| iMAXpowr G3/466 MHz Reviewed by: Michael Flaminio Rating: **** Review Date: 2.1.00 Update Date: 2.8.00 Manufacturer: Newer Technology MSRP: $499 (US) (w/processor exchange) Part 1 - The iMAXpowr G3 466 Part 2 - Performance/Benchmarks Part 3 - Visual Installation Guide Part 4 - Newer Tech Interview |
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Newer Technology's iMAXpowr G3 466 upgrade is a CPU upgrade for older iMacs. The
upgrade allows iMac owners to boost their CPU speeds in their existing machines.
The upgrade is a first of its kind, which increases iMac CPU performance by as much
as 100%.
The iMAXpowr
The upgrade features a 466 MHz G3 processor with 1 MB of backside cache running at
155 MHz. With the iMAXpowr installed, an upgraded iMac will be faster than any currently
shipping iMac. First generation iMacs, known to consumers by their revision product
numbers (Rev A, Rev B, Rev C and Rev D), can add new life to their machine. Unfortunately
though, the upgrade is not available for the most recent "slot-loading"
iMacs, which were announced in October 1999.
The upgrade actually replaces a small daughter card, which houses the iMac's RAM
and processor. Also on the board are Apple ROMs, which the iMac needs to operate.
The primary reason 
why the iMac was not upgradable until now,
was that the processor was joined with Apple's proprietary ROMs. Without the ROMs,
the iMac would not function correctly. As a result, there have been no CPU upgrades
for iMac systems until now.
To make the upgrade possible, Newer Technology has obtained a supply of Apple CPU
boards. The company has replaced the processor board's older G3 processors with a
faster 466 MHz processor and 1 MB cache. Since these boards have the original Apple
ROMs still installed, they can be successfully used as an upgrade.
Rebates and ROMs
To ensure ongoing supplies of the Apple boards, Newer has a rebate program on iMAXpowr
sales. When purchasing an iMAXpowr upgrade, the customer can get up to $200 back
if they return their working original CPU module. Newer will include a shipping box
with paid postage for the returned processor card. If the old processor card is returned
after five days, the rebate will be $150, rather than $200.
Newer Technology representatives informed Insanely Great Mac that the rebate credit
would be issued as soon as they received the processor and have verified it is in
good working order. Newer further said that it estimates that the rebate credit will
be issued within one week of receiving the processor. Since Newer Technology will
only be selling the upgrade via its online store, all orders will likely be placed
on credit cards. If all works well, a customer's credit may be applied before the
statement arrives
While Newer Technology has come up with a clever way to ensure supplies of Apple
processor cards, it is important to realize that the processor boards themselves
may not be new. Newer plans to take the processor cards from the rebates and refit
them with new CPUs. It is then likely that an iMAXpowr upgrade will be made of a
new CPU installed upon a processor card that was once in someone else's iMac. Newer
assured us that it will test each processor board that it exchanges, in addition
to testing each finished upgrade before it ships to customers.
Installation
When I was first learned of the iMAXpowr, installation was the first thing on my
mind. I've done some painful upgrades, sometimes literally, in many Apple systems,
including the iMac. The iMac is quite compact, and is designed for its exterior looks,
not its inner beauty. Upgrading RAM on older iMacs can be a bit tricky. The good
news is that an iMAXpowr installation isn't much more difficult than a RAM upgrade.
The basics of the upgrade involve removing the processor card, exchanging the RAM
and installing the iMAXpowr upgrade. As shown in the visual
guide, there are a number of steps involved with this upgrade. I performed the
upgrade four times when testing, and I'd estimate that it should take approximately
20-30
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iMac Revision History |
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I wouldn't consider it to be an extremely delicate upgrade, but everything in the iMac is pretty compact. When I removed the processor card, it was firmly set in the socket and needed some working. Also, since the board's sockets are on the lower right, rather than center of the card, it makes the work a little more delicate. As a result, when removing and installing, I felt I needed to be careful where I applied pressure.
Realistically though, the processor card and connectors are not extraordinarily delicate. If care were taken in handling, I wouldn't anticipate any problems — just watch what you're pressing or pulling. In my tests, I found that it's important to firmly seat the processor in the logic board connectors. Again, the connectors are not located on the center of the board and there really isn't an ideal spot to apply pressure for the installation. If the processor card is not seated correctly, the iMac will not boot.
With the product, Newer Technology will be shipping an installation video to assist customers. If you're uncomfortable installing the upgrade yourself, you could also look for a service center to do it for you. I imagine anyone who upgrades iMac memory should be able to handle the CPU upgrade. Newer mentioned that Apple service centers may be willing to perform the upgrade. Considering the ever-falling margins from Apple, I suspect most Apple shops would be more than happy to do the installation for a reasonable.
Upgrade Logic
There are always pros and cons with CPU upgrades, and an iMac upgrade is no different. Newer Technology is selling this upgrade for $500 after rebate. There are really two issues with this upgrade, first being CPU power and second the iMac's features set.
For CPU power, the iMAXpowr upgrade will make any iMac the fastest on the market. In fact, it will be nearly as fast, if not faster, than what's currently shipping from Apple. There is no question that this upgrade will boost performance, as the upgrade increases the MHz and backside cache for greater performance. On the other hand though, more recent iMacs have many new features.
Ultimately, the decision to upgrade depends on what you want out of your iMac. If you are interested in the new features of the newer iMac systems, you may be better off selling your current iMac. On the other hand if you don't care about the new features or can't/don't want to sell the older iMac, the iMAXpowr will work nicely.
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