Troubleshooting

Track down a number of hardware problems using the PowerBook G4 Aluminum 17" troubleshooting guide

Upgrades

There are a number of components in the PowerBook G4 Aluminum 17" 1-1.67 Ghz that can be cost effectively upgraded.

  • Memory: RAM increases speed and performance of applications. Upgrading RAM is easy and requires minimal disassembly. The Aluminum 17" uses PC2700 RAM. We offer different sizes, from 256 MB to 1 GB.
  • Hard Drive: There are two factors to consider when upgrading your hard drive. The most obvious upgrade is total amount of space. However, disk speed also significantly contributes to performance. Your Aluminum 17" 1-1.67 GHz uses hard drives with an ATA connector, ranging from 2 to 320 GB. Browse our hard drives to find what works best for you. You can use our free guides to painlessly install your new drive.
  • Optical Drive: The optical drive can be upgraded fairly easily, and you can upgrade to an 8x SuperDrive. The SuperDrive will allow you to read CDs/DVDs and burn CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD-R discs.

Identification and Background

Part of the original PowerBook G4 release in September 2003, the PowerBook G4 Aluminum 17" 1-1.67 GHz is the largest of the PowerBook line. Features included a standard SuperDrive, a DVI port, and both FireWire 400 and Firewire 800 ports. The LCD used by the 17" PowerBook G4 Al is the same used as in the 17" iMac of that era, but with a thinner backlight.

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