Some G5 Questions

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I have some G5 questions....



Is the 1.8GHz model worth the extra bucks from the 1.6? Who has expreience with the two?



Is PCI-X backwards compatible to PCI?



Should I wait for an updated Apple display? Or get the current 17"?

Can anyone else recommend some other monitors...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacUsers



    Is the 1.8GHz model worth the extra bucks from the 1.6? Who has expreience with the two?





    IMHO, Yes. Faster RAM, more RAM capacity, bigger HD, PCI-X, better GFX card.

    Quote:



    Is PCI-X backwards compatible to PCI?





    Depends on the card. However, I believe if a card works with the 1.6, wit will work with the 1.8.



    Quote:



    Should I wait for an updated Apple display? Or get the current 17"?

    Can anyone else recommend some other monitors...




    For the price of the Apple 17", you can probably get a third party 19".
  • Reply 2 of 11
    If you are considering the 1.6 vs. the 1.8, get the 1.8. I got the 1.8, and it works very well. It also allows for more expansion (RAM) down the road. The price difference isn't that much.



    Now I'm kicking myself for not getting a dual 2.0. Wish I could return the 1.8 (or sell it) and get a dual 2.0. *sigh*
  • Reply 3 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally posted by alligator

    Wish I could return the 1.8 (or sell it) and get a dual 2.0. *sigh*



    I'll buy it for $50.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    I had the same quandry myself.



    If you do the math, the dual is by far the best value for money, followed by the 1.6, with the 1.8 offering the least bag per buck (this is based on a simple £/MHz).



    My first choice would [of course] be the dual machine. But I just couldn't stretch that far.



    I was a little concerned that the 1.6 featured a stripped down motherboard, and that it was in effect a "Diet G5". The 1.6 is considerably cheaper however, and still offers the SuperDrive. I wasn't to bothered about PCI-X or the extra 4GB RAM expansion.



    I eventually decided on the 1.8 - it's got the fully blown motherboard, twice the memory with twice the expansion, and double the hard disk space.



    I'm very pleased with my 1.8. It's far faster than the dual 1GHz MDD that it replaces, and considering that I'm not planning on mapping the human genome or finding a cure for cancer at any point in the near future, it's fast enough for me!
  • Reply 5 of 11
    That's the same analysis I made, but now I really want more speed - just to keep it current for a long time.



    Since this is my first Mac, do you think they will offer upgrades to this 1.8 G5 to turn it into a dual machine, or isn't that possible due to the soldering required?
  • Reply 6 of 11
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Yeah, but the G5 1.8 gives more than just a megahertz boost. TWICE the HD capacity, TWICE the RAM, faster bus, faster RAM, PCI-X...and to answer your question, alligator, I really think that PCI-X will allow for easy, fast addition of processor cards.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    Forgive my technical ignorance Placebo, but wouldn't a PCI-X processor upgrade card be limited by the PCI-X bus speed?
  • Reply 8 of 11
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by opuscroakus

    Forgive my technical ignorance Placebo, but wouldn't a PCI-X processor upgrade card be limited by the PCI-X bus speed?



    No you are right. But a PCI-X slot can give you acess to a new generation of graphics card with correct speed (althought inferior to agp 8 x).



    I personally don't believe in processor upgrade cards for several reasons :

    - poor performance of the PCI-X slot for bandwitch : 1 GB/sec max

    - lack of power supply : 90 watts max for both the PCI X and the AGP slot

    - lack of place, needed for a huge cooling system required by a processor upgrade (and not downgrade) card.



    PCI-X card will give acess to new cards :

    - video graphic card

    - specialized card in real time compositing

    - high end audio card

    - improved fiber channel card

    -Combo cards : firewire 800 + USB 2,0 + ...
  • Reply 9 of 11
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacUsers





    . . . Is the 1.8GHz model worth the extra bucks from the 1.6? Who has expreience with the two? . . .







    It really depends on what you need and want. I have been getting by with a beige G3, so the 1.6 GHz is beyond what I need. Yet the luxury of extra performance and features is nice. I like it. Regarding memory, you will likely want to add more to either one. If you plan to add I GB of RAM there will not be much difference between the two, 1.5 GB in the 1.8 GHz G5 and 1.25 GB in the 1.6 GHz G5.



    On the other hand, if your applications can make use of a little higher speed RAM and faster processor, or if you may need a PCI-X slot, then the 1.8 GHz G5 may be worth the difference. You can order a 1.6 GHz G5 with a larger drive or add a second drive if you really need more storage.



    The graphics cards are the same, according to the technical specifications.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    I was dreaming of a dualie, but since my boss bought me a 1.6 for my b-day I think it'll do just fine.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    I had no choice on the matter. I had a dead 17inch Powerbook and had a choice of another17 or a 1.6G5 with an extra gig of RAM and a 20 inch cinema display. I took the G5 and display since I already have a 12inch PB.
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