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New PowerMac G5 Tomorrow (for me :D)

zmttoxics

zmttoxics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2008
1,020
1
Well, after weeks of thinking, and arguing, and deciding on getting a single cpu Mac Pro I changed my mind 100% yesterday.


I ran into an ad for a PowerMac G5, 2.0 ghrz, 2.5 gigs of ram, dvd burner, 160 gig harddrive, and 2 video cards for 1200 bucks. I sent an offer for 500 as a joke, and he countered with 800. We decided on 700 bucks. So, 700 bucks for a workstation 4 times the speed of what its replacing (my dead linux box, single cpu 64bit sempron 1.6 ghrz) and 2300 bucks cheaper then the Mac Pro I was looking at (upgraded ram + video + taxes). Not to mention a new low end Mini is around the same price an I would definitely take the PowerMac over a Mini.

So, I am headed over to the sellers place of business tomorrow to inspect and purchase the machine. I'll be getting new hard drives for it in the weeks to come (dual 750s anyone?).
 
zmttoxics

zmttoxics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2008
1,020
1
nick9191 said:
Keep in mind Snow Leopard will be Intel only.
Click to expand...

Ya. Not to mention the machine wont do virtualization, but I have come to terms with that too.

I'm prepared to run Leopard into the ground on it, and if it becomes and issue - the box gets to run PPC Linux. :D
 
MacsRgr8

MacsRgr8

macrumors G3
Sep 8, 2002
8,284
1,753
The Netherlands
If you like Leopard, and have no need for Windows, then a Dual (Core) G5 still is an amazing machine.
On a G5 you can still run Office 2004 at native speed, use Route 66, and open the side to look at the most beautiful computer interior EVER made. ;)
 
Silencio

Silencio

macrumors 68040
Jul 18, 2002
3,456
1,563
NYC
I am in the middle of upgrading my own dual 2.0GHz G5 tower to a single-quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro. Just one day in, I have to say the Mac Pro kills my poor old G5 in every way and does it way quieter and cooler.

I found a buyer for my G5 already; he's paying me more but he's getting some upgrades like 4GB RAM and a 500GB drive. Still a powerful machine relative to its value.
 
I

Industries

macrumors newbie
Jun 12, 2008
16
0
North Carolina
Congratulations.

I'm quite happy with my Mac mini, although I miss Linux. I'd still take a machine like yours over mine ($599 Mac mini -- latest) any day, though.
 
slughead

slughead

macrumors 68040
Apr 28, 2004
3,107
237
They mentioned already that 10.6 wont support the G5.

That said, it's still an amazing price, and certainly better than a Mac Mini as far as speed.
 
xraydoc

xraydoc

Contributor
Oct 9, 2005
10,772
5,228
192.168.1.1
Good machine and a great deal. And if I were in the market for a $700 machine, I'd do the same thing. Way, way better graphics potential than the Mac mini (GeForce 6800, Radeon X850XT, etc. vs GMA950. And someone on eBay sells flashed GeForce 7800GS and GT cards that should be very fast, too), way faster hard drives (think 10K RPM Raptors), way higher RAM capability (8GB vs. 3GB). And there are some internal drive brackets to add an additional 3 or 4 internal HDs to the two regular drive bays.

And while reports say 10.6 wont run on PPC machines, you've got at least a full year before that happens.

And Virtual PC 7 can be made to work on Leopard, by the way. VPC7 wont see the optical drive running under Leopard, but you can work around it by mounting a disc image on the HD.

I had a dual processor 2.0GHz G5 (the original model with the PCI-X slots). Loved that machine. Unfortunately, it wasn't mine to keep, so when I left my old job I had to give it back. Bought a dual 2.5GHz machine to replace it, which I still hate to this day. The dual 2.0 was silent. The 2.5 sounds like a damn 777 jumbo jet.
 
chrono1081

chrono1081

macrumors G3
Jan 26, 2008
8,453
4,156
Isla Nublar
Dual 750s is a great option. When I buy drives I always buy in sets of 750s. Cheaper then TBs. I usually find them around the $120 hiding on newegg.
 
ascender

ascender

macrumors 601
Dec 8, 2005
4,953
2,838
Funnily enough I've just done the same thing. I've been looking for a server for a while now and had initially plumped for a Quicksilver, but by the time I added on a SATA controller, I wasn't far off what I could get a G5 for. I had also considered the NAS route, but again, by the time you get one of the better-specced boxes and drives, you're not far off the price of a machine which obviously gives you more flexibility and expansion possibilities.

Ended up with a dual 1.8 G5 box. Have just installed a pair of 1TB drives in a mirrored config and Leopard is going on there now. Can't believe how well thought-out the insides are, its so easy to swap-out components, install new ones etc. Love how they even have the spare HDD mounting screws in there too.

Delighted with it to be honest, just need to get a bit more RAM now.
 
zmttoxics

zmttoxics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2008
1,020
1
ascender said:
Funnily enough I've just done the same thing. I've been looking for a server for a while now and had initially plumped for a Quicksilver, but by the time I added on a SATA controller, I wasn't far off what I could get a G5 for. I had also considered the NAS route, but again, by the time you get one of the better-specced boxes and drives, you're not far off the price of a machine which obviously gives you more flexibility and expansion possibilities.

Ended up with a dual 1.8 G5 box. Have just installed a pair of 1TB drives in a mirrored config and Leopard is going on there now. Can't believe how well thought-out the insides are, its so easy to swap-out components, install new ones etc. Love how they even have the spare HDD mounting screws in there too.

Delighted with it to be honest, just need to get a bit more RAM now.
Click to expand...

That sounds awesome! Great minds think a like. I also just saw that Terrasoft (the makers of Yellow Dog Linux (the mac / ps3 / ppc distro)) just came out with a new workstation G5 based! I am going to make a post about it. But it means they are still making the cpus we need and thats awesome.

I am going to look at it / buy it today, fingers crossed its the ddr2 model! :D
 
zmttoxics

zmttoxics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2008
1,020
1
I got it!!

The best part? It's the last model they made! The single cpu dual core chip, 2.5 gigs DDR2 ram, 4 PCIE slots. Oh man, I can't believe I got it for 700 bucks.

The question is, does it take the same PCIE cards that the last gen Mac Pros do? What are the graphics options for that system? Should I start a new thread? It came with a 6600 LE which I am ok with, I just want to know.

Thanks everyone! :D
 
L

LaDirection

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2006
288
0
zmttoxics said:
Ya. Not to mention the machine wont do virtualization, but I have come to terms with that too.

I'm prepared to run Leopard into the ground on it, and if it becomes and issue - the box gets to run PPC Linux. :D
Click to expand...

Run Tiger.

Your machine sells for around $800 on eBay, so good buy.
 
L

LaDirection

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2006
288
0
zmttoxics said:
I got it!!

The best part? It's the last model they made! The single cpu dual core chip, 2.5 gigs DDR2 ram, 4 PCIE slots. Oh man, I can't believe I got it for 700 bucks.

The question is, does it take the same PCIE cards that the last gen Mac Pros do? What are the graphics options for that system? Should I start a new thread? It came with a 6600 LE which I am ok with, I just want to know.

Thanks everyone! :D
Click to expand...

No it doesn't.

Your best option is the ati X1900 G5 Edition. You can frequently find these on eBay. I sold 2 new ones myself there for $99 each.
 
F

Firefly2002

macrumors 65816
Jan 9, 2008
1,220
0
zmttoxics said:
I got it!!

The best part? It's the last model they made! The single cpu dual core chip, 2.5 gigs DDR2 ram, 4 PCIE slots. Oh man, I can't believe I got it for 700 bucks.

The question is, does it take the same PCIE cards that the last gen Mac Pros do? What are the graphics options for that system? Should I start a new thread? It came with a 6600 LE which I am ok with, I just want to know.

Thanks everyone! :D
Click to expand...

Hm... you might want to think about replacing the liquid cooling mechanism they have in there... apparently they break after 2-3 years of use and can hose your entire system. If you replace it every couple years it should be fine, I hear.

I wouldn't really know how to go about doing it, but I think you could probably ask around. Just something to think about.
 
zmttoxics

zmttoxics

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2008
1,020
1
Firefly2002 said:
Hm... you might want to think about replacing the liquid cooling mechanism they have in there... apparently they break after 2-3 years of use and can hose your entire system. If you replace it every couple years it should be fine, I hear.

I wouldn't really know how to go about doing it, but I think you could probably ask around. Just something to think about.
Click to expand...

There isnt one on the 2 ghrz ones. Liquid cooling was on the higher dual processor models. This is a single processor dual core G5. Really, I think the best g5 to have.
 
slughead

slughead

macrumors 68040
Apr 28, 2004
3,107
237
get applecare, btw.

If the machine blows up, they'll replace it with a mac pro.
 
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