Desktop System Upgrades

Upgrades for PowerPC performance

A number of products are available for current Macintosh owners who want to move up to the speed and power of Power Macintosh computers without sacrificing their previous investments. Currently, upgrades are available for the following models:

Macintosh LC 475, 520, 550, 575, and 630
Macintosh Quadra 605, 610, 630, 650, 660AV, 700, 800, 840AV, 900, and 950
Macintosh Centris 610, 650, and 660AV
Macintosh IIvx and IIvi
Macintosh Performa 470 series, 550, 560, 570 series, 600, and 630 series
Workgroup Servers 60, 80, and 95

Most of these upgrade options are now available through third parties. Apple currently offers the following product:

Macintosh Processor Upgrade. This upgrade, appropriate for select Macintosh Quadra, Macintosh LC, and Macintosh Performa computers, must be installed by an authorized Apple reseller or service provider. It allows your computer to run applications optimized for the performance capabilities of the PowerPC processor up to six times faster than standard applications for Macintosh.

For specific information on the upgrades appropriate for a particular system, see your Apple reseller.

Apple PC Compatibility Cards

These user-installable cards turn your Power Macintosh or Macintosh Performa computer with a PCI slot into one of the most flexible, versatile systems imaginable. There are two versions: a 7-inch card that features a 586 100-megahertz processor with 128K level 2 cache, and a 12-inch card that features a Pentium 100-megahertz processor with a 256K level 2 cache. Both cards come with MS-DOS 6.22 and are compatible with Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and Windows 95, so you can move seamlessly--with a single keystroke--between applications written for the Mac OS and applications for these environments. The PC Compatibility Cards feature support for accelerated SVGA video and Sound Blaster 16-compatible multimedia and entertainment applications, and networking support for Novell NetWare SPXRPX, TCP/IP, and NETBEUIprotocols.

The QuickDraw 3D Accelerator Card

The QuickDraw 3D Accelerator Card brings workstation-class 3D acceleration to any Power Macintosh or Macintosh Performa computer with a PCI slot. Working in conjunction with QuickDraw 3D, this easy-to-install card lets you design high-quality 3D scenes and shade and texture objects faster than ever before. You can interact smoothly with 3D models that cover the full screen, and quickly build shadows or add textures. And you'll find that the motion in your 3D animations flows smoothly and looks natural, even when you're working in real time with large, complicated models.

Power Macintosh Logic Board and Processor Card Upgrades

Logic board upgrades are now available to upgrade the Power Macintosh 7200 series to the Power Macintosh 7600, and the Macintosh Quadra 800 and 840AV, and Power Macintosh 8100, to the Power Macintosh 8500. These logic boards feature processor upgradability, so you can choose the precise level of performance you need by selecting the Macintosh Processor Card Upgrade that best meets your current requirements. In addition, if the processor in your Macintosh resides on a removable card, you can upgrade that card to one that features a higher-speed processor, if one is available. Processor card upgrades currently feature a PowerPC 604 running at either 120 or 132 megahertz.