Powermac G5 - Still A Good Computer?

Hi All,

At work today I was offered a G5 Powermac, for only $100. I have done a bit of research and althougth they were a great pc I am just wondering on opions as to weather or not it is worth the purchase.

The specs are

Dual Core 1.8 GHz G5
1 GB RAM
NVIDIA G2500 with 64MB RAM
1 x 160GB HDD

Basically at the moment I have a tecra A9 which i use for uni work as well as all my RAW photo editing in photoshop and lightroom.

its specs are

Intel Core 2 DUO 2.5Ghz
2GB RAM
Intel Chipset Graphics
1 x 250GB HDD
Win 7

Basically when editing photos etc it grinds to a halt and can be very painful.

With an upgrade in memory would it be better than my tecra? Also, what are the limitations of the powerpc and will it be totally obselete soon?

What do you think, purchase or not?

Thanks in Advance,
Danny

For $100 it is worth it just to have a play with OSX

It could do with some more ram, but what model is it, an Imac or a tower (that would be a bargain)

While the G5 chip is a little old, you may find a G5 Mac with 2 gig or more of Ram a better photo editing machine, OSX is generally zippier and the mac will not suffer from the memory limits of 32 bit windows. Even 32 bit OSX can give each application 4 gig, rather than be limited to 3-4 gig for the whole system.

I would consider it at that price - just or OSX alone

That sounds like a really good deal to me. The G5 may be a bit limited, but that can still be used as a main computer for somebody that doesn't do extremely CPU intensive tasks. Also, more Ram may help, but it's probably not going to rival an Intel computer in terms of speed.

Be aware it is NOT a Dual Core but probably a Dual processors and the early model 1.8GHz G5's did have logic board and power sup[ply problems. Do not compare it to your Intel PC. Intel is much, much faster than PowerPC.

A Mac Pro would be the equivalent, or faster, of your Tecra. And G5's are obsolete now if you are outlaying cash as they cannot run the latest operating system.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/stats/powermac_g5_1.8_dp_2.html

You could run most of South America with it. When it comes to older computers its what your going to do with it. My Mom does a ton of office stuff on a tray load iMac for her clubs...thats all it does with no problems.

You have to ask yourself...will it be usefull?
In my opinion, G5 was the most problematic processor of the series. It ran very hot and led to all kinds of problems. 64mb of VRAM won't get you much either. All in all I don't think this is a good deal because the computer is pretty much outdated in all but the most simple applications. If you want to run Word, basic email web browsing, use iTunes then it might be good.

My verdict...don't waste your money on outdated tech

Hi all and thanks alot for your responses so far,

I am aware it is the two processors rather than dual core. What are the effects of this, i.e I would have thought that it was actually better as they are two totally separate units. Also I have heard because the RAM is controlled by each individual processor that it can be faster. Is this correct?

I intend on upgrading the RAM to 4GB (the max it can handle) will this by any chance give it some advantage over my Tecra.

The applicatiosn I need to use are as follows:
Lghtroom 2
Photoshop CS4
Illustrator CS4
InDesign CS4
Dreamweaver CS4
Bridge CS4
Itunes
Office 2008
Maxon Cinema 4 D
Safari

Any thoughts on the sucessfulness of this?

Cheers Danny

Same answer regarding Tecra. Intel machines will always be much, much faster than a dated G5 PowerPC.

Memory will work only at its maximum rated speed. Nothing will make it work faster or quicker or better.

Overall it is a pretty good computer if your demands are not too heavy with no video, photographic editing etc and no gaming expectations. Remember it is a slow, old processor with extremely limited graphics and a 64MB graphics card is dinosaur like compared to modern cards with 512MB/1GB DDR3+ memory.

Misleading people is bad!

A friend recently asked me about the g5. He told me that he had read online that the g5 is not a good purchase. A google search brought me here, as I'm sure it does many others looking for information about the g5.

Since people rely on information coming from sites like this, I had to come here and give them some, since no one else seems to be offering anything worthwhile.

I bought a g5 in 2005 brand new. I use an old apple 20" cinema display. I think my g5 has 1.5 gigs of ram and it is the 2.0 model. Do I sound like a moron describing my Mac? That's because I am. You know why I don't even know the specs? Because I bought it a long time ago, I've forgotten and I don't need to know or even try to find out. I don't even have time to click the apple symbol because I'm too busy building dynamic websites and new video projects...

So here I am in 2011, knocking out web projects left and right with my old, outdated, and, according to most of you, worthless g5. I run final cut pro 4 and I use cs3...and I can do everything you can do. Sure, a photoshop file might take, oh I don't know, a few seconds longer to open, but guess what? It doesn't matter. I also use pro tools for audio recording and editing and I never ever have a single issue.

So, to anyone looking for solid info about picking up a g5 and being concerned with it's performance: don't worry about it. You don't have to have the best and newest hardware or software to be just as productive as people using the new macs. Until adobe or apple releases some kind of ground-breaking change(s) to their software, I'll be sitting here using my "worthless" system.

Unthinkable said:

So here I am in 2011, knocking out web projects left and right with my old, outdated, and, according to most of you, worthless g5. I run final cut pro 4 and I use cs3...and I can do everything you can do. Sure, a photoshop file might take, oh I don't know, a few seconds longer to open, but guess what? It doesn't matter. I also use pro tools for audio recording and editing and I never ever have a single issue.

Click to expand...

As a hobby, a PS file taking a second or two longer to open is nothing. A 5 hour Video render time vice a 30 min one is no big deal. Time is cheap when you are doing it for fun. If you are using the machine to make money however, time is money and that extra time can mean extra money.

I used a Quad G5 for years for everyday computing and as well as PS and Video use for fun. The i3 runs circles around it for everyday task and for heavy lifting. If you choose to remain in the past and waste both time and money (if you are a professional) then that is your choice but don't come here and pee on my leg and then tell me it's raining. The bottom line here , which many folks like you seem to willfully choose to ignore is this: the PPC architecture is DEAD. It's never coming back. Period. End of discussion. As the software moves on you will increasingly be left behind. When the next big new thing from Adobe (or whomever) does finally come along, it will never (and I mean NEVER) work on that PPC you are clinging to and you will have a tough, and expensive, choice to make. It might be tomorrow, it might be in 2 years, but it will come and you will be stuck in the past.

That being said though, if your G5 works for you, then good for you.

Apple has rendered the G5 useless!

Please keep in mind I have owned a mac for 1 day now. I just purchased a G5, 3.5 gb ram, 1.8 ghz dual processors, 160 gb harddrive for $137 on ebay. Considering the specs blow all of my PCs away I was stoked! I started trying to install the new OSx Lion and found out it is only compatible with, THIS IS KEY, "Intel Based Macs"! So I thought, thats okay I will just download xcode (the reason I bought a mac, sorry!) and go about my business. Well guess what, Xcode is only compatible with Snow Leopard and up....I guess and Snow leopard is only compatible with "Intel Based Macs". So I decide I want to use the mac for netflix........you guessed it........NETFLIX is only compatible with "INTEL BASED MACS" AHHHHHHHHH *** did I miss something of has Apple and everyone else say screw you if you want to own a 6 year old Mac?!?!?

I have 2 PCs that are 7-8 years old that are compatible with **** near everything!!!!!!!! Not trying to steal the thread but if Im missing something please help!

durrettcustoms said:

Please keep in mind I have owned a mac for 1 day now. I just purchased a G5, 3.5 gb ram, 1.8 ghz dual processors, 160 gb harddrive for $137 on ebay. Considering the specs blow all of my PCs away I was stoked! I started trying to install the new OSx Lion and found out it is only compatible with, THIS IS KEY, "Intel Based Macs"! So I thought, thats okay I will just download xcode (the reason I bought a mac, sorry!) and go about my business. Well guess what, Xcode is only compatible with Snow Leopard and up....I guess and Snow leopard is only compatible with "Intel Based Macs". So I decide I want to use the mac for netflix........you guessed it........NETFLIX is only compatible with "INTEL BASED MACS" AHHHHHHHHH *** did I miss something of has Apple and everyone else say screw you if you want to own a 6 year old Mac?!?!?

I have 2 PCs that are 7-8 years old that are compatible with **** near everything!!!!!!!! Not trying to steal the thread but if Im missing something please help!

Click to expand...

You haven't missed anything, Apple has moved on from the PPC architecture. It is what it is. When they made the decision to radically change the architecture some years ago they made it very clear that there would only be a relatively short period of time for transition and 5 years seems to have been it. MS has been loath to cut of support for anything and this has caused them a world of compatibility issues with hardware and Apps. Apple isn't making the same mistake. Don't worry, the Lion update just released won't work on the first generation of Intel based Macs either, CD machines can only go as far as Snow Leopard.

Sorry you made a purchase you might regret, but research is the key.

Lies do not become us!

5 hour for G5, 30 minutes for Intel.....Uhhhh...no.

Unthinkable said:

5 hour for G5, 30 minutes for Intel.....Uhhhh...no.

Click to expand...

Excuse me, iMac G5 2.1 Ghz, Converting a Video to DVD format, 3 hours G5 and OLD First Gen 1.66 Core Duo Intel Mini 24 minutes for the SAME FILE with the SAME application and settings. Come visit me and I will show you.

This thread is not about an imac, and that's not what I'm talking about...I guess I have to spell it out....Powermac...Dual Core....Also, I don't discuss charts, I don't discuss specs...I discuss experience...So, using Final Cut Pro 4 on my Powermac, HD files and all, guess what (gasp!) I have never had to wait hours for rendering. BTW, I'm typing this on an intel macbook!

Let me clear something up since so many here seem to be hard-headed....I am not against Intel Macs, I have 2 myself...I am not against people using the newest hardware and software available...I am not "clinging" to my current powermac because I am in some sort of denial...

What I am doing is telling people that are interested in purchasing a powermac G5 dirt cheap that it IS OKAY to do so...

Look at the context and the original question...now look at the responses...It's misinformation, plain and simple. "It's okay to get a G5 as long as you are only going to be sending email and surfing the web..dur dur.." That's RUBBISH!!!! And anyone here using a Mac that has half a brain cannot disagree! Come on, get real.

The G5 is a powerful computer and can certainly hold its own. My G5 has never taken hours and hours to render a video. You really going to compare a Mac Mini to a G5??? Come on! That's stupid ridiculous! My Intel macbook is NOT faster than my G5...My Intel imac is NOT faster than my G5...which is why I still use my G5!!!!!!

Here's the bottom line, and I'm speaking to anyone that reaches this thread because they are interested in a G5...As of 2011, the G5 is a very powerful computer, and can easily handle video, audio, and graphics. And that, my hard-headed friends, can't be denied.

Sure, you can tell someone to go with a newer mac...but a nice G5 can be had for $150. And it can eat through tasks now, just like it could when you were all drooling over it the day it was released...

Whatever. I can prove what I said over and over but I will not waste the time. The G5 (Any G5) is behind the times and less and less supported every day. Do NOT insult the members of this forums. That is against the rules here.

A PowerMac G5 for $100 is fine but telling the OP it will do and run all the modern stuff and not be behind the times is just wrong. There also was a very good reason Steve Jobs switched Apple over to the Intel from the Power PC.

To the OP, you got a good deal for $100. You will be stuck with 10.5 Leopard which was always a kind of draggy OS in use. If you intend to keep the G5, upgrade the memory a bit more. Otherwise there is not a lot you can do. Also newer apps are all Intel Only and are not going to run on any PPC. Otherwise enjoy the machine.

Unthinkable said:

This thread is not about an imac, and that's not what I'm talking about...I guess I have to spell it out....Powermac...Dual Core....Also, I don't discuss charts, I don't discuss specs...I discuss experience...So, using Final Cut Pro 4 on my Powermac, HD files and all, guess what (gasp!) I have never had to wait hours for rendering. BTW, I'm typing this on an intel macbook!

Click to expand...

Seems you only choose to believe your experiences, not anyone else's. There is ample evidence that eh G5s are dated machines compared to newer Intel boxes. Like it or not, those are facts. Period.

Unthinkable said:

Let me clear something up since so many here seem to be hard-headed....I am not against Intel Macs, I have 2 myself...I am not against people using the newest hardware and software available...I am not "clinging" to my current powermac because I am in some sort of denial...

What I am doing is telling people that are interested in purchasing a powermac G5 dirt cheap that it IS OKAY to do so...

Click to expand...

Your rabid and somewhat questionable defense of a system that is clearly dated and only getting mores by the day says otherwise. It's your story though, tell it how you want.

Unthinkable said:

Look at the context and the original question...now look at the responses...It's misinformation, plain and simple. "It's okay to get a G5 as long as you are only going to be sending email and surfing the web..dur dur.." That's RUBBISH!!!! And anyone here using a Mac that has half a brain cannot disagree! Come on, get real.

Click to expand...

Calling other stupid because we disagree with you is bit over the top.

Unthinkable said:

The G5 is a powerful computer and can certainly hold its own. My G5 has never taken hours and hours to render a video. You really going to compare a Mac Mini to a G5??? Come on! That's stupid ridiculous! My Intel macbook is NOT faster than my G5...My Intel imac is NOT faster than my G5...which is why I still use my G5!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Hmmm...simple high quality video conversion. Quad G5, 3 hours 10 min. Intel iMac, 59 Min. Yeah, that G5 of yours must be magical or something....

Unthinkable said:

Here's the bottom line, and I'm speaking to anyone that reaches this thread because they are interested in a G5...As of 2011, the G5 is a very powerful computer, and can easily handle video, audio, and graphics. And that, my hard-headed friends, can't be denied.

Click to expand...

Sure it can, by pretty much anyone who has used both side by side and has seen how much more powerful the Intel boxes are than the PPC. Heck, a new Macbook Pro would even run circles around your G5, and can do it pretty much anywhere.

Unthinkable said:

Sure, you can tell someone to go with a newer mac...but a nice G5 can be had for $150. And it can eat through tasks now, just like it could when you were all drooling over it the day it was released...

Click to expand...

No one ever said it couldn't eat through tasks, we just said it would take considerably longer to do so.

You need to come to grips my friend. The G5s are nice, but they are a poor investment at best.

Reuse better than recycle or throw away

There is of course the environmental issue of throwing away a computer with hundreds of components, some with traces of rare earths and gold not to mention the energy consumed making and transporting it or even the huge amounts of electricity involved in the production of the aluminium casing or yet again the human hours put in by an underpaid 'developing world' workforce that in some ways we can at least respect by using their products carefully.

What I would like from this thread is a few ideas to reuse the old G5 power pc tower in a modern office e.g. as a sever for media - this seems to be a good discussion of using the G5 PowerPC as a server:

An inexpensive web/file server: Apple Power Mac G5 - YouTube

Power mac g5

Okay, i know this is an old thread, but what the heck guys?!

Im a music producer and i use a 2.5 quad core g5 with 4 gb of ram and it runs perfectly. I get about 30 instrument tracks, way more than i need.
Who cares if the ppc is old, it gets the job done so i dont need any updates.

Also what do you think everyone was using before 2006?
Was there no music?
Was there no 3d animation?
Was there no photo editing?
And does it look any different now?

The xbox 360 and playstation 3 were designed with a g5.

Its a very capable maschine, you dont need a mac pro in my opinion and is used in tons of professional studios still.

Producer labrinth uses a g5 to make all his stuff and hes had 3 number 1's.

If a Power Mac G5 is cheap or a give away and it will run your applications, no problem. Look carefully at its spec though, you don't really want to spend out on additional memory, airport card etc. If you have the budget or requirement for a new faster Mac, go for it.

All Mac's eventually become old and won't run the latest OS, even Intel based such as the Macbook Pro 15" and 17" core 2 duo (2006/7 models) have gone vintage, no spares support from Apple, but someone will still have a use for them, they'll even run Lion.

I run a Power Mac G5 2.7 GHz DP, 6 GB ram, 2 x 1TB hard drives. It runs Office 2008 and Photoshop 4 at an acceptable speed for a hobby photographer. I'll certainly keep it a bit longer. Sure, it's not as fast as my MBP, but it's quite adequate handling 20 mb raw files.