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Q
& A:
PB
G3 Q & A:
Internal Expansion
What type of expansion slots and
expansion bays are provided with the PowerBook G3
series?
The original PowerBook G3, the "Wallstreet" PowerBook G3, and the "PDQ" PowerBook G3 all have two Type II PC card slots that can support either two Type II PC cards or one Type III PC card. However, the "Bronze" PowerBook G3 series only supports one Type II PC card, and does not support Type III PC cards.
The original PowerBook G3 also has one "hot-swappable" expansion bay that is backwards compatible with expansion modules for the PowerBook 190 and PowerBook 5300 series. The "Wallstreet" and "PDQ" PowerBook G3 series are equipped with dual "hot-swappable" expansion bays unique to the series; and the "Bronze" and "FW" PowerBook G3 series is equipped with a single "hot-swappable" expansion bay unique to the "Bronze" and "FW" case type.
Have questions about expanding your PowerBook G3? Talk about it in the forums.
Are the expansion bays on each model compatible with each other?
No. The expansion bay provided by the original PowerBook G3 series is backwards compatible with expansion modules for the PowerBook 190 and PowerBook 5300 series, but are not compatible with newer PowerBook G3s.
The expansion bays provided by the "Wallstreet" and "PDQ" PowerBook G3 series are compatible with each other, but not with the original PowerBook G3 or the "Bronze" PowerBook G3 series.
In spite of the similar external appearance between the "Bronze" PowerBook G3 and the "Wallstreet" PowerBook G3 models, the "Bronze" expansion bays are 2.5 mm thinner, and therefore, not compatible with the older PowerBook G3 bays.
The PowerBook G3 "FW" series has bays that are essentially identical to the bays provided by the "Bronze" PowerBook G3 series, but because of logic board differences, Apple states that expansion modules designed for the "Bronze" series will work with the "FW" series, but not necessarily vice versa.
Is the CPU on the PowerBook G3 upgradable? How is it mounted?
The processor, in all models of the PowerBook G3 series, is soldered to a daughtercard, and is, therefore, not easily upgradable. Because the ROM is also soldered to the daughtercard, the feasible way to upgrade the PowerBook G3's processor would be to replace the existing daughtercard with a new one with a faster processor and another ROM.
Apple has officially stated that they have no plans to offer any type of processor upgrade cards at this time, although third-party cards are available.
Are third-party processor upgrade cards available?
In spite of the fact that the PowerBook G3 was not designed to be upgraded, both Newer Technology and PowerLogix designed upgrade cards that are compatible with most models in the "Wallstreet", "PDQ", and "Bronze" PowerBook G3 series that circumvent the ROM-issue. Basically, both companies installed a faster PowerPC 750 "G3" processor on an existing PowerBook G3 daughtercard, which contains the original PowerBook G3 ROM.
As Newer Technology filed for bankruptcy on December 28, 2000, PowerLogix is now the sole source for PowerBook G3 upgrades. For additional information on these particular cards, be sure to check out the Upgrade Cards: By Compatible System: PowerBook G3 listing on EveryMac.com.
Is the video controller on the PowerBook G3 series upgradable?
No. The video processor is soldered to the motherboard in all versions of the PowerBook G3.
However, dual-display capability can be added to a "Wallstreet" or "PDQ" PowerBook G3 with the IXMicro ix3D RoadRocket. Dual-display capability is standard with the "Bronze" PowerBook G3 and the PowerBook G3 "FW".
How much RAM can the PowerBook G3 series support? What type?
The original PowerBook G3 can support up-to 160 MB of RAM with a combination of 32 MB of onboard RAM and a 128 MB 60 ns EDO DIMM. Greater RAM capacity may be possible with higher-density DIMMs.
The "Wallstreet", "PDQ", and "Bronze" PowerBook G3 series can support up-to 384 MB of RAM by using one 128 MB and 256 MB 10 ns SO-DIMM. Both SO-DIMMs used in these PowerBook G3s must use SDRAM, not EDO or SGRAM (with a "G"). One RAM slot is located on top of the daughtercard and can accommodate RAM that is up to 2.0 inches high (256 MB), and the other slot is located on the bottom of the daughtercard and can accommodate RAM that is 1.5 inches high (128 MB).
The PowerBook G3 "FW" series can support up-to 512 MB of RAM by using two 2" (or less), 256 MB, 8 ns SO-DIMMs.
Does the PowerBook G3 series support DVD? Can it be added?
The original PowerBook G3 does not support DVD, but some models in the "Wallstreet", "PDQ", and "Bronze" series do. All models in the PowerBook G3 "FW" series support DVD.
Certain "Wallstreet" and "PDQ" PowerBook G3s come equipped with an optional DVD-ROM drive and are powered by a DVD video PC card. For specific information on individual configurations, see the PowerBook G3 specification pages. Models that do not have DVD pre-installed can be upgraded later via third-party solutions.
The PowerBook G3/400 "Bronze" has a ZiVA-PC DVD decoder soldered to the motherboard which controls 2 MB of SDRAM. This makes full NTSC and PAL video decoding possible, resulting in smooth video playback. The only drawback is that since the DVD-ROM is hardware-based, the PowerBook G3/333 "Bronze" can only be upgraded to DVD by a third-party solution. The PowerBook G3 "FW" series uses a similar software-based decoding system. For additional information, refer to Tech Info Document #58338.
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