Buying a G5

[Yaris]

I am probably going to buy this 1.8 DP G5 next week:
http://www.macofalltrades.com/G5_1_8GHz_Dual_Processor_1_0_160GB_SuperDrive_p/g518dp1.htm

I have read that some 1.8s have 8 slots for ram and can take up to 8GB but some have 4 slots and only take up to 4GB RAM. Is there any way to determine between the two?

 

[Tallest Skil]

You could buy an Intel Mac Mini for that price and it would be twice as powerful. If you wait until they update the Mini (probably at MacWorld), it could very well be three times as powerful at that price, and you'd be able to run Snow Leopard.

 

[Yaris]

I guess that is true, but I don't really want another mini because of the integrated graphics, low RAM, and slow small hard drives. I can put at least two hard drives in a G5. I think for now I might just wait and see if the mini will be discontinued or updated. I mean I do REALLY want a tower but I can't afford the Mac Pro.

 

[zmttoxics]

You could buy an Intel Mac Mini for that price and it would be twice as powerful. If you wait until they update the Mini (probably at MacWorld), it could very well be three times as powerful at that price, and you'd be able to run Snow Leopard.

+1 to that. Getting harder and harder to recommend a g5 these days. There might not even be a java6 update for PPC, only Intel. Even though I just got mine, I needs my java so I may be replacing it before the next summer.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

For $600 and no keyboard and mouse in stock configuration... that's way too much. I don't think it's worth more than $400. I think it's either early or late 2004 that determines if it's got 4 or 8 slots. Mine only has 4 slots []. Shoot for $600 I'd gladly sell you mine if I was looking to sell mine. Mine is far from stock and I still have everything for it, including the box and K/M.

Good luck. I'd wait if I were you too.

 

[Fonzijr1964]

I am probably going to buy this 1.8 DP G5 next week:
http://www.macofalltrades.com/G5_1_8GHz_Dual_Processor_1_0_160GB_SuperDrive_p/g518dp1.htm

I have read that some 1.8s have 8 slots for ram and can take up to 8GB but some have 4 slots and only take up to 4GB RAM. Is there any way to determine between the two?

waste of ur hard earned money

If the Mini gets the Graphics the MB's have u will be set

 

[IroquoisPliskin]

For $600 find a dual 2.0 or 2.3

 

[Phil A.]

I guess that is true, but I don't really want another mini because of the integrated graphics, low RAM, and slow small hard drives. I can put at least two hard drives in a G5. I think for now I might just wait and see if the mini will be discontinued or updated. I mean I do REALLY want a tower but I can't afford the Mac Pro.

Understandable about the low memory and small hard drive, but the GMA950 integrated graphics are probably faster than the GeForce 5200 in that PowerMac and if they refresh the mini with the NVidia chipset, it'll completely blitz the old G5...

 

[Luftwaffles]

I picked up a Dual 2.0Ghz PCI-X model with 4GB RAM on eBay for $750. Came with the 5200 Ultra, 160GB HD and Tiger installed. The case is darn-near pristine, no bends or scratches. (Someone finally learned that the handles aren't footrests!) Sure, it may not be the fastest, but dropping $2000 on the next best Intel-based thing was not an option for me in my poor college-student state.

If you're patient and lurk around on eBay for a little while, you'll find a great deal on used PMG5s. With the threat of Apple and Adobe removing PPC support entirely, people are dropping their trusty G5s onto the market at reasonable prices to move up to the Mac Pros.

As a note to everyone who warns against the G5s, I'm pretty sure that anyone who's still considering buying one is obviously not using it for terribly processor-intensive stuff. People who really need the octo-core processing power of a MP can justify the cost.

 

[Yaris]

Well I found a dual 1.8 G5 on craigslist for $500 but my parents really don't want me to risk buying from anywhere other than a dealer that sells refurbished ones with a warranty, so I am not currently allowed to buy a G5 from ebay, which sucks. So yeah I think I'll wait and see what happens to the mini at Macworld or save up for a pro. Thanks guys.

 

[IroquoisPliskin]

my parents really don't want me to risk buying from anywhere other than a dealer that sells refurbished ones with a warranty

Thats completely ridiculous. They might as well say "We want you to pay twice as much to get the EXACT same computer."

Buying from craigslist is better than eBay. The prices are usually cheaper AND you pick it up in person which means you can test it before you hand over your cash.

eBay is also as good as the dealer. Read the descriptions, most sellers often have a non-DOA warranty and if they do screw you over you will get your money back from PayPal (NEVER pay with a money order!)

There is no reason to waste your money on a dealer.

 

[Yaris]

I know. That's what I told them. They have the mindset that anyone on ebay or craigslist is trying to unload defective merchandise. Like, even if I go over there and try the machine out they say that the thing could blow up or break in a few days and then I would be screwed. I told them that used mac dealers sell for way too much and their reply was basically "That sucks then." I'm gonna try to convince them to let me buy from ebay.

 

[IroquoisPliskin]

They have the mindset that anyone on ebay or craigslist is trying to unload defective merchandise.

Maybe people just want to sell their old computer for some cash rather than let it sit doing nothing?

I just don't know what to do now.

New parents.

Dealers can actually be WORSE than eBay or craigslist. They often cut corners to maximize profit!

 

[Yaris]

Well, I have decided to instead save up for a refurb mac pro. I believe that if I buy one maybe early next year it should last me through college .

 

[Eric5h5]

You could buy an Intel Mac Mini for that price and it would be twice as powerful.

I don't know where you got that idea. I have an Intel Mac Mini and a dual 2.5 G5, and the Mini is pretty laggy compared to the G5. It's also much, much worse in the graphics department, with the GMA 950 vs. an X800. The Mini does boot up slightly faster than the G5, but since I rarely reboot anyway that's hardly a win. I only got the Mini for a specific reason, and not to replace my G5, which is a good thing, because while the Mini is OK for what it is, the G5 is definitely more powerful. Even though the dual 1.8 G5 is slower than the 2.5, I'd take the G5 over a Mini any day, if it was my only Mac. Saving for a refurb Mac Pro sounds like the best idea.

--Eric

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

Well, I have decided to instead save up for a refurb mac pro. I believe that if I buy one maybe early next year it should last me through college .

That's even better! Will you be staying in a dorm? Maybe an iMac or Macbook Pro would suit you better because of space issues? Will you be using your Mac for your major or is it just for entertainment/studying?

 

[Yaris]

I was sort of joking around in that last post. I'm only a sophomore in high school right now but honestly the pro is so powerful I don't think it'll be outdated in six years. I think by the time I do (hopefully) get to college I'll have a laptop but for now I don't really need one.

 

[Luftwaffles]

That's even better! Will you be staying in a dorm? Maybe an iMac or Macbook Pro would suit you better because of space issues? Will you be using your Mac for your major or is it just for entertainment/studying?

Most dorms I've seen have decent space for a desktop computer setup. Granted, you probably won't be able to fit a 30 inch jumbo-tron display on the desk, but in my dorm I have two 19-inch Acer widescreens tethered to both a Vista box (on VGA ports) and a PowerMac G5 (On the native DVI ports).

Throw a keyboard and mouse (Apple Pro and big bulky MS trackball) into the mix and I still have room to stick my 15-inch MacBook Pro on the left-hand side, just in front of my 1 1/2-foot-long surge suppressor.

Yeah, there are ALOT of cables. But oh well.

 

[RitoRevolto]

but honestly the pro is so powerful I don't think it'll be outdated in six years.

Thats what they said about the G4... and G5.

 

[ChemiosMurphy]

I'd just get an iMac.

I'm an editor and we have 2 old G5's at my workplace, and it's so damn slow rendering and is just laggy in general. Oh, we had 3 but one blew up last week.

Get the iMac. What kind of stuff would you be doing with it? Are you going to be doing Audio/Video? If you are just going to surf the web, the G5 might work, but Snow Leopard and other stuff might not be upgraded for the PPC. Intel based stuff is future-proofed. And you are only a soph in High School! The iMac will be fine, and you get a decent screen with it, and new Keyboard/Mouse.

 

[gdeusthewhizkid]

Im with the others and the g5 is just not worth it. Mac pro all the way. I have a g5 that i bought last jan and im thinking of getting a intel machine. Preferably a refurb mac pro. The g5 i upgraded myself and it's still slow it has 4 gig of ram and a seperate hard drive for audio.

bite the bullet and get a mac pro if you can or a imac. I use a lot of soft synths and my hard drive space is filling up and i get sound errors on big sample libraries.

grrr..

 

[TheG3Guy]

DO NOT LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE. I recently bought a Dual 2GHz G5 off ebay with 3.5gb ram and this thing BLOWS my mac mini away. I dont care if its core2duo, the graphics on the mini are HORRIBLE and my G5 Easily keeps doom 3 at 45fps and the mac mini gets maybe 5fps. The dock is smoother under magnification, and i just think its faster and more expandable. This thing should be great as I do not need to run windows, as that is why I own macs....to escape that atrocity.

 

[Yaris]

What video card does your G5 have? The one on macofalltrades.com comes with a FX5200 which is pretty bad. The reason I am concerned about the AGP cards is because they are pretty expensive because of how rare they are.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

What video card does your G5 have? The one on macofalltrades.com comes with a FX5200 which is pretty bad. The reason I am concerned about the AGP cards is because they are pretty expensive because of how rare they are.

I have the 256mb ATI Radeon 9800 Pro Se card. It's a really nice card, I think one of the best AGP you can get if I'm not mistaken. If you buy a G5 try buying one that has PCI-E. Also they use DDR2 which is also much cheaper. The FX5200 64mb is decent as that was my stock card. If I remember correctly, it didn't support Core Image on Leopard becuase I don't remember the visual effects like the clear menubar before I switched and after I swaped to the 9800, my menubar turned clear.

 

[zmttoxics]

What video card does your G5 have? The one on macofalltrades.com comes with a FX5200 which is pretty bad. The reason I am concerned about the AGP cards is because they are pretty expensive because of how rare they are.

The AGP cards are cheaper because they made more of them. Replacement / upgrade PCIe g5 cards are 200-700 dollars. The Agp cards start around 50 bucks.

My G5 is a PCIE model, with 6 gigs of ddr2 ram etc. My 2.16 macbook with onboard video kicks the crap out of it. It only gets 20 more points over the g5 (120 for MB and 100 for G5) on XBench, but the vmware ability etc make the macbook the clear winner.

The only advantage to a 2.0 DC or DP g5 is storage. So if external drives really arent your thing, then get the g5.