The PowerForce G3 ZIF came with a single sided printed manual that had an illustrated guide to installing and configuring the upgrade. It was not the typical glossy stock manual seen with upgrades from Newer Technology or XLR8, but was complete and accurate.

Installation:

Installing the upgrade is a snap and speeds are adjustable without messing with the stock jumper block (which voids the Apple warranty). The manual has a illustrated step-by-step guide to installation. The basic steps are; open the case, remove the CPU heatsink retaining strap, lift the ZIF socket lever (on the left side of the CPU socket) and lift out the Apple ZIF CPU card. Place the PowerForce ZIF in the socket, lower the ZIF socket release lever back down, reattach the heatsink and and you're done!

Cache speeds are controlled by a new version of PowerLogix's G3 Cache control. You simply select your PowerForce model from the list in the control panel. Installation:

Basically it's the following steps:

1. Make sure the system is powered off
2. Unplug the power cable (needed to fully open the case)
3. Remove the side cover
4. Touch a metal part of the chassis to discharge any static buildup you have
5. Release the two green locking levers and flip the case open
6. Remove the metal spring clip retaining the CPU heatsink
7. Remove the heatsink
8. Lift the ZIF socket locking lever up to release the stock ZIF CPU module
9. Lift out the stock CPU module and set it aside (on a anti-static pad or bag)
10. Place the PowerForce G3 module in the socket (oriented properly per manual)
11. Lower the ZIF locking lever to secure the module
12. Replace the heatsink and spring clip.
13. Verify the PowerForce G3 speed control is set to the correct speed per the manual (setting 3 is 400MHz)
14. Close up the case, and reattach the power cord
15. Power up and install the control panel and Speedmeter utility.

Speed Settings:

The ZIF module has one rotary knob to set the CPU speed (in effect it sets the CPU to bus speed ratio). This single knob and reduced number of settings make for a very straightforward speed selection. Unlike the older Macs adjustable CPU cards, there are no myraid of bus speed settings that can be confusing and lead to problems if they are set too high.

Documentation was complete and sufficient for installation and troubleshooting. Some may expect a more polished looking manual for a product that costs over $1000 so I rated documentation an 8.

The next page describes the hardware features and specifications of the card. Or you may use the links below to jump to a specific page.