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Is this iMac G5 salvageable?

domini99

domini99

macrumors member
Original poster
Hi all,

I found this dirt cheap iMac G5 on the web someone is selling nearby, but it has the vertical lines problem.

The screen looks like this:
uploadfromtaptalk1453729378347.jpg



Would this machine be salvageable or should I just leave it?


What could possibly the issue be?
 
it might just be the display - in that case you could plug it into an external monitor if you bought it. on the other hand the graphics card may be faulty, in which case it's game over unless you have FireWire to use target disk on it.
 
It may be the LCD, I would pick it up because you could use an external monitor or replace the LCD. Either way there are parts there that can be used
 
PKBeam said:
it might just be the display - in that case you could plug it into an external monitor if you bought it. on the other hand the graphics card may be faulty, in which case it's game over unless you have FireWire to use target disk on it.
Click to expand...
Target disk will just make it a big clunky external hard drive.
 
Due to the strange pattern on the screen, I suppose it's the graphics card tho, and not the LCD

Repairing the graphics card might cost me more than the machine is worth because I don't have the right tools for it.
 
Vertical lines suggests it's more likely the panel to me, especially if they're consistently in the same locations. A bad GPU/VRAM would be more random. It's a risk.
 
I have been looking at one which is at the more or less similar stage... just worried if its the GPU..
if it is the GPU, then, mirroring won't work right ?
DSC_0917.jpg
 
I don't have the iMac yet, I could ask the seller if he has tried connecting a second display, but I think I'll just leave this one, and just keep looking for another mac.

I do have found a Macbook 1.1 (Core Duo), which has been on since.. forever, and noone put a bid at it.
He says "You can come and pick it right up for 130 euros"

The thing has dead touchpad buttons.

I'll just wait, maybe I'll find something else, otherwise I'll try to put a bid on that macbook. Not sure what I'll give for it, but 130 euros for a 2006 macbook running OS X 10.5, and has broken touchpad buttons... 130 is way too much.
 
domini99 said:
I don't have the iMac yet, I could ask the seller if he has tried connecting a second display, but I think I'll just leave this one, and just keep looking for another mac.

I do have found a Macbook 1.1 (Core Duo), which has been on since.. forever, and noone put a bid at it.
He says "You can come and pick it right up for 130 euros"

The thing has dead touchpad buttons.

I'll just wait, maybe I'll find something else, otherwise I'll try to put a bid on that macbook. Not sure what I'll give for it, but 130 euros for a 2006 macbook running OS X 10.5, and has broken touchpad buttons... 130 is way too much.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't go over 45 euros for that!
 
I would buy it depending on what is installed and if you can use any of it:

SATA HDD
RAM
Bluetooth
Airport

I had an iMac G5 that displayed these issues that was simply a bad board due to blown caps and I used the HDD for another Mac, the RAM was compatible also with another Mac.
 
RedCroissant said:
I would buy it depending on what is installed and if you can use any of it:

SATA HDD
RAM
Bluetooth
Airport

I had an iMac G5 that displayed these issues that was simply a bad board due to blown caps and I used the HDD for another Mac, the RAM was compatible also with another Mac.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't have any other Mac, or a PC that takes DDR memory.

Hard drives... I already have like a zillion laying around.


I was thinking if it might be fixable, but I don't want to take that risk.
 
PKBeam give me an idea. You could try to start it in target disk mode. If you see a FireWire symbol bouncing around on the screen, that would indicate GPU is bad, if not, then the screen is bad.
 
The machine shows the finder icon, because it does not have an operating system installed.

You can see it in the picture
 
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