So today I came across a listing for a Quad G5 for $90 with no HDD and 6 GB RAM. I have wanted a Quad for a long time now, and found this one, which is in my price range. The listing says that the computer won't turn on, but the power button LED comes on when the button is pressed. I have looked around on Google, and there are articles that say the PRAM battery is bad, the graphics card is bad, or the RAM is paired incorrectly. I just want to ask before I purchase it because I don't want to blow $100+ on a new logic board/processor. Really hoping that it's simple because I want a Quad so badly!
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Quad G5 Problems/Should I Buy It?
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Not at all, meaning no fan activity, and the light doesn't stay on? Probably either a bad logic board or PSU then, It'd be hard to tell which.
There are 7 LEDs on the front of the logic board that can give you a lot of information as to the faults happening when you power it on. The service manual will give you a fair bit of information about what faults the various light/light combinations mean.
BTW, in my experience bad RAM will give you 3 beeps along with three flashes of the Power LED.
If the computer doesn't chime, either the speaker is bad or it hasn't successfully completed the POST. The failure to POST is-I would say-most likely. Again, the LEDs on the logic board can give you an indication of where in the POST it's hanging/failing.
BTW, in my experience bad RAM will give you 3 beeps along with three flashes of the Power LED.
If the computer doesn't chime, either the speaker is bad or it hasn't successfully completed the POST. The failure to POST is-I would say-most likely. Again, the LEDs on the logic board can give you an indication of where in the POST it's hanging/failing.
Ok so from what the seller has put in the description and from what I've found in the service manual, I've narrowed it down to these last 2 issues
I can tell you from experience that when you're doing diagnostic work, don't skip any of the processor screws. Some of them are responsible for providing power-in particular the four rearmost ones that screw directly into the cards. Leaving one of these screws out will cause a hang.
If the processor/LCS module hasn't been removed, check in particular for one or both of the processor LEDs along the front illuminating during POST. If either/both of these light, it may have LCS damage(although leaky quad LCSs are unusual). If either of these comes on, I'd run unless you can get it REALLY cheap.
IMO, I'd probably pass on it for that price, as you can get a good known working one for not much more and sometimes less.
If the processor/LCS module hasn't been removed, check in particular for one or both of the processor LEDs along the front illuminating during POST. If either/both of these light, it may have LCS damage(although leaky quad LCSs are unusual). If either of these comes on, I'd run unless you can get it REALLY cheap.
IMO, I'd probably pass on it for that price, as you can get a good known working one for not much more and sometimes less.
I found a different one that is going for $140 the one that I originally looked at happens to have $30 shipping, so that's a no go. The one I'm looking at right now is a BTO Quad with 2 GB RAM. The HDD, Graphics, and RAM are missing so I have to get those parts. I'm getting 8 GB RAM, a 500 GB HDD (for my DP which I'm giving to my brother, I'm gonna take the 1 TB HDD from it), and the stock 6600 Graphics
Also @bunnspecial , when you removed the cover pin, did you damage it? I want to check the LCS on this one when I get it, the case is in terrible shape and I want to be sure the internals are nicer than the exterior. I know that since the cover pins are hard to come by now, removing it cleanly is the only option.
I ended up just using a knife and cutting it-mine doesn't have one now.
Sorry-wish I had a better answer.
Sorry-wish I had a better answer.
It's fine, I'm thinking that if I can find a small enough object, that I could fit it into the small gap between the cover and where that pin is and use it to move one of those plastic finger things over enough to take the pin out