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outsourced · May 10, 2005, 05:09 PM

I currently use a PB G4/1Ghz system, but am planning to sell it. My other system is a G4/400 gigabit ethernet machine. The monitor on the G4 is an old Iiyama 17" display with DiamondTron tube.

I've been doing this -->

trying to figure if I should upgrade the G4 or buy a new G5 iMac. I want to keep cost at a minimum, but also get the best value for my money.

Recently, refurbished iMacs are starting at $899 WITH Tiger.

If I install a 1.4Ghz single G4 CPU ($340), ATI 9600 ($130), get a fairly good 17" LCD (Sony $250), and TIGER the price is about $820. And that doesn't include a CD/DVD burner, bluetooth (which I currently use with my PBook), and Airport. (Ok. BT and APX are not included on prev. gen iMac G5's either.)

Ultimately, I want the system to last for about 3-4 years, so that future OS and application upgrades don't kill it performance-wise.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

outsourced · May 10, 2005, 05:13 PM

I know. Based on the price difference, you'd think this would be a no-brainer; however, if I upgrade the G4, the cost could be spread out several months.

Aranamac · May 10, 2005, 10:41 PM

One advantage of keeping the G4 over the iMac are all the G4's PCI slots. I also have a G4-GigE tower and love all those expansion slots. You'll never be able to add anything to the iMac asides from RAM and an upgraded hard drive. Sure, there are many USB alternatives to some PCI cards, but they're slower (sometimes), add to desk clutter, and use up the few USB slots on the iMac. I've currently got 12 USB ports in my GigE through various places (Dell monitor hub, Sweet Multiport, Keyboard hub, etc.)—Sure, I don't use them all, but they are darn handy.

One major limitation on the G4 is its 2x AGP graphics. There aren't many cards that support 2x.

Then again… the iMac is just gorgeous. I used to use one at my last job: beautiful machine. If you never want to tinker, it's great. And the iMac is a good package deal for Bluetooth, Airport, SuperDrive, etc.

And as you said, it's nice to be able to spread the cost out. That's the only way I've been able to afford my upgrades. My 1 Ghz PowerLogix board should arrive this week. The GigE's been a real solid machine for the past six or so years, but it's finally getting a boost.

I guess it comes down to:
1) Spread out cost, future flexibility and expandibility, but less package bang for your buck
OR
2) Elegance, value package, but limited space to spread out and grow

I hope this is helpful to you!

Eriamjh · May 11, 2005, 05:58 AM

IMHO I think you are better off selling the old system and upgrading.

powertrippin · May 11, 2005, 07:50 AM

Well.... the lack of expandability sucks. I had an iMac G4 and it was great for a while, then I maxxed out the ram, then... what can you do? It kinda blows. That said, your G4 tower is a bit too long in the tooth. What I'd do is sell the tower and look for a pre-modified tower on ebay. You should be able to find a decent dual 1ghz+ machine for a good price.

outsourced · May 11, 2005, 01:16 PM

I'd like to thank everyone for their input. Very good ideas. As you know, it's just hard sometimes to see the forest for all of the trees.

OreoCookie · May 11, 2005, 03:57 PM

G5.

gururafiki · May 11, 2005, 06:29 PM

Get the G5. If you plan on upgrading in 3-4 years, then the iMac will be your best bet since it has most the features you want. Unless you need the PCI slots or more RAM then the iMac can handle, then you will be pleased with it. If you can wait a few months, get a refurbished newer iMac and bluetooth/airport will come with it standard.

d.fine · May 12, 2005, 10:12 AM

I'd keep the G4, for its expandability. Just the fact that you can add more HDD's... should you ever need them. This is not possible in the iMac. I'm updating my gf's G4 when my budget permits, so the cost is spread out like you mentioned. So far I've replaced the vid card with an Ati 9200ME 128VRAM, and added 2 80Gig drives. Now the CPU and RAM upgrades.
An all in one package like a PB or iMac f.e. is great for portability and optimal use of the latest OS. Ok, so you might miss out on some feats in Tiger, maybe, but after all the machine is to work on, not play with OS feats/gadgets. Just my opinion.

cgc · May 15, 2005, 04:17 PM

The G5 iMac for sure.

outsourced · May 16, 2005, 12:46 PM

Very good feedback on this topic. Thanks, everybody!

With all the research I've been doing, including feedback from this topic, it looks like the G5 is winning -- though my inner geek is telling me to upgrade.

Considering everything -- G5 vs. G4 (64 vs. 32-bit); AGP bus (2x, 4x, 8x); noise; heat; weight; price/value -- it's just hard to ignore the G5 iMac.

Besides, I have upgraded two systems in the past, and neither have gone smoothly. There always seems to be some kind of weirdness that creeps into the process. (Like system hangs or kernel panics.)

Thanks again!
I'm sure your feedback has helped others with the same question.

cgc · May 16, 2005, 02:02 PM

I think the most important things to remember and consider are the bus speed of the iMac versus your G4 and the memory speed. I have a G4 Sawtooth with some upgrades (~$400) and believe it's maxed out as my FPS in games hasn't changed much. Go with the iMac for that as well.

hotani · May 16, 2005, 02:25 PM

Processor upgrades are expensive. For me to upgrade the dual 867 processors in mine to something like DP 1.4GHz, it would run me about $650. How much was that new G5 iMac again? sheesh.

Having said that... I have upgraded everything else on my machine save for the processors. It is a fairly cost effective way to upgrade since you can do it in stages. Sure if you add it all up it might not look as good as a new machine on paper, but I never spent more than $200 (GeForce Ti card) at a time with my upgrades.

Really not sure if I'll ever pull the trigger on those new processors... maybe if it came down to $400 or so it would be more tempting.

powertrippin · May 16, 2005, 03:31 PM

The crap thing about the iMac is resale value. For a while it holds it quite nicely, followed by a very steep decline. That's why I dig the towers. They allow you to upgrade things such as the videocard, iMacs, even if they have a great form factor and are whisper quiet and whatnot, they just get outclassed a lot more quickly.

l008com · May 16, 2005, 04:49 PM

One more vote for the G5. Its no contest, pouring money into such an old Tower is like throwing it away.

powertrippin · May 16, 2005, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by l008com

One more vote for the G5. Its no contest, pouring money into such an old Tower is like throwing it away.

True, but selling the tower and getting a premodifed tower on ebay is a screamin' deal.

Let someone else do the upgrading, and you can reap the rewards.