68kMLA Classic Interface

This is a version of the 68kMLA forums for viewing on your favorite old mac. Visitors on modern platforms may prefer the main site.

Click here to select a new forum.
LC 475 Project - Upgrades - Mods
Posted by: killvore on 2024-07-16 23:51:24 This is very inspiring! I'm considering the 33MHz upgrade, but need to build up some confidence in my soldering skills first 😅 I use System 7.1 on my LC 475 with a couple of extensions to get 7.5ish levels of compatibility with some of the software I use (DragThing, Transmit, etc.) - plus the appropriate System Enabler ofc. I find it to be fast, stable, and uses little RAM (<2MB iirc - I've set the cache to be pretty beefy so can't check exact size now). Also, I have an irrational hate of the 7.5.x "Apple Guide" menubar icon 😄 Extensions Macintosh Drag and Drop, Dragging Enabler, Thread Manager 2.1, all the Open Transport stuff, the Finder Scripting Extension, and Apple Event Manager (but can't remember if these came with the system or not). You could also add the Appearance Manager! Control Panels SetDate, MacTCP, PC Exchange, Power Windows (to show off your extra processor cycles), and SuperClock
Posted by: Kamshaft on 2024-07-17 05:30:44 This is very inspiring! I'm considering the 33MHz upgrade, but need to build up some confidence in my soldering skills first 😅 My soldering skills are not "professional", but I get by. If I were to recommend two things... Good tweezers and buying a hot air rework station (350 degrees Celsius) would have helped me with removing and resoldering those tiny resistors (size of a grain of sand!). 🤣 You don't want one of those flying away... Amazon.ca Otherwise, add lots of flux, and fresh solder, and then remove the solder with copper desoldering braid.
Posted by: Powerbase on 2024-07-17 06:09:36 This is very inspiring! I'm considering the 33MHz upgrade, but need to build up some confidence in my soldering skills first 😅 I use System 7.1 on my LC 475 with a couple of extensions to get 7.5ish levels of compatibility with some of the software I use (DragThing, Transmit, etc.) - plus the appropriate System Enabler ofc. I find it to be fast, stable, and uses little RAM (<2MB iirc - I've set the cache to be pretty beefy so can't check exact size now). Also, I have an irrational hate of the 7.5.x "Apple Guide" menubar icon 😄 Extensions Macintosh Drag and Drop, Dragging Enabler, Thread Manager 2.1, all the Open Transport stuff, the Finder Scripting Extension, and Apple Event Manager (but can't remember if these came with the system or not). You could also add the Appearance Manager! Control Panels SetDate, MacTCP, PC Exchange, Power Windows (to show off your extra processor cycles), and SuperClock My soldering skills are beginner-level and I managed, even with a bobo battery-powered soldering iron. They are tiny though. I was a bit more bold. Just take your time. Completely forgot about Powerwindows, I even used to use it back in the day.
Posted by: Kamshaft on 2024-07-17 07:47:15 I was thinking of fastening one of these to the top of the heatsink cooler... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07N7BHDZ7/ Thoughts?
Posted by: lmartu on 2024-07-17 09:27:39 @Kamshaft you will never get the lid closed. Get a small radial fan and place it bedside the heatsink somewhere on the MB. so that it blows air on the fins from the output duct. You can keep it still with four little blobs of Blu Tack. That's what I did
Posted by: Daniël on 2024-07-17 09:37:33 How about RAM Chips? Is there a voltage regulator on the back side of the Module? Keystron knowingly runs RAM chips out of spec, with their reasoning being that "they've never seen any issues from doing so". What's worse, is that on their 30 pin SIMMs, they put the specification sticker across the memory ICs, covering the parts number. What makes it particularly damning, is that the sticker is marked as "warranty void if removed", which next to breaking Magnuson-Moss, means you couldn't check if the chips are running out of spec without breaking said warranty.
Posted by: pizzigri on 2024-07-17 12:55:49 Argh I didn’t know that!
Posted by: Mustermann on 2024-11-17 12:21:44 I was thinking of fastening one of these to the top of the heatsink cooler... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07N7BHDZ7/ View attachment 75920 Thoughts? As there is already a fan nearby, I solved it like this: Most of the airflow is forced to go thru the CPU heat sink. This keeps CPU quite cool, even at 40Mhz.
Posted by: clockchip on 2024-11-20 10:47:11 As there is already a fan nearby, I solved it like this: Most of the airflow is forced to go thru the CPU heat sink. This keeps CPU quite cool, even at 40Mhz. Nice cooling, are you willing to share the 3d file so that others can try?
Posted by: finkmac on 2024-11-20 11:15:29 huh, wouldn't that restrict airflow to the rest of the board? I guess the other components don't exactly have a directed fan so it would be the same amount of air going through the case...
Posted by: zigzagjoe on 2024-11-20 11:38:35 With the duct, It's probably "fine" for system cooling but it's likely louder than the stock fan already is due to airflow obstruction/interference. I personally changed my Q605 system fan out for this extremely quiet fan Sunon I'd salvaged out of a set-top box some time ago: HA60251V4-000U-999 The fan tabs are broken on mine so I didn't particularly mind that it is thicker than the original 15mm thick fan. Actually, due to that it ends up moving more air through the system despite being a low noise fan. You could likely do the same using a Noctua fan as long as it's 25mm thick - don't like-for-like replace vintage fans with Noctua. In conjunction with the sunon fan I found this heatsink provided sufficient cooling at 40mhz. 43.1 X 43.1 X 16mm: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/same-sky-formerly-cui-devices/HSB27-434316/16562708 You might also consider using a HSF (heatsink-fan) instead on the CPU. Here are some low profile options I've looked at. Any of these are fine for a 68040. 35x35x10mm: FIT0504 5V https://www.ebay.com/itm/154634399662 40x40x8mm: AP0405MX 5V https://www.ebay.com/itm/284895799440 41x41x12mm: VC-AL4009 12V https://www.ebay.com/itm/144558738482 45x45x10mm: AP4505MX 5V https://www.ebay.com/itm/134203475332 45x45x10mm: AP4512MX 12V 12V ones will generally run slow and quiet on 5V. Alternatively, a resistor can be used to slow the speed of the 5V rated fans. The larger system fan will hide the noise of these easily. Even with the Sunon fan (above) I don't find the noise of the FIT0504 at full speed noticable or objectionable and still far quieter than the original fan. FIT0504 installed on a QFP 68040. AP4505MX on a PGA 68040, 45mhz with a speed reducing resistor (don't recall the value).
Posted by: finkmac on 2024-11-20 11:46:07 mmm I like those HSFs. might try one of those in a full040 475...
Posted by: eharmon on 2024-11-20 13:25:24 I should grab a picture, but my 040 has a standard early Quadra-style heat sink (vertical fins, not a crown), with a Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX on top. Those 40x40 fans happen to align their holes such that you can basically screw right into the heat sink...they fit between two rows of fins and it hangs on nicely. Fins bend a tiny bit and get threading scoring, but it's a nice solution.
Posted by: clockchip on 2024-11-21 11:59:50 Designed my own solution today.
Posted by: obsolete on 2024-11-21 13:30:02 That's quite clever! Have you uploaded the STLs anywhere?
Posted by: clockchip on 2024-11-22 02:47:47 That's quite clever! Have you uploaded the STLs anywhere? https://github.com/clockchip/LC475-CoolingFanExtender
Posted by: Powerbase on 2024-11-22 05:17:18 Designed my own solution today. View attachment 80540 View attachment 80541 View attachment 80542 That's both neat and nice.
Posted by: pizzigri on 2024-11-22 10:32:13 @clockchip, interesting 512K VRAM you've got there, do you have some info?
Posted by: zigzagjoe on 2024-11-22 10:44:54 @clockchip, interesting 512K VRAM you've got there, do you have some info? Pretty sure that's one of siliconinsider's VRAM simms.
Posted by: register on 2024-11-25 12:34:57 I don't remember seeing that option, except on a few macs here and there. I've always heard that you couldn't disable it, due to it being embedded in the rom (hench the upgraded ROM being able to disable it). I used to have an LC 475 with 132MB of RAM. This was the solution to get rid of the annoying boot delay. It also works in a beige PowerMac G3 that hits the RAM ceiling.
< 7 >