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Review: PowerForce G4 350MHz
G4 CPU Upgrade for PCI Macs
By Mike
Published: 1/23/2000

Review Summary and Final Comments

Intro | Benchmarks | Appl. Tests | Software Controls | Installation | Specs/Design | Summary

The Final Word

First let me say that other sites such as MacsOnly rated this card 5 stars, based on tests in other Mac models and with a somewhat different array of hardware (PCI cards) and software applications. I was relieved that the problems I initially had in some applications and games were solved by moving the PCI SCSI card to an upper slot in the 9600. However due to the issues I've seen with my loaded Genesis and upgraded 9600 with G4 upgrades, and due to the fact G4 upgrade card hardware and software is still very new, I'm hesitant to give G4 upgrades of any brand a blanket recommendation at the current time. Had the test Macs here used onboard SCSI drives (instead of PCI SCSI card ones), I probably would not have seen the issues I did. (Moving the PCI SCSI card to another PCI slot solved the problems however.)
Note that G4 CPU upgrades for Apple G3 and later Macs seem less prone to compatibility issues, due to their later ROMs and more modern hardware designs. This was also true of G3 upgrades as well.
The PowerForce G4/350 did run 400/200 speeds reliably in the 9600/350 and costs under $600, so if you're considering a G4 upgrade, the PowerForce G4 is well worth a look. Powerlogix also normally offers a 30 day money back guarantee on their CPU upgrades. (If buying from a dealer, always check their return policy however for any restocking fees and conditions.)
Despite good performance in my normal test suite of applications and benchmarks (even at speeds beyond the G4/350's rating), I omitted giving this card my normal Ratings icon until I can test the new design further in my other Macs. I'm awaiting an Apple CDrom drive for the Powertower Pro since its NEC drive is not compatible with Apple's cdrom extension and it will need an OS upgrade for Altivec compatibility. My Genesis system's disk drives all have Softraid drivers, perhaps the reason why no G4 upgrade regardless of brand (XLR8, Newer Tech or Powerlogix) have run reliably in that system. (However one of its two PCI SCSI cards is in a lower PCI slot as well, which might be the reason for the problems.) I have not had time to try disabling Softraid's drive acceleration to see if that helps. And changing disk drivers would require a reformat of the drives. After the G4 upgrade issues I've seen with some of my older Mac's hardware upgrades, I'm less comfortable with blanket recommedations of G4 cards than of the more proven G3 models.

I'll be reviewing the PowerForce G4/400 in the future (identical card design with a 400MHz G4 CPU) which will give me a chance to do futher testing in other Mac models here.
The PowerForce G4/350 is attractive considering other G4 upgrade pricing. Perhaps I'm overly cautious from my experiences with G4 upgrades so far in my upgraded 9600/350 and (loaded) Genesis. As I noted previously in this review, had I used the onboard SCSI drive for these tests I'd likely have never seen the problem. I also suspect if the Genesis used Apple's hard disk drivers I'd have have better luck on that system as well. (But the internal 4-drive RAID stripe set must use non-Apple drivers of course.)
Considering the new card designs and the inevitable revisions that will be needed to Altivec enabling software (for running two Altivec software applications at once for instance), I'm more cautious of recommending G4 CPU upgrades for older Macs than the tried and true G3 models. This is based on testing many brands of G4 card slot upgrades (XLR8, Powerlogix and Newer Technology), not just this particular model. The issues with the Genesis, which had reliably run many G3 cards in past reviews is one example of possible pitfalls heavily upgraded Macs may see from the first generation of G4 CPU upgrades, regardless of model or brand. For these reasons, the quality of support and expertise (software and hardware) of your upgrade card manufacturer and dealer should be an important factor in choosing a G4 upgrade.

= PowerLogix PowerForce G4 350 CPU Upgrade =
Pros:

Relatively low cost for a G4 upgrade.
Fan cooled CPU.
Adjustable speeds for tweakers/risk-takers.
Good control software.
Good performance in most applications.
Altivec aware software like Photoshop 5.5 and Soundjam MP show dramatically improved performance.
LinuxPPC on CD.

Cons:

Most applications don't currently use Altivec extensions. Without Altivec support, application performance is not better than a G3 CPU upgrade of the same speed, which costs less.
Unless the fan is a ball bearing type, it may become noisy or need replacing over time

New design unproven in extended use in many Mac models/configurations

Although the PowerForce G4 upgrade card is so new there may be little owner feedback as of the date of this review, you can search my Rate Your CPU Upgrade for PowerForce G4 owner feedback and experiences.

Availability/Pricing:

Since CPU upgrade pricing changes often, always check with Powerlogix and their dealers for current prices. As of January 23, 2000, the PowerForce G4 350 had a list price of $599. Site sponsors like Bottom Line, Other World Computing (as well as MacGurus) often sell for less than list prices however. Also remember that prices change often - so prices listed here after the review date are not likely to be accurate.

Many upgrade dealers offer return periods, but since policies vary be sure to check this before you order should any problems arise. I've usually found smaller, more personal dealers are far better to deal with in this regard than the large catalog and web stores (with some exceptions I'm sure).

Mention this site if you order from sponsors. I'm working day and night to provide free tech support and the best product reviews possible for Mac owners (and have since 1997 :-). Your support is appreciated and makes the continued existence of this site possible.

I hope this review has provided you with sufficient information on all aspects of the product, but if you have any further questions or comments you may contact me by email at: news@xlr8yourmac.com.
For reviews of other CPU upgrades at this site, see my CPU Upgrades page. The home page (www.xlr8yourmac.com) has links to reviews of Systems, SCSI controllers, Video cards, Game related articles, a 500+ Questions Answered FAQ and some of the most useful daily news on the net (updated 6-7 days a week).

Also check out my unique searchable databases of reader's CPU Upgrade Reports (almost 3,100 entries as of Jan 23rd, 2000), Game Reviews and Video card/Game Performance. No other site has these features. Thanks for stopping by!

Index of PowerForce G4 350MHz Review
Intro | Benchmarks | Appl. Tests | Software Controls | Installation | Specs/Design | Summary

- or -
Back to WWW.XLR8YOURMAC.COM

Copyright © Mike, 2000.
All Rights Reserved.
All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies.

Users of the web site must read and are bound by the terms and conditions of use.

The Source for Mac Performance News and Reviews
Review: PowerForce G4 350MHz G4 CPU Upgrade for PCI Macs By Mike Published: 1/23/2000
Review Summary and Final Comments
Intro \| Benchmarks \| Appl. Tests \| Software Controls \| Installation \| Specs/Design \| Summary
The Final Word
First let me say that other sites such as MacsOnly rated this card 5 stars, based on tests in other Mac models and with a somewhat different array of hardware (PCI cards) and software applications. I was relieved that the problems I initially had in some applications and games were solved by moving the PCI SCSI card to an upper slot in the 9600. However due to the issues I've seen with my loaded Genesis and upgraded 9600 with G4 upgrades, and due to the fact G4 upgrade card hardware and software is still very new, I'm hesitant to give G4 upgrades of any brand a blanket recommendation at the current time. Had the test Macs here used onboard SCSI drives (instead of PCI SCSI card ones), I probably would not have seen the issues I did. (Moving the PCI SCSI card to another PCI slot solved the problems however.) Note that G4 CPU upgrades for Apple G3 and later Macs seem less prone to compatibility issues, due to their later ROMs and more modern hardware designs. This was also true of G3 upgrades as well. The PowerForce G4/350 did run 400/200 speeds reliably in the 9600/350 and costs under $600, so if you're considering a G4 upgrade, the PowerForce G4 is well worth a look. Powerlogix also normally offers a 30 day money back guarantee on their CPU upgrades. (If buying from a dealer, always check their return policy however for any restocking fees and conditions.) Despite good performance in my normal test suite of applications and benchmarks (even at speeds beyond the G4/350's rating), I omitted giving this card my normal Ratings icon until I can test the new design further in my other Macs. I'm awaiting an Apple CDrom drive for the Powertower Pro since its NEC drive is not compatible with Apple's cdrom extension and it will need an OS upgrade for Altivec compatibility. My Genesis system's disk drives all have Softraid drivers, perhaps the reason why no G4 upgrade regardless of brand (XLR8, Newer Tech or Powerlogix) have run reliably in that system. (However one of its two PCI SCSI cards is in a lower PCI slot as well, which might be the reason for the problems.) I have not had time to try disabling Softraid's drive acceleration to see if that helps. And changing disk drivers would require a reformat of the drives. After the G4 upgrade issues I've seen with some of my older Mac's hardware upgrades, I'm less comfortable with blanket recommedations of G4 cards than of the more proven G3 models. I'll be reviewing the PowerForce G4/400 in the future (identical card design with a 400MHz G4 CPU) which will give me a chance to do futher testing in other Mac models here. The PowerForce G4/350 is attractive considering other G4 upgrade pricing. Perhaps I'm overly cautious from my experiences with G4 upgrades so far in my upgraded 9600/350 and (loaded) Genesis. As I noted previously in this review, had I used the onboard SCSI drive for these tests I'd likely have never seen the problem. I also suspect if the Genesis used Apple's hard disk drivers I'd have have better luck on that system as well. (But the internal 4-drive RAID stripe set must use non-Apple drivers of course.) Considering the new card designs and the inevitable revisions that will be needed to Altivec enabling software (for running two Altivec software applications at once for instance), I'm more cautious of recommending G4 CPU upgrades for older Macs than the tried and true G3 models. This is based on testing many brands of G4 card slot upgrades (XLR8, Powerlogix and Newer Technology), not just this particular model. The issues with the Genesis, which had reliably run many G3 cards in past reviews is one example of possible pitfalls heavily upgraded Macs may see from the first generation of G4 CPU upgrades, regardless of model or brand. For these reasons, the quality of support and expertise (software and hardware) of your upgrade card manufacturer and dealer should be an important factor in choosing a G4 upgrade.
= PowerLogix PowerForce G4 350 CPU Upgrade = Pros: Relatively low cost for a G4 upgrade. Fan cooled CPU. Adjustable speeds for tweakers/risk-takers. Good control software. Good performance in most applications. Altivec aware software like Photoshop 5.5 and Soundjam MP show dramatically improved performance. LinuxPPC on CD. Cons: Most applications don't currently use Altivec extensions. Without Altivec support, application performance is not better than a G3 CPU upgrade of the same speed, which costs less. Unless the fan is a ball bearing type, it may become noisy or need replacing over time New design unproven in extended use in many Mac models/configurations Although the PowerForce G4 upgrade card is so new there may be little owner feedback as of the date of this review, you can search my Rate Your CPU Upgrade for PowerForce G4 owner feedback and experiences.

Availability/Pricing: Since CPU upgrade pricing changes often, always check with Powerlogix and their dealers for current prices. As of January 23, 2000, the PowerForce G4 350 had a list price of $599. Site sponsors like Bottom Line, Other World Computing (as well as MacGurus) often sell for less than list prices however. Also remember that prices change often - so prices listed here after the review date are not likely to be accurate. Many upgrade dealers offer return periods, but since policies vary be sure to check this before you order should any problems arise. I've usually found smaller, more personal dealers are far better to deal with in this regard than the large catalog and web stores (with some exceptions I'm sure). Mention this site if you order from sponsors. I'm working day and night to provide free tech support and the best product reviews possible for Mac owners (and have since 1997 :-). Your support is appreciated and makes the continued existence of this site possible.
I hope this review has provided you with sufficient information on all aspects of the product, but if you have any further questions or comments you may contact me by email at: news@xlr8yourmac.com. For reviews of other CPU upgrades at this site, see my CPU Upgrades page. The home page (www.xlr8yourmac.com) has links to reviews of Systems, SCSI controllers, Video cards, Game related articles, a 500+ Questions Answered FAQ and some of the most useful daily news on the net (updated 6-7 days a week). Also check out my unique searchable databases of reader's CPU Upgrade Reports (almost 3,100 entries as of Jan 23rd, 2000), Game Reviews and Video card/Game Performance. No other site has these features. Thanks for stopping by!

Index of PowerForce G4 350MHz Review Intro \| Benchmarks \| Appl. Tests \| Software Controls \| Installation \| Specs/Design \| Summary - or - Back to WWW.XLR8YOURMAC.COM
Copyright © Mike, 2000. All Rights Reserved. All brand or product names mentioned here are properties of their respective companies. Users of the web site must read and are bound by the terms and conditions of use.