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Category: Take Apart and Upgrade

Project Maya – Overclocking the Sonnet Duet 1.8

Project Maya – Overclocking the Sonnet Duet 1.8

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Reading Time: 2 minutes This is a post in the Project Maya series. To see all related posts go to the index page here. I was in good shape. Brand new processor board, running the goal temperatures even with the case closed and during an Unreal Tournament server test, no higher than 54C. Time to move on to the next upgrade! Then there was a Greg Hrutkay, a fella notorious for being a bad influence. He suggested the Sonnet could be overclocked to 2.0Ghz…

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Project Maya – Installing a new CPU

Project Maya – Installing a new CPU

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Reading Time: 4 minutes This is a post in the Project Maya series. To see all related posts go to the index page here. While looking for a new CPU card I did some more testing with the fried 1.25Ghz chips. They ran long enough for me to do some basic testing and I ended up removing the internal speaker. This made a surprisingly big difference in the heat output of the power supply as it was now able to draw some fresh air…

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Project Maya – The first upgrades

Project Maya – The first upgrades

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Reading Time: 5 minutes This is a post in the Project Maya series. To see all related posts go to the index page here. With the Mac clean and functional, it was time to install a few upgrades. The reason I wanted a FW400 model was native Mac OS 9 compatibility but I really wanted FW800. So a 64-bit (bootable) card was found and installed. Even though I will probably never need it, I also wanted USB 2.0 available just in case so this…

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Project Maya – The find and first hands on

Project Maya – The find and first hands on

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Reading Time: 3 minutes This is a post in the Project Maya series. To see all related posts go to the index page here. Finding the MDD I wanted was not hard, they are readily available on sites such as eBay. Finding one where I would not pay more than it’s worth however was extremely difficult. I’d find one for $50 (the most I’d pay for one) but shipping ranged anywhere from $40-$130 which put it way out of my price range. Locally I’ve…

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Project Maya – The 2002 MDD

Project Maya – The 2002 MDD

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Project Maya, named so by my son when I asked him what a fun codename would be, is the restoration, rebuilding and upgrading of a 2002 Power Mac G4 Mirrored Drive Doors. This is the first generation so doesn’t have FireWire 800.  I wanted a 2002 model specifically because it is the last model to boot Mac OS 9 natively. Sure the FW800 can boot Mac OS 9 by running a modified version and it works well, I wanted the…

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Mac Pro Pixlas Mod

Mac Pro Pixlas Mod

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Reading Time: 12 minutes Updates and new relevant information is listed at the very bottom of this article. Latest update added on September 8th, 2020. Parts you need: – A graphics card of choice – Open-end to dual 8 (6+2) pin cable • Get the cable from Kareon Kables here (link updated on July 25, 2020) (Ships from the USA, allows for cable length and color selections. 30″ sleeved recommended) • Or get the cable from ModDIY here (Ships from Hong Kong, allows for…

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2002 Apple DVI to ADC adapter

2002 Apple DVI to ADC adapter

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Before I cover the Apple DVI to ADC Adapter, a brief history. Apple sold some really nice flat panel displays between 1999-2004 and all but the very first model used an ADC connector. ADC simply standing for Apple Display Connector, a proprietary version of the traditional DVI connector that powered the display, fed the graphics and provided USB all over a single cable. I’ve always found it a joy to use as there was only one cable to deal with…

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1999 Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics)

1999 Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics)

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Reading Time: 10 minutes Back in 1999 I just had my Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) for about a year when the Power Mac G4 was announced and it blew my mind. The specs, the hype, the gorgeous design, the marketing, the performance! I had to have one but being a 16 year old student, $3,500 was not exactly in my budget. I got the chance to play around with the G4 in school when the graphics department upgraded some of their G3’s…

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