Macintosh Quadra 800
 | |
| Macintosh Quadra 800 | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Personal computer |
| Released | February 1993 |
| Discontinued | March 14, 1994 |
| Intro price | US$4,680-5,100 |
| CPU | Motorola 68040 at 33 MHz |
| Memory | 8 MB soldered, or 24 MB standard; expandable to 136 MB (72-pin SIMMs, 60 ns) |
| Storage | 230, 500 or 1000 MB SCSI hard drive (optional); 1.4 MB SuperDrive; optional CD-300 CD-ROM |
| Display | Built-in video, 512 KB or 1 MB VRAM, up to 1152 × 870 |
| Sound | 8-bit mono input, 8-bit stereo output |
| Dimensions | 14.25 × 7.75 × 16 in (360 × 196 × 396 mm) |
| Weight | 24 lb (10.9 kg) |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.1 to Mac OS 8.1 |
| Predecessor | Macintosh Quadra 700 |
| Successor | Macintosh Quadra 840AV |
| Model no. | M1206 |
The Macintosh Quadra 800 is a minitower personal computer that Apple Computer introduced in February 1993 and discontinued on 14 March 1994. It uses a 33 MHz Motorola 68040.[1][2] Apple sold the same hardware as the Workgroup Server 80 and services both in one manual.[3]
The Quadra 800 introduced the minitower case later used by the Quadra 840AV and the Power Macintosh 8100 and 8500. With the Centris 650 it was among the first Macintosh models to ship with a bootable CD-ROM drive.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]Apple developed the Quadra 800 alongside the Centris 610 and Centris 650. Its Developer Note describes all three as functionally similar to the Quadra 700, with new cases that take an internal CD-ROM drive, new custom ICs, and built-in video limited to 16 bits per pixel.[4] Low End Mac notes that the Quadra 800 uses interleaved memory and, according to Macworld's review, outperformed the Quadra 950.[2]
Apple offered upgrades to the Power Macintosh 8100/80 and 8100/80AV, a Power Macintosh card for the processor-direct slot, and later a Power Macintosh 8500 upgrade kit.[3] EveryMac also lists a Quadra 840AV logic board upgrade, M1848LL/A.[1]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Apple's figure |
|---|---|
| Processor | Motorola 68040, 33 MHz, with PMMU, FPU and 8K cache; 32-bit address and data bus |
| DRAM | 8 MB soldered, or 24 MB standard (8 MB plus four 4 MB SIMMs); expandable to 136 MB; 72-pin SIMMs, 60 ns |
| ROM and PRAM | 1 MB soldered; 256 bytes of parameter memory |
| VRAM | 512K or 1 MB standard, expandable to 1 MB (80 ns or faster VRAM SIMMs); two VRAM slots forming one bank |
| Floppy drive | Internal 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive |
| Hard drive | Internal 3.5 in. drive (230, 500 or 1000 MB), optional |
| CD-ROM | Internal CD-300 mechanism, optional |
| Serial | Two RS-232/RS-422 ports, mini DIN-8, 230.4 Kbaud maximum |
| Video | One DB-15 port; Apple monitors up to 16 bits per pixel, VGA and SVGA |
| Ethernet | One port (the Service Source calls it an AUI-15 connector) |
| SCSI | One DB-25 port; up to eight devices including the computer (always ID 7) |
| NuBus | Three slots, NuBus '90 features, 96-pin connectors |
| Processor-direct slot | One 68040 PDS, 140-pin connector |
| Audio | 8-bit stereo output, 8-bit mono input; Enhanced Apple Sound Chip |
| ADB | Two ports |
| Electrical | 100-240 V AC, 50-60 Hz single phase, 200 W continuous |
| Size and weight | 14.25 × 7.75 × 16 in (360 × 196 × 396 mm); 24 lb (Apple prints 11.3 kg; 24 lb is 10.9 kg) |
| Operating temperature | 10-40 °C (50-104 °F) |
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Case
[edit | edit source]The minitower stands vertically and cannot be used as a monitor stand. It has room for three internal SCSI devices and the floppy drive; one internal device can be full-height, and two front openings take removable-media devices, one of them a 5.25-inch half-height device such as a CD-ROM drive. The programmer's reset and interrupt buttons are on the front of the case.[4]
The cover is held by four captive screws. To remove the logic board, take off the reset/interrupt actuator and the board's screw, slide the board forward until the slot lines up with the tab, lift the latch at the rear and pivot the front of the board out, then disconnect the power, speaker, LED, SCSI, floppy and CD-ROM audio cables. Apple warns that the LED cable must be reconnected for the system to work.[3] A 1993 MacUser review called the board readily accessible because it is held by a few plastic clips; Low End Mac counts the case among Apple's worst to work on.[2]
Logic board and memory
[edit | edit source]The logic board uses three custom ICs (the MEMC memory controller, the IOSB I/O subsystem and buffer, and the Kiwi NuBus controller) with the DFAC sound chip, the SONIC Ethernet controller, the SCC serial controller and a 53C96 SCSI controller. The system bus runs at 33.33 MHz.[4]
RAM is 8 MB on the board plus four 72-pin SIMM slots, for a maximum of 136 MB.[4] The VRAM uses 80 ns devices, and Apple says the video controller is programmed to take advantage of them, giving up to 20 per cent faster video than the Quadra 700.[4]
| Monitor | Resolution | 512 KB VRAM | 1 MB VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-inch colour | 512 × 384 | 16 | 16 |
| 12-inch monochrome | 640 × 480 | 8 | 8 |
| 13-inch colour | 640 × 480 | 8 | 16 |
| 15-inch portrait | 640 × 870 | 4 | 8 |
| 16-inch colour | 832 × 624 | 8 | 16 |
| 19-inch colour | 1024 × 768 | 4 | 8 |
| 21-inch monochrome and colour | 1152 × 870 | 4 | 8 |
| VGA | 640 × 480 | 8 | 16 |
| SVGA | 800 × 600 | 8 | 16 |
Expansion
[edit | edit source]The three NuBus slots occupy slot addresses $C, $D and $E. The processor-direct slot is in line with slot $E, so fitting a PDS card leaves two NuBus slots. The NuBus runs a 20 MHz NuBus '90 clock and supports double-rate block transfers between cards, but not to or from the logic board.[4]
SCSI
[edit | edit source]A single 53C96 drives both the internal and external SCSI bus. The device at the end of the internal cable must carry terminators and no other internal device may; Apple warns that with more than one terminated internal device the computer will malfunction and the logic board may be damaged. When nothing is plugged into the external port, circuitry on the logic board terminates the bus there and switches itself out when it detects an external terminator at reset.[4] An internal CD-300 is set to SCSI ID 3 by jumpers.[3]
Power supply
[edit | edit source]Apple rates the supply at 200 W continuous on a 100-240 V AC input.[3] After the logic board and expansion cards, it leaves 16.0 A at +5 V and 4.3 A at +12 V for internal drives, and each of the three expansion slots is allowed 15 W.[4] The service part is 661-1687, the same as in the Quadra 840AV; Apple Rescue of Denver lists it as 614-0012 and says it was built by several makers, including Delta and Magnetek.[3][5][6]
The machine is switched on from the keyboard's power key. The mechanical switch on the back can be locked on so the computer restarts after a power failure, and the rear AC outlet is switched with the computer.[4]
Model configurations
[edit | edit source]| Order number | VRAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| M1287LL/A | 512 KB | 230 MB hard drive |
| M1288LL/A | 512 KB | 500 MB hard drive |
| M1329LL/A | 1 MB | 230 MB hard drive and 2× CD-ROM |
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]The PRAM battery is a lithium cell. Apple's check is made with the logic board out: replace the cell if it reads below 3.2 V.[3] See Macintosh Quadra 800 General Maintenance, Macintosh Quadra 800 Troubleshooting and Macintosh Quadra 800 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Macintosh Quadra 800/WS 80 Service Source: Apple's service manual (specifications, symptom charts, take-apart, upgrades, battery procedures and exploded view with part numbers).
- Macintosh Centris 610 Centris 650 and Quadra 800 Developer Note: Apple's hardware description (architecture, power budgets, SCSI termination, expansion slots).
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Macintosh Quadra 800 General Maintenance
- Macintosh Quadra 800 Troubleshooting
- Macintosh Quadra 800 Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Macintosh Quadra 700
- Macintosh Quadra 840AV
- Macintosh Quadra 950
- Macintosh Centris 650
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 EveryMac.com, "Macintosh Quadra 800 Specs" (retrieved 2026-09-30). Introduction 9 February 1993, discontinued 14 March 1994; order numbers; model M1206; Gestalt ID 35; price US$4,680-5,100; Quadra 840AV logic board upgrade M1848LL/A.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Low End Mac, "Quadra 800" (retrieved 2026-09-30). Introduced 10 February 1993 at US$4,700; System 7.1 with System Enabler 040 to Mac OS 8.1; interleaved memory; first Macs to ship with a bootable CD-ROM (with the Centris 650); MacUser quotation on the logic board clips.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 800/WS 80 Service Source. Hosted here as Macintosh Quadra 800/WS 80 Service Source (File:Quadra_800.ws_80.pdf). Specifications (PDF pp. 3-13), Troubleshooting (pp. 15-31), Take Apart (pp. 33-56), Upgrades (pp. 58-73), Additional Procedures (pp. 75-79), Exploded View (p. 81).
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Apple Computer, Macintosh Centris 610, Macintosh Centris 650, and Macintosh Quadra 800 Developer Note (1993; 1995 electronic edition). Hosted here as Macintosh Centris 610 Centris 650 and Quadra 800 Developer Note (File:Macintosh Centris 610 Centris 650 and Quadra 800 Developer Note.pdf). Introduction pp. 1-10 (features, Table 1-1, Quadra 800 design p. 7, power pp. 8-9, Table 1-3, Table 1-4); Architecture pp. 16-21 (clocks, custom ICs, SCSI termination, RAM); Expansion Slots pp. 34-35.
- ↑ Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 840AV Service Source. Hosted here as Macintosh Quadra 840AV Service Source (File:Quadra_840av.pdf). Exploded View (PDF p. 86): power supply 661-1687.
- ↑ Apple Rescue of Denver, "Power Macintosh 8100, 8150 - Power Supply" (retrieved 2026-09-30): "200W Power Supply - 661-1687, 661-0232, 614-0012. Several manufacturers including Delta and Magnetek."