jayarebee84
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Stumbled across a G5.. new to Apple PC's... Boots, then shuts off. (Large Images)

My friend gave me his huge hefty Apple iMac G5 (I believe) as he said it didn't work anymore. Being rich and stubborn he went out and bought something else and said I could play with this as I am his "techie" friend. I plugged it in when I got back home and it gives me the White Apple Bootup Screen but then Shuts itself off... like a security measure. I am not sure if there is anyway to enter a diagnostic mode by hitting F10 or a similar key on the USB keyboard I plugged into the back of the system.

 

I counted 8GB of PC3200 RAM which s quite a lot, so I'd imagine this thing must've had some power when it worked. I am just curious to why it is not booting up. I do not know anything about Apple computers, I have only worked on small devices like iPads and iPad touches, etc...I have a feeling I will most likely be salvaging a lot of components that are still useful from this system but if I could get it running stable I'd be extremely happy.

 

I have never seen a fan that goes over the RAM that sits behind whatever is behind the G5 casing, I'd imagine either the CPU/Heatsink is underneath that section or the Power Supply, or both. I am not familiar with how Apple builds their computers. I am unsure of what a "Class 1 Laser Product" is as it appears to be the CD/DVD rom to me. My friend didn't state what he did with this system when he had it, I know he didn't game but would probably rather do work on it, I honestly have no idea and don't feel the need to ask.

 

I will post a few pictures of the system and if anyone can help or suggest anything it would be greatly appreciated. I wish there was someway to enter a diagnostic or Bios when booting it up to possibly edit or run some type of tests but I do not know if that is possible. Thanks, and I apologize if I posted in the wrong section of the board.

 

 

IMG_20140214_232027_493.jpg

Inside tower....

IMG_20140214_232921_559.jpg

Bootup screen on my TV via DVI to USB....

IMG_20140214_232404_696.jpg

I took out 4GB of RAM just to see what type it was and it matched... it has been re-inserted.

iMac, G5

Posted on Feb 14, 2014 8:58 PM

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jayarebee84

Q: Stumbled across a G5.. new to Apple PC's... Boots, then shuts off. (Large Images)

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  • by jayarebee84,

    jayarebee84 jayarebee84 Feb 16, 2014 5:06 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2014 5:06 PM in response to BDAqua

    I will try that now. I wish I hadn't disconnected anything in the first place. At first I thought maybe I didn't snap the ram back in properly, but I've checked numerous times and it's in. I wish I knew what was behind the large G5 casing as to where the power cord goes into, I'd assume it's got to be the power supply and I am not sure what else.

     

    I am foreign to MAC products, I had it showing the previous screens above with the grey screen and options until I started fiddling around. I disconnected the power button to board and reconnected it. I could take a quick video to show you that the unit turns on and the red lighting is lit and the fans spin but nothing happens, no video is put out. I had it connected via DVI to HDMI, then I switched to VGA to the VGA/DVI adapter that came with the unit. Everything looks so flashy and high tech to me even for a computer that is 4 years old, I notice where the PCI slots are, but no idea where the CPU/heatsink would be located. I will have to find the manual on this unit somewhere online. Such ashame this could very well have been my first MAC unit

     

    I love the design and how the fans pop in and out, I like the design how the PCI cards/slots are so easily accessible in the rear. And I love all the ventelation. It would be ashame to get rid of this unit but I have tried hooking up a different SATA hard drive that was formatted just to see if it would do anything, and nothing... just no video output and the fans and red lights stay going forever until I manually shut the unit off.

     

    I will certainly be salvaging everything out of this tower if my next attempts fail, I know the RAM will be useful and I honeslty do not know much about the rest as it is all about 10 years old. I can become pretty artsy so if I gut this thing out I will find a way to put my ASUS PC Motherboard and components in it somehow, it's more than roomy enough. I honestly don't even know how somene would go about opening the CD/DVD ROM drive as it has a slide in front of it and there does not seem to be any buttons. Thanks for all the continuous help guys I enjoy seeing feedback each time I check back.

  • by jayarebee84,

    jayarebee84 jayarebee84 Feb 16, 2014 5:55 PM in response to jayarebee84
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2014 5:55 PM in response to jayarebee84

    Here is a short video of what the system does after I power it on (hard drive disconnected) everything else connected. Don't know if it will help. the video was about 100mb and I put it on my server....

     

     

    http://jayarebee.com/videos/macg5.mp4

  • by jayarebee84,

    jayarebee84 jayarebee84 Feb 16, 2014 9:24 PM in response to jayarebee84
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2014 9:24 PM in response to jayarebee84

    I'm thinking maybe I damaged the video card taking it out or it just went bad. It puts no video out, when I pull out the DVI cable the monitor/tv snaps back to whatever input it was originally on. If I put it back in I get a no input screen again. I may try and pick up a replacement cheap if possible just to see if it remedies the situation. I still don't know what stopped the system from playing the startup beeps....

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Feb 17, 2014 11:02 AM in response to jayarebee84
    Level 10 (123,745 points)
    Feb 17, 2014 11:02 AM in response to jayarebee84

    I honestly don't even know how somene would go about opening the CD/DVD ROM drive as it has a slide in front of it and there does not seem to be any buttons.

    Once you slide the door down, there's a tiny hole you can shove a straitened out Paperclip into to force open the tray.

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Feb 17, 2014 11:22 AM in response to jayarebee84
    Level 6 (8,496 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 17, 2014 11:22 AM in response to jayarebee84

    With some video cards, you need the apple version of the card.  BDAQUA will know more details.  I'd be worried about not getting the correct lights.  Might try pricing a used g5.  get the same model for parts.

     

    Robert

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Feb 17, 2014 11:55 AM in response to jayarebee84
    Level 10 (123,745 points)
    Feb 17, 2014 11:55 AM in response to jayarebee84

    Here's the link to one G5 manual...

     

    http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/powermac/powermac_g5.pdf

     

    See japamacs page here on the best AGP cards for G4s & G5s...

     

    http://www.jcsenterprises.com/Japamacs_Page/Blog/4B4B7BA2-7ABB-47F1-87AC-B03D379 42BEE.html

     

    Rated slowest on top, fastest on bottom.

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