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Hardware Features

Here is a list of the hardware features of the Power Mac G4 computer. The major features are described more fully later in this note.  

• Microprocessor: PowerPC G4 microprocessor running at a clock frequency of 400, 450, or 500 MHz depending on model and configuration. For more information, see PowerPC G4 Microprocessor .

• Dual processors: Some configurations of the Power Mac G4 have dual processors. For information about software and multiprocessing, see Dual Processor Support .

• Cache: 1 MB of backside L2 cache for each processor. The cache runs at half the clock frequency of the microprocessor(s).

• Processor system bus: 64-bit wide data and 32-bit wide address, 100 MHz clock, supporting MaxBus protocol. For more information, see Processor Bus .

• RAM: Four DIMM slots for 168-pin PC100 DIMMs (dual inline memory modules) using SDRAM (synchronous dynamic access memory) or ESDRAM (enhanced SDRAM) devices. A minimum of 64 MB of RAM is installed in one of the slots. For more information, see RAM Expansion .

• ROM: ROM-in-RAM implementation with 1 MB of boot ROM. For information about the ROM, see Boot ROM . For information about the ROM-in-RAM implementation, see the references listed in ROM-in-RAM Architecture .

• Graphics acceleration: A graphics card in the AGP slot provides 2D and 3D hardware graphics acceleration using the ATI RAGE 128 Pro graphics controller. For more information, see AGP Graphics Card .

• Sound: Support for 16 bits/channel stereo input and output on built-in 3.5 mm line-level stereo input and output jacks and one built-in speaker. For more information, see Sound System .

• Hard disks: One internal Ultra DMA/66 hard disk; provision for adding either a second Ultra DMA/66 disk or an ATA-3 storage device. For more information, see Ultra DMA/66 Hard Disk .

• Drive bays: Three drive bays, one of which is occupied by an Ultra DMA/66 hard disk. Two bays are available for adding one internal 3.5 x 1-inch Ultra DMA/66 or two ATA-3 devices, or other devices connected to a PCI controller card. An Ultra SCSI 160 drive and Ultra SCSI 160 PCI controller card are available as a configuration option. For more information, see Disk Drives .

• DVD-ROM drive: ATAPI 8x-speed DVD-ROM drive. It also reads 24x-speed CD-ROM media and provides DVD-Video playback with DVD MPEG2 decode in software. For more information, see DVD-ROM Drive .

• DVD-RAM drive: Optional ATAPI DVD-RAM drive reads and writes 2.6 GB and 5.2 GB DVD-RAM media; it also supports 6x-speed DVD-ROM, 20x CD-ROM, and DVD-Video playback with DVD MPEG2 decode in software. For more information, see DVD-RAM Drive .

• Zip drive: All configurations can accept an optional 100 MB ATAPI Zip drive. For more information, see Optional Zip Drive .

• USB ports: Two USB ports, described in USB Ports . The keyboard that comes with the computer has two additional USB ports.

• Ethernet: Built in Ethernet port with an RJ-45 connector for 10Base-T, 100Base-T, or 1000Base-T operation on all configurations. For more information, see Ethernet Port .

• Wireless LAN: An internal wireless LAN module is available as a build-to-order option or as a user-installable upgrade. For more information, see AirPort Card Wireless LAN Module .

• FireWire ports: Two external IEEE 1394 high-speed serial FireWire ports, with transfer rates of 100, 200, and 400 Mbps and support for booting from a FireWire storage device. For more information, see FireWire Ports .

• Modem: Slot for an optional built-in Apple 56 Kbps modem. The modem supports K56flex and V.90 modem standards. For more information, see Internal Modem .

• Keyboard: The computer comes with an Apple Pro Keyboard, a full-size USB keyboard. The keyboard is also a bus-powered USB hub with two USB ports. For more information, see Keyboard .

• Mouse: The computer comes with an Apple Pro Mouse, a USB mouse with optical tracking. For more information, see Mouse .

• PCI card expansion slots: Three slots for 33 MHz, 64-bit or 32-bit, 12-inch PCI cards. For more information, see PCI Expansion Slots .

• AGP-2X graphics card slot: The computer is always shipped with an accelerated graphics card installed in this slot. For more information, see AGP Graphics Card .

• Voltage switch: Can be set to either 115 for voltages of 100-130 V or 230 for voltages of 200-250 V, depending on the voltage where the computer is installed. The voltage selection must be set manually.

• Fan speed control: The speed of the fan is thermally controlled and is automatically set to the lowest possible speed to minimize noise. This is a function provided by the fan and is not under software control.

• Energy saving: Sleep, startup, and shutdown scheduling can be controlled with an Energy Saver control panel.