Power Mac G5

Hi all I just joined this forum. I'm new to Apple desktops. I have a MBP 13" 2.66. Anyways I came across a G5 for free and I wanted to use it to edit video with.

Apple Power Mac G5 2.3 Ghz dual-core
No hard drive
No memory cards
Video card is shot
Has power cord
Has Wifi and bluetooth antennas

I dont need some souped up mega computer or anything Id just like to have a normal desktop to do a few short video clips on every few weeks. I have all the footage on a 1TB external drive. I have a bunch of random parts and stuff in my house so as I find stuff I'll add them below.

Will these work in the G5
Radeon HD 4350- Video card?
Diamond Viper PCI Weitek Power 9001 v3.10- Video card?
ProMOS Technologies 256mb DDR-400mhz-cl3- Sticks of RAM?


Obviously I have no idea about this stuff. Any info helps. Thanks a lot.

Both of those graphics cards are PC hardware, I don't think they'd work in a Mac; but even if they did, you'd definitely not be able to get PowerPC drivers for them.

Also, on the topic of software; you'd need a copy of OS X 10.5 Leopard (or earlier) if you need to put a new (blank) HDD in it, which isn't cheap these days; either that, or a PowerPC version of Linux.

In short, it doesn't seem worth it (in terms of time or money) trying to get the thing working; personally, I'd sell it off for parts & put that little bit of money towards buying a much newer second-hand Mac (probably an early one of the Intel-based Mac Minis), running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard at least.

Best luck, either way...

Sounds like the easiest option for me as well. Im driving 6000 miles this summer and was going to bring it. The mac mini sounds like itd be easier to pack in terms of size.

Any idea how much the g5 shell is worth? Has bluetooth and wifi antennas. Power cord. Little dusty inside but not major scratches of anything on the outside.

BC4LYPHE said:

Any idea how much the g5 shell is worth?

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Check e-Bay. Realize that 100% working Powermac G5's can be purchased for around $100-$125 on e-Bay (I've seen them sell for as little as $55).

So a PM G5 "Shell" will most likely be worth less...maybe much less.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

100% working Powermac G5's can be purchased for around $100-$125 on e-Bay (I've seen them sell for as little as $55).

So a PM G5 "Shell" will most likely be worth less...maybe much less.

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Ironically, the shell (i.e. the physical case) may well be the most valuable part, it's the only bit that can actually be modded into something contemporarily useful. Someone would probably buy it just to gut-out the innards & build a custom PC (I knew a guy who built his own gaming rig into a Mac Pro case; he needed a Windows PC for the games, but liked the Apple design aesthetic).

Ex Somnio said:

There is a company that will customize it according to what you want: Customized Macs - Build Your Own Mac With the Third Party Parts You Pick

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I think that's only for Intel Macs, so unless they pretty-much emptied the thing out & replaced everything including replacing the logic board with one from a Mac Pro (i.e. effectively built a new Mac Pro from spare parts within the G5 PowerMac case), then they can't help; and what on Earth would be the point in that? The OP may as well just buy a Mac Pro outright.

Not worth the expenditure to install a drive, gfx card and memory. Very often computers coming without these vital parts missing have failed logic boards and/or power supplies.

harryb2448 said:

Very often computers coming with...vital parts missing have failed logic boards and/or power supplies.

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Good point. I often strip-out all the still-working components (even if I doubt I'll actually have much use for them) before I throw broken computers away, just as emergency spare parts.