Breathe New Life Into an Old iMac G4 with an Intel NUC

The iMac G4 was an effective system back when it was released in 2002, which packed a PowerPC G4 processor (up to 1.25GHz), up to 256Mb of SDRAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra video card. It came with several different monitor sizes, with 20 inches being the highest and had a host of different ports, including three USB 1.1, two Firewire, 54 Mbits/s AirPort, 802.11b Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a 56K V.92 phone jack. Fast forward to today, and even the lowest spec smartphone has higher processing power than the old iMac G4's.

That said, the G4 still has a compelling looking domed case that could be repurposed to create a modern setup, which is what software engineer Tom Hightower did with his iHack G4. His build began with a complete teardown and noted some interesting design elements along the way, like the G4’s circular motherboard and a full-length 135mm DIMM slot with an additional 70mm slot being the only one accessible.

After taking a Dremel to some of the G4’s internals, Hightower had more than enough space to add an Intel NUC (NUC7i7DNKE, an 80mm Noctua NF-B9 case fan and custom PWM controller. He also replaced the old ports with new hardware, including USB 3.0, and more. He swapped out the old monitor with a new version, packed in power packs for the NUC and display, and added a Wi-Fi dongle.

With everything in place and ready to go, Hightower was able to install the latest version of Mojave. He uploaded a complete walkthrough of the iHack G4 on his project page for those who would like to make their own. Are hackintosh systems worth the trouble though?