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thewireman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
194
0
Michigan
Just wondering how many of you out there still uses Powermac G5s..

Is there some kind of website where I can find nice add ons? Like bluetooth and stuff like that? PCI cards?

What the hottest add on for them?

Thanks!

Mike
 

gr8tfly

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2006
5,333
99
~119W 34N
G5? I'm still running a G3 Jaguar system as my mail/web server and router! LOL It's been going 24/7 for 6+ years. My upgrade for it is a 933MHz G4 with Leopard Server, but it's still sitting idle waiting for me to get motivated to make the switch :)

Anyway, about the only extra I purchased for the B&W G3 was a 2nd ethernet card. The "new" G4 (QuickSilver) has a 2nd ethernet card (natively supported) and a USB 2.0 card. If I remember correctly, I got them from NewEgg.

(Our personal machines are a MBA, a 17" ubMBP, and a couple of iPhones, so it might seem odd we have such old machines as our server. But, they are plenty powerful enough to run headless, and handle the few users I have.)
 

thewireman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
194
0
Michigan
Wow, Nice... Yeah I just bought the powermac on craigslist for $200 bucks ( I thought it was a good deal?) and just like to get some cool stuff for it so.
 

Macdctr

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2009
969
664
Ocean State
Wow, Nice... Yeah I just bought the powermac on craigslist for $200 bucks ( I thought it was a good deal?) and just like to get some cool stuff for it so.

That's a great price:) I thought I got mine for a good price but you got me beat :D

I still use my PowerMac G5 but is mainly serves as my data backup for all of my laptop computers. It's regulated to spare bedroom computer so when I have guests they have a computer to check their email and such...

Seeing how PMG5 has PCI-X unless you are one of the lucky ones who has the newer G5's with PCI-express then you are limited with what you can do...
 

thewireman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
194
0
Michigan
That's a great price:) I thought I got mine for a good price but you got me beat :D

I still use my PowerMac G5 but is mainly serves as my data backup for all of my laptop computers. It's regulated to spare bedroom computer so when I have guests they have a computer to check their email and such...

Seeing how PMG5 has PCI-X unless you are one of the lucky ones who has the newer G5's with PCI-express then you are limited with what you can do...

I believe its PCI-X... But how can you find out what year is it?
 

thewireman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
194
0
Michigan
If that's the one in your sig, that is an absolutely amazing deal. :eek:

Yes, it is. The original owner was filthy rich so she must've didn't care how much she gets or just plain don't know much about it? She, of course, bought a new 27" iMac.
 

Macdctr

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2009
969
664
Ocean State
I believe its PCI-X... But how can you find out what year is it?

You can go here to check...

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/index-powermac-g5.html

Possibly PCI-X which means that it's just like mine...:D Depends on the year your Powermac was made.....anything past JUN2004, my guess is that you might have a PCI-express. If this is the case then you have more upgrade options than me. Manufacturing date will be 2005 or later if it has PCI-express.
 

thewireman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
194
0
Michigan
You can go here to check...

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/index-powermac-g5.html

Possibly PCI-X which means that it's just like mine...:D Depends on the year your Powermac was made.....anything past JUN2004, my guess is that you might have a PCI-express. If this is the case then you have more upgrade options than me. Manufacturing date will be 2005 or later if it has PCI-express.

Yes, its PCI-X. Oh well. Where can I find a bluetooth kit for powermac? Or is it cheaper to get the USB bluetooth? I like to get the Magic Mouse.
 

DavieBoy

macrumors 6502
Jan 8, 2009
421
1
New Jersey
Wait, I thought PCI-X was PCI Express. What is the difference?

I have a Dual 2.0 G5 that I have running Leopard server mainly for file storage. I went and bought a usb 2.0 PCI card and it would not fit. I was going to go and buy a PCI Express card in the morning, now you mean to tell me that won't work?

Got mine for 250 with a 20" ACD. They were a little scratched up though. I up'd the ram to 3 gigs from 1 and dropped a 1 TB HD into the extra slot.
 

DavieBoy

macrumors 6502
Jan 8, 2009
421
1
New Jersey
Nevermind, I just wiki'd it. I really want a usb PCI-X card so I can plug all my external drives into my G5 leaving the back of my i7 iMac looking pretty.
 

mac88

macrumors 6502
Aug 7, 2008
477
2
Boston, MA.
I still use mine. I bought it off of eBay and use it primarily as an iTunes/movie/tv show streamer. I edit some home movie video on it from time to time. I find it still holds up and works quite well. Oh yeah, congrats on the purchase and enjoy your machine!
 

OceanView

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2005
1,094
39
I recently got a G4 Mini which I use as a basic internet/e-mail system.
Still works great.
 

ncc1701d

macrumors 6502
Mar 30, 2008
436
70
You might be able to contact the guys at owc with the same question. I've found them very helpful in the past. I got a g5 for my kids to play around on for a few hundred bucks and needed wifi and ram upgrades that the helped out a lot with. http://www.macsales.com/
 

thebeave

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2009
36
0
I still Use My G5 from early 2005 w/ Leopard. Mostly run CS2 and the entire iLife 09 Suite. What bogs it the most is runing Bloomberg Anywhere on it, which I do most nights to get real time quotes gobally.Im maxed out on Ram at 4GB....Come to think of it, I paid $2500 for this machine five and a half years ago...here are the specs at the time - Dual 2.0GHz, 512MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra, 8x SuperDrive - $2499. That makes today's low end Mac Pro a relative bargain! I'm going to start a new thread telling everyone to stop complaining....
 

Macdctr

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2009
969
664
Ocean State

wireman, It's probably cheaper just to get the USB bluetooth nub and put it on your keyboard. Then your Mac Pro will have bluetooth. That's what I did. If you want the bluetooth card for the Mac Pro you might have luck on ebay for that item:apple:
 

Eric S.

macrumors 68040
Feb 1, 2008
3,599
0
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Come to think of it, I paid $2500 for this machine five and a half years ago...here are the specs at the time - Dual 2.0GHz, 512MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra, 8x SuperDrive - $2499. That makes today's low end Mac Pro a relative bargain! I'm going to start a new thread telling everyone to stop complaining....

The original 128KB Mac with 8MHz 68000 and a single 3.5" floppy drive also cost $2499, so that makes your machine a fantastic bargain by comparison. It's no surprise that technology prices decrease over time as capability increases. The complaint is that Apple does not offer any lower-cost, lower-capability expandable systems when they certainly could.
 

Transporteur

macrumors 68030
Nov 30, 2008
2,729
3
UK
I had the D-Link DBT-122 bluetooth stick on my PowerMac G5. Worked fine with Tiger and the Apple bluetooth keyboard.
I'm not sure though, if that particular stick works with the new Magic Mouse.
But the stick is really cheap, hence you might wanna give it a try. :)
 

rickvanr

macrumors 68040
Apr 10, 2002
3,259
12
Brockville
The G5s are awesome! Bonus getting an air cooled model, I've been reading a lot lately that the G5s (2.5 x 2, 2.7 x 2, and 2.5x2 x 2) that were liquid cool all seem to leak (like mine).

PCI-X is closer to PCI then PCIe. PCI cards are backward compatible with PCI-X, where PCIe isn't. It's completely different.

As for upgrades, go all the way to 8GB RAM, best single upgrade I ever made. Machine absolutely flew. You seem to have a pretty solid graphics card in there too, I had the 6800 Ultra, and it could handle everything I threw at it.

For wireless, I remember ordering bluetooth as a BTO option, so I'm not too sure if that's an upgrade you can just buy, but if a dongle works, that's great. Maybe grab a PCI USB card, so you have lots of ports, I think it's the NEC chipset you need to get, but I'd google that. I went threw 3 different cards before I found one that worked (like this one). Airport was something I added myself, and was simple. Just bought an Airport Express Card. Make sure to have an antenna though, the G5 came with one, but since you got yours used, it may not have been included. It was a small "T" shaped gizmo that plugged in the back. You might be able to just get a standard antenna though, I'm not sure if the plug is a standard wireless plug, anyone know? The reception was pretty bad without it.

Throw a fast HD in there too if you can afford it, I had a WD black drive and it seemed pretty peppy. I don't know how a SSD would work in one, but pricewise it's probably not worth it.
 

simplymuzik3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 29, 2009
589
0
For the question about USB bluetooth devices, I think you need one with a "Broadcom" chip. Or that might have been for wifi or USB. I sold my G5 years ago, so I honestly cannot remember. I just know that "Broadcom" chips work with Mac without any drivers, just plug and play!
 
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