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Review: XLR8's MAChCarrierTM G4/450 By Mike Breeden Published: 4/7/2000 |
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| The Final Word | ||||
| At the current suggested list price of $999, this CPU upgrade is not cheap. However with this upgrade installed, the S900 usually fared well against a new G4/450 Sawtooth system. As noted on the introduction page of this review, in my opinion upgrades like this G4/450 are targeted at 6 PCI slot Macs, users with a lot of installed hardware, RAM and legacy devices, or those that can't afford the full price of a new system.
After using the G4/450 upgrade, running the 604e/200MHz card was almost frustrating. The performance difference in every operation and program was dramatic (as shown on the Applications tests page). It's amazing to see what performance levels are possible in these older Macs compared to the standard CPUs that shipped with them. Upgrade or New System? Anytime an upgrade costs near 1/2 that of a new system (which often has more advanced features and faster bus speeds, interfaces like Firewire, etc.), you have to consider your options carefully. As of April 2000, a new G4/400 costs about $1600. This G4 upgrade installed in the S900 (properly equipped) would outperform a G4/350 at almost every common application. The new G4 system costs more, but offers an AGP slot, ATA/66 onboard IDE, FireWire, DVD, Rage128 Pro graphics card and Airport compatibility. It does not however have standard SCSI ($49 and up option depending on model/performance), ADB or Serial ports. Of course adapters or addon cards can add these, but with only 3 PCI slots free and with the history of many USB adapters, these options are not without their drawbacks and potential pitfalls. The other common complaint on the new systems is the case limits of only one 5.25" (CD size) and one 3.25" (ZIP size) removable media drives. Most older Macs have more external bays. The S900 for instance can have two CD size drives (DVD and CDR for instance) and two 3.5" drives (i.e. ZIP, Jaz or ORB drive). The 85/86/95/9600 systems also have more front bays. Probably the most common factor in the upgrade or new system decision is how much hardware you have invested in your existing Mac. Older Mac systems can't use their RAM in the new G4 models for instance (although current SDRAM pricing is low). In the case of my Genesis for instance, it would cost me about about $500 to replace the 512MB of RAM installed in that system, and no new Mac allows as much internal storage, so I'll be keeping that model for a long, long time. If your older Mac needs RAM, a new video card, CPU upgrade and more storage, then selling the older Mac and getting a new system is an easy decision. Lower priced upgrades are also easier to justify, as they can postpone a new system purchase until the next new model which usually offers more performance and features for less than previous models. But beware the 'rev 1' new system syndrome. I've been bitten by this on literally every Mac in the last few years (including the G4/450 AGP system). 'Rev 2' models usually have improved features, lower costs, bug fixes and faster speeds for the same price or less. OS X Compatibility: Another potential concern is older Mac compatibility with OS X. See the FAQ for a list of motherboards supported in OS X DP3, but nobody knows what older macs, if any, the final release will support. If you own an older Mac that is not supported in OS X, don't panic. Current MacOS versions will be supported for many years (it will take a long time for OS X to have the market share of current versions and it may never reach the installed base of Mac OS 7/8/9. Mac OS 8 and 9 users will have lots of software to chose from for many years to come.
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Availability/Pricing: Since CPU upgrade prices change often, always check with XLR8 and their dealers for the latest pricing. As of April 5, 2000, the suggested list for the MAChCarrier G4 450MHz was $999. Site sponsors like Bottom Line, Other World Computing or MacGurus often sell for less than list prices however. Remember that CPU upgrade prices change often -- so don't prices listed here may not be accurate even a few weeks after the review date. You may also order direct from XLR8 by calling 1-888-957-8867. If ordered direct from XLR8, the MAChCarrier G4 cards come with a 30-day money back guarantee from XLR8 and a 2 year warranty. Most dealers offer 30 day returns as well but as policies vary be sure to check this before you order should any problems arise. Thanks to XLR8 for the review loaner of the G4/450 upgrade and to MacGurus for the bare but brand new S900 case that served as the test system. Mention this site if you order from sponsors (however note that XLR8 has never been a sponsor as of this review date). I'm working day and night to provide free tech support and the best product reviews for Mac owners (and have since 1997 :-). Your support is appreciated and makes the continued existence of this site possible.
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| I hope this review has provided you with sufficient information on all aspects of the product, but if you have any further questions or comments you may contact me by email at: mike@xlr8yourmac.com.
For reviews of other CPU cards at this site, see my CPU Upgrades page. The home page (www.xlr8yourmac.com) has links to reviews of Systems, SCSI controllers, Video cards (incl. 3Dfx), Game related articles, a 600+ Questions Answered FAQ and some of the most useful daily news on the net (updated 6-7 days a week). Also check out my unique searchable databases of reader's CPU Upgrade Reports (3500+ reports as of April 2000), Game Reviews and Video card/Game Performance. No other site has these features. Thanks for stopping by! |
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