PPC-7448 PBG4 upgrade

Daystar Technology has announced a new PowerPC 7448-based processor upgrade for the 1.67GHz PowerBook G4. The "XLR8 MAChSpeed 7448 Aluminum" is a factory installed upgrade and is expected to be available within the next month. The first "customer" upgrade has already shipped as a "pre-release" edition of the forthcoming product, according to the company. The new upgrade offers a 1.83GHz G4 processor and 1MB of Level-2 cache for optimal performance, but is limited to the 1.67GHz PowerBook G4 due to hardware restrictions that prevent the use of the 7448 in earlier systems. In real-world (Photoshop) benchmarks, the 7448 performs 20 to 30 percent faster than a 7447A at the same MHz. Overall the XLR8 MAChSpeed 7448 Aluminum provides 30 to 60 percent more performance for PowerBook users, according to the company. The upgrade requires Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later. The upgrade includes shipping, testing, installation and "100 percent quality assurance." (Pricing not available.)

by MacNN Staff