[Abit667]

I have a 12" iBook G4 1Ghz and a dual G4 867 MDD PowerMac. I'm at college right now and I dont have the powermac, only the ibook. It's slowness is killing me and I need to get something else. I was thinking about selling the iBook for either a base model iMac, as it's pretty cheap or a G5 1.6 powermac. The two are about the same and the iMac is a better value with the nice 17" LCD built in and its about the same price.

I was wondering though, can you switch the cpu out in there for a better one, like say if I was able to get a 1.8 or a 2.0 or something, would it work or are there firmware or memory controller limitations or something? I would put a better video card in the powermac later on down the road as well, which you can't do with the iMac, although I would have to use a crappy CRT with the powermac. When do you think the 1.8s or duals will be in the $1000-$1200 range?

[Maflynn]

Originally posted by Abit667:

I was wondering though, can you switch the cpu out in there for a better one, like say if I was able to get a 1.8 or a 2.0 or something,

At this moment nobody is offering any type of cpu upgrades for the G5. I'm not sure if the cpu is soldered onto the logic board or is on a daughter card, if its on a daughter card give some hope. Either way there are non today and for the foreseeable future.

Mike

[Abit667]

Does anyone who has expierence with the current iMac suggest it over the similar powermac? Having the screen is nice but I think I rather have the non castrated powermac..

[faragbre967]

Somebody was auctioning a 1.8 G5 processor on eBay for like $300 not too long ago. Im sure there's bound to be people selling stuff like that at a later time if you buy the powermac. Also, iMac's suck for upgradability, get the powermac. Oh ya, and the 5200 is a ****ing joke (everyone on this forum is real sick of hearing about it though).

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by Maflynn:
At this moment nobody is offering any type of cpu upgrades for the G5. I'm not sure if the cpu is soldered onto the logic board or is on a daughter card, if its on a daughter card give some hope. Either way there are non today and for the foreseeable future.

Mike

it is on a daughter card but the cpu is still worth a lot so it doesn't seem economical to the company's. your best hope is to get someone to order a replacement cpu for say a 2 ghz g5 and stick it in the 1.6.

[yikes600]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I somewhat remember that the 1.6GHz G5 is like the red-headed stepchild of the G5's. Totally different motherboard so I don't think the processors would be interchangable with the higher models.

[macaddict0001]

I'm not sure but I think its the same as the other single processor model the 1.8 so i guess that is the only option.

[CatOne]

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
it is on a daughter card but the cpu is still worth a lot so it doesn't seem economical to the company's. your best hope is to get someone to order a replacement cpu for say a 2 ghz g5 and stick it in the 1.6.

Right, and it will work great because it's designed to work on a 2:1 CPU:Bus ratio, so you put the 2 GHz CPU in on an 800 MHz bus (that the 1.6 had) and it won't work.

Well unless you can get into OF and somehow change the expected CPU clock multiplier. Good luck

[BenRoethig]

The daughter cards are really for Apple's convenience. They purposely made the G5 almost impossible to upgrade. If you stick a different module in there, the fans won't work right until someone finds a way to reprogram the cooling system.

[Yose]

Originally posted by BenRoethig:
The daughter cards are really for Apple's convenience. They purposely made the G5 almost impossible to upgrade. If you stick a different module in there, the fans won't work right until someone finds a way to reprogram the cooling system.

In theory you should only have to run the processor calibration program on the ASD disks to get it working properly with the cooling system, however, my experience is with the rev.A G5's and not the ones with the liquid cooling.

[OreoCookie]

The iMac is a nice machine, especially if you consider the price, and although I usually prefer the PowerMac, I took a look at buying habits for the last couple of years and people tend to get a whole new machine instead of upgrading their old one.

What's your budget?
BTW, a single CPU machine will always be a single CPU machine, so you cannot upgrade a single 1.6 GHz G5 to a Dual 2.0 or so, because the second CPU socket is missing.

I'd get an iMac instead of a 1.6 GHz PowerMac, because: CPU: same, stock graphics card: same, but: the iMac is far quieter, has a smaller footprint and a nice LCD. If you need more hd space, exchange the stock drive or use a FireWire/USB 2.0 drive.

[Abit667]

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
The iMac is a nice machine, especially if you consider the price, and although I usually prefer the PowerMac, I took a look at buying habits for the last couple of years and people tend to get a whole new machine instead of upgrading their old one.

What's your budget?
BTW, a single CPU machine will always be a single CPU machine, so you cannot upgrade a single 1.6 GHz G5 to a Dual 2.0 or so, because the second CPU socket is missing.

I'd get an iMac instead of a 1.6 GHz PowerMac, because: CPU: same, stock graphics card: same, but: the iMac is far quieter, has a smaller footprint and a nice LCD. If you need more hd space, exchange the stock drive or use a FireWire/USB 2.0 drive.

This is why I was really looking towards the iMac, really the value you get from the screen. I have a USB 2.0 enclosure I use with my 120gig hd that I use with my iBook right now, it would be nice to put it inside a computer though and get full speed out of it like I could on the PowerMac.
I have a dual G4 867 at home, and I'd really like to have another dual again but that just isn't going to happen on my college budget. Really all I can get is with the money I sell my iBook and iPod for so having something upgradeable will be nice, like I'd definatly end up sticking a new video card in the powermac.

I think if I can find a powermac 1.6 for like <$1000 I'll get that but otherwise I'll go for the iMac G5, although I really like having a desktop I can keep around. I just really need to get rid of this iBook, I really doubt it's going to hold any value once the new updated ones comeout with a video card that works with CoreImage. Plus this thing is killing me its so slow.

[Lateralus]

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
BTW, a single CPU machine will always be a single CPU machine, so you cannot upgrade a single 1.6 GHz G5 to a Dual 2.0 or so, because the second CPU socket is missing.

I wouldn't put it past the upgrade manufacturers to develop a dual-CPU G5 daughtercard down the line. Keep in mind that the dual G4s were on one daughtercard.