VOGONS


First post, by AlessandroB

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I would like to install a 10k or 15k scsi hard disk in my Powermac G4 Quicksilver but after much research I can't find a scsi controller that is compatible and allows me to install both OS9 and OSX and use the SCSI disk as the only system disk. Does anyone know anything more about this?

tnks

Reply 1 of 13, by Jo22

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Yes, there was such a thing in an old Power Mac G3, I think.
Worked with OS 9 and OS X 10.1 or so..

Edit: https://www.macschrauber.de/index.php/ppc-g3- … -2-scsi-ide-pci

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In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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Reply 3 of 13, by Unknown_K

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Use an Adaptec PCI-X card (ultra 160 should be fine) they should have Mac and PC BIOS built in.

Collector of old computers, hardware, and software

Reply 4 of 13, by Jo22

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AlessandroB wrote on 2025-04-20, 21:09:
Jo22 wrote on 2025-04-20, 18:41:

Yes, there was such a thing in an old Power Mac G3, I think.
Worked with OS 9 and OS X 10.1 or so..

Edit: https://www.macschrauber.de/index.php/ppc-g3- … -2-scsi-ide-pci

sorry but I didn't find references to what I was looking for

Hi, my bad. The info was hidden in the screenshot. The Apple SCSI card was a Adaptec 2940u2b.

That being said, Unknown_K's suggestion is better, I think. It has the right firmware.

(There's no guarantee that every Adaptec 2940u2b card has Mac firmware.)

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 5 of 13, by Unknown_K

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I mean if you are going to go and use SCSI for a booting drive you might as well do the 64-bit slot so 32-bit PCI doesn't bottleneck you.

I collect Macs along with PCs and have all kinds of G4's and the Adaptec cards work just fine (even on PPC G5's but those have native SATA). For a while there you could snag external SCSI RAID boxes that were used for video editing cheap as well.

Collector of old computers, hardware, and software

Reply 6 of 13, by AlessandroB

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i must have something to test somewhere….

Reply 7 of 13, by AlessandroB

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I have tries this but without success

Reply 8 of 13, by AlessandroB

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Unknown_K wrote on 2025-04-21, 05:38:

I mean if you are going to go and use SCSI for a booting drive you might as well do the 64-bit slot so 32-bit PCI doesn't bottleneck you.

I collect Macs along with PCs and have all kinds of G4's and the Adaptec cards work just fine (even on PPC G5's but those have native SATA). For a while there you could snag external SCSI RAID boxes that were used for video editing cheap as well.

Hi, have you seen my last post? can you have an idea why my G4 Quicksilver does not see anything? tnks

Reply 9 of 13, by nfraser01

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AlessandroB wrote on 2025-04-25, 13:39:

I have tries this but without success

That looks like an IBM part (not retail), so may only have the PC BIOS?

Reply 10 of 13, by AlessandroB

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nfraser01 wrote on 2025-04-26, 15:02:
AlessandroB wrote on 2025-04-25, 13:39:

I have tries this but without success

That looks like an IBM part (not retail), so may only have the PC BIOS?

I think so, but maybe I misunderstood the fourth message where it said to use a generic adaptec x160?

anyway I repeat, I should find a controller that works on both os9 and osx because the G4 quicksilver can make them both work natively

Reply 12 of 13, by AlessandroB

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Unknown_K wrote on 2025-04-26, 18:36:

Thanks! But it seems (doing more research) that with this card you can't boot from scsi. So connect to the mac scanner, zip, and hard disk as storage but you must always have the operating system on the IDE!

maybe with ATTO cards it can be done??? Does anyone know/has ever tried it?

Reply 13 of 13, by Babasha

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You need something with MAC firmware. Here my cards.
Or you need to reflash PC SCSI card with MAC firmware. Its not always so simple.

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