Apple Macintosh Quadra 900 vs Apple Macintosh Quadra 700
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacintosh Quadra 900 | AppleMacintosh Quadra 700 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 1991 | October 1991 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 68040 25 MHz (Macintosh Quadra 900) | 68040 25 MHz (Quadra 700) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Memory | 4 MB | 4 MB |
| Storage | 160 MB to 400 MB | 80 MB to 400 MB |
| CPU | 25 MHz Motorola 68040 with integrated memory-management and floating-point units and 8 KB on-chip cache; no standard L2 cache | 25 MHz Motorola 68040 with integrated paged memory management and floating-point units plus 8 KB on-chip cache; no standard L2 cache |
| GPU | Built-in video with 1 MB VRAM, expandable to 2 MB; Apple lists 8-bit colour at 640 × 480, 832 × 624 and 1152 × 870 with standard VRAM, and 24-bit at 640 × 480 and 832 × 624 with 2 MB | Built-in video with 512 KB dedicated VRAM, expandable to 1 or 2 MB; 8-bit colour at 640 × 480 or 832 × 624 with the standard VRAM, and 24-bit at those resolutions with 2 MB |
| Memory type | Sixteen 30-pin 80 ns SIMM slots in banks of four, with 4 MB standard. Apple's October 1991 catalogue supported 64 MB using 4 MB SIMMs; its later support sheet lists a 256 MB technical maximum using larger modules but notes 8 MB and 16 MB SIMMs are not supported by Apple. Original UK maker brochure explicitly advertises 256 MB using 16 MB SIMMs; that original maker qualification differs from the later support sheet's unsupported-module note. | 4 MB soldered RAM and four 30-pin SIMM sockets; 80 ns or faster SIMMs installed in matching groups of four. Exact original UK brochure supports 20 MB using four 4 MB SIMMs or 68 MB using four 16 MB SIMMs. Current Apple support and the shared Service Source list the older 20 MB limit; their shorter supported-SIMM table does not describe the UK brochure's 16 MB modules. 1 MB ROM. |
| Storage type | Internal 1.44 MB SuperDrive and optional 160 MB SCSI hard drive at launch; Apple listed a 400 MB version for January 1992. The case supports three further internal SCSI devices, including a removable-media device. | Internal 1.44 MB SuperDrive and optional 80, 160 or 400 MB SCSI hard drives; Apple's October 1991 catalogue pairs each drive with 4 MB RAM and dates the 400 MB variant to January 1992 |
| Expansion slots | Five NuBus '90 slots and one processor-direct slot | Two NuBus '90 slots and one processor-direct slot; the PDS shares physical space with one NuBus slot |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | None built in |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Back ports | Apple Desktop Bus, DB-15 video, DB-25 SCSI, two serial ports, AAUI Ethernet, mono sound input and stereo sound output | Two Apple Desktop Bus ports, DB-15 video, DB-25 SCSI, two serial ports, AAUI Ethernet, mono sound input and stereo sound output |
| External displays | Built-in video supports Apple's monitor range, with colour depth depending on VRAM and resolution; Apple's launch catalogue also names VGA, NTSC and PAL monitor support | Apple's built-in video supports its monitor range; output colour depth depends on VRAM and display resolution |
| Speakers | Internal speaker, mono audio input and stereo sound output; Apple supplied a microphone | Internal speaker, mono audio input and stereo 8-bit sound output; Apple supplied a microphone |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Tower | Tower |
| Weight | 16.7 kg | 6.2 kg (better) |
| Width × depth × height | 226 × 523 × 473 mm | 140 × 366 × 302 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Apple's 18.6 × 8.9 × 20.6 inch dimensions and 36.8 lb weight for the floppy-only model; metric fields are rounded conversions | Apple's 5.5 × 11.9 × 14.4 inch and 13.6 lb dimensions; metric fields reflect the upright orientation and rounded conversions. Apple states the weight for the floppy-only model |
| Power supply | Maximum 303 W, 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; 3.6 V lithium clock battery and keyboard soft power | Original UK brochure and current support give 50 W maximum excluding the external monitor, 100–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz. Shared Service Source gives 130 W maximum excluding the monitor and 90 W continuous; Apple Direct calls the power supply 90 W. These are conflicting or differently qualified ratings; no single universal consumption figure is assigned. A 3.6 V lithium clock battery is listed by current support. |
| In the box | Original System Software 7.0.1, microphone and ADB mouse; Apple's October 1991 catalogue says the keyboard was sold separately | Original System Software 7.0.1, microphone and ADB mouse; Apple's October 1991 catalogue says the keyboard was sold separately. Apple dates introduction to 21 October 1991 |
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