Hi,

Just to clarify a few points:

> design (because of the Inline Cache System those cards use) and will not work 
> in 'older' 8600/9600's, and vice versa. take care of this.

Mach 5 motherboard WILL in fact take older processor cards, but older 
motherboards won't take Mach 5 CPU cards.

>>   If so, does that mean that one
>> could stick a 9600 dual processor board in say a 7300?  Or would it
>> fit but then just smoke the power supply.

The extra power required is not an issue - Apple power supplies are more 
than enough for adding things.

Regarding other CPU cards, you can get a new Sonnet 500 MHz G3 card with 1 
meg of 250 MHz L2 cache for around $160 USD. A Sonnet 700 MHz G4 with 256k 
of CPU speed L2 and 1 meg of 200 MHz L3 is about $250 USD.

Apple sold Mach 5 CPUs up to 400 MHz, but only sold 350 MHz CPU cards 
commonly. Years ago I saw a few 400 MHz 9600s at a school, but they might 
have just been overclocked 350 MHz cards. My colocated 9600 is a 350 MHz 
604ev overclocked to 400 MHz.

Considering that I take care of a post production house that has a dozen 
350 MHz or faster 9600 in constant use (Avid ABVBs), I'd have to say that 
the 500 MHz G3 is the best bang for the money accelerator.

John Klos