Power Macintosh · The Beige Era · 1997
Power Macintosh G3 (Beige)
The last of the beige boxes, but a serious performer. The G3 with its fast backside cache trounced far pricier rivals and helped fund Apple’s recovery.
First Mac with the efficient G3 (PowerPC 750) and a backside cache.
Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One (1998)
Power Macintosh G3 (Beige): key facts
When was the Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) released?
The Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) arrived on November 10, 1997. Apple discontinued it in January 1999.
How much did the Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) cost?
The Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) launched at $2,000 in 1997, about $3,980 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: PowerPC G3 (750) at 233 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 3.9 GB storage, External display.
Why does the Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) matter?
First Mac with the efficient G3 (PowerPC 750) and a backside cache.
Full specifications
| CPU | PowerPC G3 (750) · 233 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 32 MB (up to 768 MB) |
| Storage | 3.9 GB |
| Display | External |
| GPU | ATI 3D Rage |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial, PCI |
| Weight | 11 kg |
| Dimensions | Desktop or mini-tower |
| Operating system | Mac OS 8.0 |
| Released | November 10, 1997 |
| Discontinued | January 1999 |
| Launch price | $2,000 |
How the Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 512× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 233 MHz, the clock is roughly 14× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 1,000 modern phone photos, a respectable library even today.
Launched at $2,000 in 1997, about $3,980 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
Steve Jobs loved demoing it crushing Pentium IIs in Photoshop benchmarks.
Related Power Macintosh models
Open the Power Macintosh G3 (Beige) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11