General Mac hardware discussions: PowerBook G3-500 Max RAM = 512mb or 1gig? 10g max HD?
PowerBook G3-500 Max RAM = 512mb or 1gig? 10g max HD?
by rgarlan - 4/30/05 4:01 PMI have a G3-500 Powerbook (SN: QT0070FHHKE), currently with 192mb RAM (64+128) and 6gig hard drive, running OS9.2.2. I think this is a "Pismo" (i.e., has firewire).
I want to beef it up a bit and install the newest OS X (Tiger).
First Question:
The manual indicates 512mb as the maximum RAM (using 256 in each of two slots), but I'm seeing 512mb modules for sale - suggesting that I could put in up to 1gb memory. Does anyone know what would happen if I put two 512s in? How about one 512 and keep the 128 that's already there? Suggestions? Cautions? Do I need more than 640mb RAM (512+128)?
Second Question:
I only have a 6g internal hard drive. Is 10g the largest internal drive that this Mac can handle, or are there bigger drives out there that would fit this Powerbook (without unintended consequences, like seriously shortened battery life or overheating)?
Thanks for any guidance.
RG
Power Book
by mrmacfixit
- 4/30/05 5:27 PM
In reply to: PowerBook G3-500 Max RAM = 512mb or 1gig? 10g max HD? by rgarlan
Interesting questions:
The max RAM on this machine is 512 Mb (2 X 256) and what happens when you install RAM over this amount is that the System will probably ignore anything over 512 Mb. However, although Apple says that 512 is the max, there is the possibility that it will support up to 1Gb. If you buy from somewhere like Crucial, (http://www.crucial.com) they guarantee their memory will work in your machine. If you find that the system only recognizes 512 of the 1Gb you purchased, they will refund you the cost of the 512 chip. So you loose nothing for trying. As a rule of thumb for RAM, get all you can afford. You can never have too much RAM
The machine is capable of supporting drives that are much larger than the one you have and much larger than 10Gb. There a number of places that will install you an 80 or 100 Gb drive, transfer the existing data to the new drive and, for a nominal fee, will put your old drive into a Firewire case so you can use it as extra storage. http://www.macresq.com is just one.
Hope this helps
P
PB G3 Max RAM, etc.
by rgarlan - 4/30/05 7:27 PM In reply to: Power Book by mrmacfixit
Thanks Mrmacfixit.
I was anticipating adding the memory and hard drive myself (I've done that with my G4 tower), but having someone transfer the data for me is an attractive prospect.
I checked the site where I found the 512mb ram and realized that it was PC133 rather than PC100, so maybe I am just blowing smoke. Do I understand correctly that the "100" or "133" refers to MHz and is fixed for each machine (so 133 won't work in a 100 Mac)? I'll check the link you suggested to see if they offer 512s for this Mac.
It's too bad there isn't something equivalent to a "driver" for memory that would allow us to take advantage of new memory technology (i.e., more memory in smaller spaces).
Is there a limit to how fast a hard drive I can put in a Pismo? I've seen some 7200/40gb drives that look kind of enticing.
RG
powerbook
by mrmacfixit - 5/1/05 7:54 AM
In reply to: PB G3 Max RAM, etc. by rgarlan
Putting a Hard Drive inside a Powerbook is a whole different ball game than putting one in a G4 Tower. It is so simple to get to the drive bay and replace, or add, another drive. You could hold a party inside a G4 tower! The powerbook, on the other hand, will present you with massive problems right from the get go. To get at the hard drive, the machine has to be almost totally dismantled. Keyboard, screen, top covers and a bunch of other stuff. Unless you know what you are doing, have the Apple take-apart manual or are prepared to loose your Powerbook, I would think twice about going down that road.
The number after the PC, when referring to RAM, indicates the speed of the RAM in Mhz. Machines that require PC100 will run happily on PC133 because the system will continue to use the RAM as though it was PC100. Machines that require PC133 RAM will balk at having PC100 because the memory speed is not as fast as the system expects. This leads to all sorts of weird problems, including crashes and failure to boot.
Crucial.com offer 1Gb for your machine, I checked before I sent my last post, which is why I mentioned the guarantee. You might find their prices are a little higher but their warranty is cast iron and, if they say your machine will take it, and it doesn't, they WILL refund your money.
The speed of the HD is not really of any consequence for your machine. The battery may not last quite as long with a faster drive. The important thing to remember is, size IS important. Physical size that is, not the Gb size.
I'm not sure what you mean by "More memory in smaller spaces" The amount of memory that a machine can handle is not based on the amount of memory that you can fit into it. It has to do with the actual architecture of the logic board and processor. The G5 Tower(dual 2.3/2.7), for instance, has a Max RAM of 8Gb while the dual 2.0 and single 1.8 G5 towers have a Max of 4Gb. All the machines are identical in size but have a different logic board layout.
The new Powerbooks appear to Max out at 1Gb and they are larger, physically, than your machine.
Anyway, good luck with the project. Let us know how it goes
P
Not that bad.
by lampietheclown - 5/4/05 8:38 PM In reply to: powerbook by mrmacfixit
While I don't recomend the average person works on their own powerbook, swapping a hard drive on a Firewire Powerbook is not as hard or involved as all that. Apple designed them for easy access to the hard drive and ram. The first time I did it took about 25 minutes.
You need a #8 torx screwdriver, a steady hand, and a gentle touch. The connectors and PC boards are fragile.
Here's how.
Unplug the power adaptor and remove the battery. Unlock the keyboard (screw to the left of the F5 key) and pull down on the release tabs to the left of the F1 and F9 keys. Lift the keyboard and lay it upside down on the palm rests. Careful! The ribbon cable is short.
Remove the 2 screws holding the EMI shield, and then the shield.
Disconnect the back-up battery. Pull up on the tab of the microprocessor board and slide it out to the right. You may need to pull the philips screw on the bottom of the heat exchanger so it can tilt up. Do not bend things.
There's your RAM. Might as well replace it while you are here. Don't break the snaps that hold the ram down. Be gentle.
Disconnect the hard drive connector from the logic board. Lift the hard drive and carrier out of the machine. Pull the hard drive out of the carrier and replace it with a bigger one.
It sounds like more than it is. It took less than 15 minutes the last time I did it.
I will say again, I don't recomend the average person do this. There are at least 5 ways to break your book doing this swap if you are not careful and gentle. If however you are comfortable with such things, it really is not as hard as the previous post implies.
Re: Not that bad & previous post
by rgarlan - 6/12/05 5:05 PM In reply to: Not that bad. by lampietheclownThank you, lampietheclown and Mrmacfixit for your guidance and information. The PB manual actually has instructions that didn't look that bad. I know what you mean by having a delicate touch (and also Mrmac's point about space inside the G4 tower). It might be a function of available dollars. I haven't bought the extra RAM, even, yet - pending another pay check.
Thanks again.
RG
Ram
by Marie Buteau - 5/10/05 7:11 PM In reply to: PB G3 Max RAM, etc. by rgarlanIf it is a Pismo it will take 1 gig. I used the 256 chip in lower slot and installed a 500 chip in upper slot. Figured that was more than sufficient. I know the Apple specs do not say that but I asked my Apple dealer and when he looked it up told me it would take 1 gig. The first models or bronze will not take that nor can you run OS X on them. I didn't change the Hd but was told it would take a 60.
Mo' Pismo
by sandifop - 5/27/05 10:47 AM In reply to: Ram by Marie ButeauI have had a gig in 2 Pismo 400 video editing stations for over 3 years and it has been recognized by both the OS and all applications. Additionally, I've found changing to a faster hard drive has given noticable improvements in system performance.
The 5K100 series of Hitachi/IBM TravelStar drives offer a very good compromise of speed (5400rpm), cache (8MB) and power usage (longer battery life than with my stock 4200rpm drive).
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