Powermac G5 Upgrades
PowerMac G5 Side

This page covers all the upgrades we sell for the first of the two major PowerMac G5 revisions - models made between 2003 and October 2005. Choose the type of upgrade you are looking for from the tabs below.(Not the right Mac? See here for more PowerMac G5s, or here for all Macs.)

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If you want specific upgrades for your exact model, choose it from the Model ID links below, or enter your serial number here:


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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.

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.

There are none available.

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/Blu-ray 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.

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in a PowerMac/Mac ProStock: Available£15.00 + vat (£18.00)

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 & SSD 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.

Installation Services

3.5in Hard Drives

Seagate Barracuda SATA 600 1TB 7200RPM 32MBStock: Available£40.49 + vat (£48.59)
Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM SATA 600 2TB 7200RPM 64MBStock: Available£52.28 + vat (£62.74)

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.

Graphics Cards and Displays

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.

There are none available.

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.

INSTALL SERVICE - Expansion Card in a Desktop MacStock: Available£15.00 + vat (£18.00)
Apple Airport Extreme Card (refurb)Stock: Out of Stock£19.00 + vat (£22.80)

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.

Trust 3 button USB Optical MouseStock: Available£6.75 + vat (£8.10)
Cherry Strait 3.0 USB Keyboard - UK Mac LayoutStock: Available£32.00 + vat (£38.40)

Power Supplies & Batteries

Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products we supply for this Mac.

3.6V (half AA type) Lithium PRAM/Clock Battery for MacStock: Available£9.00 + vat (£10.80)

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.

Cables & Adaptors

FireWire 400 - 800 Adaptor Cable M/M (6pin - 9pin) 6 ftStock: Available£11.00 + vat (£13.20)
DVI-I - VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£6.50 + vat (£7.80)
Sonnet Tempo eSATA Cable Set - 1m (2 x eSATA Connectors)Stock: Out of Stock£16.00 + vat (£19.20)1

Tools

Precision Screwdriver Set, 31 Piece - Phillips/Torx/TR6Stock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)
Anti Static Wrist StrapStock: Available£8.50 + vat (£10.20)
1For use with an eSATA PCI card, e.g. Sonnet Tempo X4P eSATA PCI/PCIX Card, to connect to an eSATA external device.

External Drives & Enclosures

This Mac can use any of the following external hard drives.

3.5in USB Enclosures

2.5in USB Enclosures

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.

Complete Machines - Refurbished

Any complete machines of this type or similar that we have for sale are listed here. Please note that these are refurbished models with a 3 month warranty, and that delivery is likely to take 3 - 5 working days. These can be purchased online with the standard website courier delivery charge for the mainland UK only. Please contact us for a quote on shipping to other areas.

There are none available.

Repair Services for this Mac

Here are the various repair services we offer for this Mac. You can have us take the machine in for evaluation, or book a fixed-price repair if you already know what the fault is and the service is listed below (for services without parts, please see the relevant tab on this page for compatible parts that we sell). If you know what the fault is, but we don't have a fixed-price repair listed below, please contact us for a quote.

Evaluation Services

Mac Repair - Evaluation ServiceStock: Available£39.00 + vat (£46.80)

Installation Services (parts not included)

Collection ServiceStock: Available£24.68 + vat (£29.62)
INSTALL SERVICE - RAM in a PowerMac/Mac ProStock: Available£10.00 + vat (£12.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Expansion Card in a Desktop MacStock: Available£15.00 + vat (£18.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in a PowerMac/Mac ProStock: Available£15.00 + vat (£18.00)