Power Macintosh

Power Mac 6300/120

a.k.a. Performa 6320

a RoadApple

Got a NuBus Power Mac? Join our 1st PowerMacs Group.
Our Mac OS 9 Group is for anyoneusing Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.

The Power Mac 6300/120 and Performa 6320 replaced the Performa 6300's100 MHz 603e with a 120 MHz 603e CPU.

Be sure to read Performa and PowerMac 5200, 5300, 6200, 6300 Issues. Then you'll understand whyit's called a RoadApple.

The Upgrade Box

Details

Power Mac 6300/120 introduced 1996.06.27; discontinued
Performa 6320 introduced 1996.04.22; discontinued
requires System 7.5.1 through 9.1
CPU: 120 MHz PPC 603e
bus: 40 MHz
performance: XXX (relative to SE)
ROM: 4 MB
RAM: 16 MB, expandable to 64 MB using two 72-pin 80ns SIMMs,installing RAM in pairs of identical speed gives slightly moreefficient performance
VRAM: 1 MB, supports up to 800 x 600 resolution
Video:
L2 cache: 256 KB
hard drive: 1.2 GB IDE
CD-ROM: 8x
microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-levelinput including Apple's PlainTalk microphone
ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
DIN-8 serial ports on back of computer (modem port disabledwhen comm slot modem present; printer port disabled when comm slotethernet card present)
SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
video input slot
comm slot, occupied by 28.8 kbps modem
one LC PDS slot
Gestalt ID: 42
Size (HxWxD): 4.3" x 12.6" x 16.5"
weight: 19 pounds

Accelerators & Upgrades

Power Mac 6360 motherboard and powersupply
third-party video card will improve performance

Online Resources

Low End Mac's bestclassic 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.
Low End Mac'sCompleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, Charles Moore,Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic softwarehasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buyit, and how to update to version 9.2.2.
Environmentallyresponsible retirement for old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in MacDevelopment, 2008.06.13. After you've scavenged what useful parts youcan from your old Mac, what's the most environmentally friendly way todispose of the rest?
Know your Mac'supgrade 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.
CreatingClassic Mac boot floppies in OS X, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat,2008.08.07. Yes, it is possible to create a boot floppy for the ClassicMac OS using an OS X Mac that doesn't have Classic. Here's how.
The compressed airkeyboard 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.
More G4 upgrade advice, securedisk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, DanKnight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.05.09. The importance of securelyclearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closedlid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4Power Macs.
Vintage Macvideo and monitor mania, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.17.Vintage Macs and monitors didn't use VGA connectors. Tips on makingmodern monitors work with old Macs.
Getting insidevintage 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 usuallyanother dead Mac with different failed parts.
Solving Macstartup problems, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.12. When yourold Mac won't boot, the most likely culprits are a dead PRAM battery ora failed (or failing) hard drive.
The 10 worst Macs ever, DanKnight, Mac Musings, 2007.10.23. The ten worst Macs of all time - andone of them came out just last year.
Interchangeabilty andcompatibility of Apple 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drives, SonicPurity, Mac Daniel, 2007.09.26. Apple used two kinds of high-densityfloppy drives on Macs, auto-inject and manual inject. Can they beswapped?
Apple's consumer Performaline, 1992 to 1997, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.14. Appledecided to pursue the average consumer by renaming existing Macs,bundling them with software, and putting their colorful boxes inregular retail outlets.
Restoring PowerBook batteries,MB/GB confusion, upgrading a Performa 6300, Road Apples, andmore, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.08.20. Alsoinformation on Mac128k.com, the market for a midrange Macintosh,iBook reliability, an alternative to Name Munger, and thanks from areader.
Mac System 7.5.5 can do anythingMac OS 7.6.1 can, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2007.06.04. Yes, it is possible to run Internet Explorer 5.1.7 andSoundJam with System 7.5.5. You just need to have all the updates -and make one modification for SoundJam.
Appearance Manager allowsInternet Explorer 5.1.7 to work with Mac OS 7.6.1, MaxWallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser withan old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the AppearanceManager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
Format any drive for older Macswith patched Apple tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Applebranded hard drives - until you apply the patches linked to thisarticle.
System 7 Today, advocates ofApple's 'orphan' Mac OS 7.6.1, Tommy Thomas, Welcome toMacintosh, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 andPowerPC 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 andtools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
Customizing Mac OS 9,Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling withthemes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work justthe way you want it to.
Floppy drive observations: Acompleat guide to Mac floppy drives and disk formats, ScottBaret, Online Tech Journal, 2006.06.29. A history of the Mac floppyfrom the 400K drive in the Mac 128K through the manual-inject 1.4MSuperDrives used in the late 1990s.
System 7.6.1 is perfect formany older Macs, John Martorana, That Old Mac Magic,2006.03.24. Want the best speed from your old Mac? System 7.6.1 cangive you that with a fairly small memory footprint - also helpfulon older Macs.
System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: Thebeginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2006.02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new featuresand greater modernity while staying within reach of most earlyMacintosh models.
Web browser tips for theclassic 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 MacOS.
The best browsers for PowerPCMacs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, EmbracingObsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 ismodern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla toolder Macs.
Why you should use Mac OS 7.6 toget the most out of vintage Macs, Thomas Ahart, The ProductiveMac, 2005.12.12. Although you may be able to run OS 8 or 9 on yourold Mac, you'll generally find better performance using Mac OS7.6.
The 10 worstMacs ever built, Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac,2001.08.06
Guide to LC PDS VideoCards. Includes Focus, Radius, and RasterOps cards for the LCprocessor direct slot.
PDS Power Macs: RoadApples?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 9/29/00. These Macsaren't bad, just limited. Here's how to make the most of them.
Can I Speed a 6200 or 5200 onthe Net?, Mac Daniel
Performa 6300, 5200questions, Mac Daniel
Performa and Power Mac 5200, 5300,6200, 6300 Issues by Scott L. Barber
Apple Specs for Power Mac 6300/120, Performa 6320
Modemperformance using FreePPP and OT PPP on at 5320, AdrianWinnard

Cautions

Internal HDFormat: Cannot See IDE Drives (Apple Knowledge Base 18360)notes that due to changes in the way modern IDE drives areformatted at the factory, early versions of Apple HD SC Setup (onesthat come with System 7.5.1 and earlier) will not recognize them.You should boot System 7.5.2 or later and use Drive Setup 1.0.3 orhigher with these drives.
This highest PIO mode this model supports is Mode 3 (11.1MB/s), Macintosh: Using Third Party IDE Hard Disks
Macs with IDE hard drive do not provide SCSI termination power,depending on external SCSI devices to provide it. For more details,see SCSI TerminationPower.
On most models, the serial ports do not support hardwarehandshaking necessary for high speed (9600 bps or higher) modems.However, Global Village Teleport Platinum modems implementhandshaking on the modem, providing 28.8 kbps and fastertelecommunications. (The final revision of the motherboard doessupport hardware handshaking.)

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