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New iMac G5 - When and What did you buy?
- Thread starter mdelaney123
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gekko513 said:
...just in case someone rolls out the 'ol chestnut that "those tests in THG were done on a PC, therefore, the normal rules of physics don't apply in the Mac world!!!", here's some Mac tests that Barefeats did:
http://www.barefeats.com/g5b.html
Comparing apples to apples:
- UT2003 Flyby, 1280x768, Max details:
1.8GHz G5, 64MB FX 5200 Ultra: 48 FPS
1.8GHz G5, 64MB Radeon 9600 Pro: 81 FPS
All other factors are the same here (same system, same AGP slot, same VRAM). That's not a step sideways.
Timelessblur said:
The lack of VRAM is't gonna be such a big deal for everday use , maybe in video games or Motion, but it's that proven that VRAM isn't really any factor unless the program recognizes the extra ram and can utilize it properly. Kinda like have a Dual Processor it's a complete waste unless ur into pro apps... FCP , Photoshop , Motion can recognize it.
I am really getting sick of people bitching about this card. it is much more powerful than the regular FX5200 , and when Core Image and Video comes with tiger it won't be such a big deal like people think. If it was gonna have such a performance hit then apple wouldn't have given the new iMac this card in the 1st place.
The only people who will complain are the Pro's who need all that power , and in that caae they have no business even looking at an iMac when they need a power mac. All these other people Bitching will never utilize the full potential of a Radeon 9800PRO or XT. the Mac is not a Gaming Platform , you wanna play games buy an XBOX..... It's only $150.
I have a 15in LCD iMac G4 800mhz with a Geforce MX2 32MB VRAM and it runs perfectly. I can just Imagine how fast the iMac G5 would be in comparison.
You need to upgrade in pairs...
Guys, you're forgetting one thing. The G5 iMac has a 600 mhz. Front Side Bus. It uses memory sticks that are only 400 mhz. How does it do it? Well, you're supposed to install memory in pairs of same-sized, same-brand, preferably same batch DIMMs. This is just like the PowerMac G5. When you buy the iMac G5 with the 512MB RAM option, you're going to be getting it with 2x 256 MB DIMMs, and if you want to upgrade it to 1GB, you'll have to pull both DIMMs and install 2x 512MB DIMMs.
Please, save yourself the headaches and just buy a pair of PC3200 DIMMs from Newegg.com or Crucial or wherever you want.
I've found from my PowerBook G4 that the following pretty much applies to Panther (10.3):
512MB is fine for home use: Safari, Mail.app, iChat, iTunes all running at the same time.
1024MB is fine for "pro" use: Safari, Mail.app, iTunes, Word, Excel, OpenOffice, X11, plus more room for pro applications (I record audio and 1 GB helped out a lot).
I hope that helps.
Le Big Mac said:
Guys, you're forgetting one thing. The G5 iMac has a 600 mhz. Front Side Bus. It uses memory sticks that are only 400 mhz. How does it do it? Well, you're supposed to install memory in pairs of same-sized, same-brand, preferably same batch DIMMs. This is just like the PowerMac G5. When you buy the iMac G5 with the 512MB RAM option, you're going to be getting it with 2x 256 MB DIMMs, and if you want to upgrade it to 1GB, you'll have to pull both DIMMs and install 2x 512MB DIMMs.
Please, save yourself the headaches and just buy a pair of PC3200 DIMMs from Newegg.com or Crucial or wherever you want.
I've found from my PowerBook G4 that the following pretty much applies to Panther (10.3):
512MB is fine for home use: Safari, Mail.app, iChat, iTunes all running at the same time.
1024MB is fine for "pro" use: Safari, Mail.app, iTunes, Word, Excel, OpenOffice, X11, plus more room for pro applications (I record audio and 1 GB helped out a lot).
I hope that helps.
illumin8 said:
I think you might be incorrect about the need for paired DIMMs in the iMac G5. If you look at the configuration page on the Apple Store, the default setup is 256MB as one DIMM. You can also configure the iMac G5 with 512MB or 1024MB, also with a single DIMM. This more than likely means that the iMac G5 does not use a dual channel memory system like the PowerMac G5 does. That is the reason that you need to add memory in pairs to a G5 PowerMac. It is not related to the speed of the memory and the speed of the FSB. RAM speed and CPU FSB speed are often asynchronous (including in my 1.6GHz PowerMac G5, where the FSB is 800MHz, and the RAM is dual channel DDR 333MHz).
Edit: Note the '1 DIMM' designation in the iMac G5 configuration screen below.
Attachments
That didn't help and was very misleading to other noobs. If a picture speaks a thousand words, two pictures should shut some people up when they have no idea what they're talking about. But I'm gonna do it one better and post 4 pictures so people can **** and RTFM at Apple Support.illumin8 said:
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very jealous of all of you who ordered the new IMacs. I just got the email from Apple and wanted it as soon as I saw it; however, I just got an ibook a month ago and I love it but I really want a new IMac. It will be a while before I get a new mac. Hopefully I'll get something new from Apple when I go to continue my education after college. 
P.S. I'm new to macs and already obsessed with them!
P.S. I'm new to macs and already obsessed with them!
Originally I stated that I would wait for the next revision before thinking about buying the new G5 iMac. But after my wife and I discussed it and looked at it more and more we decided to go for it. I definitely like the design of the G4 iMac more than the G5 iMacs (that comparison is not even close).......but the G5 processor and hard drive space sold us. Plus we had a developer discount that we had to use before our membership expired. So we sold our G4 iMac today and upgraded:
17" 1.8GHz G5 iMac
SuperDrive
250GB HardDrive
Bluetooth
Wireless Keyboard & Mouse
512MB RAM 1-slot
3-4 Weeks for shipping
I'm going to miss the G4 iMac. We originally bought the 15" SuperDrive model when they first introduced them in Jan '02 (took 2 months to ship) and then upgraded to the 1GHz 17" SuperDrive when they were introduced in Feb '03. 2 1/2 yrs. with the greatest computer design ever on our desk. What a great computer! Hopefully the vesa mounts are great with this G5 iMac so we can have similar flexibility with it.
Better get out the cameras and make a home movie about my G4 iMac leaving home.
17" 1.8GHz G5 iMac
SuperDrive
250GB HardDrive
Bluetooth
Wireless Keyboard & Mouse
512MB RAM 1-slot
3-4 Weeks for shipping
I'm going to miss the G4 iMac. We originally bought the 15" SuperDrive model when they first introduced them in Jan '02 (took 2 months to ship) and then upgraded to the 1GHz 17" SuperDrive when they were introduced in Feb '03. 2 1/2 yrs. with the greatest computer design ever on our desk. What a great computer! Hopefully the vesa mounts are great with this G5 iMac so we can have similar flexibility with it.
Better get out the cameras and make a home movie about my G4 iMac leaving home.
aswitcher said:
Total Recall Solutions in North Sydney is where I have bought EVERY one of my Macs from, not to mention countless OS's. http://www.trs.com.au/ I have known of the store since my father bought my LC575 from there. They have a promotion going, i.e. be the first to get a new iMac, and get a discount. I may just have to visit there again
paxtonandrew said:Total Recall Solutions in North Sydney is where I have bought EVERY one of my Macs from, not to mention countless OS's. http://www.trs.com.au/ I have known of the store since my father bought my LC575 from there. They have a promotion going, i.e. be the first to get a new iMac, and get a discount. I may just have to visit there again
I just took a look at their web site...I like their honesty with regards to stock availability. My favourite: "AirPort Express - forget it". Makes you realise how far Apple has to go in terms of inventory and logistics management. Speaking of products which are in massive demand, I went into the UNSW on-campus Apple store yesterday looking for a cover for my 4G 20GB iPod (no such luck). Anyway...one of the women working there was telling me that there are currently something like 40,000 orders for the iPod mini pending in Australia at the moment...and that's just for silver!.
To bring it back on topic, I hope any Aussies here who have ordered the new iMac G5 aren't stung by the usual types of delays we seem to encounter down here. It's bringing back bad memories of ordering my 1.6GHz G5 PowerMac last year...it took about 2 months to arrive. They were in shops on display before Apple shipped mine...and then it was DOA! ROOOOAARRRRR!!!!
OK...deep breath...relax...
Order Date
08/31/04
03:17 AM PST
iMac 1.8GHz w/20" TFT Z096 3-4 weeks
512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM 065-4715
160GB Serial ATA drive 065-4703
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) 065-4705
AirPort Extreme Card 065-4718
Bluetooth Module + Apple Wireless Keyboard & Mouse + Mac
08/31/04
03:17 AM PST
iMac 1.8GHz w/20" TFT Z096 3-4 weeks
512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM 065-4715
160GB Serial ATA drive 065-4703
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) 065-4705
AirPort Extreme Card 065-4718
Bluetooth Module + Apple Wireless Keyboard & Mouse + Mac
paxtonandrew said:Total Recall Solutions in North Sydney is where I have bought EVERY one of my Macs from, not to mention countless OS's. http://www.trs.com.au/ I have known of the store since my father bought my LC575 from there. They have a promotion going, i.e. be the first to get a new iMac, and get a discount. I may just have to visit there again
Thanks they seem to be on par with Macmall...although delivery charges at Macmall mean they are actually cheaper.
Are they wheelers and dealers or do you always pay sticker price?
oingoboingo said:
Well, on that test of yours they also report
- UT2003 1024x768 Botmatch
1.8GHz G5, 64MB FX 5200 Ultra: 47 FPS
1.8GHz G5, 64MB Radeon 9600 Pro: 47 FPS
- Quake 3 Demo 1600x1024
1.8GHz 2xG5, 64MB FX 5200 Ultra: 76 FPS
2.0GHz 2xG5, 64MB Radeon 9600 Pro: 87 FPS
- Cinebench 2003
1.8GHz G5, 64MB FX 5200 Ultra: 7.9 FPS
1.8GHz G5, 64MB Radeon 9600 Pro: 8.8 FPS
I don't have any special interest in defending the FX 5200, but it is very similiar to the Radeon 9600 Pro. Except for a few situation were it suddenly just s**ks.
Im really thinking about selling my PowerBook and buying the new 17" G5 w/ SD....They look great but I still like the old design allot more.
So I haven't had a Mac since the 512 and I've got many questions before I get my new iMac G5, but one is foremost:
What is the difference between 1)Airport Express, 2)Airport Extreme and 3)Airport Extreme Base Station? Might as well throw in 4)Bluetooth, too.
Reason I ask is I have a Dell that I want to link to the iMac (that I haven't bought yet). I also have an HP printer and an HP Scanjet 5P.
I want to network them all. I sure can't tell by the Apple website "tell me more about..." window.
Thanks!
What is the difference between 1)Airport Express, 2)Airport Extreme and 3)Airport Extreme Base Station? Might as well throw in 4)Bluetooth, too.
Reason I ask is I have a Dell that I want to link to the iMac (that I haven't bought yet). I also have an HP printer and an HP Scanjet 5P.
I want to network them all. I sure can't tell by the Apple website "tell me more about..." window.
Thanks!
gekko513 said:
The botmatch is CPU limited. I've tried this out on my own system. You can take the resolution from 1600x1200x32 all the way down to 800x600x32, and the FPS barely changes. That type of scenario is strongly indicative that the CPU is the bottleneck, not the GPU. You could compare a $50 nVidia FX 5200 against a $500 GeForce 6800 on UT2004 botmatch on the same hardware, and come up with very similar looking FPS scores.
I'm not as familiar with Q3 and Cinebench 2003 as I am with UT2003, but again the Q3 Demo looks CPU limited.
The Barefeats tests are only partially complete (did you notice how many times the FX5200 and the same system with the Radeon 9600 were not tested? The UT2003 benchmark was about the only one that was presented which was properly controlled (apart from Cinebench, which again shows the Radeon 9600 being 11% faster).
If there are any users out there with 1.6GHz G5s and FX 5200 cards, I'd love to do some comparative benchmarking with some modern games like UT2004 and CoD. All the evidence around the web suggests that the Radeon 9600 Pro is head and shoulders superior to the FX 5200 on the PC. The UT2003 Flyby test on the Mac confirms this. The other benchmarks are inconclusive...they could be CPU limited.
I've got UT2004, CoD, BF1942, Ghost Recon: Island Thunder, and Warcraft III installed here if someone with a G5/FX 5200 system wants to have a go at some benchmarking. I'll run the equivalent tests and we can compare the answers.
iYooper said:
1) Airport Express - this is a new small all-in-one wireless router (to make things simple) that apple has. Its plug-in and go. Just hook your cable modem(or dsl) up to the Express and viola, you have wireless internet, minus some messy extra wires.
2) Airport Extreme - is the actual card you need installed into a mac in order to pick up a wireless signal (like a linksys wireless card). You dont need an Apple made "wireless router" to use your Airport Extreme card, you can use it on any 802.11b/g networks. BTW, its called "extreme" b/c its 802.11G compliant, which means it has faster transfer rates then the old 802.11b
3) Airport Extreme Base Station - basically the same as Express, but with more options. Allows you to hook up ethernet chords to it, use it as a modem, has a bit more wireless strength etc...
4) Bluetooth - Absolutely nothing to do with wireless internet (again, for the sake of this reply, because technically you can surf the net via bluetooth but lets forget about that). Bluetooth is basically the modern day Ir beaming that Palm and cell phones used to have. But now its more updated. You can be anywhere within 30 feet, its faster, and perfect for small things like beaming pictures, or syncing your address contacts with your computer (or using a wireless bluetooth mouse/keyboard etc...)
As for the Dell, you can network a Windows comp with a Mac, I am doing it right now. It works great. As for4 the printer sharing between the two with your specific model.....can anyone else on this forum help us out?? (since I have no clue as to the answer?)
Hope this helped clear things up for you.
Evan
www.TokyoHeights.com
iYooper said:
To make things less confusing...the answer is Yes. Technically I suppose you could use the normal Airport card (802.11b), but i think apple stopped selling them, and they dont fit in current models (I dont know which model mac youre referring to). So to make a long story short.. Yes, youd have to use an Airport Extreme card. Unless of course youre not using an apple computer. Then you can get any wireless card available.
Evan
p.s. actually i just thought of one more option: I guess you could also get a USB linksys wireless card (a little device that hooks up to your comp via your usb port). Ive never heard personallyh of anyone with a mac doing this, although now that I think of it, it is one (albeit ghetto) way of getting around the airport card.
reykjavik said:
Thanks, Evan. I guess I'll get the base station, the extreme card and buy a wireless card for the Dell. I have a Linksys router, but it is not wireless. Allows me to run cable from a laptop (I'm gonna dump it) to the router and the windows pc.
I'll get it all figured out. Just can't wait for enough $$ to buy my new iMac. My wife gets the Dell pc.
Not ordered yet, but I got the okay from the Boss (AKA the wife). Once i get a few checks for some jobs I did recently, I am cleared for take-off. Regardless, it will be ordered on or before the 25th (I have a coupon at the apple store expiring then. I am really excited as this will be my first new Mac (always did refurb or used before). I will be getting the 17" 1.8 GHz Superdrive model. Probably stock, but I may try to sneak in the Bluetooth module. Everything else will be an add-when-I-can kind of deal.
iYooper said:
Well if you already have a linksys router what you can do is get a linksys wireless access point to throw on top of the router. Its gonna be MUCH cheaper than buying a base station. Do a search on amazon for linksys wireless access point. Unless you want to go all apple. The choice is yours