Upgrade ibook G4 800 logic board to G4 1.2Ghz

To change out the 800 mhz board on your iBook G4 for a 1.2 or 1.33 ghz, you are looking at a substantial investment. To go to a 1ghz board, it's just a matter of replacing the board, modem and fan.

If you want a 1.2 or 1.33 ghz iBook G4, sell your 800 mhz and buy one of those. With the MacBooks out, upgrading an iBook G4 is an even less sensible option as the values of those machines are dropping on a daily basis. Below is a guide to changes in the iBook models.

For the 1.2 board, you'll need the following
-top case (different trackpad)
-frame (logic board mounts in different places)
- fan (different speed, cable length, mounting)
- heatsink (connects to the board differently)
- optical drive ribbon cable (totally different cable)
-lvds cable

For the 1.33 board, you'll need these (and they are specific to just this model)
-top case
-frame
-fan
-heatsink
-airport card
-airport antenna
-inverter cable
-lvds cable
-reed switch
-hard drive mounting brackets
-hard drive direct connection

Thanks to Iantm and others with similar knowledge who share it here. It's nice to know that experts on more-or-less contemporary Mac models are happy to share their professional experience.

Phil

the modem modules have been pretty much the same since the G3 series. they are just a little card with a connector for the tele port, and a part of the card that snaps on to a board connector. I believe i was able to take a modem card out of my clamshell and throw it into my airport (snow) when the modem in it died.

On the iBook G4's, the modem module changed from variation to variation (the PowerBook G4's did as well). In the 800 mhz models, it was a larger board than what was on the 1.0, and is incompatible with any other models. The 1.2 and 1.33 ghz models also have their own variations on the modem assembly. As for coius's quote about the modem from a clamshell working in a base station, that is correct, as that particular module was used in the clamshell iBook, PowerBook (pismo), Power Mac G4, airport base station, as well as slot load iMacs (iirc), and the iMac G4.

With the iBook G4, assemblies varied due to size constraints and changes in the logic board and heatsink layout. Another factor is that the early iBook G4's had a real full scale modem, while later models had a software driven modem. In these modern times, not having a modem isn't such a big deal, but it's important to be aware of.

The reed switch/inverter cable is only a common part for the 800 mhz, 1.0 ghz, and 1.2 ghz. The 1.33 ghz uses a completely different internal arrangement, so this part would NOT work. As for the screws, the existing screws will work, but there will be some variation in them.

Bear in mind that the 1.33 ghz iBook, in comparison to 800 mhz and 1.0 ghz models is essentially a completely different machine, with few common parts (hard drive, optical drive, lcd, keyboard, some but NOT all plastics).

There are few cases where doing the updgrade makes sense, and others where it doesn't. Here's my breakdown of the cases where it's a good idea and not a good idea. Bear in mind that I am assuming that you are in an area where parts and such aren't scarce.

Good Idea
if your iBook is toast
you can get all the parts needed for under $200
you don't have any money into the machine already
you are familiar with working inside of a laptop and have a good familiarity wih iBook internals
this is a secondary computer where, if something should go wrong, it won't be an issue

Bad Idea
the machine is functioning fine and in good condition, but you want to speed it up
the total cost of parts exceeds $200
you've never cracked open a laptop, let alone iBook before
you can't afford for anything to go wrong because this is your primary computer

Tearing apart iBooks isn't something that I'd recommend to someone who has never been inside a laptop before. It's something that takes time, money, and the risk of bad parts and downtime.

I'm something of a coward, and apply this principle with my car, and less so with my laptop. Since my livelihood depends on both, I ensure that both are in good working order and don't try any fancy crazy stuff with them. My macbook, like my car are bone stock (save for the ram upgrade on the macbook) because I can't afford to take a chance on some crazy modification resulting in downtime that would negatively impact me. My backlit iBook G4 keyboard had issues, so I gave up on hacking my primary laptop. (I've moved on twice since that machine - usually go 6 - 18 months before trading up my laptops)