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Power Macintosh G4 Q&A - Updated April 12, 2010

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How do you replace or upgrade the optical drive in the Power Mac G4 models? What are the capabilities of the default optical drives? What is DVD-RAM?

It is simple to replace or upgrade the optical drive in the Power Mac G4 models and for systems that shipped with anything less than a DVD-R/CD-RW "SuperDrive" an upgrade is particularly worthwhile. Even systems that shipped with an optical drive capable of writing to single layer DVD-R are good candidates for many users to upgrade to a dual-layer DVD burner.

For those who have more recently picked up a Power Macintosh G4 and are not familiar with the ill-fated DVD-RAM standard, it is an archaic rewritable DVD format that can store between 2.6 GB (one sided) and 5.2 GB (double sided) on a disc. DVD-RAM can read DVD-ROM and DVD-Video discs, but can only write to DVD-RAM discs.

DVD-RAM could be used along with video editing software to create a DVD-Video disc layout with MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio, which could be replayed in DVD-RAM drives, but not in DVD-Video drives. Any Power Macintosh G4 with a DVD-RAM drive defintely is a great candidate for an upgrade.

All Power Macintosh G4 models use an EIDE (ATA-3) bus for the optical drive, and the default capabilities of the optical drive that shipped with each -- as well as instructions from Apple and site sponsor Other World Computing -- are provided below:

Power Mac G4

Default Optical Drive

Instructions

400 (PCI)

32X CD-ROM

Apple

450 (AGP)

5X DVD-ROM, RAM

Apple & OWC

500 (AGP)

5X DVD-RAM

Apple & OWC

350 (PCI)

32X CD-ROM

Apple

400 (AGP)

5X DVD-ROM

Apple & OWC

350 (AGP)

5X DVD-ROM

Apple & OWC

400 (Gigabit)

5X DVD-ROM

Apple & OWC

450 DP (Gigabit)

5X DVD-ROM

Apple & OWC

500 DP (Gigabit)

5X DVD-ROM, RAM

Apple & OWC

466 (Digital Audio)

8X CD-RW

Apple & OWC

533 (Digital Audio)

8X CD-RW

Apple & OWC

667 (Digital Audio)

8X CD-RW

Apple & OWC

733 (Digital Audio)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

733 (Quicksilver)

12X CD-RW

Apple & OWC

867 (Quicksilver)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

800 DP (Quicksilver)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

800 (QS 2002)

24X CD-RW

Apple & OWC

933 (QS 2002)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

1.0 DP (QS 2002)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

867 DP (MDD)

8X "Combo Drive"

Apple & OWC

1.0 DP (MDD)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

1.25 DP (MDD)

2X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

1.0 (FW 800)

12X "Combo Drive"

Apple & OWC

1.25 DP (FW 800)

12X "Combo Drive"

Apple & OWC

1.42 DP (FW 800)

4X "SuperDrive"

Apple & OWC

1.25 (MDD 2003)

12X "Combo Drive"

Apple & OWC

This video from Other World Computing is for the "Mirrored Drive Doors/Firewire 800" models:

Additionally, OWC has optical drive upgrade videos for the "AGP Graphics/Gigabit Ethernet" and "Quicksilver/Quicksilver 2002" models. The always excellent XLR8YourMac has a guide to replacing the optical drive in pre-Quicksilver systems as well.

On top of helpful upgrade videos, as you would expect, OWC has optical drives for sale compatible with every Power Macintosh G4 model.



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