Power Macintosh G5

Power Macintosh G5 (April 2005)

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Overview

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Making haste slowly, Apple has slowly moved the fastest Power Mac G5 from 2.0 GHz CPUs (2003.06.23) to 2.5 GHz (2004.06.09) and now to 2.7 GHz (2005.04.27). It's nice to see Apple squeeze nearly 10% more speed from the G5 - and sad that Apple still can't deliver the 3.0 GHz G5 that was promised "within a year" when the first Power Mac G5 was introduced.

Improvements for 2005 include a 16x SuperDrive (8x in last year's model), larger hard drives, improved graphics cards, twice as much video memory, and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) preinstalled. The once-standard internal modem is now a build-to-order option.

As before, the entry level model uses 64-bit PCI slots and only supports up to 4 GB of RAM vs. PCI-X slots and an 8 GB RAM ceiling in the faster G5s.

The motherboard architecture uses HyperTransport technology. System memory is so fast (400 MHz on a 1.0-1.35 GHz bus) that Apple doesn't bother with a level 3 cache.

A headphone jack, USB 2.0 port, and FireWire port are located on the front of the G5 for easy access.

The G5 uses an aluminum enclosure that's vented in the front and back. The case includes four thermal zones and 9 fans to handle cooling, each independently controlled for speed. The 2.7 GHz model uses a liquid cooling system to keep the CPU from overheating.

Note that the 2.0 GHz model is one of Apple's entry-level G5s, which means it uses 33 MHz PCI slots instead of 100/133 MHz PCI-X, has 4 memory slots instead of 8, and uses a 450W power supply instead of 600W.

Power Mac G5 Reliability

Reliability ratings are based on statistics compiled by MacInTouch in June 2006, at which time the dual-core Power Mac G5 models had only been on the market for 8 months. Letter grades are based on failure rate: A = 0-6%, B = 7-12%, C = 13-18%, D = 19-24%, and F = 25% or higher. We also note the two components that failed most often.

G5/2.3 dual (April 2005), B- (11%, logicboard, power supply)
G5/2.7 dual (April 2005), D (22%, logicboard, power supply)

In each generation, except for the final dual-core one, the fastest model is the least reliable, while the second-fastest is the most reliable. Logicboards are the most expensive component to repair, followed by the power supply. Hard drives, optical drives, video cards, and RAM can be replaced inexpensively using third-party components.

Details

2.0 GHz dual 256/80 introduced 2005.04.27 at $1,999
2.3 GHz dual 512/160 introduced 2005.04.27 at $2,499
2.7 GHz dual 512/160 introduced 2005.04.27 at $2,999; scheduled for August shipment
replaced 2005.10.19 by Power Mac G5s with dual-core CPUs
requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later
CPU: 2.0/2.3/2.7 GHz PowerPC 970
bus: 1.0 GHz/1.15/1.35 GHz (half CPU speed)
performance:

Geekbench 2 (Leoapard): 2251 (2.7 GHz), 1906 (2.3 GHz), 1704 (2.0 GHz)
Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 2269 (2.7 GHz), 2066 (2.3 GHz), 1828 (2.0 GHz)

L2 cache: 512 KB on-chip L2 cache
L3 cache: none
RAM: 512 MB, expandable to 8 GB using pairs of 400 MHz PC3200 DDR RAM
Video: AGP 8x

2.0/2.3 GHz: ATI Radeon 9600
2.7 GHz: ATI Radeon 9650
ATI Radeon 9800 XT with 256 MB optional

VRAM: 128 MB (9600) or 256 MB (Radeon 9650)
hard drive: 160/250 Serial ATA 7200 rpm
16x SuperDrive standard on all models
3 33 MHz 64-bit PCI slots on 2.0 GHz model
3 64-bit PCI-X slots on faster models (two 100 MHz, one 133 MHz)
internal 56k v.92 modem, optional
microphone: standard 3.5mm minijack, compatible with line-level input, not compatible with Apple's PlainTalk microphone
FireWire: 2 FW400 ports (1 on front), 1 FW800 port
USB: 3 USB 2.0 ports (1 on front)
ethernet: 10/100/gigabit
WiFi: antenna and connector for 802.11g AirPort Extreme card
Bluetooth: built in, optional antenna
PRAM battery: 3V CR2032 lithium
size (HxWxD): 20.1" x 8.1" x 18.7" (51.1 x 20.6 x 47.5 cm)
weight: 39.2 lb. (17.8 kg)
Gestalt ID: n/a
PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
upgrade path: none
Part no.: M9747 (2.0 GHz), M9748 (2.3 GHz), M9749 (2.7 GHz)

Accelerators & Upgrades

none likely

Online Resources

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Apple Specs: Power Macintosh G5

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