Tools

These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.

Troubleshooting

Track down a number of hardware problems using the PowerBook G4 Titanium Mercury troubleshooting guide.

Upgrades

There are a number of components in the PowerBook G4 Titanium Mercury that can be cost effectively upgraded.

  • Memory: The Titanium Mercury shipped with PC100 RAM chips. You can also use PC133 RAM chips, which are backwards compatible with PC100 chips. On the Titanium Mercury, you don't have to remove any screws to upgrade your RAM. We offer different sizes, from 128 MB to 512 MB. For maximum performance, you can use a 512 MB chip in each slot, giving your machine a total of 1 GB RAM. Browse our RAM category or check out our easy PowerBook G4 Titanium Mercury RAM installation instructions.
  • Hard Drive: Your Titanium uses hard drives with an ATA connector, ranging from 2 to 160 GB. If you install a hard drive with a capacity over 128 GB, you will need to partition the drive into at least two partitions so that no single partition exceeds 128 GB. With our tools and instructions, you can install your new hard drive yourself!
  • Optical Drive: Apple shipped Titanium Mercury machines with a DVD drive. This DVD drive is not a standard size drive, so you'll need a special bracket to allow you to mount your new optical drive in your PowerBook . Check out our easy PowerBook G4 Titanium Mercury Optical Drive installation instructions.

Identification and Background

The first generations of the PowerBook G4 featured a PowerPC G4 processor running at either 400 or 500 MHz. They were just 1 inch (25 mm) thick, 0.7 inches (18 mm) thinner than their predecessor, the PowerBook G3. The PowerBook G4 Titanium Mercury also featured a front-mounted slot-loading optical drive.

Use the laptop identification system to help you identify your machine. PowerBooks tend to look very similar, and it's important to know which machine you have before ordering any replacement parts.

Additional Information