imac powerpc G5 problem

[Chansenj]

Does anybody know what's going on here? This is the G5 model just before the one with the built-in camera, it's probably about 5 and a half years old now.

This is if I'm lucky and am able to boot it up in safe mode. Also I can only see this if I'm putting it through my LCD tv....meaning I can't see anything on my monitor at all! I've opened up the back and all the capacitors are fine. The bootup chimes chime but then it comes up with this. If I don't use safe mode it comes up with a purple screen. I've also done the hardware / system checks with the LEDs in the back and the three that should light up, light up! I am totally confused!

I want to just buy a new one, but my wife is insisting I find out whether we can get this one fixed first....

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DSPalpatine]

Just to clarify- it boots fine, but then the display on the iMac itself isn't working and when you try to drive an external monitor, you get this on your external display, correct?

My vote is a failing/failed video card. The video card is soldered onto the logic board, so replacement isn't really an option. You could -try- blowing dust out of it if it's clogged, but otherwise, not too much else you can really do.

You could try to run the diagnostics disc that came with the computer to see if perhaps you can isolate a bad component, but your problems seem display-oriented.

Blown caps usually results in booting issues. Since your machine boots fine, but then has a messed up display, and given that you've done a visual inspection, you could probably rule out that as a problem.

I think you can safely tell your wife that this iMac is destined for the great recycling bin in the sky (or at your local electronics retailer).

 

[Chansenj]

Just to clarify- it boots fine, but then the display on the iMac itself isn't working and when you try to drive an external monitor, you get this on your external display, correct?

My vote is a failing/failed video card. The video card is soldered onto the logic board, so replacement isn't really an option. You could -try- blowing dust out of it if it's clogged, but otherwise, not too much else you can really do.

You could try to run the diagnostics disc that came with the computer to see if perhaps you can isolate a bad component, but your problems seem display-oriented.

Blown caps usually results in booting issues. Since your machine boots fine, but then has a messed up display, and given that you've done a visual inspection, you could probably rule out that as a problem.

I think you can safely tell your wife that this iMac is destined for the great recycling bin in the sky (or at your local electronics retailer).

Thanks for the reply.
It boots only in safe mode, and actually I've noticed when I look really hard at the computer display I can faintly make out, although very dimmly, what is being displayed on the TV.

I think it's time for a new one anyway since apple stopped supporting OSX tiger for PowerPCs a while ago! I can't even get itunes 10!

 

[walterwhite]

Bad Video Card... Get your data off of it and get a new or different Mac that works... This one will be expensive to fix

 

[MacHamster68]

+1 on the GPU
there are still parts inside that can be made into cash , not much but ..every little helps , the optical drive, the speakers , the hdd(if you dont want to keep it ) the powersupply,even the ambient light sensor , the case if its in good nick ( the single parts bring likely more then the whole lot ), should bring you half way towards a PowerMac G5 dual processor model which at least runs leopard just fine and itunes 10 runs under leopard

 

[rtrt]

how good are you at diy on computers......

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=11926466#post11926466

 

[Chansenj]

Thanks for the link, but I'm probably about as good at comp DIY as I am at walking on water!

Thanks to everyone for your advice! We've decided to buy a new iMac. I live in Japan, so the prices are pretty damn reasonable.