FAQ

What version of the MacOS is pre-installed?
The Power Macintosh G4 series was originally shipped with MacOS 8.6, 9.0.4, or 9.1 pre-installed. The original "Quicksilver" series shipped pre-installed with MacOS 9.2 and MacOS X, and the "Quicksilver" models announced on January 28, 2002 and discontinued on August 13, 2002 shipped with MacOS 9.2.2 and MacOS X v10.1 pre-installed with MacOS X selected as the default operating system. The current "Mirrored Drive Doors" Power Macintosh G4 series ship with MacOS 9.2.2 and MacOS X v10.2 pre-installed. Like the previous series, the current models also have MacOS X selected as the default operating system.

All Power Macintosh G4 models are compatible with MacOS 9.2.2 and MacOS X v10.2, regardless of the version that was pre-installed.

Does the Power Macintosh G4 run MacOS X?
Yes. MacOS X will run on all Power Macintosh G4 models with at least 128 MB of RAM and 1.5 GB of free hard drive space. The current "Mirrored Drive Doors" models ship with at least 256 MB of RAM and MacOS 9 and MacOS X pre-installed, but the RAM in some earlier models will need to be upgraded before MacOS X can be installed. All systems shipped after January 28, 2002 are pre-installed with adequate RAM and have MacOS X selected as the default operating system.

To see if your Power Macintosh G4 shipped standard with 128 MB of RAM, see the respective specifications page for the particular model of interest.

Can the Power Macintosh G4 run Linux?
Power Macintosh G4 models using both PCI-based and AGP-based boards can run the most recent version of YellowDog Linux and the PowerPC-compatible distributions from SuSE and Mandrake. For installation instructions and ordering information refer to the companies respective websites.

Can the Power Macintosh G4 run Windows 98? Windows NT (2000)? Windows Me?
Windows XP?
As shipped, all models in the Power Macintosh G4 series can run MacOS 9.x or MacOS X (with at least 128 MB of RAM). However, Power Macintosh G4 models can run versions of Windows through an inexpensive emulator program such as Connectix Virtual PC or by adding a more expensive, but better performing, OrangeMicro PC-compatibility card.

The performance using an emulator program should be around the level of a lower-end PC, and the performance using a PC-compatibility card is equal to or better than many PCs but may cost less than buying an actual PC.

For additional information on Macintosh and Windows compatibility, be sure to check out MacWindows.com.

Can the Power Macintosh G4 run software not optimized for the Velocity Engine?
Absolutely. Any software that runs on the Power Macintosh G3 will also run without problems on the Power Macintosh G4. However, software that is not optimized for the Velocity Engine will need to be rewritten in order to take advantage of the performance boost.

Will software that requires a ADB-based "dongle" work with the Power Macintosh
G4 series?
Because the Power Macintosh G4 lacks ADB ports, ADB-based dongles will not work with the Power Macintosh G4. However, it may be possible to use an ADB-to-USB adapter to connect a ADB-based dongle to one of the USB ports on the Power Macintosh G4. Fortunately, this is no longer a major issue as essentially all companies that sell software which requires a dongle now provide a USB-based dongle.

[Note: a "dongle" is a small cable that ships with some high-end, expensive software packages such as QuarkXPress and AutoCad. Upon starting the software, the computer searches for the dongle and makes sure that it is plugged into the applicable port on the back of the computer. If it is not found, then the software will not operate. Since hardware is considerably more difficult to copy and distribute than software, the dongle provides a fairly high-level of copy protection, discouraging casual software piracy.]

Is the Power Macintosh G4 series Y2K-compliant?
Of course. The Power Macintosh G4 series and all other Macs are fully compatible with the year 2000 and far beyond. The original Macintosh (128k) and Macintosh 512k are compatible until 2040, and all other Macs are compatible until an astonishing 29,940. Check out Apple's MacOS and the Year 2000 page for additional information and testing that you can perform to ensure that all of your software is Y2K-compliant as well.

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Internal Expansion

How many PCI slots are provided with the Power Macintosh G4 series?
The PCI-based models (Yikes! motherboard design) have four PCI slots, one of which is occupied by either a ATI Rage 128 or Rage 128 Pro video card, the AGP-based models announced on July 19, 2000 (Sawtooth motherboard design) have three free PCI slots and a 2X AGP slot, which is occupied by one of the same video cards.

The AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models announced on January 9, 2001 and discontinued on July 18, 2001 have four PCI slots and a 4X AGP slot, which is occupied by either an ATI Rage 128 Pro or a NVIDIA GeForce2 MX video card.

The original "Quicksilver" Power Macintosh G4 models, introduced on July 18, 2001, are based on the same AGP-based logicboard as the previous series, and as such, have four PCI slots and a 4X AGP slot, which shipped populated by either a NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, a NVIDIA GeForce2 MX TwinView, or a NVIDIA GeForce3 (DDR RAM) video card. The second "Quicksilver" Power Macintosh G4 models, introduced on January 28, 2002 and discontinued on August 13, 2002, also are based on a similar AGP-based logicboard with four PCI slots and a 4X AGP slot, and shipped with either a pre-installed ATI Radeon 7500 or NVIDIA GeForce4 MX video card.

The currently shipping "Mirrored Drive Doors" or "Wind Tunnel" models are based on the AGP-based logicboard from the Xserve, and as such, have four PCI slots and a 4X AGP slot, which ships with either a pre-installed NVIDIA GeForce4 MX or ATI Radeon 9000 Pro video card.

Are external PCI expansion chassis available? Color-compatible?
An external PCI expansion chassis is available from ProMax, and other companies as well. However, none are color-compatible with the Power Macintosh G4 series. Perhaps, if demand dictates, future PCI expansion chassis will be available in shades of graphite and silver as well as beige.
As AGP-based models shipped after January 9, 2001 add one additional PCI slot for a total of four, the need for such expansion chassis may be reduced. Are four PCI slots enough for your needs? Please share your thoughts with others in the forums.

Is the CPU on the Power Macintosh G4 upgradable? How is it mounted?
Officially, Apple does not specify that the processor on the Power Macintosh G4 series is upgradable, since Apple has no plans to offer upgrade cards for the machines. However, PCI-based Power Macintosh G4 models have the processor mounted on a ZIF, and AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models have the processor mounted on a daughtercard with a 300-pin connector.

To determine whether your Power Macintosh G4 is PCI-based or AGP-based please refer to the specifications for the particular model of interest, and to the Technical & Performance Q & A section of this Q & A.

Are third-party processor upgrade cards available?
Yes. As PCI-based Power Macintosh G4 models have the processor mounted on a ZIF, many upgrade cards have been designed to upgrade both the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue) and the PCI-based Power Macintosh G4 models. You can find a complete listing of these compatible upgrade cards in the Upgrade Cards section of EveryMac.com. In particular, the Upgrade Cards: By Compatible System: Power Macintosh G4 (PCI-Based) section may be of direct interest.

AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models, however, have the processor mounted on a custom daughtercard with a 300-pin connector, rather than the industry-standard ZIF connection. Nevertheless, as this card does not contain the ROM, which would make upgrading more difficult, upgrade card manufacturers have produced custom-designed upgrade cards to accomodate the AGP-based models. To date, Sonnet and PowerLogix both make such a card, and as additional cards are released, you will be able to find a complete listing in the Upgrade Cards section of EveryMac.com, under Upgrade Cards: By Compatible System: Power Macintosh G4 (AGP-Based).

How can internal hard drive storage be expanded?
Power Macintosh G4 models released prior to August 13, 2002, provided that a single hard drive and an internal Zip drive is installed, have two internal 3.5" drive bays to accommodate up-to two additional hard drives. PCI-based Power Macintosh G4 models support the Ultra DMA/33 standard onboard, while AGP-based models released prior to August 13, 2002 support the Ultra DMA/66 standard onboard. Both Ultra DMA/33 and Ultra DMA/66 can support two hard drives, one master and one slave. The Power Macintosh G4 "MDD" models, introduced on August 13, 2002, have two external 5.25" drive bays, one of which is occupied by a pre-installed optical drive, and four internal 3.5" drive bays, one of which is occupied by a pre-installed hard drive. The Power Macintosh G4 "MDD" models have two ATA buses, one ATA/100 and one ATA/66. The hard drive is pre-installed on the ATA/100 bus and a ribbon cable is pre-installed to connect a second drive. The unoccupied ATA/66 bus can also support one or two hard drives.

All models in the Power Macintosh G4 series can support SCSI-based drives with third-party PCI cards. With a SCSI card installed, up-to three hard drives can be supported in models released prior to August 13, 2002 and four hard drives in models released after August 13, 2002.

How much RAM can the Power Macintosh G4 support? What type?
PCI-based Power Macintosh G4 models and AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models shipped from December 2, 1999 to January 8, 2001 support up-to 2048 MB (2.0 GB) of RAM, 1536 MB (1.5 GB) of which can be used by the MacOS, by installing four 512 MB 8ns 168-pin, 64-bit-wide, unbuffered PC100 SDRAM (3.3v) DIMMs. These systems use the same PC100 RAM as the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue) series.

AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models shipped from January 9, 2001 until August 13, 2002, including the "Quicksilver" models, have three slots instead of four, and as such can support up-to 1536 MB (1.5 GB), all of which can be used by the MacOS. These systems use 8ns 168-pin, 64-bit-wide PC133 SDRAM (3.3v) DIMMs that are not backwards-compatible with older systems.
The currently-shipping "Mirrored Drive Doors" Power Macintosh G4 models, introduced on August 13, 2002, have four RAM slots, and can support 2048 MB (2.0 GB) of RAM by installing four 512 MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM (333 MHz) DIMMs. These DIMMs are not backwards-compatible with older systems.

Does the Power Macintosh G4 include a CD-RW drive? Can one be added?
AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models shipped after January 9, 2001 all include an internal drive that are capable of reading and writing CD-based media.

The Power Macintosh G4/466, Power Macintosh G4/533, Power Macintosh G4/667, and Power Macintosh G4/733 QS include a CD-RW drive that writes CD-R media at 8X, writes CD-RW media at 4X, and reads CD-ROM media at 32X. The Power Macintosh G4/800 QS includes a CD-RW drive that writes CD-R media at 24X, writes CD-RW media at 10X, and reads CD-ROM media at 32X. The only model in the series to ship with a Combo Drive, the Power Macintosh G4/867 DP MDD writes CD-R at 10X, CD-RW at 16X, reads CD at 24X, in addition to reading DVD at 8X.

Finally, the Power Macintosh G4/733, Power Macintosh G4/867 QS, Power Macintosh G4/800 DP QS, Power Macintosh G4/933 QS, Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP QS, Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP MDD, and Power Macintosh G4/1.25 DP MDD includes a CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive that can write DVD-R at 2X, read DVD at 6X, write CD-R at 8X, write CD-RW at 4X, and read CD at 24X.

Although an Apple-branded internal CD-RW drive generally can not be added to models that do not have one pre-installed, third-party solutions are available. Also, an external USB-based or FireWire-based drive can easily be added to any Power Macintosh G4 model.

Does the Power Macintosh G4 support DVD? Can it be added?
Yes. PCI-based and AGP-based Power Macintosh G4 models can be equipped to fully support DVD. All PCI-based models can be upgraded to DVD, if it was not pre-installed, and all AGP-based models shipped from December 2, 1999 to January 8, 2001 came with either a DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drive pre-installed.

Among the AGP-based models announced on January 9, 2001 and discontinued on July 18, 2001 only the high-end Power Macintosh G4/733 can read DVD discs out of the box with a custom CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive. The other models in the series have been equipped with CD-RW drives, which can write CD-R media at 8X, write CD-RW media at 4X, and read CD-ROM media at 32X, but can not read DVD media.

In the original "Quicksilver" series introduced on July 18, 2001, the Power Macintosh G4/867 QS and Power Macintosh G4/800 DP QS can both read DVD discs out of the box with the CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive, but the lower-end model, the Power Macintosh 733 QS cannot. Among the "Quicksilver" models introduced on January 28, 2002 and discontinued on August 13, 2002, both the Power Macintosh G4/933 QS and Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP QS can read DVD discs with the pre-installed CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive, but the lower-end Power Macintosh G4/800 QS cannot.

The currently shipping Power Macintosh G4 "MDD" models, introduced on August 13, 2002, all can read DVD, and the Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP MDD and Power Macintosh G4/1.25 DP MDD can write DVD as well with the pre-installed CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive.

What is DVD-RAM? Is it compatible with standard DVD discs?
DVD-RAM is a rewritable DVD storage technology that can currently store between 2.6 GB (one-sided) and 5.2 GB (double-sided). DVD-RAM drives can read DVD-ROM and DVD-Video discs, but can only write to DVD-RAM discs.

Can the DVD-RAM drive be used to create DVD-Video discs?
You can use a DVD-RAM drive with movie editing software to create a DVD-Video disc layout with MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio, which can be replayed in any DVD-RAM drive. However, most consumer-grade DVD-Video players cannot read DVD-RAM discs, so DVD-RAM discs cannot replace VHS-based VCRs for consumer-grade recording purposes.

What is the SuperDrive? What types of media can it read and write?
The SuperDrive, which shipped standard in the Power Macintosh G4/733, Power Macintosh G4/867 QS, Power Macintosh G4/800 DP QS, Power Macintosh G4/933 QS and Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP QS, and ships standard in the Power Macintosh G4/1.0 DP MDD and Power Macintosh G4/1.25 DP MDD, is a hybrid CD-RW/DVD-R drive. This drive can write DVD-R at 2X, read DVD at 6X, write CD-R at 8X, write CD-RW at 4X, and read CD at 24X. Unlike DVD-RAM, the SuperDrive can create DVD-Video discs that can be used on any standard DVD player. As an added bonus, the SuperDrive does not use the regional encoding system, so DVD-Video discs created with the SuperDrive can be used worldwide.

Power Macintosh G4 Series FAQ

Software Compatability

Internal Expansion