Restoring Apple’s Final iMac G3: The Snow Edition Deep Dive

Описание: In this episode of CircuitSphere, we dive into one of Apple’s most underrated and rare vintage Macs — the iMac G3/500 Snow from 2001. This was the final version of the original iMac design before Apple transitioned to the flat-panel iMac G4.

We’ll take you through a full teardown and rebuild using parts from two different machines, restoring this classic to its former glory. Watch as we upgrade the CPU, max out the RAM, replace the failing optical drive, and install a modern SSD for a major performance boost.

Using SphereScale v2 benchmarks (Geekbench, Xbench, and Cinebench 2003), we evaluate how much of a difference these upgrades really make. You’ll see before-and-after scores and how this machine stacks up to other PowerPC Macs from the era.

Plus, I fire up Oregon Trail II and Civilization II, putting this G3 to the test with some nostalgic Mac gaming. Spoiler: there’s chaos, wagon theft, barbarian uprisings, and some hilariously poor strategy choices.

Whether you’re a vintage Mac collector, a retro gaming enthusiast, or just here for the teardown ASMR — this video has something for you.

Products featured in this video:
-DVD Drive Replacement Rubber Bands: https://amzn.to/3SzzjDd
-IDE to Sata Adapter: https://amzn.to/3TawgkW
-120GB SSD 3-Pack: https://amzn.to/3HqlN2k

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• Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD: https://amzn.to/4ecuFUV
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Index
00:00 - Introduction & Overview
00:37 - What to Expect in the Episode
01:18 - History of the iMac G3
01:50 - Evolution and Color Variants
02:23 - The Snow Model Specs
02:57 - The End of the G3 Line
03:28 - Transition to the iMac G4
04:00 - Teardown Begins
04:40 - Disassembly Steps
05:30 - Logic Board Removal
06:07 - Front Bezel and Housing
07:11 - DVD Drive Repair
08:23 - Logic Board Swap and SSD Install
09:25 - Reassembly and Upgrades
09:55 - SphereScale Performance Benchmarks
11:43 - Graphics & Cinebench Results
12:18 - What the Numbers Mean
13:25 - Comparing to Other Macs
15:26 - Context and Design Reflection
16:00 - Submitting to SphereScale
16:33 - Retro SphereScore Breakdown
18:14 - Final Score & Evaluation
18:46 - Oregon Trail II Gameplay
25:30 - Civilization II Gameplay
28:52 - Final Gaming Reflections
29:24 - Final Thoughts & Conclusion
30:31 - Outro

Keywords
iMac G3 Snow teardown benchmark restoration Oregon Trail Civilization II

Hashtags
#imacg3 #imac #RetroMac #MacRestoration #applehistory #oregontrail #macgaming #vintagecomputing