120GB SSDs in G4 Cube

[JDW]

I came across this MacRumors thread from 2016 today:

SSD in a G4 cube? Here's a bracket!

I want to upgrade my G4 cube and put a SSD drive in it. Fitting the drive and it's SATA-IDE adapter isn't that easy because of the Cube's compactness. Which led me to design a bracket, download it on thingiverse ;). It fit's the cube nicely, both bottom and topbracket. PS: I also made an...

forums.macrumors.com

Any of you have experience with 120GB SSDs in the G4 Cube? I'm curious because one of my 120GB IDE drives died this week so I am mulling a more modern alternative. SCSI to SD solutions are great from 80's Macs, but the Cube can run OS X and therefore needs a drive with wear leveling (i.e., not an SD card solution).

 

[pfuentes69]

@Action Retro did a video on this...

 

[JDW]

@Action Retro did a video on this...

Thanks. I just watched but didn't find links to what he used, so I put a comment under his video.

 

[pfuentes69]

Thanks. I just watched but didn't find links to what he used, so I put a comment under his video.

He’s around here, maybe he will see this.
The m.sata adapter looks something like this

 

[This Does Not Compute]

I haven't swapped the drive in my Cube yet, but based on my recent experience installing an IDE-to-mSATA adapter in my 12" PowerBook G4 with a 128GB module, I'm certainly thinking that'll be the way I go.

 

[Alf Torp]

This is what I use in my 450 Cube.
Disk:

Adapter:

The adapter had one very important quality: It was the cheapest one I could find on ebay!
I also bought a 2.5" to 3.5" metal carrier/adapter on ebay that worked a treat.

 

[JDW]

This is what I use in my 450 Cube.
Disk:
View attachment 2574

Adapter:
View attachment 2575

The adapter had one very important quality: It was the cheapest one I could find on ebay!
I also bought a 2.5" to 3.5" metal carrier/adapter on ebay that worked a treat.

I'd love to see more photos of your complete setup all connected, as well as a link to that EBAY listing! Also, what's performance like?

 

[Drake]

I'm in the same boat as @Alf Torp having used very cheap parts just to experiment with.
Just today I successfully flashed a custom ROM onto a 256mb video card I had in storage.
Needless to say the cube boots very fast. @JDW if you have a particular benchmark program in mind let me know and I will post the results here.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Well, the adapter is going through the ATA-5 bus so has a max speed of 66MBps. Still, a modern SSD is going to crush a spinner at small file writes (especially the 5400rpm 20 & 40gb era Apple hdds) and as such should yield a noticeable improvement in boot up, app start up etc. Even without TRIM, it's a worthy upgrade in my book.

 

[Alf Torp]

I'd love to see more photos of your complete setup all connected, as well as a link to that EBAY listing! Also, what's performance like?

I'll get around to some pictures soon. The adapter is the same as this one from Newegg. Sadly the ebay listing is long gone. I bought 5 of them 3-4 years ago, and now I'm considering buying 5 more. Not at Newegg prices though. I think this one on ebay is more or less the same, so I might buy that one.

The performance is much better. Far faster response in whatever click on. The most noticeable difference is the boot time in OS X though. Maybe I will make a video of it at some point.

 

[Alf Torp]

I'll get around to some pictures soon. The adapter is the same as this one from Newegg. Sadly the ebay listing is long gone. I bought 5 of them 3-4 years ago, and now I'm considering buying 5 more. Not at Newegg prices though. I think this one on ebay is more or less the same, so I might buy that one.

The performance is much better. Far faster response in whatever click on. The most noticeable difference is the boot time in OS X though. Maybe I will make a video of it at some point. I don't do benchmarks, as a rule. Mostly because I like personal perception better than depressing, factual numbers

 

[JDW]

I'm in the same boat as @Alf Torp having used very cheap parts just to experiment with.
Just today I successfully flashed a custom ROM onto a 256mb video card I had in storage.
Needless to say the cube boots very fast. @JDW if you have a particular benchmark program in mind let me know and I will post the results here.

View attachment 2582
View attachment 2583

What video card, and how did you flash it to be compatible with the Cube?

How do you have the SATA SSD mounted inside the Cube such that it doesn't rattle around when you move the Cube or flip it upside down to pull out the core?

 

[JDW]

I'll get around to some pictures soon. The adapter is the same as this one from Newegg. Sadly the ebay listing is long gone. I bought 5 of them 3-4 years ago, and now I'm considering buying 5 more. Not at Newegg prices though. I think this one on ebay is more or less the same, so I might buy that one.

The performance is much better. Far faster response in whatever click on. The most noticeable difference is the boot time in OS X though. Maybe I will make a video of it at some point.

Thanks for the links. The EBAY seller doesn't ship to Japan, and I've not tried to buy from NewEgg before so I don't know if they ship to Japan either. But despite the adapters looking the same, the IC used is really key. If the chips are different, then performance or compatibility could be affected. It's less of an issue for you folks in the US because if something goes awry, it's fast and relatively low cost to ship it back. But for me, even if I can get it shipped over here (either direct, or more expensively through an Oregon based freight forwarded), if something doesn't work right, it ends up costing me more to ship it back then the product itself, not to mention the cost to get it shipped over here. That's why I have to do a lot of research before buying anything to ensure it's not going to be a financial loss for me in the end.

 

[Alf Torp]

Thanks for the links. The EBAY seller doesn't ship to Japan, and I've not tried to buy from NewEgg before so I don't know if they ship to Japan either. But despite the adapters looking the same, the IC used is really key. If the chips are different, then performance or compatibility could be affected. It's less of an issue for you folks in the US because if something goes awry, it's fast and relatively low cost to ship it back. But for me, even if I can get it shipped over here (either direct, or more expensively through an Oregon based freight forwarded), if something doesn't work right, it ends up costing me more to ship it back then the product itself, not to mention the cost to get it shipped over here. That's why I have to do a lot of research before buying anything to ensure it's not going to be a financial loss for me in the end.

I live in Norway, so I am much in the same position as yourself. That's why I often go for the cheapest option available, as long as I think it will do the job.

 

[Drake]

What video card, and how did you flash it to be compatible with the Cube?

How do you have the SATA SSD mounted inside the Cube such that it doesn't rattle around when you move the Cube or flip it upside down to pull out the core?

It's an xfx 6200 256mb (Nvidia). I put the card into a Windows machine with AGP and PCI slots as a secondary GPU then used Nvflash in DOS to flash custom ROM found here: http://themacelite.wikidot.com/wikidownloads2 (you'll find a clock lowered version for 6200).
The pins 3 and 11 were cut to disable Apples expectation of ADC connector.

My ssd was a very snug fit, I'm not sure if @Alf Torp used a different adapter but mine would only accept the angle you see and it is absolutely stuck there and won't budge. Temporary? Maybe, I guess we'll see what other users have done

 

[Alf Torp]

It's an xfx 6200 256mb (Nvidia). I put the card into a Windows machine with AGP and PCI slots as a secondary GPU then used Nvflash in DOS to flash custom ROM found here: http://themacelite.wikidot.com/wikidownloads2 (you'll find a clock lowered version for 6200).
The pins 3 and 11 were cut to disable Apples expectation of ADC connector.

My ssd was a very snug fit, I'm not sure if @Alf Torp used a different adapter but mine would only accept the angle you see and it is absolutely stuck there and won't budge. Temporary? Maybe, I guess we'll see what other users have done

It is a very snug fit indeed, but that is exactly enough I will post some more pictures in my own post in a bit, showing the fit and the carrier I used for the SSD itself.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

In regards to the pata/sata adapter, look for the Marvell 88SA8052 chipset. These work well in macs & are commonly found with red PCBs (although I do have a no name in green).You see them sold under StarTech, Manhattan, etc.

 

[Kai Robinson]

In regards to the pata/sata adapter, look for the Marvell 88SA8052 chipset. These work well in macs & are commonly found with red PCBs (although I do have a no name in green).You see them sold under StarTech, Manhattan, etc.

I bought a startech one, hoping to use this in my G4

 

[wottle]

Wouldn't you be able to use a MSATA IDE enclosure (I've had good luck with this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GRMUQRG?psc=1&smid=A3TUR5JBYCEPNE&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp) attached via a IDE 2.5 to 3.5 adapter (I've used this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010MKARA?psc=1&smid=A3BYZP0GYB998Y&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp)?

Or you could use the even smaller adapter @ActionRetro used: https://www.amazon.com/Kinamax-ADP-IDE23-2-5-Inch-3-5-Inch-Converter/dp/B000HJBEUY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=39ZF4GFV0ZW6V&keywords=sabrent+2.5+to+3.5+IDE&qid=1642877772&s=electronics&sprefix=sabrent+2.5+to+3.5+ide,electronics,75&sr=1-4


A little long in length, but it doesn't have the height issues of the SATA to IDE adapter, but still gives a cheap way to get a decent sized IDE SSD in your old Macs.

Here’s the combo together:

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

SSDs and cubes remind me of the old (yet very, very true) saying - It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to work. The solution above is what I use in one of my MDDs.

With adapter, you're looking at 5x3.25 inches all in, so 12.7 x 8.255 centimeters - cube owners can measure the drive space and see if that solution will fit.