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Power Macintosh

Guide to G3 CPU Upgrades for G3 Power Macs

Updated 2003.05.11

Got a Power Mac? Join the Power Macs email list.

If you have a Power Mac G3, whether the original beige model or the blue & white one, moving to a faster CPU is as easy as removing the current one and inserting a new on in the zero insertion force (ZIF) socket.

Benchmark scores are MacBench 5 (note that these are roughly 7% lower than MacBench 4 scores). For comparison purposes, the beige Power Mac G3/300 has a CPU score of 1000, the new $1,600 blue & white 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.

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

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 Prices may be outdated. (Prices are in $US, and no price is listed for discontinued upgrades.) In fact, models are added and discontinued so often, it's impossible to keep track of which models are current.

Accelerate Your Mac has user reports on various G3 upgrades.
dealmac tracks special deals on ZIF upgrades.

NOTE: Not all upgrades are compatible with the Blue G3.

Discontinued accelerators are listed for historical reasons.

Manufacturer

CPU
Speed

Cache
Size

Cache
Speed

MacBench
5.0 rating*

Estimated
Street Price

Estimated
Value**

metabox
joeCARD Z
adjustable bus
discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

Newer Technology
MAXpowr G3
discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

phase5 G3 Power Booster discontinued	466 MHz	1 MB	233 MHz
	450 MHz	1 MB	225 MHz
	400 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz

PowerLogix PowerForce ZIF adjustable bus updated 9/11/07	500 MHz	1 MB	250 MHz
	1 GHz	1 MB	1 GHz	$140
	1.1 GHz	1 MB	1.1 GHz

Sonnet Technologies
Encore/ZIF
discontinued

500 MHz

1 MB

250 MHz

XLR8 MACh Speed G3z adjustable bus discontinued	500 MHz	1 MB	250 MHz
	466 MHz	1 MB	233 MHz
	450 MHz	1 MB	225 MHz
	400 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz	1341	9.00
	366 MHz	1 MB	183 MHz	1228
	333 MHz	1 MB	167 MHz	1117	3.29
	300 MHz	1 MB	200 MHz	1005

* Processor score from MacWeek or Macworld when possible, but most MacBench ratings are from manufacturers. End user results may vary based on a number of factors including bus speed and OS used.

** Estimated value is MacBench rating divided by price. Higher numbers represent more bang for the buck.

Reviews & Overviews

Is it worth putting a G3 in an older Mac?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 11/3/00. As always, it depends, but sometimes a used Power Mac G3 is the better value.
Macs Only!
MacWeek and Macworld (use search to find reviews)
Mac Speed Zone
Accelerate Your Mac

This page created May 19, 1999 and updated occasionally.

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