Buying A Used G5 How Do I Know If Its Dual Or Single?

[lostangelent]

I am abouts to buy a G5 for my backup studio cuz of its compatibility with Pro Tools and its great processor performance etc.....I just dont know when I test it if it will say dual/single/quad on the info screen... can one of you mac experts please help a newb to this site? Maybe a screen shot? This will be my 5th mac so I am not some bandwagon jumper lol

[Tallest Skil]

Great processor performance? A first-gen MacBook Air outperforms the fastest G5!

Check model numbers.

First rev: M9393LL/A is 1.8 dual, M9032LL/A is 2.0 dual.
Second rev: All dual, they begin with M945.
Third rev: Not dual (?)
Fourth rev: All dual, they begin with M974.
Fifth rev: M9592LL/A is 2.5 dual

[Dr.Pants]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Great processor performance? A first-gen MacBook Air outperforms the fastest G5!

Check model numbers.

First rev: M9393LL/A is 1.8 dual, M9032LL/A is 2.0 dual.
Second rev: All dual, they begin with M945.
Third rev: Not dual (?)
Fourth rev: All dual, they begin with M974.
Fifth rev: M9592LL/A is 2.5 dual

Thanks Tallest; however, both of my 970FX processors want a word with you.

[noodle654]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Great processor performance? A first-gen MacBook Air outperforms the fastest G5!

Check model numbers.

First rev: M9393LL/A is 1.8 dual, M9032LL/A is 2.0 dual.
Second rev: All dual, they begin with M945.
Third rev: Not dual (?)
Fourth rev: All dual, they begin with M974.
Fifth rev: M9592LL/A is 2.5 dual

I beg to differ. A Quad G5 is faster than a lot of macs. The Dual 2.7GHz is faster than an Rev. A Air.

http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by noodle654

I beg to differ. A Quad G5 is faster than a lot of macs. The Dual 2.7GHz is faster than an Rev. A Air.

http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/

What's that? Steve Jobs lied to us?

Okay, a CURRENT Mac would be faster than any G5. Meaning get a Mac Mini, man.

[lostangelent]

Imma stick with the desktop....where can I see how many processors said mac has?

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by lostangelent

Imma stick with the desktop....where can I see how many processors said mac has?

A Mac Mini is a desktop, and you can get one for very little more than a G5.

[Dr.Pants]

You can also find out the processor by going ->About this Mac; it should say on the scrren - mine says "4 x 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5". Pressing "More Info" will lead you to a screen with a model identifier which can help out quite a bit.

Or just use mactracker

The Mac Mini also may not have certain things the OP wants. Such as expandability. Sure you can shove a HDD on the many, many USB ports and FW800 port, but that's only one port wth any REAL performance. The G5 can be expanded for RAID. However, this is my opinion, take it for what it is.

The Mini might have better performance/watt, now that the 9400M is innit...

[lostangelent]

the reason I am getting a g5 is because of the processor....I can not use intel with my setup and I dont even use the host processor with the high definition setup I have....the g5 just runs smoother with Protools I feel and I already have THOUSANDS of dollars worth of software for non-intel bASed mac running protools...so with that said.....anyone know how I can tell the diff 'tween single/dual/quad?

[lostangelent]

Originally Posted by Dr.Pants

You can also find out the processor by going ->About this Mac; it should say on the scrren - mine says "4 x 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5". Pressing "More Info" will lead you to a screen with a model identifier which can help out quite a bit.

Or just use mactracker

The Mac Mini also may not have certain things the OP wants. Such as expandability. Sure you can shove a HDD on the many, many USB ports and FW800 port, but that's only one port wth any REAL performance. The G5 can be expanded for RAID. However, this is my opinion, take it for what it is.

The Mini might have better performance/watt, now that the 9400M is innit...

sounds like someone has been in a studio before

[lostangelent]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

A Mac Mini is a desktop, and you can get one for very little more than a G5.

okay, a REAL desktop haha

[Dr.Pants]

Originally Posted by lostangelent

sounds like someone has been in a studio before

Eh, my only "real" expirience has been in an A/V lab or two. I'm more video then audio. Plus I can't recommend any good PCI-X parts as my G5 is PCIe.

But still, if you have the chance to use the G5 before purchase, both of those methods will work; if not, ask for a model number or model identifier.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by lostangelent

okay, a REAL desktop haha

That "fake" desktop can run the next OS and can have as much RAM as half of the G5 line. Its graphics are better than ALL of the graphics cards that the G5 can use except perhaps the X1900 and the Quadro 4500 (given).

[Dr.Pants]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

That "fake" desktop can run the next OS and can have as much RAM as half of the G5 line. Its graphics are better than ALL of the graphics cards that the G5 can use except perhaps the X1900 and the Quadro 4500 (given).

Agreement, mostly. Made a slight correction, if this is wrong somebody PM me and I will fix it. However (I thought), the Mini has a max of 4 GB of RAM, and I thought this was also the cap imposed by Apple. Which makes it able to take at maximum the max amount of RAM for a SCSP G5 (the Mini spanks that model, IMO)

However, if the OP has the software, he can probably afford a 2.5 quad; the only one I'd really recommend, as long as you replace the coolant and max the RAM.

Anyways, refer to MacTracker for model numbers and processors - I find it handy.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by Dr.Pants

Agreement. Made a slight correction, if this is wrong somebody PM me and I will fix it.

However, if the OP has the software, he can probably afford a 2.7 dual or 2.5 quad; the only two I'd really recommend, as long as you replace the coolant.

Anyways, refer to MacTracker for model numbers and processors - I find it handy.

Nope, you're right.

[300D]

The ANSWER is simple. If it has a 1.6GHz, its a single. A 1.8, then there is a 50/50 chance its a single. If its 2.0, 2.3, 2.5 or 2.7, then there is no question that its dual.

Avoid the 1.6 and 1.8, they are the low end machines and use 1/3 bus speed instead of 1/2.

[gugucom]

except 2,5 could be a quad

[OllyW]

....... and the last dual processor 2.0 model had the same bus and RAM limitations as the 1.6 and 1.8.

[Azrel]

Originally Posted by noodle654

I beg to differ. A Quad G5 is faster than a lot of macs. The Dual 2.7GHz is faster than an Rev. A Air.

http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/

Here's a quote from the very same article you link

"Plus, while many complain about the low performance of the MacBook Air, remember it’s faster than the first round of Intel-based laptops and all of the dual-processor PowerMac G5s."

Food for thought

[wesrk]

a friend was about to get a dual G5 and eneded up buyin the mac mini instead.

For what he was going to use it, he actualy says the mini is much faster.

[lostangelent]

Originally Posted by 300D

The ANSWER is simple. If it has a 1.6GHz, its a single. A 1.8, then there is a 50/50 chance its a single. If its 2.0, 2.3, 2.5 or 2.7, then there is no question that its dual.

Avoid the 1.6 and 1.8, they are the low end machines and use 1/3 bus speed instead of 1/2.

That is awesome thanks

[lostangelent]

Im anti Intel for what Im doing

[doox00]

the 2.3's can be dual core or duel cpu.. think same with a few of the other 2ghz+ ones as well. If it has a 6600 in it, its typically a dual core and pci-e system from what I can tell.