PowerMac advice, please!

[cocacolakid]

IMHO, yo should go for a SSD before everything else. In eBay, you can find a good one for about 80$, and the PowerMac would feel like a whole new, faster computer. About the RAM, I'd buy it in eBay or forums. Way cheaper, same quality.

I agree, buy an SSD, you can keep your music and video on a larger internal drive, but SSD prices have fallen and it will make it a much faster computer. SSD prices are no higher than a 1 tb traditional drive. I wouldn't open up the WD external.

Look for used RAM to save money. The marketplace here if you have enough posts to view is one possible source. So is Ebay.

What video card is in it now?

I've seen iSight cameras on ebay as low as $25 recently.

 

[MisterKeeks]

This is my wish list as of right now for my PM and I'm hoping that someone out there has some ideas on where I could save a lot.

1.)16GB RAM kit(just because I want it maxed out)
These are the prices that I found from 3 sources and I was wondering if anyone knew of sites/vendors with good reputations but more reasonable prices.
OWC: 247.96 (16GB kit, 8 x2GB modules)

Crucial: 287.96(16GB kit, 8 x2GB modules)

NewEgg: 152.00 (8GB kit, 8x1GB modules)

2.)Better graphics card to support higher resolution
I doubt that I'll be connecting any other monitors at this point of any time in the future, so this one is sort of off the list since the stock card works just fine for my needs.

3.)Higher capacity HDD(cannot afford SSD)
I have a 1TB WD MyBook Studio external HDD and I was wondering if I could simply remove that from the case and install that in the bay and use one of the 500GB internals installed at the moment with my external case.

4.)Great speakers
I would just like something simple that does not require its own power supply that would also look nice with or attach to the display. USB bus-powered is fine as well.

5.)iSight camera
Of course a good iSight camera is most likely going to be hard to come by, but other ideas/advice on not only good but also compatible webcams would be greatly appreciated.

RAM: Try used RAM. If you live near a university, they might have a surplus store. There is one fairly close to me, and they sell RAM for $10/GB, and they would probably discount if you are getting 8 sticks. If you want to contact them PM me.

Graphics Card: This page has just about everything you need.

Hard Drive: You probably can use the hard drive inside the enclosure. That said, if you get a refurbished SSD with a small capacity (<30), you might be able to afford it.

Speakers: You could always get Harmon Kardon SoundSticks and an iSub.

iSight Camera: As always, try eBay. Shopgoodwill.com seems to have been selling a lot of them lately.

 

[RedCroissant]

I agree, buy an SSD, you can keep your music and video on a larger internal drive, but SSD prices have fallen and it will make it a much faster computer. SSD prices are no higher than a 1 tb traditional drive. I wouldn't open up the WD external.

Look for used RAM to save money. The marketplace here if you have enough posts to view is one possible source. So is Ebay.

What video card is in it now?

I've seen iSight cameras on ebay as low as $25 recently.

A SSD would be nice for speed I guess, but going from an iBook G4 with a single 1.42GHz CPU to this Quad is amazing enough so I think a SSD purchase would have to be much later.

I tried the marketplace and I only saw people looking for RAM and not really anyone selling it.

The card is the GeForce 6600 with 256MB Ram.

Well then I'll try eBay for them because I think that would be awesome. How do the iSights compare to other webcams on the market?

RAM: Try used RAM. If you live near a university, they might have a surplus store. There is one fairly close to me, and they sell RAM for $10/GB, and they would probably discount if you are getting 8 sticks. If you want to contact them PM me.

Graphics Card: This page has just about everything you need.

Hard Drive: You probably can use the hard drive inside the enclosure. That said, if you get a refurbished SSD with a small capacity (<30), you might be able to afford it.

Speakers: You could always get Harmon Kardon SoundSticks and an iSub.

iSight Camera: As always, try eBay. Shopgoodwill.com seems to have been selling a lot of them lately.

I think I will contact you because my area seems to be out of that RAM and what is available through other sources seems to be really overpriced to me. Are they selling good quality RAM though?

Can you also confirm if the RAM for the PM G5 Quad is the same for the iMac G5 1.9GHz 17" with iSight? It looks as though they are the same and if so, once I get the new RAM for the PM, then I would just move a 1GB module to that machine and actually be able to use it.

Do you know of a good eSATA PCI-E card for the PM? the external I have is FW800/usb 2.0/eSATA so i thought that I would give the eSATA try to see how the speeds differ.

I'll look for those speakers because I didn't even think about the audio coming out of the tower and even thought the speakers on the iBooks weren't great, I got used to having the sound right by my face and would prefer that(as I think most people would).

 

[cocacolakid]

A SSD would be nice for speed I guess, but going from an iBook G4 with a single 1.42GHz CPU to this Quad is amazing enough so I think a SSD purchase would have to be much later.

I tried the marketplace and I only saw people looking for RAM and not really anyone selling it.

The card is the GeForce 6600 with 256MB Ram.

Well then I'll try eBay for them because I think that would be awesome. How do the iSights compare to other webcams on the market?



I think I will contact you because my area seems to be out of that RAM and what is available through other sources seems to be really overpriced to me. Are they selling good quality RAM though?

Can you also confirm if the RAM for the PM G5 Quad is the same for the iMac G5 1.9GHz 17" with iSight? It looks as though they are the same and if so, once I get the new RAM for the PM, then I would just move a 1GB module to that machine and actually be able to use it.

Do you know of a good eSATA PCI-E card for the PM? the external I have is FW800/usb 2.0/eSATA so i thought that I would give the eSATA try to see how the speeds differ.

I'll look for those speakers because I didn't even think about the audio coming out of the tower and even thought the speakers on the iBooks weren't great, I got used to having the sound right by my face and would prefer that(as I think most people would).

OK, so SSD is out for now.

The first thing to do is upgrade the RAM. Even if you can't afford to go to full 16GB, at least upgrade from the 2GB you have now.

As for video cards, that's a decent card you have now. I'm not experienced on all the G5 options out there, but many others here are, I'll let them chime in on what your best choices would be (and remember guys, OP is on a budget, so don't recommend $200 flashed cards

The iSight camera doesn't compare too favorably with newer webcam's because it's old. It's resolution is low for today's webcams (640x480). The three main advantages of the iSight though are it uses Firewire instead of taking up a USB port, it's from Apple, so you know it works properly, and it looks cool. A fourth plus is in today's market, it's relatively inexpensive.

The RAM for the Quad and the 1.9 G5 iMac w/iSight are the same, 533 MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM.

 

[Nameci]

OK, so SSD is out for now.

The first thing to do is upgrade the RAM. Even if you can't afford to go to full 16GB, at least upgrade from the 2GB you have now.

As for video cards, that's a decent card you have now. I'm not experienced on all the G5 options out there, but many others here are, I'll let them chime in on what your best choices would be (and remember guys, OP is on a budget, so don't recommend $200 flashed cards

The iSight camera doesn't compare too favorably with newer webcam's because it's old. It's resolution is low for today's webcams (640x480). The three main advantages of the iSight though are it uses Firewire instead of taking up a USB port, it's from Apple, so you know it works properly, and it looks cool. A fourth plus is in today's market, it's relatively inexpensive.

The RAM for the Quad and the 1.9 G5 iMac w/iSight are the same, 533 MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM.

For the gfx card, your best bet is to buy a PC ATI Radeon X1900 256MB and flash it. I have read here somewhere that it can be flashed using ATICelerator.

For the memory, it should be in pairs, unless you have an iSight G5 memory that come in pairs, a one stick module will not work. You need a pair. The memory is PC2-4200 low density, UB, unregistered. If you go the ECC route 2GB sticks PC2-4200 server RAM are quite affordable these days.

I would go for the iSight because it uses firewire and does not it much CPU resources when using it.

 

[cocacolakid]

I see someone listed an iSight camera in the marketplace.

 

[RedCroissant]

I see someone listed an iSight camera in the marketplace.

Yeah, I saw that too. I'm just limited now to either using a credit card or trading something that I have. The problem with that is the fact that I'll be paying for shipping for what I'd be willing to trade. It's annoying because most people think I'm trying to scam them.

 

[cocacolakid]

Yeah, I saw that too. I'm just limited now to either using a credit card or trading something that I have. The problem with that is the fact that I'll be paying for shipping for what I'd be willing to trade. It's annoying because most people think I'm trying to scam them.

I hear you. Been there, often. When you do have money to spend to start upgrading that I'd spend it on RAM first.

BTW, I got to see the G5 I gave my brother a few months back, stopped at his house for a moment today and there it was, being used as an everyday machine by him and his two kids. Doing a great job with whatever they need.

 

[RedCroissant]

I hear you. Been there, often. When you do have money to spend to start upgrading that I'd spend it on RAM first.

BTW, I got to see the G5 I gave my brother a few months back, stopped at his house for a moment today and there it was, being used as an everyday machine by him and his two kids. Doing a great job with whatever they need.

Yeah, it sucks but I am absolutely AMAZED with this machine. And to think I almost did something financially crazy by buying a refurb iMac from Apple.

The funny thing about this purchase is that once I got the iMac that I had a while back, I said that I would never by a tower again. I'm glad that I wasn't held to that because this tower is awesome.

I think that for $200, a person can't do much better on a complete setup.

It's great that they're actually using the machine for what it was meant to be used for, which makes the giving of it more significant(in my opinion).

Would you do me a favor and let me know what you think would of value enough to offer as a trade for PM upgrades(RAM or otherwise)?

1. iBook G4 12.1" 1.33GHz 512MB RAM, 40GB HDD, combo drive, running OS X 10.4.11(in excellent condition with original Apple power adapter and all ports working as they should)

2. iBook G4 14.2" 1.42GHz 1.5GB RAM, 60GB HDD, superdrive running OS X 10.5.8(in excellent condition with third party power adapter,except for the firewire port that is only partially working). The port sends power to the devices, but not data.

3. OS X Tiger 10.4.11 retail disc in its original box with documentation(I will also include a DVD with the 10.4.11 combo update)

4. Windows XP Home with SP2 in original box with all documentation and official and verifiable product key.

5. Windows Vista Ultimate in original box with all documentation and official and verifiable product key.

I would only be getting rid of one of the laptops though since I would need one of them for school if I do in fact get accepted to grad school.

Anyway, thanks for your responses and your time.

 

[cocacolakid]

Yeah, it sucks but I am absolutely AMAZED with this machine. And to think I almost did something financially crazy by buying a refurb iMac from Apple.

The funny thing about this purchase is that once I got the iMac that I had a while back, I said that I would never by a tower again. I'm glad that I wasn't held to that because this tower is awesome.

I think that for $200, a person can't do much better on a complete setup.

It's great that they're actually using the machine for what it was meant to be used for, which makes the giving of it more significant(in my opinion).

Would you do me a favor and let me know what you think would of value enough to offer as a trade for PM upgrades(RAM or otherwise)?

1. iBook G4 12.1" 1.33GHz 512MB RAM, 40GB HDD, combo drive, running OS X 10.4.11(in excellent condition with original Apple power adapter and all ports working as they should)

2. iBook G4 14.2" 1.42GHz 1.5GB RAM, 60GB HDD, superdrive running OS X 10.5.8(in excellent condition with third party power adapter,except for the firewire port that is only partially working). The port sends power to the devices, but not data.

3. OS X Tiger 10.4.11 retail disc in its original box with documentation(I will also include a DVD with the 10.4.11 combo update)

4. Windows XP Home with SP2 in original box with all documentation and official and verifiable product key.

5. Windows Vista Ultimate in original box with all documentation and official and verifiable product key.

I would only be getting rid of one of the laptops though since I would need one of them for school if I do in fact get accepted to grad school.

Anyway, thanks for your responses and your time.

Yeah, someone using it as an actual everyday machine gets more use that me having it here and loving the looks but rarely using it. And the G5's can still do everything, just not with the bells and whistles of the latest Mac OS's.

All of these are eBay prices, I sell t-shirts on eBay and use Terapeak to research prices, so that's where these are from. If you're trading/selling here people always expect a discount so value them less. If you sell/trade on the Marketplace you won't get stuck with eBay fees or the hassle of some customers who are just nuts. I sold my Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh on eBay and the guy waited two weeks, did a chargeback on his credit card and never contacted me. He tried to steal the machine from me and it took me months to get the machine back. I've never sold another high priced item on eBay, that spoiled my appetite for that. That guy wasn't disgruntled, he was just a thief.

1. The 12.1" iBook is selling for $80-125 for the most part, in very good condition. With yours having the Apple power supply, and excellent condition, probably on the high end. There is one seller who has sold 3 or 4 for $125-180, so if i you wrote it up nicely you might get more. I assume both iBooks have working batteries.

2. The 14.1" is selling for $100-150 in good or vg working condition. I'd put yours on the high end with the higher RAM, excellent condition, and running Leopard, which is a plus, not a lot of the iBooks on eBay have Leopard. The firewire port not working will hurt the value a bit, more so to a Mac person who would know what firewire is and might actually use it. A first time Mac user or someone switching from Windows isn't likely to care about the firewire port not working. If the firewire port doesn't bother you, keep that one. It's faster and has more RAM, a better fit for using in college.

3. Is the Tiger retail disc a DVD or the now harder to find 4 CD set? I'll assume it's the single DVD since you didn't specify. The last two sold Tiger retail DVD's were April and July and each sold for $32.95. One had the box and the other the box and manual, so that's a perfect comparison.

4. Is the Windows XP Home the full version or upgrade? The unused upgrade versions have sold for $35-45 in the last few months. The full versions, unopened, are $100. If yours are opened and used, not sure how those do selling them, probably half the price. I'm also not sure about the specifics of selling Windows if it has been installed on a machine before, I know you can unlicense a machine using a retail version, so I assume that can then be sold.

5. Ah, Vista, the best friend of Macs everywhere. Single-handedly responsible for more new Mac users than probably the hit original iMac! Sealed, full versions actually are selling for $100-180. I have to guess those prices are because of the disaster of Windows 8 and perhaps people having older PC's that can't upgrade to Windows 7. If that's not the reason for Vista having much value these days then I have no clue.

I hope that helps.

 

[Cox Orange]

On the loud (now not so loud) fan:
if you somewhen find it is too loud, some people have found their fans to be quiet again, after applying new thermal compound to the CPUs, but you might not really want to go under the stress of disassembling and reassembling it.

On SATA cards:
- cheap: LSI / 3ware / AMCC do make SATA-PCIe cards that support Mac OS X, but you can not boot from them. Loo into the 9500, 9550 and 9650 sseries.
- cheap, too, but only with 2 SATA ports: Digitus (look on the description details, some are advertised as Win/Linux/Mac and some not).
- costier and not always to find on Ebay: Sonnet cards.
- somewhat cheap: cards with a Sil3132 chip

- cheap, but requires flashing: cards with Sil3512 or Sil3112 chip and flash with SATA-PCIe card firmware by Wiebetech (search google).
---> Link to wiebetech FW, plus other card models mentioned http://www.applefritter.com/content/sil3512-flashing

make AMCC / LSI / 3ware 6950 bootable (not sure, if it works under PowerPCs, too) http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/66345-success-booting-off-3ware-9650se-raid-controller/ (on your own risk!)