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?

Similar Messages

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.

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

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.

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)

Upgrading a Power Mac 7200.

Hi,
I just recently bought a Power Mac 7200 on ebay for the small sum of £1.99, and I am setting about upgrading it into something more useful.
Looking about on beay I am looking at a plethora of Mac Video cards, and one has caught my eye. An ATI Radeon 7000, and I am wondering if this will work ok in said machine as it will mean I can use a VGA monitor rather than the aging Apple 14" monitor that came with it.
Also I have a 10GB HDD to go in there but its IDE and am I right in thinking this Mac is SCSI and not IDE?
TAI
Craig

The ATI Radeon card's drivers require OS 9.2.1 or 9.2.2, which can only be installed on a 7200 that's running OS 9.1 and been updated to 9.2.1 or 9.2.2 using the third-party utility, "OS 9 Helper," and the downloadable OS 9.2.1 and 9.2.2 updates. There are older/less-expensive Mac video cards that will enable the use of VGA displays. The ATI XCLAIM Rage Pro (Mac) card comes with 4 MBs of SGRAM, with the option of an additional 4 MBs (plug-in SGRAM card). Many selling at eBay already have the 4 MB upgrade installed, and the card has both Mac and VGA ports. You can also use a Mac-to-VGA adapter, to convert the onboard monitor port for use of VGA displays. This assumes that the VRAM has been upgraded to at least 2 MBs (4 MBs is preferable).
In spite of having bought the 7200 for so little, I would discourage spending a lot of money to upgrade it. I bought a couple of 7200s in mint condition a few years ago. The 7200's power supply is compatible with the motherboard from a 7500, 7600, or 8500. I installed a pair of 8500 boards (including A/V modules) in mine, enabling the use of plug-in processor cards. With a 604e/233 MHz processor card and 1 MB L2 cache card, they were much faster than in their OEM configuration (601/75 MHz and 601/90 MHz). The amount of money I spent to boost their performance is ridiculous, given their negligible market value today. Whatever you do, don't buy one of Sonnet's 7200 G3 processor cards for a PCI slot. They've always been overpriced for what they are, and because so few were sold in comparison to the G3 (processor slot) upgrade cards, you won't find many bargain-priced 7200 PCI upgrades at eBay. In the end, the money spent on upgrading a 7200 could buy you a native beige G3 or B&W G3, both of which would easily outperform a G3-upgraded 7200. If you're upgrading your 7200 as a hobby project, choose upgrade cards that can be transferred to a newer Mac (video, ATA controller, USB and/or FireWire, etc.), because you'll never recover the money spent on them, if you were to sell the 7200 a day/week/month later.

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

Help with upgrading my Power Mac G4

Hello,
I've found many topics in this forum helpful, but they are so spread out that I figured it would be easier to ask for help for my own computer.
I am interested in upgrading a few things on my G4. Here are my specs:
Machine Name: Power Mac G4
Machine Model: PowerMac3,5
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (2.1)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 867 MHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
L3 Cache (per CPU): 2 MB
Memory: 1.5 GB
Bus Speed: 133 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.2.5f1
1) Upgrading my processor:
I do a lot of graphics work (Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, and Maya) on my computer and it's been really slow lately, even with my RAM maxed out to 1.5 MB. I was thinking of buying the SonnetDUAL G4/1.8GHz 512K L2 Cache Per Processor because I would like as much processing power as possible. What processor(s) would be the best fit for me?
2) Upgrading my graphics card:
I don't know anything about increasing my graphics card capabilities, or if I even need to. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Here are my current graphics stats:
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX:
Chipset Model: GeForce2 MX
Type: Display
Bus: AGP
Slot: SLOT-1
VRAM (Total): 32 MB
Vendor: nVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0110
Revision ID: 0x00b2
ROM Revision: 1055
3) Upgrading to a USB 2.0 PCI card:
Is this necessary? I was interested in purchasing a Firewire/USB hub and that's when I learned of the USB 2.0 thing. I don't know if I need it or not.
4) I just bought a 400GB external FW HD, but is it also recommended to buy a second internal hard drive? I'm leery of buying one because I'm not very computer HW savvy (surprise surprise!) but I'm wondering if it would be good for my computer considering its age and how much I use graphics software on my computer.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Power Mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Hi there,
You have a very upgradable computer, one of the best. You didn't tell us your budget. So, I'll just assume you want to be practical.
1. I'd suggest either a Fastmac or OWC CPU. Easy to install, no firmware patches to add, simple and very fast.
2. Stay put for now, see how you like the CPU first.
3. If you need it look here. The sleep issue is one that cannot be remedied, so we live with it. I put my monitor to sleep and set the computer to never.
4. The FW 400 is perfect. If you are worried about the old internal HDD, install a second new one (128GB or less) internally and use it as your startup, the old one for storage of non essentials. No matter what you do, ALWAYS backup important data at regular intervals.
Finally, your Mac has 1.5GB of RAM already installed, you're set!
Regards,
Dave
QS-1.5GHz, ATI 9800/ AGP-1.25 GHz, ATI 9800/ Cube-Dual 1.7 GHz, ATI 9800 Mac OS X (10.4.4)

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)

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.

Upgrading a power mac mdd

I recently purchased a power mac mdd dual 1ghz processor. I'm trying to install 2 additional hard drives to no avail. I dont have the additional bay which is located under the optical drives is there away I could purchase one or some how work around not having this bay? Also I can not remove the bay which houses the original hard drive. I'm seriously stuck any suggestions

When it comes to the drive bay which houses your current hard drives, there should be a white plastic catch on one side. If you lift this the drive bay carrier should lift free.
As for your drive bay under the optical drives theres little you can do but buy a new drive carrier in think. Here is the link to purchase one though this is UK so im not usre whether it will suit your needs.
http://www.applemacparts.co.uk/store/productinfo.php?cPath=7445_7475_7601_7602&productsid=64530
The price is quite steep sadly because i think its a case of they have it and you want it so they can charge what they like. Other than that theres one going on ebay.com substantually cheaper here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hard-Drive-Carrier-for-PowerMac-G4-MDD_W0QQitemZ130116985516 QQihZ003QQcategoryZ51035QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
When installing your drives make sure they are setup for 'cable select mode'
this is very important as if they are not it can cause all kinds of problems. This is dont by changing the pin jumpers on the drive which should have instructions on it as to what pins do what.
If your Powermac hasnt had drives in the lower bay before make sure you reset the PMU after you have installed them otherwise they wont mount, or thats the problem i found anyway. This will reset your date and clock so you will have to correct those when you power up but it more importantly resets the power management so you hard drives wil power up. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=95037
Hope all of this helps
Tom

Is it possible to upgrade a Power Mac G5 to intel?

Is it possible to replace the motherboard and CPU of my Power Mac G5 with an Intel configuration? I don't care how much it costs, I just want to know.

Sorry no, well that is to say anything is possible, but while G5s & Mac Pros look similar outside, for about 3 times the cost of a Mac Pro you could convert it with a lot of work get it done.

Can i upgrade a power mac g5 to snow leaopard

I am trying to add a new linksys router ea3500 and it will not run the setup utility becasue it says my "architecture is not compatible....will upgrading to snow leaopard help? or is my computer just too old for this?

You cannot use 10.6/SL at all it equires an Intel CPU, not an IBM CPU in our G5s, but you really don't need that App/Utilty...
Operating System
• Windows XP with Service Pack 3
• Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 and later (32 and 64-bit)
• Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit)
• Mac Tiger 10.4.11
• Mac Leopard 10.5.8
• Mac Snow Leopard 10.6.1
• Mac Lion OS X
http://www6.nohold.net/Cisco2/GetArticle.aspx?docid=aca5e5197cc342d1957797b57ed8 3b8d_Getting_to_know_the_Linksys_EA3500.xml&pid=84&converted=0
To get to a Web based setup page, put this in any Browser's Url bar & hit enter...
192.168.1.1.

Upgrading my power mac G4 to handle a little more gaming.

Hey, hope you are doing well. To be honest I am new to Mac's just got it from a friend basically. I am interested in seeing if there is any possibility of upgrading it to handle more video games, such as WOW and Fable 2 when it comes out for computers, and other such gaming. also since i am a college student i have a limited budget. I know an upgraded video card and RAM are gonna be two of the main things i am looking for. I have a friend who has worked on macs before and says he can install but doesn't really have the time to do a lot of research with me so i came here. I was wondering what my options are and was basically praying to God to get some help as i have been to multiple stores to no avail. please help with recommendations, and i hope they are affordable. sorry bout the long post and thank you sincerely.

Hi-
Like the 733mhz processor, the 800mhz doesn't have the L3 cache, which really helps the processing of graphics and video data. A processor upgrade wouldn't hurt.
If you were to install a flashed 9800 Pro (about $90 on ebay) and max your RAM to 1.5GB (from OWC) you would see noticeable improvement over your current setup.
If you have an old (or original) hard drive, a new hard drive like This will also help performance.
If the above were to not satisfy your gaming needs, then a processor upgrade would be necessary.
An OEM 933mhz or dual 1.0ghz may be found, and would provide improvement over your current processor. Also, a third party 7455 processor of up to 1.4ghz, or a 7447 (good) or 7448 (best) processor upgrade of over 1.6ghz would provide performance well beyond the current machines abilities.

Can an OS upgrade for Power Mac 5400, 5500, and 6500 be used for the 7200?

I have a Power PC 7200 with OS 7.5.1 and got an upgrade to 7.6.1 off ebay. The disc
is labeled 5400, 5500 and 6500 series. Can I use it on my 7200?

Looking at the initial sell date of the various models reveals the following:
7200 - Aug 95
5400 - Apr 96
5500 - Feb 97
6500 - Feb 97
Since the 3 models listed on the CD were released after the 7200, I would think that it probably would not work. But I would try to see if it works. You might get a message saying you can't install it on the 7200. What you might do is duplicate the System folder on the 7200. Then try to install. If the install doesn't work or corrupts the system files, you can trash the "updated" and then use the duplicated system folder.
 Cheers, Tom

Upgrading a Power Mac G5

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for