Power Macintosh

Power Macintosh 6100

a.k.a. Performa 6100 series

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 6100/60 was the entry-level Power Mac when Apple introduced theline in March 1994. Built into the Quadra 610 case, the 6100 contains a PDSwhich can be converted to a NuBus slot with an adapter. To savemoney, the 6100 uses RAM for video (up to 615 KB, depending onresolution and bit-depth), not separate VRAM. Thus, one way toimprove performance is to add a video card, either Apple AV card ora third-party one. (This also makes it possible to run twomonitors.) Another is to add a 1 MB level 2 cache, as noted onour benchmark page. Moredetails at PowerMac6100 Graphics Performance.

The 6100 was upgraded to 66 MHz in January 1995.

See our NuBus Video Card Guidefor information on adding a NuBus video card, which will alsorequire a NuBus adapter.

Variants

6100av. Includes video-in and video-out. Supports 19" and21" monitors. Has 2 MB VRAM. (AV card can be added to any 6100 witha free PDS slot.)

6100 DOS compatible. Card includes a 66 MHz 486DX2 CPU,SVGA output, and a single SIMM slot supporting up to 32 MB RAM. DOScard can share RAM with Macintosh, which is slower, or use its ownmemory. (DOS Compatibility Card can be added to any 6100 with afree PDS slot.)

The Upgrade Box

Details

6100/60 introduced 1994.03.14; discontinued1995.01.03
6100/60av introduced 1994.03.14; discontinued1994.09.12
6100/66 introduced 1995.01.03; discontinued 1995.10.14
6100/66 DOS Compatible introduced 1995.01.03; discontinued1996.05.18
6100/66av introduced 1995/02/03; discontinued1995/04/03
requires System 7.1.2 through 9.1
CPU: 60 or 66 MHz PPC 601
bus: 30 or 33 MHz
performance
6100/60: CPU 100, FPU 161, MacBench 5
1.8 (relative to Centris 650)
23.26, MacBench 2.0
3.13, Speedometer 4
6100/66: CPU 112, FPU,177, MacBench 5
3.40, Speedometer 4
more details on our benchmarkpage
ROM: 4 MB
RAM: 8 MB, expandable to 264 MB using matching pairs of 80ns orfaster 72-pin SIMMs (Apple does not support 64 or 128 MB SIMMs,since they were released after the computer and Apple has notverified compatibility.)
VRAM: none on motherboard, 2 MB on AV card
Video:
- internal supports thousands of colors at 640 x 480 and 256colors at 832 x 624
- AV card supports millions of colors at 640 x 480 and 832 x 624,thousands of colors at 1024 x 768 and 1152 x 870
- motherboard video uses up to 600 KB of system memory
- A dead or low-voltage PRAM battery can temporarily kill offbuilt-in video - see MacintoshComputers: Low Battery Can Cause No Video for more information.
L2 cache: optional on 6100/60, 256 KB standard on 6100/66,supports 256 KB to 1 MB cache
Hard drive: 160-250 MB @ 60 MHz, 350-500 MB @ 66 MHz
CD-ROM: 2x standard
microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-levelinput including Apple's PlainTalk microphone
ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
serial: 2 DIN-8 GeoPorts on back of computer
SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
ethernet: AAUI connector on back of computer, requires AAUI adapter
one PDS slot (NuBus adapter available)
power: 200W
PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
height: 3.4 in
width: 16.3 in
depth: 15.6 in
weight: 14.0 lb
PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
Gestalt ID: 75

Accelerators & Upgrades

Guide to G3 Accelerators for NuBusMacs
Guide to G4 Accelerators for NuBusMacs
Chipping the Power Macx100
NewerRAMhas 128 MB SIMMs for 6100, Applelinks, 1/11/2000
AV card or third-party video card will improve performance
MicroMac Speedy variablespeed oscillator
MC PriceBreakers, 80 MHz clock chipper
Output Enablers 80-82 MHzclock accelerator (76-80 MHz version for 6100 DOS Compatible)
Griffin Mac-celerator (variable speed to 80/84 MHz for 60/66MHz models, incl. fan), discontinued
Crescendo (120/132 MHz 604 or 180/200 MHz 604e) from SonnetTechnologies, discontinued
Crescendo/NuBusG3 (400/500 MHz G3) from Sonnet Technologies
210 MHz and 240 MHz MAXpower G3 from Newer Technology (210 MHzversion reviewed on MacsOnly!), discontinued

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.
The 25 mostimportant Macs (part 2), Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.02.17. The25 most significant Macs in the first 25 years of the platform,continued.
Why youshould partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings,2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a secondpartition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you haveproblems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency'partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
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.
Macintosh peace of mind, PA Semiand the iPhone, $40 802.11g PCI card, and more, Dan Knight, Low EndMac Mailbag, 2008.05.01. Also Power Mac vs. Mac mini, more on DVD UserOp Patch, 12" vs. 14" iBook, and VGA for a Power Mac 6100.
Vintage Macnetworking and file exchange, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.19.How to network vintage Macs with modern Macs and tips on exchangingfiles using floppies, Zip disks, and other media.
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.
Better and safer surfing withInternet Explorer and the Classic Mac OS, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel,2007.11.06. Tips on which browsers work best with different Mac OSversions plus extra software to clean cookies and caches, detectviruses, handle downloads, etc.
Hacking Mac OS 7.6.1 so many MacOS 8 apps will run, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.10.30. With alittle ResEdit work and a second copy of your System Folder, you canrun a lot of OS 8 apps with Mac OS 7.6.1.
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.
Apple's AAUI ethernet connector, DanKnight, Online Tech Journal, 09.04. From 1991 through 1995, Apple useda proprietary ethernet connection. Why they created AAUI and where tofind adapters.
Connecting a LaserWriter toethernet and the TiBook that wouldn't boot, Dan Knight, Low EndMac Mailbag, 2007.08.23. The importance of an AAUI ethernetadapter, the cost of PowerBook PRAM batteries, and booting old Macsfrom SCSI drives.
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.
Who needsa computer anyway?, RetroMacCast, 2007.03.18. James and Johnlook at the Power Mac 6100 and the Newton eMate.
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.
DOS cards, x86 emulation, BootCamp, and the future of Windows on Macs, Adam Robert Guha,Apple Archive, 2006.04.07. Macs have had DOS compatibility since1987, and software emulators followed in a few years. With BootCamp, Intel Macs can now run Windows XP. Where next?
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.
MpegDec: Play MP3s andstreaming audio on 680x0 and old PowerPC Macs, Nathan Thompson,Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.03.14. 680x0 Macs can play anythingshort of 128kbps stereo MP3s, and even the oldest PowerPC Macs haveno trouble at all with those recordings.
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.
SETIonMac: Team 6100 joins TeamMac Observer, 2000.05.04. Team hopes to harness efforts of manyPower Mac 6100s, perhaps the most popular Power Mac ever.
Follow Up on the 6100, 7100,and 8100, Adam Robert Guha, Mac Daniel, 2000.04.27. A look atupgrade options.
72-pin SIMM memorypricing, ramseeker
PowerMac 6100 UpgradeGuide, Steven Kan
Setting Up a 6100, DanKnight, Mac Musings, 1999.10.18. Was picking up some Power Mac6100s for $200 each really such a good deal?
Benchmark: Power Mac6100, Low End Mac, 10/17/99.
BRD's PowerMac 61XX FAQ
Because the 6100 uses up to 640 KB of system memory for video(unless you're using an AV card or NuBus video card), you canreally boost video and system performance with a 1 MB L2cache.
Should I Buy a Used 6100?,Mac Daniel, 1998.11.19
How should I upgrade my6100?, Mac Daniel, 1998.11.19
Should I pump upmy 6100 or buy an iMac?, Bare Feats, 1998.09.01
Apple Specs: Power Mac 6100/60, 6100/60av,6100/66,6100/66av,6100 DOSCompatible
Mac Windows,a site for Mac users running Windows

Cautions

You cannot upgrade from Mac OS 9.0 to 9.1 using updaters onNuBus models. You muse use a full installation CD for OS 9.1.
We're dead serious about recommending matching RAM whenupgrading the 6100 - see Memoirs ofan UberNewbie: Always crashing in the same car to learn whathappens if you don't match SIMMs.
Outside of California, Apple discontinued support and partsorders for this model on 1 January 2001. You may be able to finddealers with parts inventory either locally or on our parts and service list.
Beware bogus 256K cache module AP2544-02 - it doesn't doanything on the 6100 or 7100.
The fan filter for the 610 and other models that use the samecase is inside the power supply. Sometimes a "bad" power supply canbe repaired by clearing the dust out of the mesh screen near thefan.
This case has poor air circulation, which can cause replacementhard drives or accelerators to overheat. If this happens, the firstthing to try is removing the small horizontal insert on the back.If this fails, look into replacing the fan in the power supply(contact Newark Electronics at1-800-463-9275 for information on their 25cfm fan) or moving thehard drive to the CD-ROM bay (assuming you don't have a CD-ROMplayer).

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Opinions expressed are those of their authors and may not reflect the opinion of Cobweb Publishing. Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all.
Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2013 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Low End Mac, LowEndMac, and lowendmac.com are trademarks of Cobweb Publishing Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, Mac Pro, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it, and we don't share the information we have with others. For more details, see our Terms of Use.