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Very sad day. My PMG5 died I think.

1042686

1042686

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Original poster
Sep 3, 2016
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I installed a 1.4TB drive for TM, started the backup and left to enjoy my weekend. This morning, the dual 2Ghz CPU PMG5 wont wake up. I reboot the box and I get powerlight, fan ramp up, bootdrive spinning but no chime and no screen. Steps taken so far:

Removed 1.4TB drive+reboot
Removed Videocard+reboot (listened for chime)
Removed Matched Ram in pairs+reboot
Looked for any sort of LED lights on the logicboard - none.
Reseated the video card.
Reseated the Ram in matched pairs (4GB total)
Switched Monitors.

I'm thinking the logicboard died. are there any steps that I am missing that you guys can think of? Not the end of the world but I'm certainly bummed. What a cool box to have bit the dust. I had some cool software on this one (not that I could use it well lol). Anyhow, I'm sure I can find a logicboard eventually & when I do, Ill clean up the CPUs, new paste etc. too.

Time to hunt down a logicboard I guess. Until then - I wonder if the video card will work in my QS? Also, I can put the USB2 card to good use in my MDD. :)
 
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If it's a dual, it's a possibility that just one of the CPUs died and not the logicboard. Hell, if it's a single CPU it's possible it's just the CPU.

I would have no idea how to tell you to confirm either way.

As to the video card, if it's AGP it *may* work. You might have to tape pins if it was originally for the G5.
 
OK, so here's something that is really weird. I just plugged it into a 3rd display using a VGA to DVI adapter and it turned on. everything is there except still, no chime. Things I'm pondering:

1.) Is the internal speaker broken? Ill have to check syspref -> sound for correct setting I guess.
2.) Is my white ADC to DVI converter broken? Ill test with my macbook today.
3.) Is it in fact the logic board and its just sputtering its last few moments of life?

Erik, you brought up something I noticed. Feeling the back of the machine, the top processor fan is WAY hotter than the lower. I think I will take the CPU heatsinks apart either way, clean & apply fresh thermal paste. I mean these things run hot anyways, so how could it hurt.

I think this is a project I will shelve until next week (had to work 6 straight this week and want to enjoy my day off with the better half :D
 
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It's been a while since I messed around with a dual processor air cooled G5, but I seem to recall that the top fan generally runs hotter than the bottom.

As a first line attempt, I'd give a PRAM and PMU reset a try. The PMU is reset via a small button on the LoBo that should be under the front fans. The PRAM is reset by holding down cmd+opt+p+r on power-up and keeping them held down until the the computer chimes again(or in your case just hold them down for a minute or two).
 
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Thanks guys. Ben, I forgot to mention that I had reset the PMU but I did not reset the PRAM. It is consistently booting now off of this monitor and now with a visible GUI, I see that the syspref -> sound -> internal speaker mute box was ticked. I now get the familiar apple bong. I'll test my white ADC to DVI converter with my macbook next as I would really like to get this box back to where it was. It's currently & very inconveniently perched/cables stretched across my computer room to my gaming box monitors.

Thanks hack. I think that makes great sense. Will do.

I certainly did not expect to spend my morning figuring this weirdness out however I did get a free breakfast (not cooked by me lol) out of it. I guess my wife was feeling sorry for me lol :)
 
Indeed. Im going to swap that out this week when I get a chance to go to the battery shop. I think I'll pick up a new one for my MDD as well. Who knows how old that one is. Just swapped out the QS last October so it should be fine.

So I just attached the a1006 + DVI to mini dvi adapter to my macbook and it does look like the a1006 is faulty. I tested again both adc cinema displays with my QS and they are both fine. So it looks like the culprit was a faulty a1006 adapter.

What I'm uncertain about still is how the speaker mute box in syspref got ticked. I never tick that box. Now that I think about it, frankly I am unsure if I ever reinstalled a fresh Leopard image on this box like I've done to all of my other ppc boxes. Must be it and I assumed otherwise so previous owner ticked it.

Ahh well, fun times ;)
 
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Glad it is working!

That PRAM battery CAN cause funny things to happen when trying to boot, but this doesn't sound like it was one of them. I'd replace it anyways. If my G5 is powered off for over an hour or so, then when I turn it on it will take forever (about a minute or two) flashing ? before it finds my disk and boots. If I know it hasn't been booted in a while, I will just hold down the PRAM reset keys on first boot because when I do it boots instantly.

New PRAM battery on its way in the mail.
 
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