Should I upgrade my Power Mac quad core 2.66 or go for a new(er) machine?

I have a 2009 Power Mac, quad core 2.66 ghz, 6GB RAM, OS 10.6.8 and primarily run graphic apps (Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) for Graphic Design projects and Photography. I've begun to run into sites that want newer versions of Safari and am thinking I should upgrade for security purposes. Firefox won't load (crashes machine), can't upgrade Flash-- wondering if it's time to upgrade OS but when I look at the latest version it won't run on the machine.
I've read where I can purchase a new graphic card and then "hack" the system to run the latest OSX but am wondering, after all is said and done with costs would I just be better off getting a new(er) machine (maybe a powerbook i7)? Would the performance be about the same? I love my Power Mac (the inside is so perfectly designed) and, aside from the browser issues it generally does everything I need. graphic cards that are recommended don't seem to be in production any longer and those that are listed retail for around $350-$500. A RAM boost (extra 16GB for $200) and even a processor upgrade from OWC (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/MacPro/2010_Xeon_Processor) ($500-$600) and conceivably I could run this machine into the ground.
Thank you for any thoughts or insights.

Ah, this is why one should not post late at night with little sleep. Thank you all for the answers and kind responses of help.
Very good suggestion to reinstall the system and I shall do so. I believe this is the MacPro forum, is it not? Should I still repost? I used everymac.com to determine my system BUT posted the results incorrectly (corrected below and yes, it is a 2006). My apologies. I ran the software that THE HATTER suggested and have the results below. I'm not opposed to spending money to either upgrade or purchase a new(er) machine-- simply looking to spend the money necessary wisely for the best possible return. Thank you again for the help.
ETRECHECK:
(I'm only posting part of this-- I don't know if there's a posting limit or protocol on posting). I am running CS5
Hardware Information: ℹ️
Mac Pro (Verified)
Mac Pro - model: MacPro1,1
2 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon CPU: 4-core
6 GB RAM
DIMM Riser A/DIMM 1
2 GB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser A/DIMM 2
2 GB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser B/DIMM 1
512 MB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser B/DIMM 2
512 MB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser A/DIMM 3
512 MB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser A/DIMM 4
512 MB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz ok
DIMM Riser B/DIMM 3
empty empty empty empty
DIMM Riser B/DIMM 4
empty empty empty empty
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Video Information: ℹ️
ATY,RadeonX1900 - VRAM: 512 MB
VX2336 SERIES 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz
hp f1703 1280 x 960 @ 75 Hz
System Software: ℹ️
Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549) - Uptime: 89 days 2:15:37
Disk Information: ℹ️
WDC WD2500AAJS-41RYA0 disk0 : (232.89 GB)
- (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 249.72 GB (18.35 GB free)
Hitachi HDT725050VLA360 disk2 : (465.76 GB)
- (disk2s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
500GB (disk2s2) /Volumes/500GB : 499.76 GB (92.11 GB free)
WDC WD1002FAEX-00Z3A0 disk1 : (931.51 GB)
- (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
1TB Drive (disk1s2) /Volumes/1TB Drive : 999.86 GB (760.73 GB free)

Similar Messages

I want to upgrade my Power Mac G5 Quad (Mac OS X 10.5.8) for video editing purposes. What upgrades should I make?

Hello!
I want to upgrade my Power Mac G5 Quad (Mac OS X 10.5.8) for video editing purposes.
Rendering,editing and exporting takes some time on my computer. I just want things to go faster.
What upgrades should I make?
Thanks in advance!!!

Here are other video cards that you can search for that will also work in your G5.
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT with 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM, and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 with 512 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
http://www.amazon.com/nVIDIA-Quadro-FX4500-PCI-Express-631-0110/dp/B004XCYG10/re f=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1365657320&sr=1-3&keywords=NVIDIA+Quadro+FX+4 500
or
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Nvidia-256mb-Geforce-Express/dp/B00BL30JQU/ref=sr_1_ 3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1365657552&sr=1-3&keywords=NVIDIA+GeForce+7800+GT

New Mac-quad core or 8 core for youth club studio...

Hi there.
I have some money to kit out a studio in a youth club. I'm going the Mac route and Logic pro will be one of the programs we run. Once ive spent the cash thats it, so I'm hoping to go as powerful as possible.
I am looking at the new Nehalem quad core and 8 core models. At first I was going to opt for the 8 core (this may seem like overkill for a youth club, but I have worked with them for some years and we finally have a chance to get some really tasty kit!), but then I read the following article that suggested on paper that the 2.66ghz quad core is actually faster than the 2.26ghz 8 core;
http://www.macworld.com/article/139507/2009/03/macpro2009.html
I have been trying to find out if Logic Pro is a program that can make use of the extra cores. I am guessing not, but have not been able to find confirmation on this.
Question is, for longevity and a super fast machine, what would you recommend. I could get a slightly faster quad core than the base unit, but I am guessing in the future to go up to 8 core, you would need a completely new machine pretty much rather than upgradeing. I have mostly been a PC user, so these top end macs are a bit new to me.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Many thanks
Smoulders

I disagree that Logic fully uses all 8 cores (16 including the hyperthreading cores). Logic seems to max out at 8 threads, and it is able to take advantage of hyperthread cores. The result of this is that while it uses 8 cores on an octo machine, it also uses 8 cores on a quad machine (4 cores plus 4 HT cores), and the difference between the two is considerably less than it should be.
Hopefully soon there will be a version of Logic that uses 16 threads and takes advantage of HT on the octo machines, but in the meantime, much of the available CPU power is going unused. An octo can max out at 1600% cpu use, but logic is lucky to make it to 400%. It can reach that same level on a quad core i7. Same goes for Logic benchmarks, the difference in actual processing power isn't much, especially if the quad is at a higher clock speed.
Anyone who has an 8 core machine can test this, there's a Processor control panel that lets you disable cores (or hyperthreading). If you disable four cores, it will just use the hyperthreading cores instead with only a minimal loss of CPU power in Logic.

Cleaning heatsinks on Power Mac Quad G5?

Can anyone advise me how I get at the processor heatsinks in my Power Mac Quad 2.5GHz G5 (late 2005)? I would like to check them for dust and clean them.
The processors are overheating badly under heavy use (one core can go over 100degC!) and I've had to set my Energy Saver option to Reduced Power to stop repeated random sleeps. I've been cleaning the fans and the radiator regularly since I discovered the latter clogged with dust, but the fans are now running hard all the time. The processors boards are under a cover behind the radiator, and I don't want to just tinker to see how to get the cover off.
BTW, my graphics processor (nVidia GeForce 6600) is regularly running between 65degC and 80degC too, and Temperature Monitor shows no reading for the <ain Logic Board Air Inlet -- any comments?
Any help or advice would be much appreciated. TIA
Mike

Dear Mr. Elston,
This could be a temperature sensor failure or - even worse - a problem with the liquid cooling system. Did you already try the Apple Hardware Test on the first of two install disks provided with your computer?
The metal cover over the processor heatsinks is locked by a plastic rivet on top of the devider plate, which can be removed. Please see for an identical construction the information in the service manual for the early 2005 PowerMac, downloadable from this site (unfortunately detailed information for the late 2005 G5s is still missing).
To know for sure there's a leak, look for green cristals. It's also possible that such cristals are blocking the flow of the cooling liquid of one of your processors.
Success and best regards,
Robbert

Cannot upgrade my Power Mac G5 Dual Processor (CPU type: PowerPC G5 (3.0)) to Mac OS 10.4 - anybody knows how to do this

Trying desperately to upgrade my Power Mac G5 Dual Processor to Mac OS X.4 - what kind of upgrade is needed? How may I proceed?

Hello Jens,
Might be easier to get Leo/10.5.x
Tiger Requirements...
To use Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, your Macintosh needs:
    * A PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
    * Built-in FireWire
    * At least 256 MB of RAM (I recommend 1GB minimum)
    * DVD drive (DVD-ROM), Combo (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) or SuperDrive (DVD-R) for installation
    * At least 3 GB of free disk space; 4 GB if you install the XCode 2 Developer Tools (I recommend 20GB minimum)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1514
See Tom's, (Texas Mac Man), great info on where/how to find/get Tiger...
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15305521#15305521
old: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9755670&#9755670
Or Ali Brown's great info on where/how to find/get Tiger...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10381710#10381710
Leopard requirements/10.5.x...
    * Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
minimum system requirements
    * 512MB of memory (I say 1.5GB for PPC at least, 2-3GB minimum for IntelMacs)
    * DVD drive for installation
    * 9GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)
You have to call Apple & likely ask for a Product Specialist to get it, if they still have it! Helps to tell them you have an iPad/iPhone & you can't run 10.6.

Upgrading a Power Mac from a PowerBook?

I'd like to upgrade my Power Mac from Panther to Tiger, and have recently purchased a PowerBook that came with Tiger (gray 10.4.2 discs). I gather from physically trying it, then searching this list, that the grey discs won't work. What I've not seen addressed is whether it's possible to get Tiger on the Power Mac directly from the PowerBook?
Thanks.

Correct. The discs that come with a specific model are only usable on that model. You would have to purchase a retail version of Tiger on eBay or from FastMac.com or by calling AppleCare and ordering a copy (it may be several weeks delay.)
If you were to clone from your other computer you'd have the same problem. The installed version of Tiger from the gray discs also will not work on your other computer for the same reason the installer doesn't work.

Power Mac Quad fans going into overdrive

Hi,
I've been experiencing some strange issues with my Power Mac Quad G5 recently. The issue seems to coincide when I'm running either one of the three listed programs (FLV2 iTunes, Handbrake or Reel Bean) when they are compressing or converting files. On a couple of occasions when i've left the programs running over a period of time i've come back to find the fans in complete overdrive mode, the screen black and the computer completely unresponsive to any key commands. I have to hold the power button in for 5-6 seconds to shut it off. It re-starts normally and runs fine. Any help would be greatly received.
Thanks

Hardware monitor is the application that will monitor temps & other stuff (CPU voltages, fan speeds) http://www.bresink.de/osx/HardwareMonitor.html. I used it on my dying G5, the data always ended abruptly when the crash happened.
I think your G5 is doing the same as many others, namely crashing while asleep, then the fans go up to 100% I'd strongly recommend you disable sleep and see if it happens again. My 3 year, 2 month old G5 became useless after one of these 'sleep crashes', I think it is possible for the hardware to become damaged during one of the events, or it is the reason for the 'sleep crash'.
There are lots of threads on 'fans on full blast', 'turbo fans', 'jet fans', 'sleep jet fans'… in the G5 forums, I haven't seen one that has an answer to solve it, but consider stop using sleep & keep an eye on the number of CPU's the G5 boots with, lots of G5's have lost CPU's and I suspect this is part of the issue.
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8391812
Good luck & tell Applecare about it if you are covered.

ESATA for Power Mac Quad

Is it possible to connect external eSATA drives to a Power Mac Quad? I want to take advantage of the speed gains.
Thanks

Hi-
Definitely Firmtek has a good product.
Sonnet receives favorable reviews.

Hi, I need a video editing software for my Power Mac G5 system. Hunted all over for one! Can anyone help me and point me in the right direction. Everything I come across is for intel based systems. Many thanks in advance.

Hi, I need a video editing software for my Power Mac G5 system. Hunted all over for one! Can anyone help me and point me in the right direction. Everything I come across is for intel based systems. Many thanks in advance.

I have Final Cut Studio V1 - the PPC/Intel V5/5.1 cross-grade version, which would suit your requirements perfectly. (I have it for sale at present down here).
If you keep looking, you're sure to find a similar second hand copy in your area, without the need to upgrade your graphics card.
I'd go for Final Cut Pro as above over any version of Express. FCP has the full version of LiveType - not the truncated version that was released later on.

HT201250 I had files stored on a hard drive that were not on my Mac. I used the hard drive for my first Time Machine back up, but it was not enough hard drive space to finish. Now those stored files are gone. Is there any way I can recover them?

I had files stored on a hard drive that were not on my Mac. I used the hard drive for my first Time Machine back up, but it was not enough hard drive space to finish. Now those stored files are gone. Is there any way I can recover them? No, they were not part of previous Time Machine backups, and I have checked both the hard drive the documents were lost on and the new one that I now use for backups. Any suggestions would be helpful, as the lost files are old pictures that are gone forever. :[ Thanks!

1. Yes, if both drives are formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
2. Reformat the drives if needed, open the Time Machine pane of System Preferences, and remove the drive with the pictures from the list of items set to be excluded.
(110331)

Upgrading a Power Mac G5

I have a Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz, L2 Cache 512K per processor, Frontside bus - 1.35GHz, with 8GB of Ram. I was wondering how I could speed up this computer? It is constantly running the processor cores at 50% to 100% when doing the simplest task as just loading a web page. They do go back normal once the task is finished but it sounds like a plane is taking off every time I click some where. Id love to switch out the G5 for an Intel Core 2 Duo as I think this would solve the problem but I do not know if this can be done? Open to any other ideas.. Thanks in advance for the help

How about all the basics?
Check the LCS and any dust.
Clone the system to new faster drive.
Repair the system with Disk Warrior.
Keep the boot drive free of data and media files.
Half the 2.7DPs have a really good solid cooling block (assume you made it this far?) and the other half are scared tomorrow will be the day!
No, you can't do more than trade/sell and invest in a new system.
I'd start with SuperDuper and new hard drives. Cleans out most but not all the temp files, logs, and caches, all of which can just clog and interfere with browsers and should be emptied on quit or weekly.
Pretty wide open what a pair of 10K V-Raptor from WD. Or even SSDs.
I assume though that you are somewhat into CS2/3 or something to have upgraded to 8GB RAM.
Any video card upgrade? other PCI-X upgrades? Sonnet G5 Jive kit?

How can I install Tiger upgrade on Power Mac G5?

I have PowerMac G5 with OSX 3.9. I bought retail disk of Tiger but it will not install as upgrade. It goes past the restart process but stops shortly after installation begins with message telling me that installation failed. I originally bought Leopard and encountered same problem and then bought Tiger thinking that I might need to upgrade to that first. Here are the specs for my computer:
Machine Model: Power Mac G5
CPU Type: PowerPC 970 (2.2)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.6 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 2.25 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.1.5f2
Serial Number: XXXX
GeForce FX 5200:
Type: display
Bus: AGP
Slot: SLOT-1
VRAM (Total): 64 MB
Vendor: nVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0321
Revision ID: 0x00a2
ROM Revision: 2060
Thanks much!

Hi Mobe!
Is the disc the Full Retail Version, of the Tiger Install DVD, that does not say Upgrade, CPU Drop-in DVD, or "This software is part of a hardware bundle purchase - not to be sold seperately." on it?
If not, you can order the correct Tiger 10.4.x installer from Apple Phone Sales 1-800-692-7753, for $129.00.
That model of PowerMac G5 should also support the Leopard System Requirements, if you use a Full Retail Version of the Leopard DVD.
The Full Retail Version, of the Leopard Install DVD, can be purchased at The Apple Store (U.S.).
ali b

Launching Color on a 2.7 Power mac dual core - not

I have a 2.7 ghz power mac. I've upgraded final cut studio through 5 up to the crossover to intel and then to 6. When I try to start Color it says Open GL not able to start - turnoff 'video desktop'. (the same programme runs on my octo core intel mac)
Question 1: Will color run on power PC macs and
Question 2. how do I turn off video desktop whatever that is - and
Question 3. why does it conflict with open GL
Question 4. Is there a color forum and why can't I see it if there is ?
The answer to 3 of course is not that important
Thanks in advance

Ok, that one is easy, just go into your system preferences, Decklinki settings and uncheck the "Enable Video Desktop" box. Tada, it's starting now.
As for the machine, I own the same setup and Color and Motion 3 just work fine, but I've put an ATI X800XT in that G5 for it to work.
Best regards,
Jean-Luc

Upgrading my Power Mac G4 (MDD) (to do 3D animation/video editing stuffs)

Hi,
I have a Power Mac with 1GHz PowerPC G4, 1 MB L3 cache, 1.25 GB DDR SDRAM.
I'm wondering, is it good enough to run those 3D softwares (Lightwave, Maya, Cinema 4D) and video editing apps (After Effects), if I upgrade it to 2 GB RAM.
I did a little googling and found that I can upgrade my processor to 1.6 GHz Dual. (from http://lowendmac.com/musings/07/0522.html)
My Mac is very slow for me. I'm wondering if I should upgrade it. I do not have the money to get a new mac as I'm still a college student. Doing a little freelance to get some money.
Should I do the upgrades (2 GB RAM, 1.6 GHz Dual) or should I wait for few more years to get enough money to get a new Mac?
By the way, about RAM, are there faster speeds for my mac? Or these are the only ones my Mac can support?
I'm using two 512 MB DDR SDRAM, PC2100U-25330 and the 256 MB DDR SDRAM, PC2100U-25330 that comes with the Mac.

That much upgrading could cost as much or more than a newer Mac that does what you need. The architecture of the MDD limits the number of processor upgrades available; the only one that OWC currently lists for the MDD is a dual 1.8 and it costs US$600. That's probably more than a 1G MDD is worth on the private sale market.
Even if you do upgrade the processor, you still have a relatively slow 133mHz system bus.
Your RAM is correct for your 133mHz bus. If you install RAM like PC2700 (used on the faster 167mHz bus of later MDDs) that RAM will clock back and run no faster than your 133 bus can support. So no gain.
If you figure out how much you are willing to spend on upgrades to your current computer, you might wish to check the market and see if that sum will buy you a used G5 machine or faster. You may be surprised.
I have upgraded processors before and was taken in by the processor speed numbers alone without considering the effects of the slow bus on an older machine. The end result was slower than I expected. I bring up these things only to caution you to consider every aspect. It's quite easy to put $1000 worth of upgrades into a $400 computer and end up with a $500 computer.

HT2497 Is there anyway I can upgrade my Power Mac G5-Mac OS X 10.5.4 to Intel Mac.

I have Power Mac G5-Mac OS X version 10.5.4 and has just upgraded it to version 10.8
I there anyway I can upgrade it Intel Mac so that I can install windows and Mac.
nana

No.
(70485)

Should I upgrade my Power Mac quad core 2.66 or go for a new(er) machine?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for