Looking to replace the optical drive in my PPC G5 quad with a brand new one, out of an abundance of caution, after a very recent bout with kernel panics and double panics. 😝
OWC has nothing for these computers "currently":
I'd appreciate any and all recommendations.
Thanks in advance.
PowerMac, Mac OS 9.2.x, Beige Minitower w/PowerLogic G4Upgr
http://www.lg.com/us/data-storage/lg-GH24NSB0
DELETED by original poster.
Not PPC compatible, as per OWC. :-(
Since you need an optical drive with an ATAPI (not SATA) interface, I'd recommend locating a (now-discontinued) Pioneer DVR-112DBK. It has a black faceplate, although it was available with an ivory one as well. The Pioneer drives were always very Mac-compatible, so you shouldn't have any problems with it. You may be able to find a dealer or individual who has a new "old stock" drive, that has never been used. An ebay search produces a lot of listings, but I'd be reluctant to buy a used drive, because of the rough handling it may have had since being parted out of a computer. You'll need to remove the rectangular plastic trim piece that snaps onto the end of the tray's leading edge, so that it clears the flip door on the chassis. Good luck.
Thank you, Jeff. I'll look for the Pioneer unit.
My current (working) optical drive in my PPC G5 Quad:
Extensive Google searches have turned up nothing in the way of a new ATAPI unit with the exception of this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FJJGUO/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=
I can't find any reference to Mac compatibility.
Any thoughts by anyone?
Is a converter / adapter a viable option?
SATA to IDE/PATA Converter Adapter (Convert SATA DVD Burner to IDE Interface Motherboard)
http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Adapter-Covert-Interface-Motherboard/dp/B009SO7R 0U/ref=pd_cp_pc_0
So, I ended up going with this:
INTERNAL DVDR22XDT-D
$42.51 incl tax, free shipping.
If it doesn't work, I'm only out the return shipping costs, which is a risk well worth taking.
Thank you, Jeff. Your post gave me the essential info needed to start my search and eventually find this.
Now please write something so I can give you the points, please. 😀
I'm glad you found a new drive and most importantly, MCE indicates "Bootable and Compatible with iDVD, iTunes, iPhoto, Finder Burning, DVD Studio Pro, and Apple DVD Player." Some third-party optical drives were not so Mac-friendly. I once installed a Memorex (made by LG) DVD±RW drive in a B&W G3. I'd put a bootable disk in the drive, restart and hold down the "C" key, and then listen to the drive speed up and slow down, speed up and slow down, and it would repeat this a few more times before giving up and ejecting the disk. If I immediately closed the tray the moment it ejected, the drive would boot from the disk. This was too much of a headache, so I pulled the drive and installed a 16x Pioneer DVD±RW drive. It made a big difference, booting correctly every time. I also had good luck with a Toshiba DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive in another B&W G3. When SATA optical drives starting replacing the ATAPI models sold in the usual electronics, computer, and office supply stores, I started buying the ATAPI drives (found on the clearance table). I've even found some good bare (no box) DVD burners at thrift stores. For the price (usually $10-$15), I've taken the gamble and only had one bad drive (surprisingly one in its original box). It was a Plextor DVD±RW drive that burns CDs and CD-RWs very quietly and accurately, but it will not recognize any DVD media - even movies. Those drives have a separate laser lens for DVDs and CDs, so there was obviously a problem with the "DVD" lens. That's why I recommended that you not buy a used drive at ebay, since a defective unit would involve return shipping expenses.
Thank you, Jeff. That's music to my ears! 😎
My G5 PowerMac (latest generation) would not auto deep-sleep under 10.5.8 (worked fine when done by hand) using the DVD drive that came with it (HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4165B); this was not and issue for 10.5.6 and below, and can cost a good chunk of money in electricity (~$100 a year as it idles around 130W, deep-sleeps at about 1/7th of this)
I can confirm that an LG GH22NP20 (HL-DT-STDVD-RAM GH22NP20) solves the problem.
Interesting about that LG unit. Thank you for the information, Anwar..
There weren't any new models I could find, and the refurbished one from Memory4Less is about double what I paid for the brand new one I ordered as described above.
The reason I keep my G5 Quad, next to and integrated with my Mac Pro Quad, is specifically to run Tiger 10.4.x. I consider Leopard 10.5.x to be the worst OS X release by Apple in recent history and want no part of it. It killed Classic, it totally broke SCSI, it's slower than Tiger, and I could go on and on as to why I hated it. I do keep a lean Leopard boot volume just in case, but thankfully I've never needed it.
I run Lion 10.7.5 on my Mac Pro 1,1 Quad as my main machine. It shares keyboard, mouse, tablet and dual monitors with my G5 Quad. They run simultaneously, are networked by Ethernet, and I switch from one to the other one instantaneously through a USB switch and the DVI/VGA switches on the monitors.
I have very expensive custom and irreplaceable software that requires Classic, as well as older versions of graphics applications, a tabloid format SCSI scanner and a SCSI Film scanner, all of which I could not afford to upgrade or replace even if I wanted.
Interesting; the G5 Mac is all I have at home, so 10.5 is essential for me.
New internal superdrive for PPC G5 Quad?
