History
This group of machines are the least upgradeable of the PowerPC Macs. The 6100 was the first PowerPC Mac, with an astonishing (for the time) 66MHz clock speed. It was introduced in March 1994.
The 61/71/8100's use NuBus as their internal expansion (cream sockets evenly interspersed with holes) which was supposed to be the next big thing - unfortunately it was not -
this leaves these machines at a disadvantage because modern expansion cards use PCI slots.
These PowerMacs use SCSI for internal storage devices, not IDE which is used by most modern personal computers.
Ethernet connectivity is provided via the now obsolete AAUI port.
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How to Identify these Machines
These PowerMac machines are easily identifiable.
The PowerMac 6100 came in a small
form factor (thin) desktop case with the floppy and CD-ROM drives on the same level.
The PowerMac 7100 came in a normal height desktop case. The 7100 is identified by the number of
bays on the front. The 7100 has a floppy drive situated to the top left and a
CD-ROM bay / CD-ROM underneath there are no other slots on the front.
The PowerMac 8100 came in a tower case ,the same case as the PowerMac 8200, and
this case needs to be removed to identify between them. The case is removed with
screws on the back and the case pulls forward. Turning the machine onto its side
will reveal cream coloured slots. If your machine has 3 long slots divided into 2
parts then you have a PowerMac 8200. If the sockets are equally interspersed
with holes then you have an 8100.
If you are still unsure you can contact us on 01223 833 412 or by email for
confirmation. If you want to upgrade but aren't happy to install your upgrades
then we can help. Simply ask our engineers for further details.
Memory Upgrades
The 61/71/8100 PowerMacs use 72 pin SIMM memory sticks. These memory chips are now very difficult to source.
At present we are unable to supply these chips. We suggest maybe eBay as a source. It is best to get memory
which has come from a previous machine of the same type due to variations in memory access speed.
We do not have RAM available for these Macs.
CD & DVD Drive Upgrades
The PowerMac 61/71/8100 Machines use SCSI as their internal storage devices. SCSI has now been superseded by
IDE for internal optical drives. As the these machines also do not have PCI slots (and so cannot be upgraded with a modern connection type) there are no current optical drive upgrades for these machines.
There are no optical drive upgrades available for these Macs
Internal Hard Drive Upgrades
The PowerMac 61/71/8100 Machines use SCSI as their internal system bus. SCSI has now been superseded by
IDE for internal hard drives drives. As the these machines do not have IDE or PCI slots there are no current hard
drive upgrades for these machines.
If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.
Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.
There are no hard drive upgrades available for these Macs.
Graphics Card Upgrades
The PowerMac 61/71/8100 Machines do not have PCI slots. They use an older protocol called NuBus. Unfortunately
this means that compatible graphics cards are no longer produced.
There are no graphics card upgrades available for these Macs
Expansion Card Upgrades
The PowerMac 61/71/8100 Machines do not have PCI slots. They use an older protocol called NuBus. Unfortunately
these machines therefore cannot use PCI upgrades.
There are no expansion cards available for these Macs
Keyboards & Mice
The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.
There are no keyboards or mice available for these Macs
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy
Keyboards plug into the relevant port on your Mac. Mice can either be plugged into your keyboard, or they can be plugged directly into your Mac.
Power Supplies & Batteries
Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products
we supply for this Mac.
Cables & Tools
Listed below are power cables, tools and related products
we supply for this Mac.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
External Hard Drive Upgrades
Due to the old connectivity, and lack of expandability of these Macs, no external hard drives are available for them.
There are no external hard drive upgrades available for these Macs.
