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Power Macintosh 6100

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Revision as of 18:43, 30 September 2026 by Josh (talk | contribs) (Rewrite on the 6100/WS 6150 SS, Apple spec pages and Apple developer notes: all five models with Apple dates, bus clocks, 601 unified cache (Motorola), Apple service notes; remove duplicated service-data block; Commons photo with credit)
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Power Macintosh 6100
Power Macintosh 6100/60AV. Photo: MIKI Yoshihito, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Specifications
ManufacturerApple Computer, Inc.
TypeDesktop personal computer
ReleasedMarch 14, 1994 (6100/60); January 3, 1995 (6100/66)
DiscontinuedMay 18, 1996 (6100/66 DOS Compatible)
Intro priceUS$1,820 to $2,350 (6100/60, EveryMac)
CPUPowerPC 601 at 60 or 66 MHz; 30 or 33 MHz bus
Memory8 MB on the logic board; two 72-pin SIMM sockets, used in pairs; 72 MB maximum
Storage160 MB to 500 MB SCSI hard drive; optional internal CD-ROM; 1.4 MB floppy (manual insert)
DisplayNone built in; HDI-45 video port (DB-15 adapter supplied)
Sound16-bit stereo input and output
ROM4 MB, on a SIMM
Dimensions85 × 415 × 399 mm (3.4 × 16.3 × 15.6 in)
Weight14 lb (6.4 kg)
OS / FirmwareSystem 7.1.2 (6100/60) or 7.5 (6100/66); supported to Mac OS 9
PredecessorMacintosh Centris 610
SuccessorPower Macintosh 6200
CodenamePDM (Piltdown Man, EveryMac)
Model no.M1596

The Power Macintosh 6100 is a desktop Macintosh with a PowerPC 601 processor in the low-profile case of the Macintosh Centris 610. Apple introduced the 6100/60 and 6100/60AV on March 14, 1994, with the 7100/66 and 8100/80, as its first Power Macintosh computers. The 66 MHz 6100/66, 6100/66AV and 6100/66 DOS Compatible followed on January 3, 1995.[1][2][3][4] The consumer versions were the Performa 6100 series, and the server version was the Workgroup Server 6150.[5]

Models

Power Macintosh 6100 models (Apple)
Model Introduced Discontinued Processor / bus Level-2 cache Hard drive Notes
6100/60 March 14, 1994 January 3, 1995 60 / 30 MHz Optional 256 KB 160 or 250 MB CD-ROM optional
6100/60AV March 14, 1994 September 12, 1994 60 / 30 MHz Optional 256 KB 160 or 250 MB Power Macintosh AV card in the expansion slot; AppleCD 300 Plus
6100/66 January 3, 1995 October 14, 1995 66 / 33 MHz 256 KB 350 or 500 MB AppleCD 300 Plus on some configurations
6100/66AV January 3, 1995 April 3, 1995 66 / 33 MHz 256 KB 350 MB AV card fitted
6100/66 DOS Compatible January 3, 1995 May 18, 1996 66 / 33 MHz 256 KB 350 or 500 MB 486DX2-66 DOS Compatibility card in the expansion slot; see Power Macintosh 6100 DOS Compatible

Dates from Apple's specification pages;[1][6][2][7][3] clocks from Apple's developer notes;[4][8] cache, drives and CD-ROM from the service manual (pp. 25–27).[5] EveryMac gives US prices of $1,820, $2,000 and $2,350 for the three 6100/60 configurations (order number M2197LL/A for the base model) and $1,750, $1,950 and $2,150 for the 6100/66.[9][10]

Hardware

Apple's figures for the Power Macintosh 6100
Item Figure
Processor PowerPC 601 at 60 MHz (bus 30 MHz) or 66 MHz (bus 33 MHz); built-in MMU and FPU; 32 KB on-chip cache
RAM 8 MB soldered to the logic board; two 72-pin SIMM sockets taking a pair of the same size and speed, 80 ns or faster, noncomposite; 72 MB maximum
ROM 4 MB on a SIMM; the ROM and cache SIMM connectors are interchangeable
Level-2 cache 256 KB on a 160-pin cache SIMM; optional on the 6100/60, standard on the 6100/66
Video DRAM-based video on the logic board through one HDI-45 port; no VRAM. An HDI-45 to DB-15 adapter was supplied. The AV card adds 2 MB of VRAM, a DB-15 port and S-video/composite input and output
Storage Internal SCSI hard drive; optional internal CD-ROM; 1.4 MB SuperDrive, manual insert
Ports Two serial (RS-232/RS-422, LocalTalk/GeoPort, mini DIN-9, accept mini DIN-8 plugs); one ADB (500 mA maximum, three devices); one SCSI (DB-25, six external devices, five with an internal CD-ROM); AAUI-15 Ethernet; stereo sound in and out
Expansion One slot taking a processor-direct card, or a 7-inch NuBus card with an adapter; filled by the AV card on AV models
Sound 16-bit stereo in and out; 48, 44.1, 24 and 22.05 kHz; line level 1 V peak to peak; 82 dB signal-to-noise; THD+N under 0.05 %
Electrical 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, automatically configured; 132 W continuous and 201 W peak input, excluding the monitor; 86 W continuous DC output
Clock battery Long-life lithium battery in a holder on the logic board; replace below 3.2 V

Sources: service manual pp. 23–37, 69 and 103;[5] bus clocks from Apple's developer notes.[4][8] Apple's specification pages give the battery as 3.6 V lithium.[1]

The 601's 32 KB first-level cache is eight-way set-associative and unified: instructions and data share it.[11] Video uses part of main memory: EveryMac puts it at 640 KB.[9] Apple lists the displays the HDI-45 port drives with the adapter, from the 12-inch RGB (512 × 384) to the 16-inch Color Display (832 × 624) and the 15-inch Portrait (640 × 870) (p. 33).[5]

Service notes

Apple's troubleshooting tips and symptom charts for the 6100 include several that catch people out:[5]

  • If the machine will not power up, reset the logic board before replacing anything: unplug it, take out the battery, press the power button, disconnect the power supply cable from the logic board for 5 to 10 minutes, then refit everything (pp. 6, 107–111).
  • Bad SIMMs do not produce the death chimes of earlier Macintosh models. A dialog box reports the bad SIMM instead (p. 7).
  • SIMMs must be noncomposite and fitted in like pairs. Mismatched pairs make About This Macintosh report more or less memory than is installed (pp. 6, 53).
  • The internal hard drive must be terminated and an internal CD-ROM must not be (p. 50).
  • A sticking power button is realigned, or the hole round it enlarged by 1/16 inch, before the bottom housing is replaced (p. 53).
  • A Multiple Scan monitor on a 6100/60AV that shows ghosting or smearing needs a new AV card (p. 44).
  • The jumper at J10 on the DOS Compatibility card is mismarked; it must be in the "SX" position, over the two right-most prongs (pp. 54, 134).

Leakage from the lithium clock battery is acidic; neutralise it with bicarbonate of soda. See Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage.

Maintenance and repair

Service documentation

Apple's Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 Service Source (160 pages) covers the 6100/60, 6100/60AV, 6100/66, 6100/66AV, 6100 DOS Compatible and Workgroup Server 6150. It includes the HDI-45 pinout (pp. 9–14), symptom charts, take-apart procedures and an exploded view with part numbers, and has no schematics.[5]

Apple's developer notes describe the hardware for card and software designers: one for the 6100/60 (1994) and a supplement for the 6100/66, 7100/80 and 8100/100 (1994).[4][8] The Performa 6100 series has its own Service Source, File:Performa 6100 series.pdf.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Apple, "Power Macintosh 6100/60: Technical Specifications".
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple, "Power Macintosh 6100/66: Technical Specifications".
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Apple, "Power Macintosh 6100/66 DOS Compatible: Technical Specifications".
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Apple Computer, Developer Note: Power Macintosh Computers (1994), covering the 6100/60, 7100/66 and 8100/80; Table 2-2, printed p. 19. Hosted as File:Power Macintosh Computers Developer Note (1994).pdf.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Apple Computer, Service Source: Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 (1996), File:Powermac 6100 series.pdf; see Power Macintosh 6100/ WS 6150 Service Source. Page numbers are PDF pages.
  6. ↑ Apple, "Power Macintosh 6100/60AV: Technical Specifications".
  7. ↑ Apple, "Power Macintosh 6100/66AV: Technical Specifications".
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Apple Computer, Developer Note: Enhanced Power Macintosh Computers (1994), covering the 6100/66, 7100/80 and 8100/100; Table 1-2, printed p. 3. Hosted as File:Enhanced Power Macintosh Computers Developer Note (1994).pdf.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 EveryMac, "Power Macintosh 6100/60 Specs".
  10. ↑ EveryMac, "Power Macintosh 6100/66 Specs".
  11. ↑ Motorola, PowerPC 601 RISC Microprocessor User's Manual (1994), section 1.1, p. 1-1, bitsavers.org.
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