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PPC G5's dying....lots of them ?

MacBoobsPro

MacBoobsPro

macrumors 603
Jan 10, 2006
5,114
6
Ok now im scared. :eek: My PMG5 has started to panic upon startup, latest one was last night. I put it down to it being in the attic and being very cold up there. Maybe there is more too it than that? :(
 
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cxi2001

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 27, 2007
14
0
I know computers die, go wrong, sometimes explode, but it just seems odd that a large amount of people are having almost the same symptoms over a specific period (Jan to Feb).
 
1

194567

Suspended
Jun 16, 2008
302
0
Tallest Skil said:
No, no. It's just planned obsolescence.

Apple made the PowerMac G5 to fail RIGHT before the release of the Gainestown Mac Pro. :D;)
Click to expand...

Are you obsessed much? :D

Too bad i can't afford one....

I do my video editing on my G5 and it is still going to strong after 5 years of labor... I have a bright future planned for my trusted G5....
 
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Chuck Fadanoid

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2008
58
0
Munich, Germany
Does anyone know how many G5s were sold in total? Is there anywhere to find out that kind of information?

I suppose Apple keeps its fail rates secret, but it'd be interesting to compare percentage fail rates of G5s to other lines. Anecdotal evidence suggests G5s are more fail-prone than others, but anecdotal evidence is worthless as evidence.
 
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ibglowin

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2005
216
3
Mine has been experiencing the lock up / roaring turbo fans for about the last 4 months. Sometimes it would go a week without any problems sometimes only a day or two. I finally reset the PRAM (2) weeks ago and its been happy ever since (knocks on wood.....)
 
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Fomaphone

macrumors regular
Jan 11, 2009
226
0
ibglowin said:
Mine has been experiencing the lock up / roaring turbo fans for about the last 4 months. Sometimes it would go a week without any problems sometimes only a day or two. I finally reset the PRAM (2) weeks ago and its been happy ever since (knocks on wood.....)
Click to expand...


i did that on mine, too. when the issue started again (after about two weeks) the computer was also making a sound that sounded something akin to change in a garbage disposal, or a small piece of metal falling through a scrap pile. i never did figure out what that problem was before the system died completely... it was almost as though a loose screw was zipping around inside the machine, propelled by fans or magnetism, though. truly the strangest sound i've ever heard a computer make.

i removed drives, cleaned everything, googled everything i could think of and it persisted. after about another week and one fateful HD-to-SD encode later, the computer expired.
 
rockinrocker

rockinrocker

macrumors 65816
Aug 21, 2006
1,322
0
Fomaphone said:
mine was 4 and a half years old, and used intensively for HD video. it died a natural death.
Click to expand...


Hmmm, I kinda think a well designed computer (properly cared for) should last a lot longer than 4 years.....
Regardless of how hard you're working it.
 
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Derek87

macrumors 6502a
Jan 29, 2009
655
145
cxi2001 said:
There seems to be a lot of G5's having logic board / processor problems over on the Apple discussion and Macworld forums, all have happened recently, all displaying the same symptoms, including mine.

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=596

Why now ?
Click to expand...

it does seem like a strange and sad coincidence, doesn't it?

sigh...i just ordered a quad core xeon (single 2.8) because after nearly a month of not having my dual G5, i really found myself unable to do what i normally in "normal life." wish i could wait for the next generation but the end decided i just had to buy and be happy with what i am getting.

mine last about 4.5 years...i really hope this new MacPro will last longer than that.

if my dual G5 hadn't died, i anticipated keeping it at least 1.5 more years if not more. it did more than i needed it to do and i think only 10.7 would be a reason that i would upgrade down the road...
 
Yvan256

Yvan256

macrumors 603
Jul 5, 2004
5,081
998
Canada
rockinrocker said:
Hmmm, I kinda think a well designed computer (properly cared for) should last a lot longer than 4 years.....
Regardless of how hard you're working it.
Click to expand...

I have a Tandy MC-10, a Tandy CoCo3, a Commodore 64, a Tandy 1000 RLX. Those are nearly two decades old computers and they all run fine.

You should see the Tandy 1000 RLX... I replaced its 20MB hard drive with a CompactFlash card. That computer is now screaming fast! :eek:
 
ggg05a

ggg05a

macrumors regular
Jan 11, 2009
128
0
I don't understand why so many of ya'll are concerned. Most of these things are 4 1/2 to 5 years old. If a PC lasted this long under similar conditions some would be jumping for joy.

My 2 cents.

--Garrett
 
California

California

macrumors 68040
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
90
As I wrote in another thread, I somehow don't buy the planned failure rate on the G5's.

Mine run perfect and quiet and wonderfully.

Dust that holds in heat may be an issue that also can affect the logic boards.

This is the other issue I am guessing besides the G5's that have liquid cooling but I'm somehow guessing it is a dust issue at the heart of it.

I could be dumb and sentimental but when these babies work they work.

Mentioned on another thread that a friend's G4 500mhz tower from 1999 was his main computer until a month ago when he put in a 1.8ghz Sonnet upgrade.
That thing has more years in it yet.

The G5s also have that power issue because they suck so much juice -- make sure your G5s are on surge protectors...
 
sporadicMotion

sporadicMotion

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2008
1,111
23
Your girlfriends place
California said:
As I wrote in another thread, I somehow don't buy the planned failure rate on the G5's.

Mine run perfect and quiet and wonderfully.

Dust that holds in heat may be an issue that also can affect the logic boards.

This is the other issue I am guessing besides the G5's that have liquid cooling but I'm somehow guessing it is a dust issue at the heart of it.

I could be dumb and sentimental but when these babies work they work.

Mentioned on another thread that a friend's G4 500mhz tower from 1999 was his main computer until a month ago when he put in a 1.8ghz Sonnet upgrade.
That thing has more years in it yet.

The G5s also have that power issue because they suck so much juice -- make sure your G5s are on surge protectors...
Click to expand...

I think it was intended more as sarcasm that anything as far as the precise timing goes... however, planned obsolescence is a normal practice. I learned about it in my Engineering program and friends of mine in the auto industry learned about it as well. Things are not made to last.
 
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DevDem

macrumors newbie
Feb 12, 2009
1
0
Just brought my G5 in for it's second replacement. The first one lasted two months and this latest one last the same amount of time. I'm a bit frustrated since I baby my machine.
 
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