Vintage Macs: Centris and Quadra

Quadra 800

a.k.a. Workgroup Server 80

"The Quadra 800's motherboard is readily accessible, because it's held in place by only a few plastic clips." MacUser, April 1993

(Tell that to anyone whose had to wrestle one of these beasts apart! Sorry, but in my experience this is one of Apple's worst case designs.)

Got a 68040-based Mac? Join LEM's Vintage Macs Group.

Overview

Apple introduced a new case design with the Quadra 800, one it would share with the later 840av and two Power Macintosh models, the 8100 and 8500. Perhaps the most frustrating case to work with, it has three front accessible drive bays. One is used by the floppy drive. The others may hold CD-ROM, a DAT drive, a SyQuest mechanism, etc.

The 800 introduced a higher speed SCSI bus to the Macintosh line as well as accelerated internal video. It also uses interleaved memory to squeeze out about 10% more performance.

By using faster memory and interleaving, the Quadra 800 outperformed the Quadra 950, according to the Macworld review.

The Centris 650 and Quadra 800 were the first Macs to ship with a bootable CD-ROM.

See our NuBus Video Card Guide for information on adding a video card.

The Upgrade Box

Details

introduced 1993.02.10 at $4,700; discontinued 1994.03.14
requires System 7.1 (with System Enabler 040 v1.0) or later; highest version supported without a PPC upgrade is Mac OS 8.1.
CPU: 33 MHz 68040
performance: 16.4, relative to SE; 1.31, Speedometer 4; 29 MIPS
ROM: 1 MB
RAM: 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 136MB using 60ns 72-pin SIMMs; motherboard had 4 SIMM slots which can be filled individually but should ideally be filled in interleaved pairs; can use 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, and 32 MB SIMMs
video: 512 KB VRAM, expandable to 1 MB
- 512 x 384 @ 16-bit
- 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit @ 512 KB, 16-bit @ 1 MB
- 1024 x 768, 1152 x 870: 4-bit @ 512 KB, 8-bit @ 1 MB
L2 cache: optional, PDS
ADB ports: 2
DIN-8 serial ports: 2
SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
hard drive: 230 or 500 MB
CD-ROM: 2x
NuBus 90 slots: 3
one PDS slot
size (HxWxD): 14.0" x 7.7" x 15.75"
weight: 24.0 lbs.
PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
Gestalt ID: 35
addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
upgrade path: Quadra 840av, Power Mac PDS card; Power Mac 8100, 8500

Accelerators & Upgrades

Chipping the Quadra
MicroMac PDS 128KB L2 cache
Output Enablers 40-42 MHz clock accelerator
MicroMac Speedy variable speed oscillator (to 38 MHz)
Daystar Digital PowerPro 601, Apple Knowledge Base Archive. Runs at twice the speed of the original processor (50 MHz) and has a 1 MB level 2 cache (resource: Unofficial PowerPro 601 Page.
Power Mac 8100
Sonnet 100 MHz PowerPC 601 Presto PPC, discontinued

Online Resources

Low End Mac's best classic Mac OS deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
Environmentally responsible retirement for old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 2008.06.13. After you've scavenged what useful parts you can from your old Mac, what's the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of the rest?
Know your Mac's upgrade options, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.08.26. Any Mac can be upgraded, but it's a question of what can be upgraded - RAM, hard drive, video, CPU - and how far it can be upgraded.
The compressed air keyboard repair, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn't working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
Tales of old Mac data retrieval, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2008.06.13. Getting apps and documents off 400K floppies, old disk images, and a Mac running System 5.
A vintage Mac network can be as useful as a modern one, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.04.08. Old Macs can exchange data and share an Internet connection very nicely using Apple's old LocalTalk networking.
Vintage Mac networking and file exchange, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.19. How to network vintage Macs with modern Macs and tips on exchanging files using floppies, Zip disks, and other media.
Vintage Mac video and monitor mania, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.17. Vintage Macs and monitors didn't use VGA connectors. Tips on making modern monitors work with old Macs.
Getting inside vintage Macs and swapping out bad parts, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.14. When an old Mac dies, the best source of parts is usually another dead Mac with different failed parts.
Solving Mac startup problems, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.12. When your old Mac won't boot, the most likely culprits are a dead PRAM battery or a failed (or failing) hard drive.
Why you should partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency' partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
Better and safer surfing with Internet Explorer and the Classic Mac OS, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.11.06. Tips on which browsers work best with different Mac OS versions plus extra software to clean cookies and caches, detect viruses, handle downloads, etc.
Hacking Mac OS 7.6.1 so many Mac OS 8 apps will run, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.10.30. With a little ResEdit work and a second copy of your System Folder, you can run a lot of OS 8 apps with Mac OS 7.6.1.
Simple Macs for simple tasks, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.19. Long live 680x0 Macs and the classic Mac OS. For simple tasks such as writing, they can provide a great, low distraction environment.
Interchangeabilty and compatibility of Apple 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drives, Sonic Purity, Mac Daniel, 2007.09.26. Apple used two kinds of high-density floppy drives on Macs, auto-inject and manual inject. Can they be swapped?
Apple's AAUI ethernet connector, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 2007.09.04. From 1991 through 1995, Apple used a proprietary ethernet connection. Why they created AAUI and where to find adapters.
Connecting a LaserWriter to ethernet and the TiBook that wouldn't boot, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.08.23. The importance of an AAUI ethernet adapter, the cost of PowerBook PRAM batteries, and booting old Macs from SCSI drives.
Apple's first phone a fake, build your own Macintel, Internet options for G3 Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.07.23. Also a Cube that won't boot, moving data from an old Mac, useful resource for PowerBook 1400 owners, reformatting a Quadra's hard drive, finding an AirPort power supply, and more.
Mac System 7.5.5 can do anything Mac OS 7.6.1 can, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.06.04. Yes, it is possible to run Internet Explorer 5.1.7 and SoundJam with System 7.5.5. You just need to have all the updates - and make one modification for SoundJam.
Appearance Manager allows Internet Explorer 5.1.7 to work with Mac OS 7.6.1, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser with an old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the Appearance Manager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
Importance of G3 support in 10.5, clever USB/FireWire solution, upgrade options, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.05.01. Also the loss of the PowerBook brand, upgrading to an Intel iMac, Korg and the Mac, Quadra boot problems, and the value of a Mac Classic.
Format any drive for older Macs with patched Apple tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives - until you apply the patches linked to this article.
Making floppies and CDs for older Macs using modern Macs, Windows, and Linux PCs, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.03.15. Older Macs use HFS floppies and CDs. Here are the free resources you'll need to write floppies or CDs for vintage Macs using your modern computer.
System 7 Today, advocates of Apple's 'orphan' Mac OS 7.6.1, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 and PowerPC Macs than System 7.5.x.
Mac OS 8 and 8.1: Maximum size, maximum convenience, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.09.11. Mac OS 8 and 8.1 add some useful new features and tools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
Moving files from your new Mac to your vintage Mac, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 2006.06.13. Old Macs use floppies; new ones don't. Old Macs use AppleTalk; Tiger doesn't support it. New Macs can burn CDs, but old CD drives can't always read CD-R. So how do you move the files?
Setting up a 68040-based Mac media center, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.05.12. Yes, that old '040-based Quadra or Performa just might make a decent media center for listening to MP3s and watching videos.
Damaged Goods: A Quadra 840av brought back from the brink, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.04.05. The Quadra 840av motherboard somehow survived a tragic shipping fiasco, but where would it live and what would it be used for?
System 7.6.1 is perfect for many older Macs, John Martorana, That Old Mac Magic, 2006.03.24. Want the best speed from your old Mac? System 7.6.1 can give you that with a fairly small memory footprint - also helpful on older Macs.
System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: The beginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new features and greater modernity while staying within reach of most early Macintosh models.
Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
Getting to the Power Mac 8500 motherboard, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2003.05.28. "It's been a few years since I've been inside one of these, but I can pretty much walk you through it from memory."
PowerPC Upgrades for 040 PDS: Apple Power Mac Upgrade Card, DayStar PowerPro 601, Sonnet Presto PPC 700
Options For '040s, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2000.06.05. Advice about operating systems, upgrades, what Quadra to choose, and more.
Games for '040s, Low End Mac Gaming, Brian Rumsey, 2000.02.25. This week Brian looks at games to play on 68040-based Macs.
Gaming on '040s, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 2000.02.16. Those old 68040-class Macs still have game.
6100 DOS Cards, Quadras, and You. How to use a Power Mac 6100 DOS card with 66 MHz 486DX2 CPU in a Quadra
72-pin SIMM memory pricing, ramseeker
Vintage Macs, the email list for 68040-based Macs
Memory Upgrade Guide
Interleaved Memory on Centris 650 & Quadra 800, Dale Adams
Centris & Quadra 610, 650, and 800 Video Capabilities, Dale Adams, designer of video hardware on most Centris and Quadra models
Printed reviews: Macworld, April 1993; Mac User, April 1993
Macintosh Quadra 800 Technical Specifications, Apple Knowledge Base Archive

Cautions

You must have a "fat" system installed to use a PowerPC upgrade.
Serial port normally restricted to 57.6 kbps; throughput with a 56k modem may be limited. See 56k modem page. For more information on Mac serial ports, read Macintosh Serial Throughput.

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