G5 new DUAL 1.8 Vs. old DUAL 1.8

[iJon]

but doesn't the rev a powermacs have a freezing problem ( i keep read about ) so i i buy the rev a do i run the risk of getting a bad system????

I really want one and i don't know which 1.8 to get b/c i'm worried that i'll get rev a with a freezing issue!!

in all honestly, you probably run the same risk of getting a faulty machine whether it rev a or b. the good thing about this too is it's covered under warranty and then everything fixed. since these will be covered under full warranty (unles buying used), i wouldn't let problems you've "heard" be a concern.

iJon

 

[jsw]

but doesn't the rev a powermacs have a freezing problem ( i keep read about ) so i i buy the rev a do i run the risk of getting a bad system????

I really want one and i don't know which 1.8 to get b/c i'm worried that i'll get rev a with a freezing issue!!

Obviously, YMMV, but I have a rev A dual-2 which I bought last September - so it's got Rev A everything in it. And I have had zero problems, with the possible exception of maybe a handful of freezes during over a thousand hours of use. And ther's no guarantee those are hardware related.

Also, the dual-1.8's came out later (November??) and so had the benefit of slightly revised internals. Plus, odds are good that any refurb dual-1.8 will be even newer than that.

I see zero positives to getting a new 1.8 save the DVD burner. It's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned. I think your only choice should be dual-1.8 or dual-2.0.

 

[Sun Baked]

To answer the
New DP 1.8GHz G5

versus
Old DP 1.8GHz G5

questions

The BIG change is between the U3 and the K2, and places the PCI slots in a slower/shared bandwidth area.

Basically only a problem if you plan on loading the machine with higher bandwidth consuming PCI cards.

Should be enough bandwidth for everything, maybe -- all depends on the internal characteristics of the PCI bus inside the K2.

 

[bousozoku]

For the sake of longevity, I'd say the older dual 1.8. The older 1.6, newer 1.8 design seems too much like the Yikes machines--a compromise of sorts.

 

[Sun Baked]

For the sake of longevity, I'd say the older dual 1.8. The older 1.6, newer 1.8 design seems too much like the Yikes machines--a compromise of sorts.

Not just the Yikes...

It also starts looking a lot like the old UniNorth-based eMac/iMac (while it's recent for the eMac, you need to look way back on the iMac).

Come out with a smaller U3 (Single CPU and single channel DDR) and drop some of the "extra" I/O ports and the new DP 1.8 G5 start looking a bit like this...

SDR eMac block diagram

So there is some hope in this direction, since the single chip solution may be a little big and hot.

 

[furrina]

uh, wow. You guys are, like, into computers or something.

 

[bousozoku]

Not just the Yikes...

It also starts looking a lot like the old UniNorth-based eMac/iMac (while it's recent for the eMac, you need to look way back on the iMac).

Come out with a smaller U3 (Single CPU and single channel DDR) and drop some of the "extra" I/O ports and the new DP 1.8 G5 start looking a bit like this...

SDR eMac block diagram

So there is some hope in this direction, since the single chip solution may be a little big and hot.

Shhh...I didn't want to get into a debate about "DDR--is it real or fake?"

Should we just say it? The low end G5 is sitting on a modified G4 motherboard design just as the Yikes was a modified G3 design able to accomodate the G4. It's probably quite inexpensive and Apple is probably making an excellent profit on it.

 

[garybUK]

I have the older Dual 1.8ghz machine, it came with the stock 1.8 / 512mb / 160gb Seagate SATA Drive / Geforce FX 5200 Ultra

I have since added 1gb (x2 512mb) of Crucial PC2700 DDR RAM and a Western Digital 74gb Raptor SATA Drive (10,000rpm & 8mb Cache).

Its an extremely fast machine, i mean it does a seti unit in ~3hours whilst running 24/7 on XChat, Mail, Address Book, Adium & Bit-Torrent (Azerus). I am extremely happy with the machine, its quiet, stable and does everything i ask whilst running two setis at -nice 100 my pc freinds are amazed when i load a quicktime movie or load C&C generals whilst running two seti's at nice 100 ...

I may add that the extra ram almost 1/2 the bootup times and is a very, very noticable difference in osx 3.4, also the wd raptor drive make this a RAPID machine.

The only thing that annoys me a little, is the chirping that comes out of the machine occasionally, but since i run the audio via optical out to my Rotel / B&W setup i havn't noticed it much anymore.

Go for the rev 8 dual 1.8 it seems to have a better upgrade path than the newer one.

 

[Jo-Kun]

I always like to buy the mid-section so thats why I have the 2x1.8... and now I woud go for a 2x2 entry-line lacks some features, and top-line doesn't add-up that much for the extra costs...

but that's my opinion :-D

if the difference in SuperDrive speeds is an issue... just check it out... I bought my G5 in the beginning of april... and I have the 8x inside so nobody told me until I checked the partnr and saw it was the 8x ;-)

I still have the feeling that the old 2X1.8 is a better machine... but you need to know if you'll need PCI-X or more than 4GB of ram...

I know that I might need more than 4GB ram when I have the funding & need to work more with video...

grts

Jo

 

[Ben Sheehan]

if the difference in SuperDrive speeds is an issue... just check it out... I bought my G5 in the beginning of april... and I have the 8x inside so nobody told me until I checked the partnr and saw it was the 8x ;-)

I'm glad you wrote that - I've just checked my rev a and it's the Pioneer DVR-107D as well ( 8 X DVD-R)