PowerPC Upgrades for 040 PDS

Vintage Macs: Centris and Quadra

PowerPC Upgrades for 040 PDS

Apple Power Mac Upgrade Card
DayStar PowerPro 601
Sonnet Presto PPC 700

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Overview

The Apple Power Mac Upgrade Card (APMUC) plugs into the processor direct slot (PDS) of the Centris 650, Quadra 650, 700, 800, 900, and 950. With an adapter, it also works in the Centris 610 and Quadra 610.

This card is not compatible with the LC 475, LC 575, LC 580, LC 630, Performa 475-476, Performa 575-578, Performa 580-588, Performa 630 series, Quadra 605, and Quadra 630. These models accept the Apple Power Mac Processor Upgrade.

The APMUC was built by DayStar, which sold several versions under the PowerPro 601 name (see Apple TIL for more details). After DayStar went out of business, Sonnet picked up their 100 MHz design and sold it as the Presto PPC upgrade; it has since been discontinued.

The APMUC has a 66 MHz PowerPC 601 processor, which operates at twice the speed of the '040 processor installed in the computer it is upgrading - or twice bus speed in a chipped machine. All three versions of the card are compatible with Mac OS 8.1; with Sonnet's drivers, their card also supports Mac OS 8.5-8.6.

Details, Apple

requires "fat" System 7.1 to 8.1
requires Apple "Power Macintosh Card" control panel
CPU: 66 MHz PowerPC 601
CPU speed: runs at twice speed of '040 CPU
- 40 MHz in Centris 610
- 50 MHz in Centris 650, Quadra 610, 700, 900
- 66 MHz in Quadra 650, 800, 950
- reports of successful 80 MHz performance in a Quadra 950 with its bus chipped to 80 MHz
ROM: Apple PowerPC ROMs
RAM: uses memory on computer motherboard
L2 cache: 1 MB

Details, DayStar PowerPro

requires "fat" System 7.1 to 8.1 (only certified to 7.5.1)
requires Daystar "PowerPro" or Apple "Power Macintosh Card" control panel
CPU: 66, 80, or 100 MHz PowerPC 601
ROM: Apple PowerPC ROMs
RAM: uses memory on computer motherboard
L2 cache: 256 KB or 1 MB, depending on model

Details, DayStar PowerPro with RAM Expansion

requires "fat" System 7.1 to 8.1 (only certified to 7.5.1)
requires Daystar "PowerPro" or Apple "Power Macintosh Card" control panel
CPU: 66 or 80 MHz PowerPC 601
ROM: Apple PowerPC ROMs
RAM: two banks of two 72-pin SIMM sockets; requires 80ns or faster memory installed in pairs; supports 1, 2, 4, and 8 MB SIMMs
L2 cache: 256 KB or 1 MB, depending on model

Details, Sonnet Presto PPC 700

requires "fat" System 7.1.2 to 8.1, Mac OS 8.5-8.6 with Sonnet enabler
requires Sonnet's Mac OS Enabler software
CPU: 100 MHz PowerPC 601
ROM: Apple PowerPC ROMs
RAM: uses memory on computer motherboard
L2 cache: 1 MB

Online Resources

Benchmarks: Quadra 950 with Apple Macintosh Processor Upgrade
Benchmarks: Quadra 700 with Apple Macintosh Processor Upgrade
DayStar Turbo 601, Apple Macintosh Processor Upgrade, and DayStar PowerCard 601, MacUser, 1995:07
Power Macintosh Upgrade Options, Computer User, 1994.12.01
Sonnet Presto PPC, 100 MHz 601, 1 MB cache
Unofficial PowerPro 601 Page
Apple Power Macintosh Upgrade Card/Daystar PowerPro 601 compared, Apple TIL 14885
Vintage Macs, the email list for 68040-based Macs
Apple Specs Online for upgraded Centris 610, Quadra 610, Centris 650, Quadra 650, Quadra 700, Quadra 800, Quadra 900, Quadra 950

Cautions

You must have a "fat" system installed to use a PowerPC upgrade.

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Vintage Macs: Centris and Quadra