look, it is like 6 years since it was made. thinking does change dramatically....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Byrd @ Jun 29 2006, 01:03 PM) [snapback]189938[/snapback]</div>Sure did. I got a friend in the USA to send the cable over. The board sits between the optical drive and HDD with help of the cable.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Byrd @ Jun 29 2006, 01:33 PM) [snapback]189938[/snapback]</div>
i can hear the lightglobes illuminating in byrd's head from here.

and the excited freenzy that follows

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(natakim @ Jun 29 2006, 01:47 PM) [snapback]189949[/snapback]</div>Watercooled AGP 7800GTX here we come But the VRM is in a stupid place, it gets in the way of installing any sized graphics card - and as Disko noted, there is a heap of space between the optical drive and HD.

JB

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Disko @ Jun 29 2006, 12:33 PM) [snapback]189908[/snapback]</div>It sure did.

I cut a hole in the back of a spare Cube case I bought, moved the VRM using a relocation cable I kludged together out of my parts bin, and plugged the 9800 into my Cube. It fired up and ran beautifully, but as you can guess it's hot and noisy and sucks power like a... well, you know what.

I didn't get around to finishing the mod as I moved to Syd and all my gear is sitting in my Dad's cupboards in Melb.

My trusty Cube has been going strong for 5 years now. I still have an unhealthy emotional attachment to it.

1.2GHz Sonnet 7455 upgrade (@Byrd: which incidentally uses much more power/heat than current 7447/7457 upgrades)
1.5GB RAM
120GB 7200rpm HD
GeForce FX5200 (which runs a 20" Cinema Display)
DVD burner

Only issue is the 5200 won't sleep and I can't seem to find a fix at Strangedogs (I'm a bit out of the loop there.) A purchase of a nVidia 6200 may be on the cards; cooler, quieter and faster than the 5200 now.

Edge: it's been so long, how are things! You've been missed. And yes, I've finally succumbed to a Cube, and like yourself becoming slowly sucked in with upgrades upon upgrades planned.

I'm still having problems with the generic Geforce 2 MX - it has 6ns RAM which is rated at 166Mhz, not 183Mhz as the Apple nVidia reference BIOS specifies. After a few minutes of Quartz Extreme, it locks up. I found an OS X flashing program (and Graphicaccelerator which edits the ROM's speed); this killed the card, but I've been able to reflash it with the reference BIOS again using a PC.

So I'm back here again @ 183Mhz and will have to try another tactic to edit the ROM @ 166Mhz myself. There are a few more random utilities found for this, so here goes .

JB

this ones for hawker

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/attachme...achmentid=5827

I also just recently got a Cube. It has been a machine I have long lusted after.

So far, I've only stuck a 120GB HDD in it, and bumped up the RAM to 768MB. These were all parts I had laying around. So they cost me nothing... per-sé.

I'm not going to bother with the CPU. Not now anyway

Though I'm looking into video cards. I just recently flashed a 9800Pro for my G5, which has given that machine literally a new lease on life. That 9600 is really holding that machine back.

The 9600 is to go in my G4 466. Or, the Cube. But I have a feeling it won't go in the Cube. More reading is required.

In the meantime. Everything appears to be in order.

Btw, Byrd, can you get back to me regarding our last conversation? :P

pipsqeek

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(natakim @ Jun 29 2006, 08:55 PM) [snapback]190084[/snapback]</div>I like it :P

Still a cube is a great machine. And I agree, it differs from the mini... However, when you look at it, they spark from the same concept, a small mac that packs a punch - the reason the cube failed, is because of the price, I mean really, why buy this machine when you could buy a powermac with the same specs that could take more?

- apple-history.com

If the cube came out like the mini (ie price and marketed towards everyone not just pro), it would have rocked

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pipsqeek @ Jun 30 2006, 09:00 AM) [snapback]190172[/snapback]</div>Sorry mate - my Billion 7500G modem fried, and I've just got a replacement - will get the convo going soon

I think I might have the Geforce 2 problem fixed - having hacked a ROM to 200mhz core/166mhz mem - I'll fire up the Athlon tonight and flash it over.

Oh, and Geforce MX 200 cards definately don't work.


JB

The cube was designed to take, at the bottom, an 80x80x15mm low-speed Panaflow fan, which I can't find any longer online. There's a small connector on a corner of the motherboard for it. If you can't get this size fan, you can kludge by breaking off the mounting holes on the corners of an 80x80x25mm fan so it'll slide down past the fan mounts. Most people as far as I know, just use a molex adaptor that comes with many fans to connec the power, rather than attempt to find the obscure plug that connects to the motherboard.

I got a cube a couple of months ago and have had fun upgrading it

1. Replaced the stock 20gb 5400rpm screamer with a Barracuda IV 40gb - still the quietest 3.5" hard drive ever.

2. Upgraded RAM to 640mb (now 512 as I'm cannlbalising a stick for a friend).

3. Added a (25mm) fan in the base. It's running on 5V so it's totally silent. Passthrough molex connectors are too messy, so I just soldered the wires to the disk drive power connector on the VRM.

4. Overclocked from 450mhz to 500mhz (5x100) then 480mhz (4x120); was hoping for 540mhz (4.5x120) but it wouldn't even boot at that speed. However it doesn't seem to be stable with the 120mhz bus speed (despite the cooling being mildly augmented by the fan -- the air coming out the top is rather hot), I may lower it back to 100mhz.

5. Picked up an Airport card for 'relatively' cheap on ebay. Still expensive, but worth having.

Next on the agenda? I'm keeping an eye out for cheap 512mb sdram sticks, and am having a careful think about possibly getting a 6200

sigh, my cube story aint so happy. i bought a dead cube, VRM has fried, and dont know the condition of anything else, and before you say anything like "its all gone" yes, i'm a "cube owner" forum member and have read all the stories...

if anyone in Australia has a dead cube, or cube parts, PLEASE let me know, tell me what you want for it!!!!

macman142, doesn't sound like you've had much luck :cry: It seems that when the VRM fries, it either takes out nearly everything or nothing at all. Second-hand VRMs do pop up on eBay US often; have you considered getting one of those? Don't have many spare parts apart from the original ATI Rage ADC graphics card, if you want it.

I've finally a stable Cube The flashed graphics card was fine, it was a dodgy 256MB stick of RAM that wa causing most of the lockups. I've since modified the stock Geforce heatsink to a spare HSF originally from a Geforce Ti 4800 card, running in silence @ 5V. Pics to follow.

The graphics card is now at 180core/170mem and running cool with the new cooling setup.

JB

I was looking around inside my Cube the day before last, and noticed that between the HDD and the Optical drive, there is almost enough room for another HDD.

I can't help but think that the hdd could have been pushed in further, increasing the size of the CPU heatsink... also, using a copper sink or possibly more fins, but thinner. would have been nice. Aiding in cooling.

Just some thoughts I was thinking about.