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Trusty G4 on its death bed?
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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After 10 years of faithful service, it appears my Quicksilver G4 is starting to die a slow death.
My father tells me the screen has been going black at random times, sometimes flickering back on, sometimes staying off until a hard reset. In the past week it's done this several times.
I"m not very interesting in fixing the machine if the mobo or GFX card is shitting the bed, but I was wondering if there was any non-invasive problem that could be causing this. The PRAM battery is brand new and the machine has been thoroughly cleansed of dust at regular intervals. One of the internal fans was locked up last time I opened up the machine, so I thought the GFX cards simply might have been overheating. After cleaning the fan and getting it working fine again the problem still exists, which tells me that heat probably isn't the cause.
Any ideas?
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Status:
Offline
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My number one suggested culprit would be the graphics card. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.
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"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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I have no regrets about this machine, it's been a complete workhorse for a decade and still has its original power supply. My father is convinced we should fix it but I am of the opinion we should give it a proper retirement and look for a nice Intel refurb for him.
Is there any way to diagnose the problem further? I wouldn't mind finding a cheap Geforce2 MX and keeping the computer running, but i'd hate the problem to be in the MoBo and us wasting money and time.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Status:
Offline
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A compatible graphics card should be very cheap if you can find one.
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I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
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Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status:
Offline
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Graphics card or the monitor. Try with a different monitor, then try swapping the card. Pretty much has to be one or the other.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Dec 1999
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by reader50
Graphics card or the monitor. Try with a different monitor, then try swapping the card. Pretty much has to be one or the other.
Unless it's an ADC display, then it could be the power supply.
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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Nope, regular old CRT, in fact, I kinda feel stupid for not considering a failing monitor as the culprit.
Good stuff all around. I found a few Geforce2 MXs online for ~50 bucks. If the new LCD I hook up experinces the same problems I'll pull the trigger on a new GFX card.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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Simply hooking up the LCD triggered the black screen, guess it's time for a new GFX card. Might as well replaced the previously locked up fan while I'm at it.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Illinois
Status:
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Someone's still doing work on a G4?!
Heck, you can pick up a used one for ~$50 if you wait a week or so and check craigslist/eBay.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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It was my workhorse for many years, now it does email and web duty for my father. Works very well for his purposes.
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status:
Offline
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Status:
Offline
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I assume Bob meant $50 for a whole G4.
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I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status:
Offline
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Backtrack 2 posts to sek929.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by seanc
$50 for a Geforce 2?
For a brand new one with a guarantee it's going to work. Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I don't like buying used electronics over eBay.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Down by the river
Status:
Offline
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I'm still using my 400MHz "Sawtooth" G4 as a media player w/ iTheater software. The only thing on it that's broken was that stupid hockey puck mouse...oh and a cockroach died in it when I lived in Georgia
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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Haha, that's pretty hilarious, although your image is far to gigantic sir...
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by sek929
For a brand new one with a guarantee it's going to work. Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I don't like buying used electronics over eBay.
Yes, you're being overly cautious. If you were buying a power supply, I'd agree with you, in the case of an ancient graphics card, $50 isn't right.
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona
Status:
Offline
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Seconded on being overly cautious. $50 for a 2MX is a total waste of money. Any part you're going to get at this point will be a working pull, regardless of what the sellers says about it.
I'd rather have the much faster 4MX for 1/5 the cost.
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I like chicken
I like liver
Meow Mix, Meow Mix
Please de-liv-er
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status:
Offline
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Noted and advice taken. Thanks boys.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Colorado
Status:
Offline
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The graphics card on one of my Quicksilvers just went out recently. Luckily I had a 9800 GT around the ho use.
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by cgc
oh and a cockroach died in it when I lived in Georgia
Cockroaches (and other critters) that size are the reason I will never return to Florida. Ever.
I woke up once when I was a kid with a ginormous flying cockroach-thing staring down at me from the ceiling. From that moment the South was forever ruined for me.
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I like chicken
I like liver
Meow Mix, Meow Mix
Please de-liv-er
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Status:
Offline
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Do any species of roaches fly?
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"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Status:
Offline
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Originally Posted by Big Mac
Do any species of roaches fly?
Oh yeah. The American roach does. One sent my wife screaming. The one in the pic looks like one.
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45/47
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