History
This page refers to all PowerMac G5s before the latest October 2005 revision of the range. Our page on the new dual-core PowerMac G5s
(which use DDR2 RAM and have PCI-Express slots) is here.
In June 2003 Apple finally upgraded their desktop line up
from the G4 to the IBM made PPC970 - the G5. These machines are awesome, both internally
and externally. They support up to
8GB of memory. The machines all shipped with
DVD-RW superdrives and SATA hard drives. The connectivity was upgraded
with FireWire 800, Airport Extreme, PCI-X slots and 8 x AGP graphics.
The front side bus to the CPU was increased up to 1GHz - almost unheard of on
a desktop system. The increased speed and power required a unique case with
distinct thermal zones and the biggest heat sinks yet. The benefit? Up to 7 times
better performance than the G4 Dual 1.42. A awesome machine for every task.
There were four fairly minor revisions of the PowerMac G5 before the change to the dual core models. See Apple specs for the original Power Mac G5 here, the June 2004 revision here, the late 2004 here and early 2005 here.
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How to Identify these Machines
The PowerMac G5 is easily identifiable by its size, shape, distinctive handles
and front and rear grills. If your machine looks like the picture to the right
you've got a PowerMac G5.
To distinguish between the latest PCI-Express dual-core PowerMac G5s and earlier ones, one way to tell is by the number of ethernet ports. Machines dealt with on this page have 1 RJ-45 ethernet port on the back. If you have 2 RJ-45 sockets, you need to refer to this page.
You can also tell the difference by opening System Profiler (Apple Menu > About This Mac, then click on the "More Info" button), then selecting Memory on the window that comes up and checking the speed column for any of the modules already installed. For this earlier PowerMac G5, it will start PC3200 or PC2700. Later dual core machines will start PC2-4200.
Other main distinguishing features are the number of processor cores - these earlier machines use single-core processors (although frequently were sold with dual processors), use DDR RAM as opposed to the newer DDR2 RAM in the later machines. The machines on this page were all sold before October 2005.
There were four fairly minor revisions of the PowerMac G5 before the change to the dual core models. See Apple specs for the original Power Mac G5 here, the June 2004 revision here, the late 2004 here and early 2005 here.
If you are still unsure you can contact us on 01223 833 412 or by email for
confirmation.
Memory Upgrades
The PowerMac G5 has either 4 or 8 memory sockets. The machines can accept up to 8.0GB / 4.0GB in RAM - (4 or 8 x 1.GB ).
With OS X on the desktop the more RAM you have the more your Mac will love you. Our memory is lifetime guaranteed and
comes with a full compatibility guarantee. The easiest way to find out how many available sockets you have is to
open the side of the machine - after turning it off at the wall. Use the release catch at the back, remove the plastic cover and
the dual fans. Count the number of sockets. If you have 4 you can accept up to 4GB if 8 then
8GB. All RAM for the G5's must be installed in PAIRS - that means matched sizes and types for best performance i.e. to add
512MB of RAM you need 2 x 256MB Sticks.
Please note the RAM listed below is for the non-Dual Core (which is different to dual processor) PowerMac G5s. If you have a PowerMac G5
with only 1 ethernet port, the RAM listed below is correct. If you have a PowerMac G5 with 2 ethernet ports, you need to see the modules listed here.
| 1 | Compatible with non-dual-core PowerMac G5s apart from the 1.6GHz version. Must be installed in pairs. |
| 2 | Compatible with the 1.6GHz version only. Must be installed in pairs. |
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy
Open the side of the case by using the release bar at the rear of the machine.
Remove the metal grill and place to one side. Then remove the internal
plastic cover by lifting it up and out.
Next locate the two processor fans (on
one plastic runner) and remove outwards. This reveals the RAM sockets.
Place RAM into the sockets - RAM modules must be installed in matched pairs in this machine. The RAM is designed so it
cannot go in the wrong way around.
If you are unsure call or email our team.
CD & DVD Drive Upgrades
The PowerMac G5 came equipped with a Superdrive Optical drive loaded with a tray at the front of the machine. There
is no internal expansion for a second optical drive. It is possible to use an External DVD writer via USB 2.0 or FireWire
(FireWire is better). The below drives will work with your Mac.
| 1 | Only fully supported under Max OSX 10.5 or later - see product page for more details. |
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 Very Easy (external), 2 / 5 Easy (internal)
External
Install and supplied software, restart the machine and connect the new device.
Internal
Open the side of the case by using the release bar at
the rear of the machine.
Remove the metal grill and place to one side, then
remove the internal plastic cover by lifting it up and out.
The optical drive
is located towards the top of the case. Disconnect the cables and remove mounting
screws.
Replace drive and reconnect power and data cables.
Apple's instructions can be found here.
Internal Hard Drive Upgrades
This range of drives will work in your G5 machine. These drives run at 7,200 RPM and
provide excellent speed for almost every application.
If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.
Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 2 / 5 - Easy.
Turn off Machine, open side door. Use latch to the rear of the drive chassis to release the side panel.
Remove plastic grill by pulling gently upwards and outwards. The hard drive caddie is located on the top of the case
and has space for an additional drive in the caddie.
The special screws required to hold the drive in place are located to the left of the drive caddy. Remove caddie by pulling the release lever to the side. Disconnect
the cable and insert new drive to chassis. Set jumpers accordingly and connect up all cables. Restart machine and initialise the drive.
Apple's instructions can be found here.
eSATA Storage
This Mac can have an eSATA controller card added into an expansion socket - allowing it to control an array of eSATA drives.
For an explanation of what eSATA is, please see our eSATA FAQ. To see our full listing of eSATA products, please see the eSATA category.
eSATA products compatible with this Mac can be found on this page - eSATA controllers can be found on in the expansion cards section, eSATA enclosures are with the external hard drives, and SATA hard drives are listed with the internal hard drives.
Graphics Card Upgrades
Your PowerMac G5 has 1 available 8x AGP socket for upgrading your video capabilities. These new cards offer fantastic gaming and professional outputs across many monitors.
The AGP card is a really easy install.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy.
Install software. Turn off Machine, open side door. Locate brown AGP socket and remove holding
screw. Replace card with new Card - If you are unsure call or email our team.
Expansion Card Upgrades
Listed below are the compatible expansion cards we sell for this version of the PowerMac G5.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy.
Install software, Turn off Machine, open side door. Locate a free PCI-X socket and remove holding
screw. Replace card with new Card - If you are unsure call or email our team.
Apple's own instructions can be found here.
Keyboards & Mice
The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy
Keyboards plug into the relevant port on your Mac. Mice can either be plugged into your keyboard, or they can be plugged directly into your Mac.
Power Supplies & Batteries
Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products
we supply for this Mac.
| 1 | Please ensure that you have the earlier G5 with AGP graphics and DDR memory. We do not supply PSUs for the later G5s (PCIe graphics DDR2 memory). |
| 2 | This is an EXCHANGE PART. Please see the product page for full details. |
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Cables & Tools
Listed below are power cables, tools and related products
we supply for this Mac.
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
External Hard Drive Upgrades
This Mac can use any of the following external hard drives.
| 1 | Requires Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later. |
| 2 | Cannot be used to boot this Mac. |
| 3 | Requires an eSATA connection to be added to this Mac (eg Tempo X4P). |
Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.
Difficulty 1 / 5 - Very Easy
Install any supplied software and connect the new device.
You will need to format the drive before use. This is done with the "Drive Setup" utility, which can be found in Applications > Utilities.
