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Power Macintosh G4 Q&A - Updated April 12, 2010
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How do you replace or upgrade the optical drive in the Power Mac G4 models? What are the capabilities of the default optical drives? What is DVD-RAM?
It is simple to replace or upgrade the optical drive in the Power Mac G4 models and for systems that shipped with anything less than a DVD-R/CD-RW "SuperDrive" an upgrade is particularly worthwhile. Even systems that shipped with an optical drive capable of writing to single layer DVD-R are good candidates for many users to upgrade to a dual-layer DVD burner.
For those who have more recently picked up a Power Macintosh G4 and are not familiar with the ill-fated DVD-RAM standard, it is an archaic rewritable DVD format that can store between 2.6 GB (one sided) and 5.2 GB (double sided) on a disc. DVD-RAM can read DVD-ROM and DVD-Video discs, but can only write to DVD-RAM discs.
DVD-RAM could be used along with video editing software to create a DVD-Video disc layout with MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio, which could be replayed in DVD-RAM drives, but not in DVD-Video drives. Any Power Macintosh G4 with a DVD-RAM drive defintely is a great candidate for an upgrade.
All Power Macintosh G4 models use an EIDE (ATA-3) bus for the optical drive, and the default capabilities of the optical drive that shipped with each -- as well as instructions from Apple and site sponsor Other World Computing -- are provided below:
Power Mac G4 |
Default Optical Drive |
Instructions |
32X CD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM, RAM |
||
5X DVD-RAM |
||
32X CD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM |
||
5X DVD-ROM, RAM |
||
8X CD-RW |
||
8X CD-RW |
||
8X CD-RW |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
12X CD-RW |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
24X CD-RW |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
8X "Combo Drive" |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
2X "SuperDrive" |
||
12X "Combo Drive" |
||
12X "Combo Drive" |
||
4X "SuperDrive" |
||
12X "Combo Drive" |
This video from Other World Computing is for the "Mirrored Drive Doors/Firewire 800" models:
Additionally, OWC has optical drive upgrade videos for the "AGP Graphics/Gigabit Ethernet" and "Quicksilver/Quicksilver 2002" models. The always excellent XLR8YourMac has a guide to replacing the optical drive in pre-Quicksilver systems as well.
On top of helpful upgrade videos, as you would expect, OWC has optical drives for sale compatible with every Power Macintosh G4 model.
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