Vintage Macs: Centris and Quadra

Quadra 630

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Overview

Macintosh Quadra 630 This was the last Mac designed around the 68040 processor. The Quadra 630 was designed to replace the Quadra 610. LC and Performa versions used the less expensive 68LC040, which lacks an FPU, while the Quadra 630 sports a full 68040. The slide-out motherboard makes upgrades very easy.

The 630 was the first Mac to use an IDE hard drive, a type of drive common in the IBM compatible market. However, the CD-ROM (when present) is a SCSI device.

The 630 was quite cleverly designed for a computer with no industry standard slots. It contained an extended LC PDS that supported both LC and extended LC cards, a comm slot for a modem or ethernet card, and a video slot for either Apple's Video System Card or TV/Video System card. To top it off, the DOS card plugged into the CPU socket and also used the PDS, but it left the comm and video slots free.

The Upgrade Box

Details

Quadra 630 introduced 1994.07.18 at $1,200; discontinued 1995.04.17
requires System 7.1 or later; highest version supported without a PPC upgrade is Mac OS 8.1.
CPU: 33 MHz 68040
performance: 12.5 (relative to SE); 10.00, MacBench 2.0 CPU
see Benchmarks: Quadra 630 for more details
FPU: built into 68040 CPU
ROM: 1 MB
RAM: 4 MB on motherboard, expandable to 68 MB* using one 80ns 72-pin SIMM. The slot supports 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 MB SIMMs. (The 630 works only with single-banked 64 MB SIMMs, but it does not work with double-banked 64 MB RAM SIMMs.
The Performa 631, which has two SIMM sockets, is expandable to 76 MB using two 80ns 72-pin SIMMs (one source places the limit at 52 MB).
* One reader reports installing a 128 MB non-parity 72-pin 80ns SIMM in his 630 and using it reliably.
video: 1 MB VRAM, does not support portrait monitor
- 512 x 384, 640 x 480: 16-bit
- 800 x 600, 832 x 624: 8-bit
ADB: 2 ports for keyboard and mouse
serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
hard drive: 250 MB IDE (first desktop Mac with an IDE hard drive rather than a SCSI drive)
one LC PDS slot, one comm slot, one video slot, one TV tuner slot
size (HxWxD): 4.3" x 12.6" x 16.5"
weight: 19 lbs.
PRAM battery: 4.5V alkaline
Gestalt ID: 98
addressing: 24-bit, 32-bit
upgrade path: Power Mac PDS card, 6300-series motherboard

Accelerators & Upgrades

PowerPC Processor Upgrades for LC PDS, Covers Apple, DayStar, and Sonnet PPC upgrades for LC 475, 575-580, 630, Performa 475-476, 575-588, 630 series, Quadra 605, and Quadra 630.
Can be clock chipped to 40 MHz
6300-series motherboard

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.
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.
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.
March Madness and a Macintosh Performa, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.03.24. Pete Tiernan of Bracketscience uses a 1995 Mac Performa and FileMaker 2.0 to do some of the best playoff analysis out there.
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.
The 25 most important Macs (part 2), Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.02.17. The 25 most significant Macs in the first 25 years of the platform, continued.
Golden Apples: The 25 best Macs to date, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 2009.01.27. The best Macs from 1984 through 2009, including a couple that aren't technically Macs.
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."
Mac approaching 25th birthday, OS 8 on Performa 630, Mac Classics in use 24/7, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.12.04. Also more thoughts on vampire video, realigning the Road Apple label, the fate of DropStuff, and an unidentified cable in a Power Mac 8600.
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 consumer Performa line, 1992 to 1997, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.14. Apple decided to pursue the average consumer by renaming existing Macs, bundling them with software, and putting their colorful boxes in regular retail outlets.
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.
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.
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.
The 10 worst Macs ever built, Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac, 2001.08.06
Quadra 630 RAM Expansion, how to add a second RAM socket to single socket models.
Guide to LC PDS Video Cards. Includes Focus, Radius, and RasterOps cards for the LC processor direct slot.
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.
Online with a Performa 636, Julie Fugett, Mac Daniel, 2000.02.22
72-pin SIMM memory pricing, ramseeker
How Should I Upgrade My Performa 630?, Mac Daniel
What Should I do with a Performa 630?, Mac Daniel
Running Mac OS 8.5 on a PPC-upgraded Quadra 630, MacNN
Video and Communications Module Description, Apple Knowledge Base Archive
Vintage Macs, the email list for 68040-based Macs
Memory Upgrade Guide
Macintosh Quadra 630 Technical Specifications, Apple Knowledge Base Archive

Cautions

Internal HD Format: Cannot See IDE Drives (Apple Knowledge Base 18360) notes that due to changes in the way modern IDE drives are formatted at the factory, early versions of Apple HD SC Setup (ones that 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 or higher with these drives.
The IDE controller only supports a single device, and the highest PIO mode this model supports is Mode 3 (11.1 MB/s), Macintosh: Using Third Party IDE Hard Disks
Macs with IDE hard drives do not provide SCSI termination power, depending on external SCSI devices to provide it. For more details, see SCSI Termination Power.
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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