Meet Jin, a senior technician here at Laptop Broker. Like all our technicians, Jin knows his way around a laptop and has upgraded and rebuilt thousands of computers over the years. We asked Jin to review a few laptops he is familiar with and have posted them for our customers to review. We hope you find this information helpful and welcome your feedback.

Apple Power Mac G5 Review

Apple Power Mac G5 is a huge leap for Apple. It overcomes all shortcomings of Power Mac G4. Apple Power Mac G5 is an excellent laptop for professionals as it offers extensive opportunity for using all your creative inclinations. This laptop addresses and handles all media functions superbly. The cost of an Apple Power Mac G5 Dual 2GHz model is US$1,999. Apple Power Mac G5 Dual 2.3GHz model costs US$2,499, and Apple Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5GHz model costs US$3,299.

Features

Apple Power Mac G5 supports the best and the latest in technology. It is the only Mac with dual channel RAM. Apple Power Mac G5 has Dual 2.5GHz PowerPC 970FX processors. It additionally supports NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra video card, three 33MHz PCI slots, with an ATI Radeon 9600XT, and 3 PCI-X slots. Each CPU has 512K of dedicated L2 cache.

There is a bandwidth of 10 GB per second between each CPU and the system controller. Dual 1.25GHz front side buses connect the two CPUs to the system controller. Each CPU has separate lanes for incoming and outgoing traffic to the system controller. This ensures graphic and memory subsystems to function within specific pipes.

Rating: 5/5

Looks on the Exterior

Apple Power Mac G5 marks a major change in the exterior looks and design of laptops by Apple. It is within an aluminum case with handles at the top and bottom. However, the handles are a bit too wide and it proves uncomfortable if you have to carry your G5 for long. The case measures 20.1" x 8.1" x 18.7" and the laptop weighs around 45lb. The aluminum door slides down to allow the optical drive tray to open.

The design presents as a squared and brushed aluminum case with a very functional and efficient look. The design is neat and does not harbor any sharp or uncanny edges.

Rating: 4/5

Ports

Apple Power Mac G5 has one Firewire 400 port, one Firewire 800 (IEEE-1394b) port and four USB 2.0 ports with one at the front, two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard, and two internal hard drive bays. Firewire ports allow additional storage space. There is a single power socket at the bottom. Apple Power Mac G5 also offers 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet ports and 56K V.92 modem. There are two audio ports below the antenna port.

Rating: 5/5

Hardware

Apple Power Mac G5 is available in three configurations. These are Dual core 2GHz with 160GB Serial ATA 7200-rpm hard drive, Dual core 2.3GHz with 250GB Serial ATA 7200 rpm hard drive, and Quad with two dual-core 2.5GHz and 250GB Serial ATA 7200 rpm hard drive.

The Mac G5 offers 1MB level 2 cache per core, 1GHz, 1.15GHz or 1.25GHz front side bus per processor, 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM and supports up to 16GB. Hardware accessories include Apple Keyboard, DVI to VGA adapter, Mouse, and USB keyboard extension cable.

Rating: 5/5

Software

Apple Power Mac G5 offers Mac OS X Tiger, Dashboard, Spotlight, Mail, Address Book, Safari, iChat AV, DVD Player, iLife with iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, and Garage Band, QuickTime, Graphic Converter, QuickBooks New User Edition, Xcode Development Tools, and Art Directors Toolkit X.

Rating: 5/5

Wireless

Apple Power Mac G5 has dual 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet ports and integrated wireless antenna. You can choose to install and integrate AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR through an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Rating: 5/5

Heat and Noise

Apple Power Mac G5 has four distinct cooling zones. It is one of the first desktops to offer a liquid cooling system. Pipes within the system carry a coolant, which rises through the pipe on being heated. It passes through a grille. Air blown through removable fans cool this liquid while passing through the grille. This liquid then re-circulates over the CPUs and keeps all inner components cool. Fan movements and liquid-cooling controls are automatic.    

Even with nine fans and a liquid cooling system, Apple Power Mac G5 is remarkably quiet. There is minimal operating noise, which is well within accepted limits. However, if you do any special task that could overload your CPU, the noise level increases. This is often the noise from the fans that increase their power to cool down the CPU.  Excess load heats up CPU immensely.

Rating: 5/5

Setup Assistant

Apple Power Mac G5 offers a new and exclusive Setup Assistant application. This application functions faster and better than Windows XP File and Settings Transfer Wizard. It reboots in Firewire Target Disk Mode. After booting, you can choose specific applications, documents, and settings with your preferential combinations. Thereafter, Setup Assistant proceeds to copy specified files to the G5. You can then exit Assistant and use your G5. If you do not want to use G5, you can hit Cancel and the usual OS X setup will continue.

Rating: 5/5

Keyboard

Apple Power Mac G5 has a slim-line keyboard with solid and strong keys. The function keys are in close proximity to the main keys. Although this could prove little uncomfortable while using the keys, however, it does not pose any major problem. Mouse has a single button and is very functional.

Rating: 5/5
 
Screen

Apple Power Mac G5 has a twenty-inch cinema display. This is one of the best screens available. Images and graphics are clear and distinct. Easy viewing from all angles makes it easier to work on Apple Power Mac G5.

Rating: 5/5

Service and support

Apple Power Mac G5 has a support system network through telephone. The toll-free phone support is available for only the first 90 days after purchase. You can thereafter choose to sign up for a three-year Apple Care warranty by paying $249. After expiry of your warranty, you have to pay $49 fees for each call.

Phone-support is available from 6 a.m. through 6 p.m., seven days a week. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. There is no online support through Apple. Some local dealers may offer you this option.

The user-serviceable parts include video card, RAM, PCI cards, hard drives, and optical drives. You should not meddle with the other inner parts like logic board, power supply, liquid cooling system, or CPUs. All these parts have intricate assemblies and any defect in any one can disrupt functioning of your laptop completely.

Rating: 3/5

Overall Conclusions

Apple Power Mac G5 is an extensive improvement over the G4. The processor speed and performance is very appreciable. This model has overcome all heat and noise problems of earlier models. This desktop offers stable and fast working with hardly anything to complain about. The overall exterior looks make this desktop look sleeker and more elegant. All user-serviceable parts are easy to reach and replace.

The default video card configuration is not very satisfactory. The ATI Radeon 9600XT is an extended version of the 9800XT. This however is a misfit on Apple Power Mac G5. Apple Power Mac G5 is the most expandable Mac. The available drive bays are not sufficient. Few more drive bays and lower cost can make Apple Power Mac G5 the most desired laptop.

Although many address Apple Power Mac G5 as being a very expensive model, yet, if you look into the various benefits and performance levels, the cost is no major factor. Nonetheless, it is a perfect buy for time-starved professionals. Another way to analyze the cost factor is that if you do not mind a little slower performance and find it difficult to pay for G5, you can choose a base model. You can add a larger hard drive to this model and benefit through more storage space.   

Pros:

• Superb performance
• Quiet functioning
• Admirable speed
• Front-mounted headphone with USB and FireWire ports
• High-quality finish

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only 3 PCI slots
• Case is big and heavy
• Incompatible with some PCI cards
• No dust filter in cooling system
• Compatibility issues due to new architecture
• 64-bit hardware not used
• Reliability not yet proven

Features: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Usability: 4/5