Author Topic: Help with IDing/settings/software for PCI Powermac CPU modules  (Read 4248 times)

Offline MacOS Plus

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Help with IDing/settings/software for PCI Powermac CPU modules
« on: December 10, 2016, 01:35:54 PM »
  Last week I was sorting through some of my old Mac parts and found a box I'd sorta forgotten about.  It contained a whole pile of CPU cards for Beige-generation PCI Powermacs.  I remember now I bought them in a bulk lot many years ago but never needed many of them.  Now that I'm busy trying to put my older Powermacs back into service and good uses, I decided it was time to finally go through all the CPU cards to identity them, test them, and trace the software I didn't already have before it's permanently unavailable.

  I went about the testing using a Power Computing Power Center 150 as the host.  All of the cards are either G3 type or 604e.  Out of all the cards tested there were only three I couldn't get running for one reason or another.  They are as follows as far as I can identify them:

1. NewerTech MAXpowr 604e(?) 225MHz
2. XLR8 MACh Speed 604e 225MHz
3. Mactell PowerJolt(?) G3 250MHz (from similar photos online I believe this is the make/model)




1. I don't have reference material for this NewerTech model.  The jumper settings don't seem to have any effect, nor does it matter if I set them in the two standard positions from the manual for the later G3 versions.  I don't know if any software was available for it.

2. While I was able to locate and download a software CD image for the later G3 versions, the 604e XLR8 version I don't have jumper settings for nor any software it may have come with.

3.  The Mactell (pretty sure) card is fairly distinctive because it features rotary switches instead of DIP switches.  I have another virtually identical card with a completely different heatsink that I HAVE been able to figure out and get working.  The MACh Speed software was still installed at the time and was able to read its speed setting.  I don't have any Mactell software or reference material.  The closure statement from that company is the only remnant page I could find in the Wayback Machine online.  (Thanks, Apple, for completely ruining them - that was real classy.)

  It is entirely possible that these three cards are defective but I would like to test them fully before concluding that and junking them.  If any of you can help with information or software for these cards it would be greatly appreciated!