iMac PowerPC chips, any use?

Jumping Anaconda

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AmiBayer
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Just before I start this message, I shall make clear that this is not an offer for sale, but a technical query.

I have a iMac Indigo DV. I think it contains a PowerPC processor of some variety in the 750 series, clocked at least at 350mhz, and possibly more. My question concerns whether this processor might be of any use to Amiga owners who have PPC boards (or anybody else for that matter).

Any guidance gratefully received.
 
I have heard rumour and stories of some success with a 300mhz PPC chips replacing burnt-out 150's

but since PPC's only interest me in the peripheral at best, I have not had a solid google on the matter.
 
...but since PPC's only interest me in the peripheral at best, I have not had a solid google on the matter.

Can I have subtitles in English for that sentence, please?

:LOL:
 
Just before I start this message, I shall make clear that this is not an offer for sale, but a technical query.

I have a iMac Indigo DV. I think it contains a PowerPC processor of some variety in the 750 series, clocked at least at 350mhz, and possibly more. My question concerns whether this processor might be of any use to Amiga owners who have PPC boards (or anybody else for that matter).

Any guidance gratefully received.


Well, soon I will have 603e 300MHz version processor.
My plan is to upgrade my Blizzard PPC card and do the same for few of my Polish friends.
I have plan to do the same with Cyberstorm PPC and to replace PPC processor by 604e 300MHz version (supply voltage must be reduced of course).
 
Well, soon I will have 603e 300MHz version processor.
My plan is to upgrade my Blizzard PPC card and do the same for few of my Polish friends.
I have plan to do the same with Cyberstorm PPC and to replace PPC processor by 604e 300MHz version (supply voltage must be reduced of course).

This is rellevent to my interestes, I would like to subscribe =D

Seriously! please document this as you go, there would be a lot of cards that could benefit from this, especially ones with dead PPC's

and, please... be liberal with the hardware pr0n! =D
 
Ok, no problem I will inform about current progress on this thread :)
As first shot I've ordered 603e 300Mhz processors (15pcs) just to check the suppliers.
Processors should arrive within 2 weeks.
 
Notice that some boards have QFP chips and others uses BGA ones.

QFP chips are only used in the earlier PPC expansions/accelerators. All in 160MHz "flavour". But those PPC don't go any further than 250MHz with the better part.
 
I know this :)
That is why I've ordered MPC603RRX300LC in BGA package.
I don't want to overclock processors assembled on Blizzard PPC by phase5 (or DCE); I want to replace them.
 
So, just going back to the OP's question. I assume that a PowerPC G3 CPU isn't of much use for Amiga PPC boards as it won't just drop in. Presumably the holy grail for this quest is the 400MHz 604ev part.
 
So, just going back to the OP's question. I assume that a PowerPC G3 CPU isn't of much use for Amiga PPC boards as it won't just drop in...

Yes my remnants of my G3 Mac seems to creep ever closer to the tip. It was only saved by the snow today :)
 
Hello All,
I have good news (at least for me) :)
I have received 603e 300MHz processors and finished upgrade on first card :D

http://picasaweb.google.pl/stacho100/BlizzardPPC_06066MHzPPC300MHz#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewuwDs6QNgM

Initially this card was 040@25MHz/PPC@160MHz with bus speed 50MHz for PPC processor (lowest config posible).

Now it's the best config possible:
060@66MHz/PPC@300MHz with 60MHz PPC bus speed :)

060 CPU and 060 oscillator are socketed just in case (some BVision cards refuse to work on 66MHz).

I tried this PPC processor to work with 66MHz bus speed, but cards hung-up after 2 minutes; so I was forced to set 60MHz oscillator for PPC with x5 clock multiplier.

Just missing the heatsink+clips+5Vfan for PPC processor; I bought this card without it.
If you have it as spare I'm ready to buy ;-)
 
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That is some very nice work there fella! (y)

Is it stable running the new chip? Have you had it running for long?
 
That is some very nice work there fella! (y)

Is it stable running the new chip? Have you had it running for long?


Thanks!

I don't know nothing really interesting yet except the fact that this 603e will refuse to work with 66MHz bus clock (card will hung-up after 1-2minutes).
Hope to do some test tomorrow, but this movie was taken without PPC fan (as you can see).
PPC heatsink was quite hot after 5 minutes (I think 60 Celsius degree), but card was stable.
 
Saw your thread on EAB and have sent you an email about possible upgrades. :)
 
Very Nice :)

I assume a PPC out of an imac G3 600 is a bit optimistic though ? Might be worth hanging on to my parents old iMac for a while heh... :p
 
Very Nice :)

I assume a PPC out of an imac G3 600 is a bit optimistic though ? Might be worth hanging on to my parents old iMac for a while heh... :p

:)

I have no idea; I prefer proven solutions.
Unless you are ready to pay for an experiment (Blizzard PPC + 600MHz CPU + labor + transport).
There are very few people willing to pay for experiments; I'm not one of them ;)

Just small update:These processors are working with 330MHz (5,5x60MHz) too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SloiWlPkG18

Tested 1,5 hours under AOS3.1/4.0

I don't plan to test PPC at 360Mhz, but should work too.
 
Hi All,
I've managed to upgrade another two boards :)
To eliminate BGA soldering problem to zero I decided to change PPC processor with help of professional service center.
My tools are ok, but why not use better if it's possible?

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3wtPiX9T0Y6F2oVVhTTnUg?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YzF3hOWdUhWk_PIbBItKmQ?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/derHswCVzK_HGLd5Da5k7w?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xKURovEVTWrNhYvGYmfCZg?feat=directlink

And another 2 movies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJw64ZTzGY8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvCUaePyvKo

Cards after upgrade:

http://picasaweb.google.com/stacho100/BlizzardsPPCAfterUpgrade#

I used MC68060RC60 with mask 71E41J (rev 6) working natively at 60MHz taken-out from some industrial CPU boards; on the center of CPU you can see mark from heatsink glued onto 060 (I've took the heatsinks out of course).

As it was expected; Blizzard PPC with SCSI version cannot work with 060 clock higher than 50MHz :-(
I was trying even to erase Serial Number with flashing with "Force" option on one board to see if this will disable the onboard SCSI controller, but unfortunately this is not the case...

So bad news for Blizzard PPC with SCSI users (603e+): your card cannot work with 060 clock higher than 50MHz...

If someone is really not using SCSI in the desktop case maybe the best option for him is to remove onboard SCSI.
By doing so it's possible to increase 060 clock to 66MHz, and having very good RAM even higher frequencies are possible :).
 
As it was expected; Blizzard PPC with SCSI version cannot work with 060 clock higher than 50MHz :-(
I was trying even to erase Serial Number with flashing with "Force" option on one board to see if this will disable the onboard SCSI controller, but unfortunately this is not the case...

So bad news for Blizzard PPC with SCSI users (603e+): your card cannot work with 060 clock higher than 50MHz...

If someone is really not using SCSI in the desktop case maybe the best option for him is to remove onboard SCSI.
By doing so it's possible to increase 060 clock to 66MHz, and having very good RAM even higher frequencies are possible :).


It seems that all I need is to change bios settings in Blizzard PPC equipped with SCSI :)
After this I will have 060@66MHz/PPC@330MHz and SCSI :)
Info tomorrow.

Thanks guys!
 
This is a pretty awesome project. Nice work stachu! Best of luck with getting the SCSI running with a 66MHz '060. If only I had a big enough pot of pocket money, my A1200 would love one of those cards! :)
 
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