Macintosh Quadra 700
The Macintosh Quadra 700 is a Macintosh introduced by Apple on October 21, 1991, together with the Macintosh Quadra 900, as the first machines in the Quadra line, and discontinued on March 15, 1993.[1][2] It uses the Macintosh IIcx/Macintosh IIci case stood on its side, and Apple services all three machines from one manual.[3][1]
 | |
| Macintosh Quadra 700 (photo: All About Apple museum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Desktop personal computer (vertical case) |
| Released | October 21, 1991 |
| Discontinued | March 15, 1993 |
| Intro price | US$5,700 |
| CPU | Motorola 68040 at 25 MHz, with FPU |
| Memory | 4 MB on the logic board, four 30-pin SIMM sockets (groups of four); Apple: 20 MB maximum |
| Storage | 80, 160 or 400 MB SCSI hard disk; 1.4 MB SuperDrive |
| Display | Built-in video, 512 KB VRAM expandable to 2 MB |
| Sound | Apple Sound Chip, 8-bit stereo at 44.1 kHz; mono input |
| ROM | 1 MB, with a ROM SIMM socket |
| Connectivity | Built-in Ethernet (AAUI-15) |
| Expansion | Two NuBus slots, one processor-direct slot |
| Power | 130 W peak, 90 W continuous (Service Source) |
| Dimensions | 14.0 × 30.2 × 36.5 cm (5.5 × 11.9 × 14.4 in) |
| Weight | 6.4 kg (14 lb) with hard disk |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.0.1 to Mac OS 8.1 |
| Predecessor | Macintosh IIci |
| Successor | Macintosh Quadra 800, Macintosh Centris 650 |
| Model no. | M5920 |
Identification
edit| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Model number | M5920[4] |
| Order numbers | M5921LL/A (floppy only), M5922LL/A (80 MB hard disk), M5923LL/A (160 MB)[4] |
| Gestalt ID | 22[1] |
| ROM | 1 MB soldered, ID $067C, with a ROM SIMM socket[1][3] |
| Original system software | System 7.0.1[1] |
Processor and memory
edit- Processor: Motorola 68040 at 25 MHz with the floating-point unit built in; Apple's specification page adds the integrated PMMU and 8 KB of L1 cache.[3][1]
- RAM: 4 MB on the logic board and four 30-pin SIMM sockets filled in groups of four with 80 ns SIMMs. Apple gives 8 MB with 1 MB SIMMs or 20 MB with third-party 4 MB SIMMs.[3][1] EveryMac gives 68 MB with four 16 MB SIMMs.[4]
- Apple's Quadra 700 upgrade procedure warns that 120 ns SIMMs from an older board will not work: use 80 ns SIMMs.[3]
Video
editThe built-in video has 512 KB of VRAM on the board and six VRAM SIMM sockets. Two 256K SIMMs give 1 MB and six give 2 MB; 512K VRAM SIMMs fit but only 256K of each is used.[1] Apple's symptom charts list the VRAM SIMMs as a cure for a dark screen on the Quadra 700.[3]
| Resolution | 512 KB | 1 MB | 2 MB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 512 × 384 | 8 | 24 | 24 |
| 640 × 480 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| 832 × 624 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| 1152 × 870 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
Source: Apple.[1] The Service Source's video entry, shared with the IIci, gives only 640 × 480 at up to 8 bits per pixel and 640 × 870 at up to 16 shades of grey.[3]
Sound, storage and ports
edit- Sound: the Apple Sound Chip gives 8-bit stereo sampling at 44.1 kHz and four-voice wavetable synthesis, and drives stereo headphones or other stereo equipment from the sound jack.[3]
- Storage: 1.4 MB SuperDrive; internal SCSI hard disk of 80, 160 or 400 MB.[3]
- Ports: two ADB, two serial, SCSI (DB-25), video (DB-15), sound in and out, and built-in Ethernet.[1] Apple's technical specifications give the Ethernet connector as AAUI-15, Apple's own transceiver interface; the Service Source calls it "AUI-15". Ars Technica notes that the Quadra series was Apple's first with an Ethernet port and that an external transceiver is needed to connect it to 10BASE-T.[1][3][2]
- Expansion: two NuBus slots and one processor-direct slot.[3]
Upgrades
editThe Service Source documents two logic board upgrades in this case: the Macintosh IIci Upgrade (for a IIcx) and the Quadra 700 Upgrade, whose kit contains a Quadra 700 logic board, a new bottom case and a new hard drive power cable. It also covers the Power Macintosh Upgrade Card.[3]
Power supply
editThe Service Source gives 100-240 V AC automatically configured, 50-60 Hz single phase, and a maximum of 130 W with 90 W continuous, not including monitor power; the IIcx and IIci are rated 90 W.[3] Apple's online technical specifications list "Max Watts: 50" and 1.9 A for the Quadra 700 without saying what the figure covers.[1]
Capacitors
editArs Technica reports that the Quadra 700 is one of the few vintage Apple computers with tantalum capacitors on the logic board; most Apple boards of the period used aluminium electrolytics.[2] The power supply is a separate unit; see Macintosh Quadra 700 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
PRAM battery
editApple's check is to replace the PRAM battery below 2.8 V.[3] Apple gives the type as 3.6 V lithium.[1] Lithium leakage is neutralised with bicarbonate of soda, not vinegar.
Service documentation
editThe Service Source has no Adjustments chapter and gives no rail tolerances.
General maintenance, capacitors and troubleshooting
editRelated pages
editReferences
edit- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Macintosh Quadra 700: Technical Specifications, Apple—link(accessed 2026-09-30)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Working from home at 25MHz: You could do worse than a Quadra 700, Ars Technica, 2020-12-11—link(accessed 2026-09-30)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 Apple Computer, Macintosh IIcx/IIci/ Quadra 700 Service Source, hosted as File:Quadra_700.mac_iicx.iici.pdf (see Macintosh IIcx/IIci/ Quadra 700 Service Source). Specifications pp. 1-11; Troubleshooting, Video charts pp. 4-6; Upgrades, Macintosh IIci Upgrade pp. 1-5, Quadra 700 Upgrade pp. 6-10, Power Macintosh Upgrade Card p. 13; Additional Procedures, Battery Verification.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Macintosh Quadra 700 Specs, EveryMac.com—link(accessed 2026-09-30)