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Hsieh · 01:09 AM

I have a Power Mac G5 dual 2.0GHz for less than 3 years... and it died last month. At first, it had hard time booting up. It only showed grey screen with an apple icon. I sent it to Apple repair at an apple store. After one month, apple said they didn't know what is really going on and if I want to repair it, it will cost over $1600!!! I decided not to repair it. This computer had never had any problems before. But when it died, it just died.

Any suggestions? Or I can only throw it and forget about it? Or anyway to sell the parts? Please send me an email at hsiehling with lycos the com if you have some suggestions.

Thank you for all answers!!

reader50 · Jul 29, 2007, 01:11 AM

Be advised that is it a bad idea to post an exposed email address. Our forum is big enough that it is regularly patrolled by bots that harvest emails. You would shortly have started getting a lot more spam.

We need more detailed symptoms in order to make a guess. If it can still reach the grey screen, boot with command-v held down. That will cause a verbose startup, and may allow you to read the error message it's sticking on.

seanc · Jul 29, 2007, 12:59 PM

Is this a moved thread from the marketplace or a dupe. because I'm sure I saw it there earlier.

Back on topic, it could be something as 'simple' as a failing hard drive. Have you run the Apple Hardware Test yet?

Richard Richard · Jul 29, 2007, 01:36 PM

A dual g5 tower is a nice bit of kit , be a shame just to junk it over a possibly small hardware / software glitch

Kenneth · Jul 29, 2007, 04:11 PM

That is a costly repair. In my workplace, we have many PowerMac G5 (from SP 1.8 to DP 2.5). In the past, we had power supply and some other mystery problems.

One machine I'm trying to work on, it shuts off itself during the startup process. If I brought the machine to my office, it booted up fine; however it wasn't the case in the classroom.

awcopus · Jul 29, 2007, 04:51 PM

I had over $3000 worth of repairs done to my dual 2.5 G5 at the end of 2006 and have had no problems since then.

They replaced the hard drive, the logic board (twice) the power supply (twice), and the CPUs. No problems since then, though I took the precaution of buying Apple's DVI to ADC adapter so that my logic board no longer has to carry the load of powering my monitor.

All of this cost me $249 two years ago. Apple Care is worth every penny.

GuyWithACamera · Jul 29, 2007, 06:54 PM

You're making me wish I had purchased applecare for mine now.

I have nothing to offer in regards to advice for the OP that hasn't been given but good luck.

svtcontour · Jul 31, 2007, 02:35 PM

Take a look on the logic board at the capacitors (they look like metal cans). Make sure non are starting to bubble or bulge at the top like the ones in this picture. If any are looking like that then the problem could be bad capacitors which would cause all kinds of problems.

Odd Bad Caps Presentation

Now as far as repairing the logic board, any electronics shop probably can do the repair, its just removal of the logic board and putting it back that might be an issue....

Originally Posted by Hsieh

I have a Power Mac G5 dual 2.0GHz for less than 3 years... and it died last month. At first, it had hard time booting up. It only showed grey screen with an apple icon. I sent it to Apple repair at an apple store. After one month, apple said they didn't know what is really going on and if I want to repair it, it will cost over $1600!!! I decided not to repair it. This computer had never had any problems before. But when it died, it just died.

Any suggestions? Or I can only throw it and forget about it? Or anyway to sell the parts? Please send me an email at hsiehling with lycos the com if you have some suggestions.

Thank you for all answers!!

Hsieh · Jul 31, 2007, 11:43 PM

I just can't believe such an expensive computer die so quickly...
Less than 3 years and it cost almost $3000.oo when I bought it.

I am very sad right now...

seanc · Aug 1, 2007, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by Hsieh

I just can't believe such an expensive computer die so quickly...
Less than 3 years and it cost almost $3000.oo when I bought it.

I am very sad right now...

Have you done what I asked you, and run the Apple Hardware Test CD yet?

Lateralus · Aug 1, 2007, 12:09 PM

Probably not.

seanc · Aug 1, 2007, 01:33 PM

Well, I tried.

Waragainstsleep · Aug 1, 2007, 01:54 PM

I would imagine its a logic board failure for that price. Odd that they can quote you for a fix without knowing what the problem is. I would get a second opinion.
Or form one yourself. Disconnect your peripherals and internal hard drives, remove all except one pair of RAM modules. If you have airport, pull the card out, basically leave only essential equipment in place, and the optical drive. Then try and boot from the hardware test. If this sytem fails, you can try swapping out the last pair of RAM sticks for another pair, then test again. Same if you happen to have a spare optical drive. If all these minimal configs fail, its probably either the board or a CPU (going by their quote, I imagine this is how far they have got). Most of the old dual 2.0s will run with only the top CPU installed. If you can find the right tools, remove the lower one and test again. Swap them over if you need to. The odds of both CPUs failing at once is low, so continued failure here implies the logic board.

Much of the above will require proper knowledge of ESD safety precautions. This is not really difficult, google it if you need to and you should find some simple guides easily enough. (Basically use an ESD mat, and a grounding strap and don't put any parts down anywhere except the mat and you are good to go)

These machines can be quite tricky to diagnose, but an Apple Authorised Service Centre should have access to order diagnostic parts and talk to Apple's own techs who in turn have access to the guys who designed these things. They should be able to confirm the faulty part, even if it takes a while.

At any rate, its remains are certainly worth more than throwing it away.

Leonard · Aug 1, 2007, 03:41 PM

Ask Apple how they were going to repair it. Replacing the logic/motherboad is my guess. As the other guy said that sounds about the right price for a logicboard replacement.

You could try taking it to a retailer that fixes Apple computers and get a second opinion, but if Apple couldn't figure it out, I doubt a retailer could, unless he's run into a similar problem.

I would try all the other suggestions above like the AHT and starting it up in verbose mode, or starting up from the system CD, but if it's the logic board, it is costly. You could sell it on eBay as parts, or a whole broken machine. Some people look for G5 cases and other parts.