Powermac G5 Questions

[Lincoln]

Last year I purchased a refurb G5 Powermac 2.3 Dual CPU (stock configuration) and added 2GB Ram and a second hard disk. Overall I was very happy with the PM apart from one problem - it made lots of different annoying noises. I got ticking sounds, sometimes I got chirps or chirrups and if I played games or pushed the graphics capability of the machine it made a loud high-pitched whine.

To cut a long story short I returned the PM back to apple and got a full refund. I have also sold the 2GB Ram to a friend who has a Dual 1.8 PM.

Now onto the questions:
1) Do the Powermac G5 Dual cores have this problem? I have searched high and low and there seems to be little or no confirmation either way.

2) Is there that much difference in between the DualCore 2.0 and DualCore2.3? The 2.3 costs another £270 (when you even out the specs). In the past the middle model had 8 vs 4 memory slots and PCI-X vs PCI slots - but these differences are no longer there.

I am currently thinking that I will get the Dual-Core 2.0, 2GB RAM, 160GB Disk (add my other 250GB as well), 7800GT Graphics Card and Wireless/Bluetooth. The major problem is that it will 6-8 weeks to arrive.

If you can answer any of the questions I will be greatfull. Any advice is always welcomed.

TIA

 

[Lincoln]

Any Dual Core PowerMac owners out there?

I'm sure that somebody can tell me if the newer DC Powermacs have the sound issues of the older DP macs or not?

 

[Bastich]

FWIW, I've heard that the annoying chirp is gone.

 

[Eric5h5]

I have a dual 2.5 and it never had an annoying chirp. The only thing wrong is that Apple messed up the PCI bay fan after 10.3.7 (if you have an X800 installed), so it changes pitch randomly. Which is pretty darn annoying. In fact it's so annoying that I'm still on 10.3.7. (I have 10.4.3 on another drive, but I never boot it because of that issue, unfortunately.)

--Eric

 

[mnstr_trd_sd]

I've got a dual 2.0 rev a G5 and never heard a chirp, but, the fan tends to get fairly loud. I'm not sure if the newer PM's with the liquid cooling systems have this problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lincoln]

Sounding good

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like they may have fixed the chirping issues with the newer DC's.

However, has anyone had the high-pitched whining noise when playing games or when really pusing the graphics card?

 

[Kernow]

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like they may have fixed the chirping issues with the newer DC's.

However, has anyone had the high-pitched whining noise when playing games or when really pusing the graphics card?

I have a Dual 2GHz G5 (not a DC), and have heard the whine a couple of times (but not recently). I always put it down to the fan on the graphics card. I don't know if this has been fixed for the DCs or even if Apple would consider it a problem

 

[liketom]

well with my dual 1.8 (non DC) i hear nothing , o and thanks for the 2gb of Ram Lincoln


psss btw i would go for that Quad on the refurb store for £1800 ish

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I fiddled around with the dual core 2GHz G5 we have at work...running Doom 3 at 1680x1050 on a 20" ACD produced no funny noises whatever. The machine is remarkably quiet, actually.

 

[Lincoln]

Thanks for the help Lord blackadder.

I also asked thi question on the Apple Forums and they pretty much said the same as you.

I have decided to go for the 2.3GHZ Dual-Core PowerMac and I am looking forward to its arrival.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Good luck with it, I'm still chugging away with my Powermac G4 - it's a fair sight louder than the dual core G5s, let me tell ya...

 

[mac.head.high]

Thanks for the help Lord blackadder.

I also asked thi question on the Apple Forums and they pretty much said the same as you.

I have decided to go for the 2.3GHZ Dual-Core PowerMac and I am looking forward to its arrival.

Good choice. Look at my setup below. I use it for ProTools, Gaming and GarageBand, it just flys. I am a very satisfied mac user and not that it means anything, but I fully indorse your purchase.

As for the noise on the new Dual-Corse, never heard it, and I've listened. It's silent enough to record in the same room with no issues. It is liquid cooled, so that might have brought the fan count down, but of that I'm not sure. The way the internals are built it sucks the cool air from the front of the case and sweeps all the hotish air out the back. Well it also forces the sound to travel similarly lessing the noise one might expect from having a cheese grater on the from of ones computer.

And as an aside, once you have it up and running sometime, touch the front grill when it's not sleeping and I belive you will smile as I do.

 

[Lincoln]

I ordered the 7800GT too, unfortunately thats means that I've got a long wait ahead of me. 24th March is the current eta for my G5.

But it will be worth the wait.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Good things come to those who wait....like 7800GTs

 

[Lincoln]

6-8 Weeks = 6-8 Days

I placed my order for the PowerMac last week on Wednesday 25th January and was given an expected delivery date of 24th March. It arrived this Thursday 2nd Feb, i.e. 1 week!

The strange thing is that the Mac was built in Ireland and the AppleCare came from Taiwan?

The main thing is that this Mac is fast and has NONE of the issues that the previous Dual CPU macs had. I am very pleased with my new Mac.

If I had to nitpick, the fan on the graphics card is quite noisy, but I have grown used to it. Once the Mac is a month or two old I might replace the fan with a Zalman one.

 

[mac.head.high]

I placed my order for the PowerMac last week on Wednesday 25th January and was given an expected delivery date of 24th March. It arrived this Thursday 2nd Feb, i.e. 1 week!

The strange thing is that the Mac was built in Ireland and the AppleCare came from Taiwan?

The main thing is that this Mac is fast and has NONE of the issues that the previous Dual CPU macs had. I am very pleased with my new Mac.

If I had to nitpick, the fan on the graphics card is quite noisy, but I have grown used to it. Once the Mac is a month or two old I might replace the fan with a Zalman one.

It is the fan from the Graphics card, isn't. I've been joking how I haven't heard my computer yet, only my video card. But I now that you confirmed it, my 7800 GT is the noisy part of the computer, not the actually fans.

On a side note; My graphics card fan is already really dusty, but I'm not sure if I should try cleaning? Any suggestions.