Guide to G3 Daughter Cards for PCI Power Macs and Clones

Updated 2005.01.06

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This page uses MacBench 5 processor scores. The previous page with MacBench 4 scores is still available, but it will not be updated to reflect new models, price changes, etc.

For comparison purposes, the old Power Mac G3/300 has a CPU score of 1000, the new $1,600 blue G3/300 scores 926 (due to a smaller L2 cache), the G3/350 reaches 1145, and the top of the line G3/400 hits 1310.

Remember that MacBench 5 disk and graphics scores for the blue & white G3 are significantly higher than for the old G3, let alone the older Macs these upgrade cards fit. Before spending over $300 for a G3 card, consider whether the blue & white G3 might not give you a lot more overall performance (looking at CPU, hard drive, and graphics) for a modest increase in price.

Be sure to read That extra 10% to help you decide which upgrade provides the best value for you.

IBM, Motorola, and Apple have done a phenomenal job in creating the Power PC 750 CPU (a.k.a. G3) and computers to use it. An entire industry has sprung up selling G3 cards to owners of second generation Power Macs with processor cards.

Where possible, MacBench processor ratings are from the July 1998 issue of Macworld. These tests were conducted on a Power Mac 7300/200.

Cards listed here are designed to work in the Power Macintosh 7300, 7500, 7600, 8500, 8600, 9500, and 9600, SuperMac J700 and J700, and several Power Computing models using the same daughter card connector.

The information is as accurate as I can find, but specifications and availability are subject to change; I suggest you check with the manufacturer to verify current models. Prices keep dropping, so these prices may be outdated. (Prices are in $US.)

In fact, models are added and discontinued so often, it's impossible to keep track of which models are current.

Note that computers upgraded with these cards may not support Mac OS X. (Apple has emphatically stated it will run on all Macs designed with a G3 processor, but has never promised any support for G3-upgraded models.)

Discontinued accelerators are listed for historical reasons.

CPU
Speed

Cache
Size

Cache
Speed

MacBench
5.0 rating*

Estimated
Street Price

metabox joeCARD, adjustable bus, discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

450 MHz

1 MB

225 MHz

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

350 MHz

1 MB

175 MHz

333 MHz

1 MB

167 MHz

Newer Technology MAXpowr G3

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

disc

466 MHz

1 MB

233 MHz

1515

disc

400 MHz
Carrier 400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

1322

disc

366 MHz
Carrier 366 MHz

1 MB

183 MHz

disc

300 MHz
Carrier 300 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

disc

phase5 Maccelerate!750, US distribution by Software Hut

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

1288

$349

300 MHz

1 MB

150 MHz

$269

PowerLogix PowerForce G3, adjustable bus, updated 2005.01.06

1 GHz

1 MB

1 GHz

$240

800 MHz

512 KB

800 MHz

disc

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

disc

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

disc

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

1293

disc

375 MHz

1 MB

187 MHz

disc

350 MHz

512 KB

175 MHz

disc

Sonnet Technologies Crescendo PCI, updated 2005.01.06

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

1578

$170

500 MHz

512 KB

250 MHz

disc

450 MHz

1 MB

225 MHz

disc

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

1288

disc

400 MHz

512 KB

200 MHz

disc

350 MHz

1 MB

175 MHz

disc

333 MHz

512 KB

166 MHz

disc

300 MHz

512 KB

150 MHz

disc

266 MHz

512K

133 MHz

disc

XLR8 MACh Speed G3, adjustable bus

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

450 MHz

1 MB

225

disc

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

1273

disc

366 MHz

1 MB

183 MHz

disc

333 MHz

1 MB

166 MHz

disc

300 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

disc

300 MHz

512 KB

120 MHz

disc

266 MHz

512 KB

133 MHz

disc

233 MHz

512 KB

117 MHz

disc

XLR8 MACh Carrier G3 ZIF daughter card, updated 2002.05.17

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

466 MHz

1 MB

233 MHz

450 MHz

1 MB

225 MHz

400 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

366 MHz

1 MB

183 MHz

333 MHz

1 MB

222 MHz

333 MHz

1 MB

166 MHz

300 MHz

1 MB

200 MHz

disc

* Processor score from MacWeek or Macworld when possible, but many MacBench ratings are from manufacturers. End user results will vary based on a number of factors including bus speed and OS used. Most 400 MHz scores from Macworld, July 1999.

Comments

Okay, we all know that a faster CPU with a larger, faster cache is best. The question is, how much better? Which is more important: CPU speed, cache speed, or cache size? (Except for the Powerlogix cards, bus speed is not an adjustable setting.)

Results of testing a PowerLogix PowerForce G3 250/250 on Macs Only! on February 2, 1998, provide some insights. The card sustained a 1:1 cache ratio when pushed as high as 292.4 MHz on a 45 MHz system bus, giving a MacBench 4 processor score of 1077. Pushing the same card to 325 MHz with a 3:2 cache produced a score of 1131 on a 50 MHz bus.

Benchmark summary: MacBench scores were only 3% higher using a 3:2 cache than a 2:1 cache at identical bus and CPU speeds. Using a 3:2 cache, 45 MHz bus, and driving the CPU at 315 MHz was less than 2% faster than a 01.1 cache, 45 MHz bus, and 292.4 MHz CPU. Overall improvement going from 292.4 MHz 1:1 configuration to 325 MHz 3:2 setup was just 5%. (Note that Macs Only! reports instability at 325 MHz and with a 50 MHz bus in their PowerBase 180.)
 
All else being equal, a 10% faster CPU (going from 292.4 MHz to 325 MHz) while going to a 3:2 backside cache provides a 5% gain. The best stable speed obtained in these tests was 314.2 MHz with a 48.36 MHz bus and 3:2 cache. This gave a MacBench score of 1100. Of course, the stock card has a MacBench score of 962, so this is an improvement of almost 15%.
 
For maximum performance, the adjustable bus, CPU, and cache settings on the PowerLogix cards gives the user options which can produce a significant improvement over stock values. Your results may vary.

Regardless, the best values tend to be in the 266-300 MHz and slower cards. At present, 333-400 MHz is cutting edge and priced accordingly. Sure, MacBench scores over 1200 look impressive, but if 15% more speed costs 30-50% more, what's the better buy?

All but the slowest (233-250 MHz) G3 cards outperform the 9600/350.

Personal Experience

I installed a pair of 250 MHz Newer Technology MAXpowr G3 cards at the end of February 1998. These replaced 180 MHz 604e cards. Installation was remarkably swift - so are the computers. Before buying the cards, I polled the Mac Managers mailing list. Response was that Newer Technology makes excellent cards that will almost invariably support a 03.2 cache setting. My testing confirmed this, as did later installation of two 300 MHz cards.

I haven't done any benchmarks, nor do I expect to find the time to do so. However, both users report their Macs are as stable as ever and perkier than before.

Overviews

This page created January 23, 1998 and updated regularly.>

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