)
CPU cache64 KB L1, 512 KB or 1 MB backside L2 Cache per CPU (1:2)
Front side bus100 MHz
Memory64, 128, 256, 512 MB, or 1GB PC100 SDRAM
Expandable to 1 GB
64, 128, 256, 512 MB, 1 or 2GB PC100 SDRAM
Expandable to 2 GB. Only 1.5 GB is seen in Mac OS 9
Graphics cardATI Rage 128 with 16 MB of VRAM
66 MHz PCI Slot
ATI Rage 128 or ATI Rage 128 Pro with 16 MB of VRAM
AGP 2x
ATI Rage 128 Pro with 16 MB VRAM or ATI Radeon with 32 MB of VRAM
AGP 2x w/ADC Monitor support
Hard drive10 GB ATA
Up to 128 GB
10, 20, or 27 GB 7200-rpm ATA
18 or 36 GB 10K-rpm SCSI
Up to 128 GB (10.4.11 and newer support hard drives larger than 128 GB with special software)
20 GB 5400-rpm, 30 or 40 GB 7200-rpm ATA
36 or 72 GB 10K-rpm SCSI
Up to 128 GB (10.4.11 and newer support Hard Drives larger than 128 GB with special software)
Ultra ATA/33Ultra ATA/66 (Optional Ultra2 LVD SCSI)
Optical drive32× CD-ROM or DVD-ROM32× CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or DVD-RAMDVD-ROM or DVD-RAM
Connectivity10/100BASE-T Ethernet
56k modem
Optional AirPort 802.11b
10/100BASE-T Ethernet
56k modem
Optional AirPort 802.11b
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.90 modem
Expansion1× Zip drive bay (optional Zip drive)
3x 64bit 33 MHz PCI slots
1× 66 MHz PCI slot (dedicated to video)
1× Zip drive bay (optional Zip drive)
3x 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots
1× 2× AGP slot (dedicated to video)
Peripherals2× USB 1.1
2× FireWire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
2× USB 1.1
2× FireWire 400
1× Internal FireWire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
2× USB 1.1
2× FireWire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
Maximum Operating SystemMac OS X 10.4.11 'Tiger' and Mac OS 9.2.2Mac OS X 10.4.11 'Tiger' and Mac OS 9.2.2
Unofficially can support 10.5 Leopard via 3rd party software
Weight13 kg (28.7 pounds)13.6 kg (30 pounds)13.6 kg (30 pounds)

Mac G4 Beige Mirror Machine Manual Download

Digital Audio/Quicksilver[edit]

Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver)

A new line with a revamped motherboard but retaining the familiar 'Graphite' case debuted on January 9, 2001. Known officially as the Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio), it is in effect a Quicksilver design inside the Graphite enclosure. Motorola had added a seventh pipeline stage in the new PowerPC G4 design to achieve faster clock frequencies. New features included a fourth PCI slot, a 133 MHz system bus, an improved 4X AGP slot, and a new 'digital audio' Tripath Class T amplifier sound system. The models were offered in 466 MHz, 533 MHz, dual 533 MHz, 667 MHz and 733 MHz configurations, the latter two using a newer PowerPC 7450 processor. The number of RAM slots was reduced to three, accommodating up to 1.5 Gigabytes of PC133SDRAM.

The 733 MHz model was the first Macintosh to include a built-in DVD-R or Apple-branded SuperDrive, the rest of the line became the first Macs to ship with CD-RW drives. This was also the first series of Macs to include an Nvidia graphics card, the GeForce 2MX.

At Macworld ExpoNew York on July 18, 2001, a new line debuted featuring a cosmetically redesigned case known as Quicksilver, and various upgrades to the specifications. It was available in 733 MHz, 867 MHz and dual 800 MHz configurations. The 733 MHz model was notable for not having a level three cache. The SuperDrive was offered on the mid-range 867 MHz model, and UltraATA/100 hard drives were offered on all models. The internal speaker received an upgrade, using a Harman/Kardon speaker.

The Quicksilver line received criticism in MacWorld's review for removing the 'eject' button and the manual eject pinhole, as well as the pass-through monitor power plug, and for the base specification of 128 MB RAM as being insufficient for running Mac OS X.[6]

Updated Quicksilver machines, officially named Power Mac G4 (QuickSilver 2002), were introduced on January 28, 2002, with 800 MHz, 933 MHz and dual 1 GHz configurations. This was the first Mac to reach 1 GHz. Again, the low-end 800 MHz model did not include any level three cache. The graphics in this series were provided by an Nvidia GeForce4 MX400 card. Some of these models have ATA controllers with 48-bit LBA to accommodate hard drives larger than 128 GB.

ComponentPower Mac G4 (Digital Audio)Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver)Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver 2002)Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver 2002ED)
Codename'Tangent, Clockwork''Titan, Nichrome'N/AN/A
Model identifierPowerMac3,4PowerMac3,5
Processor466, 533, Dual 533, 667, or 733 MHz PowerPC G4 (7400/7410/7450)733, 867, or Dual 800 MHz PowerPC G4 (7450)733 (education only), 800, 933 MHz, or Dual 1 GHz PowerPC G4 (7450/7455)867 MHz PowerPC G4 (7455)
CPU cache64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) or 1 MB (1:2) L2, 1 MB L3 (733 MHz)64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) L2, 2 MB L3 (867/Dual 800 MHz)64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) L2, 2 MB DDR L3 (933/Dual 1 GHz)64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) L2
Front side bus133 MHz
Memory128, 256, or 512 MB PC133 SDRAM
Expandable to 1.5 GB
GraphicsATI Rage 128 Pro with 16 MB VRAM, ATI Radeon or Nvidia GeForce2 MX with 32 MB VRAM, GeForce3 with 64 MB VRAMNvidia GeForce2 MX with 32 MB VRAM, Geforce2 MX with TwinView or Geforce3 with 64 MB VRAMATI Radeon 7500 with 32 MB VRAM, Nvidia GeForce4 MX with 64 MB VRAM or GeForce4 Ti with 128 MB VRAMNvidia GeForce4 MX with 32 MB VRAM
Hard drive30 GB 5400-rpm, 40 or 60 GB 7200-rpm ATA
36 or 72 GB SCSI
Up to 128 GB
40 GB 5400-rpm, 60 or 80 GB 7200-rpm ATA
36 or 72 GB SCSI
Up to 128 GB
40, 60, or 80 GB 7200-rpm ATA
36 or 72 GB SCSI
Supports Hard Drives larger than 128 GB
40 GB 7200-rpm
Supports Hard Drives larger than 128 GB
Ultra ATA/66 (Optional Ultra SCSI or Ultra 160 SCSI)
Optical driveCD-RW or DVD-ROM or DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive (on 733 MHz model only)CD-RW
or CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive
or DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive (867 and dual-800 models only)
CD-RW
ConnectivityOptional AirPort 802.11b
GigabitEthernet
56k V.90 modem
Expansion1x Zip Drive bay (Optional 250 MB Zip Drive)
4x 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots
1x 4x AGP slot (dedicated to video)
Peripherals2x USB 1.1
2x Firewire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio output mini-jack
Apple Pro Speakers mini-jack
Maximum Operating SystemMac OS X 10.4.11 'Tiger' and Mac OS 9.2.2Mac OS X 10.4.11 “Tiger” and Mac OS 9.2.2 (733 and Dual 800 MHz)Mac OS X 10.4.11 “Tiger” and Mac OS 9.2.2 (733 and 800 MHz)Mac OS X 10.5.8 'Leopard'
Mac OS X 10.5.8 “Leopard” (867 MHz)Mac OS X 10.5.8 “Leopard” (933 MHz and Dual 1 GHz)
Weight13.6 kg (30 Pounds)

Mirrored Drive Doors/FW800[edit]

Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)
Power Mac G4 MDD with open case

Another generation of Apple Power Mac G4s, officially named 'Mirrored Drive Doors' (MDD), was introduced on August 13, 2002, featuring both a new Xserve-derived DDR motherboard architecture and a new case design. All models were available in dual processor configurations running at 867 MHz, 1 GHz or 1.25 GHz. As with the Xserves, the PowerPC 7455 CPU used does not have a DDR frontside bus, meaning the CPU of the 133MHz frontside bus models could use at most only 50% of the new system's theoretical memory bandwidth, providing no improvement over previous models. The rest was available to the graphics card and I/O systems. A single processor 1.25 GHz model would be the last Power Mac G4 the company offered to the public after the announcement of the new Power Mac G5, introduced in June 2003.

The last real update to the Power Mac G4 line came on January 28, 2003, offering dual 1.42 GHz PowerPC 7455 processors, with features not seen in previous DDR models: a built-in FireWire 800 connector, optional integrated Bluetooth, and optional integrated AirPort Extreme. These were also the first Power Macs that could not boot into Mac OS 9.

With the launch of the Power Mac G5 on June 23, 2003, Apple re-introduced the August 2002 Power Mac G4 because of perceived demand for Mac OS 9 machines. Between that, its low price-tag, and the delayed availability of Power Mac G5s, it proved a strong seller, albeit for a relatively short time. Production stopped on June 27, 2004, and the remaining inventory was liquidated, its discontinuation ending the 20-year legacy of Classic Mac OS support.


ComponentPower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors FW800)Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003)
Codename'P57''P58'”P59”
Model identifierPowerMac3,6
Model Number (Order Number)M8570 (M8787LL/A, M8689LL/A, M8573LL/A)M8570 (M8839LL/A, M8840LL/A, M8841LL/A)M8570 (M9145LL/A), M9309

(M9145LL/A) is a re-released version of (M8573LL/A)

ProcessorDual 867 MHz, Dual 1 GHz, or Dual 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 (7455)1 GHz, Dual 1.25 GHz or Dual 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 (7455)1.25 GHz or Dual 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 (7455)
CPU cache64 KB L1, 256 KB L2, 1 MB or 2 MB DDR L3
Front side bus133 MHz (867 MHz DP)133 MHz (1 GHz)167 MHz
167 MHz (1 GHz DP+)167 MHz (1.25 GHz DP+)
Memory256, 512 MB PC-2100 (Dual 867 MHz), or PC-2700 (Dual 1+ GHz) DDR SDRAM
Expandable to 2 GB (4 x 512 MB PC-3200 DDR SDRAM)
256, 512 MB PC-2100 (1 GHz), or PC-2700 (Dual 1.25+ GHz) DDR SDRAM
Expandable to 2 GB (4 x 512 MB PC-3200 DDR SDRAM)
256, 512 MB PC-2700 DDR SDRAM
Expandable to 2 GB (4 x 512 MB PC-3200 DDR SDRAM)
Graphics CardNvidia GeForce4 MX with 32 MB VRAM, ATI Radeon 9000 Pro with 64 MB VRAM, or GeForce4 Ti with 128 MB VRAM
Upgradeable to Nvidia GeForce 7800 GS with 256 MB VRAM (last GPU supported)
Nvidia GeForce4 MX or ATI Radeon 9000 Pro with 64 MB VRAM, GeForce4 Ti or Radeon 9700 Pro with 128 MB VRAM
Upgradeable to Nvidia GeForce 7800 GS with 256 MB VRAM (last GPU supported)
ATI Radeon 9000 Pro with 64 MB VRAM or Nvidia GeForce4 Ti 128 MB
Upgradeable to Nvidia GeForce 7800 GS with 256 MB VRAM (last GPU supported)
Hard drive60, 80, or 120 GB 7200-rpm ATA
36 or 72 GB Ultra 160 SCSI
Supports Hard Drives larger than 128 GB
60, 80, or 120 GB 7200-rpm ATA
Supports Hard Drives larger than 128 GB
80 or 160 GB 7200-rpm ATA
Supports Hard Drives larger than 128 GB
Ultra ATA/133 (2) and Ultra ATA/66 (2) (Optional Ultra SCSI or Ultra 160 SCSI)Ultra ATA/133 (2) and Ultra ATA/66 (2) (Optional Ultra SCSI)Ultra ATA/133 (2) and Ultra ATA/66 (2)
Optical driveCD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive
or DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive
(Optional additional Combo Drive)
ConnectivityOptional AirPort 802.11b
GigabitEthernet
56k V.92 modem
Optional AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.92 modem
Optional Bluetooth 1.1
Optional Airport 802.11b
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.92 modem
Peripherals2x USB 1.1
2x Firewire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
Apple Pro Speakers mini-jack
2x USB 1.1
2x Firewire 400
1x Firewire 800
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
Apple Pro Speakers mini-jack
2x USB 1.1
2x Firewire 400
Built-in mono speaker
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
Apple Pro Speakers mini-jack
Expansion4x 64-bit 66 MHz PCI slots (5V only)
1x 4x 133 MHz AGP slot (dedicated to video)
Maximum Operating SystemMac OS X 10.5.8 'Leopard'
Mac OS 9.2.2 supported natively and Mac OS 9.1 or higher in the Classic EnvironmentMac OS 9.1 or higher supported solely in the Classic EnvironmentMac OS 9.2.2 supported natively and Mac OS 9.1 or higher in the Classic Environment(final model to support Classic Mac OS natively)
Weight19.1 kg (42 lbs)

Timeline of Power Macintosh models


See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Power Mac G4.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^'Apple Unveils 'Personal Supercomputer''. SFGate.
  2. ^'Apple steps up to G4 Macs'. ZDNet.
  3. ^'The 400 MHz PowerMac Reviewed'. The Mac Observer. February 21, 2000. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  4. ^'The Apple Power Macintosh G4 400MHz PCI'. Forevermac.com. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  5. ^'Power Mac G4 (PCI Graphics) - Technical Specifications'.
  6. ^'Hands on with the Power Mac G4/867'. MacWorld. August 25, 2001.
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