3 G5s on Craigslist - How hard are they to fix?

[Slix]

Hi!

I've never owned a Power Mac G5. I have some limited hardware repair experience on other tower Macs, but nothing drastic (I haven't replaced a power supply, for example). I came across this ad on Craigslist today. I was wondering if any of these 3 G5s are worth picking up to get 1 for myself, or if I could fairly easily (and cheaply) repair and/or sell the others, or if I should just skip them.

Here's a photo of the listing description:

The guy is also selling a G4 Quicksilver, which is one model that has eluded me so far, so I might get that at least. Any help is appreciated!

 

[ruslan120]

In my experience it's hard to determine what's at fault. Maybe try burning a CD and booting into Apple's Hardware Test to see if that helps.

Aside from nostalgic value is there value in fixing them? You can probably get a working model from Craigslist instead (I have two G5's laying around in working order from CL, not hard to get for $40ish each) and sell these for parts online or use the cases for hackintoshes.

 

[Project Alice]

For $30 just get them, you can't go wrong at that price. The only PowerMac G5s known to have catastrophic issues are the Liquid cooled ones, which these aren't. They are, as the post says very picky with ram. It's most likely the cause for those other ones. Even if it is the proper ram installed, the sticks could be faulty. Most "untraceable" problems end up being RAM related. DDR is pretty cheap and easy to come by too.

 

[defjam]

I believe these models are prone to a problem where the memory controller fails to make reliable contact with the system board and therefore gives the appearance of memory errors (when this happens the power light flashes three times no matter how you configure the RAM).

A quick and dirty test is to push on the memory controller (it's the big chip to the right of the memory slots and the left of the CPUs) while powering on. If this is the problem it might boot (this is by no means a conclusive test).

If this is the problem the only solution is to replace the system board or re-ball the memory controller (the chip is fine, it's the connection which is the issue).

I bet you could pick them all up for $15-$20. As to whether it's worth it only you can make that decision. Financially it's, IMO, a non-issue. The parts alone are worth more than the $30 asking price. The question becomes do you want to spend time messing with them?

 

[iluvmacs99]

Hi!

I've never owned a Power Mac G5. I have some limited hardware repair experience on other tower Macs, but nothing drastic (I haven't replaced a power supply, for example). I came across this ad on Craigslist today. I was wondering if any of these 3 G5s are worth picking up to get 1 for myself, or if I could fairly easily (and cheaply) repair and/or sell the others, or if I should just skip them.

Here's a photo of the listing description:

View attachment 887794

The guy is also selling a G4 Quicksilver, which is one model that has eluded me so far, so I might get that at least. Any help is appreciated!

As a DIY project, it's probably worth a shot if you like to learn more about the PowerMac G5. You can download the service manual here and I would highly recommend you to do so as it helps diagnose issues.

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/powermac/powermac_g5.pdf

It looks to me like the seller had tried his best to fix those PowerMacs, so perhaps you may have better luck.

Unfortunately for myself, I recently adopted a PowerMac G5 7,2 which I thought was in good shape and used it heavily for close to 1 month. Then just yesterday when backing a DVD, the G5 froze and upon rebooting, I have no chime. Luckily I work in a recycling facility where I have access to a lot of spare parts and determined that the power supply or logic board is at fault, so basically I'm now waiting for a good donor. In your case, while it could be the memory controller, though for a 15-16 year old machine, is it worth your time to fix it and perhaps expect another problem down the road? I thought I had fixed and refurbed my own 7,2 with parts from other machines and it was working beautifully and stress tested for close to a month without problems. And yet while copying a simple DVD yesterday hardly even stressing the cores, the screen froze during the DVD backup and died. So is it worth $30 and your time? Only you can answer that. Do you want to sink in more money to fix an aging 15-16 year old machine unless you have a real pressing need for one and the parts you can buy out there are equally as old?

 

[z970]

I think it's a good idea.

Who knows what might end up eventually happening to them if you don't get involved.

 

[velocityg4]

If the cases are in good shape. These are more than a worthwhile buy. You can make money tearing them down and selling the good parts. A single case in good condition is worth about $50 plus shipping.

 

[1042686]

I would avoid paying for non-working macs altogether unless you have a need for a specific part.

One faulty logic board or power supply for example and you’ve already doubled your financial costs involved to repair just one of the three machines, not to mention time, energy etc.

You state you have limited repair experience, diagnostics etc. ,so taking on three broken computers IMO is unwise unless they are pretty much free to you. $30 bucks is $30 bucks. I bought a functioning pmg5 for less than that.

as Ruslan said,I too recommend looking for a functioning pmg5 local to you for similar $$ which is absolutely doable.

If the PMG4 QS is functioning & booting, I’d snag that puppy up for a tenner instead. Best of luck to you

 

[Hrududu]

The guy listing them knows too much. He gives enough information to reveal he's done his own troubleshooting and is fairly knowledgeable. I am willing to bet there is no easy fix here. If there were, he would have pulled it off.

 

[Slix]

I'm thinking I'm going to see if I can get the Quicksilver for sure. They said it's got a clean copy of Tiger on it, and it's quite clean internally too. Non-working DVD drive, but that's an easy fix, and I might actually have one laying around right now.

It seems that since I don't really have a purpose for any of them (not that any of the PowerPCs I have serve a super real "purpose", but I digress ), I might pass on the G5s this time around. They are quite large, and fixing them may take more time and money than it's worth. I also agree with @Hrududu, this seller seems to be at least fairly knowledgable about Macs, and these models in general too. He did say he wasn't sure what to base the price off of for the QS, so maybe I can negotiate picking up one of the G5s that seems to boot but freeze after some time for $5 or $10 since I want the QS as well.

I'll send them a message and see!

 

[defjam]

I'm thinking I'm going to see if I can get the Quicksilver for sure. They said it's got a clean copy of Tiger on it, and it's quite clean internally too. Non-working DVD drive, but that's an easy fix, and I might actually have one laying around right now.

It seems that since I don't really have a purpose for any of them (not that any of the PowerPCs I have serve a super real "purpose", but I digress ), I might pass on the G5s this time around. They are quite large, and fixing them may take more time and money than it's worth. I also agree with @Hrududu, this seller seems to be at least fairly knowledgable about Macs, and these models in general too. He did say he wasn't sure what to base the price off of for the QS, so maybe I can negotiate picking up one of the G5s that seems to boot but freeze after some time for $5 or $10 since I want the QS as well.

I'll send them a message and see!

If you buy the QS ask if he'll throw in the G5's (assuming you're willing to take them). He might prefer to give them to you rather than having to try and find someone to take them off his hands later on.

 

[AphoticD]

Hi Slix, there are a few factors;

Do you have the time and physical space to take those G5s in and attempt a repair? You’ll need some special tools (like the long handled hex driver for removing the CPUs). G5s are mostly easy to work on, but are heavy and bulky behemoths.

They are notorious for becoming intermittently flaky once they start to show signs of failure... the seller’s experience highlights that they may not be in good health.

But you never know, perhaps stripping them down, inspecting and cleaning components, then rebuilding with the best quality parts from the two 7,3 machines may result in a working system.

It’s your call. If nothing else you will certainly gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the engineering feats behind these designs. I have worked on my four G5s quite a bit and found them interesting to work on.

The alternative as suggested would be to find a working unit to just plug in and power on - in which case I would recommend the air-cooled 11,2 Dual Core 2.0 or 2.3GHz models as they were the best of the series.

 

[jmilan0302]

If this is the problem the only solution is to replace the system board or re-ball the memory controller (the chip is fine, it's the connection which is the issue).

So, just stick the board in the oven then? Good luck finding a stencil for that memory controller to reball it.

 

[defjam]

So, just stick the board in the oven then? Good luck finding a stencil for that memory controller to reball it.

Doubtful that would be a long term fix.

 

[z970]

So, just stick the board in the oven then?

Unless you have very good ventilation, while wearing very good respiratory protection, and use an oven you don't plan on ever using again, I do not recommend ever doing this. Motherboards (and graphics cards) contain a lot of toxic chemicals that can be exceedingly harmful when inhaled while outgassing after a bake, and that's not even to mention what can stay behind in the chamber, rods, and surrounding area.

There's a lot more information on this subject available around the Web, but it is strongly recommended not to attempt this with your trusty kitchen oven used for, you know, FOOD.

 

[DearthnVader]

Unless you want to get the PowerPC bug, I'd avoid non-working units.

Those of us with the bug have lots of dead Macs to chose parts from, I was able to score two untested G5's( Quad 2.5Ghz and Dual Core 2.3Ghz )for $85 without their power cables.

Given that I have lots of test part, I was able to fabricate a power cable, and fix both units with spare parts.

Has to be a labor of love, don't really think you'll break even on them, much less take a profit, but if you got the bug, pick them up and enjoy the challenge.

 

[TheShortTimer]

In addition to the health risks that @z970mp has mentioned, you also risk damaging components on the board!

 

[1042686]

In regards to baking circuit boards - use a heat gun & ventilation - the same basic precautions you should take when soldering so you're not huffing fumes. If you don't have a heatgun, use an electric toaster oven in an open ventilated space (like an open garage or backyard porch) and you'll be fine. Used toaster ovens can be had very cheap at thrifts (5-10$) and reach temps of 400F which is more than you need to reflow or drive out moisture in the PCB. Baking is not a permanent fix (of course we all knew that already) but the method certainly has a place. Done correctly and safely, it can restore operation to your computer long enough for the proper replacement part to be affordably sourced and the repair made at home. Just don't be a ding dong (like bake dinner with a daughter card or gpu or whatever) when you do it and you'll survive another day.

 

[defjam]

In regards to baking circuit boards - use a heat gun & ventilation - the same basic precautions you should take when soldering so you're not huffing fumes. If you don't have a heatgun, use an electric toaster oven in an open ventilated space (like an open garage or backyard porch) and you'll be fine. Used toaster ovens can be had very cheap at thrifts (5-10$) and reach temps of 400F which is more than you need to reflow or drive out moisture in the PCB. Baking is not a permanent fix (of course we all knew that already) but the method certainly has a place. Done correctly and safely, it can restore operation to your computer long enough for the proper replacement part to be affordably sourced and the repair made at home. Just don't be a ding dong (like bake dinner with a daughter card or gpu or whatever) when you do it and you'll survive another day.

While I do not recommend attempting to repair a system using any of these methods (at best they're short term "fixes") if you decide to do so then the heat gun is the preferred method. You can pick one up brand new for $20.

 

[1042686]

I’ve used both methods and they both work. The only advantage to a heat gun is that you can localize heat to a specific point thus reducing exposure to plastics. Truthfully, I prefer the toaster oven for small bits as I do it on my picnic table outside in open air minimizing personal exposure as I can just walk away.

You cannot do that with a heat gun. You're breathing fumes unless you have a respirator which most people do not have.

A cheapo portable oven that you can take outside and walk away from heat-up to cool-down, eliminates personal exposure almost completely, making it IMO the best solution in terms of personal safety. So good in fact that you dont even need to approach the unit until it has cooled completely - just yank the extension power cord from the 110v socket and let it cool down.

The most pressing concern for most people IME is that if you don't have the money or access to repair, this also is your best (only option actually) option to bring a machine back long enough to get to where you can afford to find a lasting repair, replacement part etc.

I dont disagree with anything anyone has said here - I certainly have my own preferences but everything stated is sound. It just doesn't do someone who is broke AF for whatever reason any good to effectively tell them to go drop money they literally dont have on a repair they cant afford.

This type of fix is for that situation. Those folks who literally have no other recourse.

 

[Slix]

Small update, but I never heard back from the seller for any of these Macs so I guess I'm not getting them anyway.

 

[iluvmacs99]

The least collectible of the PowerMac G5, which is the PowerMac 9,1, is a low cost version of an iMac G5 housed inside a cheesegrater tower. Not to be confused with the earlier single 1.8Ghz which is also unreliable. I recently got one free to replace my dead Dual G5 and while it is slower than the dual, it is still a capable performer! You can easily get one for $10 to $20 or perhaps free if you're lucky. Good luck!

 

[yurc]

I am going from G5 Quad with 8gb ram to 2003 Dual 4gb, it was night and day difference at least for me, but I think amount of memory is also take account, but yeah I can't enjoy using dual comfortably compared with I do same stuff in 2005 Quad.


Just opened several .ai document on Illustrator CS2 to outputted them into film plotter (yeah film not even plate lol) in the era of digital printing. Dual gave me spinning beachball more often

To add insult to injury, previous Quad are still 10.4.8 Tiger when the latter dual is using 10.5.8 Leopard because it won't connect to our SMB server with Tiger installed, somehow upgrading to Leopard allow me to access that volume.

 

[eyoungren]

I am going from G5 Quad with 8gb ram to 2003 Dual 4gb, it was night and day difference at least for me, but I think amount of memory is also take account, but yeah I can't enjoy using dual comfortably compared with I do same stuff in 2005 Quad.


Just opened several .ai document on Illustrator CS2 to outputted them into film plotter (yeah film not even plate lol) in the era of digital printing. Dual gave me spinning beachball more often

To add insult to injury, previous Quad are still 10.4.8 Tiger when the latter dual is using 10.5.8 Leopard because it won't connect to our SMB server with Tiger installed, somehow upgrading to Leopard allow me to access that volume.

I worked over 14 years for a small newspaper. At least you are outputting to film. Until around 2015 we were printing full size laser proofs, shooting them to neg and then burning plates off the negatives. That required printing separations for spot and four color pages (which all got sent to camera as well).

Eventually with very few suppliers having film anymore and with the inability of our press to hold anything better than a 75 line screen the bosses started looking at DTP. They found to their horror that because they took so damn long to upgrade anything the cost to do this would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. New press, RIP, RIP software, new computers. etc.

They chose eventually to have me send PDFs to a local printer that handles newspapers. Of course, as the Composing Manager at the time I was the last person they asked about any of this. The business got sold in October 2018 and I was out of a job.

RE: Tiger and SMB. If you are using $ in any of your PC shares, that's seen as a hidden share on Tiger. You have to connect to that share directly. Unfortunately, any PC server needs to disable a lot of security. Digital signing must be disabled on the PC server, clear text passwords allowed, and some other stuff I can't quite remember. It was a supreme pain in the ass for me (we had PC servers).

I eventually just found a copy of DAVE by Thursby.

Leopard has a better implementation of SMB than Tiger does, which is why it will connect where Tiger won't.

 

[dlopan]

As a DIY project, it's probably worth a shot if you like to learn more about the PowerMac G5. You can download the service manual here and I would highly recommend you to do so as it helps diagnose issues.

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/powermac/powermac_g5.pdf

It looks to me like the seller had tried his best to fix those PowerMacs, so perhaps you may have better luck.

Unfortunately for myself, I recently adopted a PowerMac G5 7,2 which I thought was in good shape and used it heavily for close to 1 month. Then just yesterday when backing a DVD, the G5 froze and upon rebooting, I have no chime. Luckily I work in a recycling facility where I have access to a lot of spare parts and determined that the power supply or logic board is at fault, so basically I'm now waiting for a good donor. In your case, while it could be the memory controller, though for a 15-16 year old machine, is it worth your time to fix it and perhaps expect another problem down the road? I thought I had fixed and refurbed my own 7,2 with parts from other machines and it was working beautifully and stress tested for close to a month without problems. And yet while copying a simple DVD yesterday hardly even stressing the cores, the screen froze during the DVD backup and died. So is it worth $30 and your time? Only you can answer that. Do you want to sink in more money to fix an aging 15-16 year old machine unless you have a real pressing need for one and the parts you can buy out there are equally as old?

Thanks for that link.