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Appleuser201

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 12, 2018
401
221
My friend just got 2 original iMac G3 Bondi Blues, and one works fine and the other doesn't turn on at all. He pulled them both apart to compare the boards and saw the broken one was missing a couple components. Does anyone here know what they are? Ive included both pcitures of the logic boards.
Screenshot_20230926_180406_Messenger.jpg
Screenshot_20230926_180540_Gallery.jpg
 
The small connector is labeled IrDA, which is where the cable for the infrared transceiver on the front would plug in to, if it has one. If it doesn't, then it's fine to ignore.

The circled slot is a RAM slot on the processor daughtercard. I bet if you move that stick on the board to the slot on the daughtercard then it would boot. I'm not sure if populating that slot is required to boot, but it would make sense if it was.

There should also be a heatsink on that processor but that looks to be missing as well.
 
heatsink is missing on the 2nd photo, IrDA missing, and your PRAM battery is missing (which might not be a bad thing considering its a pain in the... back, to find them nowadays).

there should also be some kind of shield that surrounds the CPU card area which is missing on the 2nd photo.

just curious, do they both work? i used to work on a boatload of these in the mid 2000s, so i know a thing or two. granted i had some serious sleep deprivation at that point in time but i do remember that a lot of these machines suffered from power/analog/video problems. that was more common with the first revision (i think called the rev A?) blue imacs and also the slot-loading imacs that were convection-cooled... the latter didn't even have a cooling fan. i still have my revised bondi blue that i got in 2004 from my former high school (a teacher used it, so no pen marks and screen etchings) and it runs great. a lot of the machines i worked on were the A's and the slot loaders from what i recall, so that's why i'm curious. i did have some of the other TLs and those were more reliable.
 
...and your PRAM battery is missing (which might not be a bad thing considering its a pain in the... back, to find them nowadays).

Really? I've never had any problems finding the 1/2 AA 3.6v lithium batteries online - especially on eBay. :D

...but i do remember that a lot of these machines suffered from power/analog/video problems. that was more common with the first revision (i think called the rev A?) blue imacs and also the slot-loading imacs that were convection-cooled...

Yes, I've got one with a suspected dodgy Flyback Transformer and its been a nightmare trying to find a supplier who'll either ship to the UK or do so at a price that's feasible.
 
heatsink is missing on the 2nd photo, IrDA missing, and your PRAM battery is missing (which might not be a bad thing considering its a pain in the... back, to find them nowadays).

there should also be some kind of shield that surrounds the CPU card area which is missing on the 2nd photo.

just curious, do they both work? i used to work on a boatload of these in the mid 2000s, so i know a thing or two. granted i had some serious sleep deprivation at that point in time but i do remember that a lot of these machines suffered from power/analog/video problems. that was more common with the first revision (i think called the rev A?) blue imacs and also the slot-loading imacs that were convection-cooled... the latter didn't even have a cooling fan. i still have my revised bondi blue that i got in 2004 from my former high school (a teacher used it, so no pen marks and screen etchings) and it runs great. a lot of the machines i worked on were the A's and the slot loaders from what i recall, so that's why i'm curious. i did have some of the other TLs and those were more reliable.
The iMac actually booted into Mac OS 9.1 with no issues after my buddy put it back together. He has no idea why it wasn't working before, but it's reliable and fast on OS 9 with no issues. I think he just reset the cables.
 
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