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Help buying a powermac g5 (quad especially), I think I'm searching for the wrong thing?

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wiryfuture

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 29, 2022
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Hi, I'm trying to get a powerpc64 computer to run linux on, as I need it to compile my code for a mate (long story), and, to my knowledge, the g5s are basically the only option other than spending a couple hundred quid on a pseries server.
I want to get the late 2005 g5 quad, as it's got the most cores and compiling tends to like that a lot, but I can't seem to find any on ebay except for a single one, which is being sold for like £300 plus £20 shipping, even with failing dimms or something, at which point I'd rather just get a server and suffer that pain instead.
I searched for "powermac g5 quad" and "powermac g5 late 2005" and just "powermac g5" but could only find a dozen or so listings, which were all sub £60-70 for single or dual cpu late 2004 ones.
Are the late 2005 ones really that much rarer than all the other ones or am I missing something when searching for them?
 
Try searching for the model number (A1117). So…Apple A1117 is what I'd search for. Maybe put G5 in there too.

Yes, they are more rare. The Quads are liquid cooled and most of them have died by now because the cooling system failed. The pumps on the early models were notoriously bad. So, you'll find less of them.

Note that the Quad shares the same model number as the 2.0 and 2.3 DC (Dual Cores) so you're going to get those in your results. The Quad is essentially two dual core processors (which is why it's called a Quad) so I don't think you would have any difficulty using a 2.0 or 2.3 DC. And those are air-cooled. The 2/2.3 and the Quad share the same logicboard, components and case.

Lastly, is it really a PowerPC G5 you're looking for? I mean at most, the Quad gives you two dual core CPUs. That's it. Before the dual cores there were only G5 dual processors. So, the G5 'with the most cores' is really just a choice between a G5 that has ONE dual core processor and another G5 that has TWO dual core processors. Does that really make such a difference?

The early Intel MacPros have more cores, but are of course Intel. Lastly, getting a PowerPC version of Linux on the Mac is going to be your next difficult step. You can't just install any flavor of Linux you want. It's got to a be PowerPC version. An Intel Mac, that's a bit different.
 
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wiryfuture said:
Hi, I'm trying to get a powerpc64 computer to run linux on, as I need it to compile my code for a mate (long story), and, to my knowledge, the g5s are basically the only option other than spending a couple hundred quid on a pseries server.
I want to get the late 2005 g5 quad, as it's got the most cores and compiling tends to like that a lot, but I can't seem to find any on ebay except for a single one, which is being sold for like £300 plus £20 shipping, even with failing dimms or something, at which point I'd rather just get a server and suffer that pain instead.
I searched for "powermac g5 quad" and "powermac g5 late 2005" and just "powermac g5" but could only find a dozen or so listings, which were all sub £60-70 for single or dual cpu late 2004 ones.
Are the late 2005 ones really that much rarer than all the other ones or am I missing something when searching for them?
Click to expand...
When you say you need a 64-bit PowerPC computer, do you mean big-endian or little-endian? Power Macs are all big-endian, so if you're targeting ppc64le, you're going have to look elsewhere.

And yeah, the stock factory water cooling more or less gave late G5s an expiration date.
 
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This is a bit of an oddity, but along with searching for "A1117" I would also try searching for "A1177" as I've found that both buyers and sellers often make this typo and I've seen results with it.

(Apparently, the A1177 model number also appears on some models legitimately? It's a bit odd, that one.)
 
Also you can cross compile - but if for some reason you really need a linux with ppc64 I may help you compile what you need natively.
 
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wiryfuture said:
Hi, I'm trying to get a powerpc64 computer to run linux on, as I need it to compile my code for a mate (long story), and, to my knowledge, the g5s are basically the only option other than spending a couple hundred quid on a pseries server.....Are the late 2005 ones really that much rarer than all the other ones or am I missing something when searching for them?
Click to expand...
I have a late 2005 Quad and a late 2005 Dual Core (DC). If you were in my area, I'd give you the Quad for next-to-nothing, maybe even free. Just come on by and pick it up. The dual-core isn't for sale. Unless you absolutely need four cores, don't get a quad or any other liquid-cooled G5 Mac. If you still want one or think you need one, read all the threads on rebuilding the liquid cooling system, of which there are many, then watch some YouTube videos of exploding G5s and other shenanigans. If you still want one, add up the cost of all the parts you'll need to properly do a rebuild. Some people pay good money to be flogged, and rebuilding a G5 Quad is the computing equivalent of that. It's just not my bag, not that there's anything wrong with it... :) I'm not one to judge.

Having had both G5s, I honestly cannot tell any perceptible difference in real-world performance between the dual-core and the quad-core G5. Maybe compiling the Linux kernel will take only 10 hours instead of 20 on a Quad, but who's sitting there waiting for it compile. Running apps, playing games, watching videos, etc. no difference. I honestly prefer the DC and think it's a better computer. It's fast, reliable, and quiet.

I'm sure either G5 would make an outstanding Linux machine, once it was cleaned up, calibrated, and dialed in. I probably only spent about three hours doing just that on my dual core. I probably spent over ten times that on my quad, before deciding it's not really worth the time and money to rebuild. I may yet convert it to air-cooled if I can find two heat sinks, but that's not really on my priority list to do at this time. I can only take so much flogging in a year.
 
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bkmoore773 said:
…then watch some YouTube videos of exploding G5s and other shenanigans.
Click to expand...
I've never even heard of that. I know the cooling systems are prone to breakdown and leaks but generally this is just coolant leaking out of the system, not the actual G5 blowing up. Or did you mean the cooling system itself just kind of breaking apart?

I've got a Quad and it was on 24/7 from February 2017 to May 2020. I was fortunate to never have any issues with it. If I knew that it could possibly explode and destroy my living room, creating deadly shrapnel taking out me, my wife and my kids I might have thought twice about using it.
 
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eyoungren said:
I was fortunate to never have any issues with it.
Click to expand...
That time I left my Quad transcoding a 4K video on the hottest day of the year...

G5.gif
 
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Never owned a quad, but i can highly recommend the late 2005 2.3ghz dual core model. It's air cooled, fast, and quiet. Also the developer of TenFourFox once said it takes 4 hours to compile each version (g3/g4/g5) of that browser on his quad. My DC 2.3 builds the same browser in 3.5 hours, and i'm not even using an SSD or anything special hardware-wise. Just a 7200rpm 2.5" laptop HDD, 10gb ram, and a geforce 6600 gfx card (i yanked the x1900 because it didn't work in Linux). So either his quad has seen better days, or these 2 machines are more closely matched than what the spec sheets say.

It's even powerful enough to stream to twitch.tv:
My DC
VS
Action Retro's Quad:

Both of our cpu's are maxxed out, but performance seems the same, and i didn't have to move my G5 across the room due to fan noise. 😂

Cheers
 
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