PowerMac 8500 Take-Apart, Cache/Memory Replacement Guide

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PowerMac 8500 Cache Upgrade - Step by Step
Published: May 7, 1997

Disclaimer:

This guide is for reference only - You are responsible for any damages that may occur from attempting any of the procedures shown. With proper static precautions and exercising care I have performed this procedure literally hundreds of times with no adverse effects, I cannot control the actions of others, or the condition of other users equipment and environment.
Caution: The motherboard has many small capacitors that are easily broken off if you're not careful. (Many are decoupling caps, but not all.) You can also damage the motherboard from static discharge and a anti-static wrist strap should be used before handling. If you're not comfortable do this work, have it done by someone that is, or an authorized service center.

Why Upgrade Your Cache?

Update: This article was originally written in early 1997, before G3 CPU upgrades were available and when 604E upgrades were over $600 in cost even for 180MHz models. With the advent of G3 upgrades with fast backside cache on the upgrade card, there is no need for motherboard cache so the comments below should be taken in context of what was available at the time of original publication.
However as noted in the CPU Upgrades page reviews and the Troubleshooting G3 upgrades area of the FAQ, stock L2 cache dimms (esp. the 8500/120's) are often too slow for many CPU upgrades (my 8500/120 stock L2 cache wouldn't run over 42MHz bus speeds) and therefore usually need to be removed for stable operation. Failures to boot, lockups or system crashes often result if the stock L2 cache dimm is left installed when upgrading the CPU card.

Upgrading the L2 cache in your PowerMac 8500 was one of the best ways to economically increase performance. Most 604 CPU users can expect as much as a 25% performance increase on some tasks by replacing a 256k cache with a 1 megabyte version. This procedure also can be applied to upgrading memory in your 8500 as well.

Please forgive the quality of these photos, as they were taken with a inexpensive camera and are far below what I would like to present, but hey - its free information right? I'm doing these projects usually during the wee hours of the morning (between paying jobs) and they are not as professional as they would be if I had more time or better equipment.

Feedback

If you find this tutorial useful, or have comments please let me know. I welcome your comments, suggestions, and experiences with Macintosh hardware.

Select an option:
OK! Show me How! =>>
= or =
Return to WWW.XLR8YOURMAC.COM

Copyright © 1997
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this sites content is to be reproduced in any form without written permission.
All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies.

Users of this web site must read
& are bound by the terms & conditions of use.


PowerMac 8500 Cache Upgrade - Step by Step Published: May 7, 1997
Disclaimer:
This guide is for reference only - You are responsible for any damages that may occur from attempting any of the procedures shown. With proper static precautions and exercising care I have performed this procedure literally hundreds of times with no adverse effects, I cannot control the actions of others, or the condition of other users equipment and environment. Caution: The motherboard has many small capacitors that are easily broken off if you're not careful. (Many are decoupling caps, but not all.) You can also damage the motherboard from static discharge and a anti-static wrist strap should be used before handling. If you're not comfortable do this work, have it done by someone that is, or an authorized service center.
Why Upgrade Your Cache?
Update: This article was originally written in early 1997, before G3 CPU upgrades were available and when 604E upgrades were over $600 in cost even for 180MHz models. With the advent of G3 upgrades with fast backside cache on the upgrade card, there is no need for motherboard cache so the comments below should be taken in context of what was available at the time of original publication. However as noted in the CPU Upgrades page reviews and the Troubleshooting G3 upgrades area of the FAQ, stock L2 cache dimms (esp. the 8500/120's) are often too slow for many CPU upgrades (my 8500/120 stock L2 cache wouldn't run over 42MHz bus speeds) and therefore usually need to be removed for stable operation. Failures to boot, lockups or system crashes often result if the stock L2 cache dimm is left installed when upgrading the CPU card. Upgrading the L2 cache in your PowerMac 8500 was one of the best ways to economically increase performance. Most 604 CPU users can expect as much as a 25% performance increase on some tasks by replacing a 256k cache with a 1 megabyte version. This procedure also can be applied to upgrading memory in your 8500 as well. Please forgive the quality of these photos, as they were taken with a inexpensive camera and are far below what I would like to present, but hey - its free information right? I'm doing these projects usually during the wee hours of the morning (between paying jobs) and they are not as professional as they would be if I had more time or better equipment.
Feedback
If you find this tutorial useful, or have comments please let me know. I welcome your comments, suggestions, and experiences with Macintosh hardware.
Select an option: OK! Show me How! =>> = or = Return to WWW.XLR8YOURMAC.COM
Copyright © 1997 All Rights Reserved. No part of this sites content is to be reproduced in any form without written permission. All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies. Users of this web site must read & are bound by the terms & conditions of use.