Power Mac - Convert USB 1.1 to 2.0?

art4tees · art4tees #1 (**permalink**)

01-04-2009, 02:03 PM

I have a Quicksilver G4 with a recently upgraded processor. (733 mHz to 1.47gHz) Is there a way to upgrade the USB ports?

hughvane · hughvane #2 (**permalink**)

01-04-2009, 02:07 PM

I believe you can install a PCI USB2 card in your G4, but the native USB1 ports cannot be upgraded.

fletch33 · fletch33 #3 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 12:48 PM

i have a G4 sawtooth and put in a pci usb2 card and it works great.

stormbound · stormbound #4 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 02:48 PM

Yeah, the bus speed is limited so you can't upgrade USB 1.1 to 2.0. A USB 2.0 PCI card should do the trick

louishen · louishen #5 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 02:51 PM

I have a bulk standard USB 2 card in mine, just worked straight out of the box

stormbound · stormbound #6 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 02:57 PM

It will work but your speed will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.

louishen · louishen #7 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormbound

It will work but your speed will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.

Installing a USB 2 card in a PCI slot gives you full USB 2 speed on the ports on the card

stormbound · stormbound #8 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 03:57 PM

Oh sorry, I thought you meant a USB hub into a USB port, my apologies. You are correct with your last statement.

harryb2448 · harryb2448 #9 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 04:03 PM

Some times drivers can present a few problems. When card is installed go to Apple System Profiler (ABout this Mac>USB) and make sure USB2 is shown as High Speed Bus AppleUSBEH1C.

hughvane · hughvane #10 (**permalink**)

01-05-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louishen

I have a bulk standard USB 2 card in mine, just worked straight out of the box

Have you a brand name for that PCI card, and would it provide USB2 for my b/w G3 350? I know about the Sonnet Tango, which has Firewire as well, but the price in NZ is stratospheric!

Moto4Fun · Moto4Fun #11 (**permalink**)

01-09-2009, 05:18 PM

Will any PCI USB card work, or does it have to be specifically compatible with MAC? There appears to be quite the price discrepancy on EBay between the $8-$9 cards that don't list Mac compatibility, and the $20 ones that do. I was under the assumption that they all work.

Is there a proven favorite among Mac users?

hughvane · hughvane #12 (**permalink**)

01-09-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moto4Fun

Will any PCI USB card work ... Is there a proven favorite among Mac users?

See the debate here Which PCI USB 2 card? - The macosxhints Forums

Moto4Fun · Moto4Fun #13 (**permalink**)

01-10-2009, 01:29 AM

Interesting thread. I would expect to hear more about this issue. Incidentally I did buy a card from Best Buy tonight. The computer recognizes it, but some weird things happen. If the keyboard and mouse are plugged into it, they can't wake it from sleep. In fact it sleeps kinda weird. I had a difficult time getting the monitor to wake up, but could hear a movie playing through the speaker. It doesn't seem to have the full speed of USB2.0 either. I have been using Senuti to upload some stuff and it is REALLY SLOOOW. I suppose it could be a function of the Senuti software. But I think the upload rate was about the same on the 1.1 port.

I may take it back. Anyone have positive results installing a USB card in an expansion port?

louishen · louishen #14 (**permalink**)

01-10-2009, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hughvane

Have you a brand name for that PCI card, and would it provide USB2 for my b/w G3 350? I know about the Sonnet Tango, which has Firewire as well, but the price in NZ is stratospheric!

It was a bulk standard noname USB card from Maplin (our equivalent of Radio Shack)

hughvane · hughvane #15 (**permalink**)

01-10-2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louishen

It was a bulk standard noname USB card

Thanks Louishen.

louishen #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 22, 2007 Location: London Posts: 8,684 Mac Specs: Mac Mini Core i7 2012 \| White 2009 MacBook 2 Ghz \| 733 Mhz G4 Quicksilver	01-05-2009, 02:51 PM I have a bulk standard USB 2 card in mine, just worked straight out of the box Member of the Month September 2008 & August 2012 \| Found advice useful? – use the rep system
	QUOTE Thanks

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Power Mac - Convert USB 1.1 to 2.0?

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art4tees #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 05, 2007 Posts: 26	01-04-2009, 02:03 PM I have a Quicksilver G4 with a recently upgraded processor. (733 mHz to 1.47gHz) Is there a way to upgrade the USB ports?
	QUOTE Thanks

hughvane #2 (permalink)
Member Since: May 18, 2008 Location: Banks Peninsula, New Zealand Posts: 3,244 Mac Specs: MacMini 2.4, 4 Gb, OS 10.6.8; MacBook 2.4, 2 Gb, OS 10.5.8; G4 eMac 1.25, 2 Gb, OS 10.4.11	01-04-2009, 02:07 PM I believe you can install a PCI USB2 card in your G4, but the native USB1 ports cannot be upgraded.
	QUOTE Thanks

stormbound #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 14	01-05-2009, 02:48 PM Yeah, the bus speed is limited so you can't upgrade USB 1.1 to 2.0. A USB 2.0 PCI card should do the trick
	QUOTE Thanks

stormbound #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 14	01-05-2009, 02:57 PM It will work but your speed will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.
	QUOTE Thanks

stormbound #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 14	01-05-2009, 03:57 PM Oh sorry, I thought you meant a USB hub into a USB port, my apologies. You are correct with your last statement.
	QUOTE Thanks

harryb2448 #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2007 Location: Nambucca Heads Australia Posts: 14,265 Mac Specs: iMac i5 2.7GHz OS X.8.3	01-05-2009, 04:03 PM Some times drivers can present a few problems. When card is installed go to Apple System Profiler (ABout this Mac>USB) and make sure USB2 is shown as High Speed Bus AppleUSBEH1C.
	QUOTE Thanks

Moto4Fun #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 10	01-09-2009, 05:18 PM Will any PCI USB card work, or does it have to be specifically compatible with MAC? There appears to be quite the price discrepancy on EBay between the $8-$9 cards that don't list Mac compatibility, and the $20 ones that do. I was under the assumption that they all work. Is there a proven favorite among Mac users?
	QUOTE Thanks

Moto4Fun #13 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 10	01-10-2009, 01:29 AM Interesting thread. I would expect to hear more about this issue. Incidentally I did buy a card from Best Buy tonight. The computer recognizes it, but some weird things happen. If the keyboard and mouse are plugged into it, they can't wake it from sleep. In fact it sleeps kinda weird. I had a difficult time getting the monitor to wake up, but could hear a movie playing through the speaker. It doesn't seem to have the full speed of USB2.0 either. I have been using Senuti to upload some stuff and it is REALLY SLOOOW. I suppose it could be a function of the Senuti software. But I think the upload rate was about the same on the 1.1 port. I may take it back. Anyone have positive results installing a USB card in an expansion port?
	QUOTE Thanks

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