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G4 tower Quicksilver power supply replacement?

C

Cyndical

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hi everyone, I posted this in the wrong area of this site and a kind internet stranger directed me here. Apologies for the copy/paste.

I have a G4 tower Quicksilver that doesn't start up. I believe the power supply is dead. I don't use it any more, so I thought that I should replace the power supply, check the hard drive for anything I might need (doubtful) then wipe and sell it. It's a full system with original monitor and mouse (I hated those clear mice, not very ergonomic), so I think someone out there might find a use for it, provided it's in reasonable working condition. Been a few years since it was on, last time I tried to start it up, nothing happened, just black screen, which is why I think it's the power supply.

However, I'm not sure what part to buy 😀 I've been searching online and there are videos and pages for how to replace it (looks pretty straightforward) but about a billion different "buy this part from us!" and... I have no idea what I should choose. New? Is there a comparable supplier for new parts? Used? Refurbished?

To make matters just that bit more tricky, I live in Canada, so there's the ever-present not as much stuff available. As much as I would love to send it to a repair shop, kind of broke right now so unfortunately, I'm in a DIY situation.
 
Except for the reselling of a working 2001 Mac you can achieve what you want with a USB connected hard drive dock that accepts that old IDE interface (I have one of those…less than $30). I've seen power supplies for those at about $175…not worth it. You'd probably get less than that selling it!

But…did you replace the battery mounted on the motherboard? I think a dead one might keep it from starting.
 
hahaha OK... I am not a computer technician and I don't play one on TV so... battery mounted on the motherboard? I'll have to Google that. The other thing I thought was to remove the hard drive and try to read it somehow. There's probably nothing on it that I need or has personal information, but I just want to be sure, you know?

You mean something like this to read the hard drive?

OK it appears you can buy one of those PRAM batteries for $13 on Amazon, so I'll try that first. As you say, I may not be able to sell it in any condition but there's a place here that takes donated computers. Always prefer to sell or donate things that are in working condition if possible. Thanks!
 
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Check out this site: http://atxg4.com
This seller offers adapter-wiring harnesses which allow you to replace the G4 PSU with a standard SFX PSU.
This will be the best and easiest solution, even though you'll lose the ability to drive any ADC display (which yours probably is)without an extra power adapter.

From an economical standpoint: this repair is a terrible idea. You'll end up investing a lot of time and money into an old Mac, that'll probably between $50-$100.
Do it for fun, or sell it for a few $ "as-is" and make someone happy.
 
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OP, you can always get the part number off the PSU if replacing the LB (logicboard) battery doesn't work.

With the part number, you can do an eBay search for the PSU. Should be plenty on eBay for not much cost.
 
Those harnesses are cool but I echo the sentiment that if you are not looking to drop much cash on this and your primary motivation is to secure its info/drive, pull the drive and recycle the QS on craigslist free. Someone will pick it up for free even with the dead psu.

Now if you are curious about PowerPC macs, there are a number of ways to get that box back up and running, but most likely will cost more than the net worth of the box.
 
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Certificate of Excellence said:
Those harnesses are cool but I echo the sentiment that if you are not looking to drop much cash on this and your primary motivation is to secure its info/drive, pull the drive and recycle the QS on craigslist free. Someone will pick it up for free even with the dead psu.

Now if you are curious about PowerPC macs, there are a number of ways to get that box back up and running, but most likely will cost more than the net worth of the box.
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Yep, the harnesses are cool. The problem is that you need an ATX power supply that fits in the G4. That mens finding one that will fit with the least possible case modification - or running the Mac with the PSU outside and the door down.
 
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eyoungren said:
Yep, the harnesses are cool. The problem is that you need an ATX power supply that fits in the G4. That mens finding one that will fit with the least possible case modification - or running the Mac with the PSU outside and the door down.
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Yep, if Op is not interested in that level of DIY but still wants a working machine, I agree a refurb ebay psu would be an easy drop in replacement and would maintain functionality. When you look at those prices for either solution, it really makes you think twice about it though and per Op, securing data and then resale was the end goal. I dont see how Op could achieve that without taking a loss.
 
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G4 towers all require unique power supplies which use non-standard wiring schemes and odd voltages, making it difficult to use a standard PC power supply.
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Fantastic. Why on earth did I think that this would be relatively simple? Oh right, because I am simple. :/ *sigh* Well, I bought a PRAM battery for $12. But my luck usually isn't so good 😀
 
Certificate of Excellence said:
Yep, if Op is not interested in that level of DIY but still wants a working machine, I agree a refurb ebay psu would be an easy drop in replacement and would maintain functionality. When you look at those prices for either solution, it really makes you think twice about it though and per Op, securing data and then resale was the end goal. I dont see how Op could achieve that without taking a loss.
Click to expand...
I was using it before as a scanning station as I had a couple of specialty scanners that I didn't use often and didn't want to buy replacements for. If the replacement battery doesn't work, maybe I'll take the advice here and just sell it "as is" see what happens. I still have a G5 tower that I can wipe and put OS9 on and use that as the specialty scanner station.
 
The earliest OSX your PMG5 will run is 10.2. It will not run OS9 unfortunately. Perhaps your peripherals have OSX drivers that can be downloaded to run on the newer hardware and OSX?

Another thought, is to look for a working Quicksilver in your area. They run around 40-50 bucks here in the states in my neck of the woods. You could swap the hdd and keep the system for your peripherals - recycle the other or keep it for parts.
 
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It is possible to recap (replace the capacitors inside the PSU) with some soldering ability and (usually way less) than $20.00 worth of new capacitors - but even that wouldn’t promise you a renewed, fully functional PSU. There is also the danger of some serious stored voltage within your PSU.

So, shy of re-capping your own PSU, acxelectronics down in Austin Texas (USA) does a great job repairing PSU’s for G4’s. I know several people that have used Andy’s services and he’s a great guy. (He’s helped me in the past.) And no, I am not affiliated with his business in any way.

Here’s a link for his MDD PSU repair service on eBay.

Contact him specifically about your Quicksilver PSU and I’m certain that he can help. Of course you may need to raise some funds - but still better that buying another Quicksilver... likely with a PSU as old as your original one.

*Update: here's the Quicksilver PSU specific listing...
 
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Wow, 350% gross profit margin on parts of $20.00. So, if we say parts are parts and the value is in the skillset and service, lets put shipping a PSU at $15 bucks and the recap takes 1 hour, said service rate is $50 bucks. Sounds pretty darn fair to me. I mean PC service in my neck of the woods is around 35-40 an hour but I can imagine it being well more than or $50/hr in larger urban centers where cost of living is more.

Neat service & I am glad I know about it now. Thanks for posting 🙂
 
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Can I ask... have you done the fiscal and your-own-personal-time sums of this repair job?

Here in Oz, a G4 Quicksilver sells between $40 - $300 (maybe an extra $50 as you mention it's the full setup).

Once you factor in a PSU - however that happens - plus your time spent dealing with it all - is it really worth it?

Just sell it "as is" and move on with your life?

(Says the guy with a G4 iMac, Pismo, TAM, Cube, Newton, and god knows what else stashed away gathering dust...)
 
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