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Need advice on a 2.7 powermac on ebay...

S

silveradoman01

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 4, 2010
38
0
OK so My main computer is an I7 macbook pro. Im quite used to its speed and power. But am looking for a desktop just to have as a second computer. I was looking at used imacs like a 24" or something. But them stumbled on this powermac. It has duel water cooled 2.7 G5 processors, 8 gigs of ram. two 750 gig hd's and an ATI Radeon X800 XT with 256MB VRAM graphics card. Never had a G5 mac before. All my macs past and present have been intel. Is it a good computer or should I keep looking at an aluminum 24" imac? :confused:
 
Water cooled units always run the risk of leaking someday (not that you can't see other problems with iMacs too). What is the going price right now? Dual 2.7 and 8GB of RAM is a pretty nice setup, but its a PPC so future support is limited.
 
I'd look at the iMac, it would likely smoke the G5 in almost every category, and it will be able to use more current software.
 
its a buy it now price of 885. Im not sure whether this is cheap or expensive. I know new ones can get over 10k. But my parents are tired of me changing units, and this needs to be my last one for a while since I just sold a year old 2.8 core 2 duo macbook pro to get the I7 macbook pro, then my old iphone for the new iphone, etc. Even though im breaking even, they are still tired of me doing it. So I need something reliable that will last a while and run final cut and various other computer games well. I have thought about just getting a 24" display, But like the security of 2 computers in case one is in for repair for some reason. Hear is the ebay link.... The nice thing with the Imac is I would not have to buy a monitor, and I had one of the first intel IMacs and it gave me years of trouble free service.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ategory=111418&_trkparms=algo=LVI&its=I&otn=1
 
alust2013 said:
Well, either one will be considerably slower than your i7, so I'm not sure exactly what use it would be.
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A home set up. I honestly did it backwards. As the power house would be more useful to me in a home set up than a laptop. But thats what I got. But Lets just compare the two then. The Imacs I can afford are the 24" aluminum models ranging from 2.21-2.8 ghz intel core 2 duos with 2-4 gigs of ram. IN theory the macpro has way more power 2 dual core 2.7 ghz processors and 8 gigs of ram. But are the intel processors faster/better than the older G5 processors. As I say I have only owned intel mac items, never G5 items.
 
silveradoman01 said:
its a buy it now price of 885. Im not sure whether this is cheap or expensive.
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Too expensive. The quad G5's are much better machines and those will sell for under $700 all the time. Buy It Now prices on G5's are never a good deal. Wait, and bid is the only way to go. For example, I got the 2 G5's in my sig for $124 each shipped. Try and find a BIN price on a dual 2.0GHz system anywhere near that ballpark. Point is, even with the RAM and video card, its a $450 computer.
 
Hrududu said:
Too expensive. The quad G5's are much better machines and those will sell for under $700 all the time. Buy It Now prices on G5's are never a good deal. Wait, and bid is the only way to go. For example, I got the 2 G5's in my sig for $124 each shipped. Try and find a BIN price on a dual 2.0GHz system anywhere near that ballpark. Point is, even with the RAM and video card, its a $450 computer.
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So what your saying is the Quad G5 is the better of the two (than an imac) but to keep an eye out for cheaper ones?
 
ok I guess I have gotten my self confused here. I notice that the 2.7 is a single core processor, but has 2 separate processors. then I see Quad core 2.5. Does this mean there are 2 duel core 2.5 units? I thought the 2.7 was dual core as well. How can I tell when looking if its a single core or duel core? :confused:

is this a better computer??? Im thinking about offering 700. Is that a good price? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160464524476

In my searches on here the general consensus is the mac pro is better. I would absolutely love one but cant find one under 1000. Which is my budget for this. I just need to computer as a temporary (like a year at most) solution. Then I will upgrade it to a new 6/12 core system. IM not going to be using this for much other than web browsing, e-mail. A couple games here or there. Final cut can be used on my macbook just fine. But Im a power freak. so the more the better. Also If I wanted to upgrade the graphics card what would be a good one with a lot of dedicated video memory? Thanks for all the help guys.
 
I'd advise against a dual 2.7, especially at that price. I actually run mine at 2.0 Ghz most of the time for heat and power consumption reasons.

If you want a G5, get a G5 Quad 2.3 Ghz (not 2.5), because they are not liquid cooled so there's one less thing to go wrong. I wouldn't pay anywhere near $800 for one though.
 
silveradoman01 said:
its a buy it now price of 885. Im not sure whether this is cheap or expensive. I know new ones can get over 10k. But my parents are tired of me changing units, and this needs to be my last one for a while since I just sold a year old 2.8 core 2 duo macbook pro to get the I7 macbook pro, then my old iphone for the new iphone, etc. Even though im breaking even, they are still tired of me doing it. So I need something reliable that will last a while and run final cut and various other computer games well. I have thought about just getting a 24" display, But like the security of 2 computers in case one is in for repair for some reason. Hear is the ebay link.... The nice thing with the Imac is I would not have to buy a monitor, and I had one of the first intel IMacs and it gave me years of trouble free service.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ategory=111418&_trkparms=algo=LVI&its=I&otn=1
Click to expand...

Given your needs, why don't you just take the money you were going to spend on the G5 or iMac, and get a really nice external monitor instead? I'm on record in this forum as a big fan of PPC, but if speed and raw horsepower are the drawing cards for you, you already have a processor that will, in raw power, blow away a G5.

As for the security/repair issue, you could get a moderately priced monitor and then get a Drobo (or something similar) for data backup. Is your Macbook Pro the only machine in the home? If so, then a second machine is probably advisable, but if you have more than one machine in your house, would you not be able to survive for a few days depending on your iPhone and using a computer that you, or your parents, already have?

Of course, if you just 'want' a second computer, far be it from me to tell you otherwise. Just seems to me like you have a laptop that is more powerful than a five year old desktop. There are lots of reasons to buy a used G5, and plenty of people are happy with them... just doesn't seem like it fits your particular needs, given your description.
 
Sigh

I used to be the biggest PowerPC G5 fan alive and I'm telling you: don't bother.

I have a G5 2.5 dual, liquid cooled, 8 gigs of ram, 3 TB of disc.

I'm using it in target disc mode as a way for my iMac Corei7 to use its drives.

Thinking: The 2.7s benched in the 2300 area of geekbench.

The G5s HEAVILY use electricity - as in "you'll hate the electric bill". Regular 250 watt draw on my G5 2.5 (that one benched 2312).

The G5s HEAVILY generate heat as they run VERY hot under load (I regularly saw temps in the high 180 fahrenheit range and the memory controller would hit as high as 213).

It WILL heat your room whether you want it to or not.

If you have a liquid coolant leak which you might experience (I did) it will be a VERY expensive repair. It's not worth it.

Even the lowest of the low end Intel macs EAT the G5 for lunch in terms of processor power and performance.

They were really great for their time but ... that aluminum 24" iMac will by far BEAT the G5 at its own game, use much less electricity and perform better.

The G5 LOOKS cool though.
 
Chuck Fadanoid said:
I'd advise against a dual 2.7, especially at that price. I actually run mine at 2.0 Ghz most of the time for heat and power consumption reasons.

If you want a G5, get a G5 Quad 2.3 Ghz (not 2.5), because they are not liquid cooled so there's one less thing to go wrong. I wouldn't pay anywhere near $800 for one though.
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There is no such thing as a quad 2.3GHz G5. The only G5 that EVER had a quad core setup was 2.5GHz. The last generation of G5's had dual core processors, so a 2.3GHz system had a single dual core chip in it. The 2.5 had 2 dual core chips for a total of 4 and was the only G5 system EVER to come setup like that. and. So to the OP, yes that one you linked last is the model you're looking for. $700 for that setup is about the going rate I would say.
 
He took my offer of 600. So for 650 Including shipping I got the quad 2.5 with 8 gigs of ram and two hard drives. IM pretty happy with that as I just sorta want two of my own computers, and the cheapest Imac I could find on ebay that had specs I wanted was over a grand. My parents and brother and sister all have windows pc's and they work ok. (so there are 5 more computers in the house) But I always get frustrated with them. Im the only mac guy in the house. Power bill is not a big deal. Our electric bill runs any ware from 5-700 a month anyway. I doubt this will make all that much of a difference. Thanks for all the help guys. I figure this will work ok for my basic needs, if I need more power I have my I7 macbook ready and willing, as a temporary solution I feel it was a smart buy. 650 for a computer that was well over 4k when new is a pretty good deal.
 
if it leaks when I get it I will dispute that with the seller. But if it starts leaking in say 6 months what are my options. Im going to look after it once a week or so, but im sorta thinking about switching the coolant out to something not corrosive.
 
silveradoman01 said:
if it leaks when I get it I will dispute that with the seller. But if it starts leaking in say 6 months what are my options. Im going to look after it once a week or so, but im sorta thinking about switching the coolant out to something not corrosive.
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If it does leak, its pretty easy to replace the cooling liquid. The only thing is, you want to catch is as SOON as it starts leaking, before the liquid gets on the motherboard and starts to damage stuff. This is the tricky part.
 
silveradoman01 said:
if it leaks when I get it I will dispute that with the seller. But if it starts leaking in say 6 months what are my options. Im going to look after it once a week or so, but im sorta thinking about switching the coolant out to something not corrosive.
Click to expand...

If it starts leaking in say, 6 months, you're pretty much left high and dry (no pun intended) unless the seller has some sort of long-term insurance. Hopefully if it starts leaking, you catch it before any major damage is done, speaking from experience (11 years as an Apple tech, left my job a few months ago), Apple no longer has parts for the leak prone PowerMac G5s.
 
silveradoman01 said:
He took my offer of 600. So for 650 Including shipping I got the quad 2.5 with 8 gigs of ram and two hard drives. IM pretty happy with that as I just sorta want two of my own computers, and the cheapest Imac I could find on ebay that had specs I wanted was over a grand. My parents and brother and sister all have windows pc's and they work ok. (so there are 5 more computers in the house) But I always get frustrated with them. Im the only mac guy in the house. Power bill is not a big deal. Our electric bill runs any ware from 5-700 a month anyway. I doubt this will make all that much of a difference. Thanks for all the help guys. I figure this will work ok for my basic needs, if I need more power I have my I7 macbook ready and willing, as a temporary solution I feel it was a smart buy. 650 for a computer that was well over 4k when new is a pretty good deal.
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Good deal man. With 8GB installed, thats a great price. Enjoy the new Mac!
 
DesmoPilot said:
If it starts leaking in say, 6 months, you're pretty much left high and dry (no pun intended) unless the seller has some sort of long-term insurance. Hopefully if it starts leaking, you catch it before any major damage is done, speaking from experience (11 years as an Apple tech, left my job a few months ago), Apple no longer has parts for the leak prone PowerMac G5s.
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Well I knew I would be on my own. But what would it need? Also if later on I decide to swap out Processors what can the motherboard handle? Also whats a good graphics card with lots of dedicated video ram? I like to tinker so I find these things fun.
 
The 6600 is the stock or low-end graphics card. The 7800GT is the next step up and the Quadro 4500 is the high-end card. The 7800 is more than enough as the latter are still $300+. There are no processor upgrades.

I bought some Feser One cooling fluid for mine(still in the process of switching it over) as it's non-conductive and non-corrosive. I also replaced all the hoses with clear Tygon tubing. Mine never had any sort of leaks, just figured I would do this so if it would, I'd be covered. I have a thread up if you just search my posts.

It really is a lot of fun tinkering around and playing with older Macs :) Congrats on your purchase. You will enjoy it.
 
cool, thanks for the graphics card ideas. Quick question, do these come with airport or bluetooth? Airport is not a big deal as I want to hook it up by Ethernet no matter what. But bluetooth would be very nice.
 
There was an option from it. Originally it was like $300 from Apple :eek:. It comes on a combo card so you actually get both. The combo cards can be found on ebay for under $20. The shocking part is it requires a "riser" card. Those can be a bit harder to find and are quite expensive, typically $50+.

If you can find that riser card for a good price, I got 1 of the combo cards that you can have.


There was a few months back a seller on ebay that had like 20 or so of them for $30 each. I should have bought them all since they sell the kit on ebay for like $120 lol.
 
Its not worth all that. I dont mind just digging out one of my older wired keyboards and mouse to make it work. Thanks :D Now off to find a good apple display.
 
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