Entered CNET Catalog: 05/10/2005
SKU: 0718908377857
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Manufacturer description
Start your next project on the ultimate creative platform. Each of the dual-processor Power Mac G5 models offers lightning-fast performance, built on G5 processors running at up to 2.7GHz. A 64-bit processor with two double-precision floating-point units, two integer units and support for symmetric multiprocessing, the G5 combines an optimized Velocity Engine with a superscalar, super-pipelined execution core that can execute more than 200 simultaneous in-flight instructions. This high-bandwidth core has over 12 discrete functional units that process massive amounts of instructions in parallel. The Power Mac G5 features a stunning anodized aluminum alloy enclosure, designed to meet the needs of the most demanding professionals. The enclosure is built around four independently controlled thermal zones for advanced airflow management, with fans in each zone that are individually controlled based on a sophisticated combination of thermal and power monitoring, resulting in the Power Mac G5 running two times quieter than the previous Power Mac G4. The G5 enclosure also features an easy-to-open access panel allowing quick access to internal components for tool-less installation of memory, hard drives, optical drives or an AirPort Extreme card. Front and rear handles allow professionals to rapidly and safely move Power Mac G5s when and where they need them, and front-mounted ports provide convenient access for popular peripherals. The PowerPC G5 with Mac OS X Tiger offers a seamless transition to 64-bit performance: current 32-bit code - such the Mac OS 9 Classic environment and existing applications - runs natively at processor speed. With no interruptions to your workflow, and no additional investment in software required to take advantage of 64-bit power. The PowerPC architecture was designed from the beginning to run both 32-bit and 64-bit application code. This enables the PowerPC G5 processor to run applications natively for an immediate performance boost.Product summary
The good: DVD drive now supports double-layer discs; base configuration supports 30-inch Apple Cinema HD monitor; includes Mac OS 10.4 Tiger and the latest iLife suite; has higher maximum storage capacity than previous model.
The bad: Only one optical drive bay; no memory card reader and not enough USB ports; includes only a 30-day trial of iWork; telephone support lasts a brief 90 days.
The bottom line: Apple's latest high-end Power Mac G5 is a blazing machine that stands up without blinking to the best of the competition, but we're still annoyed by some of its shortcomings.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/07/2005
The Apple Power Mac G5's graceful yet industrial "cheese grater" design hasn't changed with this go-round; it has the same sleek but solid shape and hefty size at 20.1 by 8.1 by 18.7 inches (HWD). As before, you can pull a latch on the back to release a side panel and access the internal slots--the best accessibility we've seen in any system. A removable clear plastic panel inside the machine sections off different areas so that the fans have to work less. Indeed, the Power Mac emits only a quiet hum while working.
The Power Mac has three free PCI-X slots (not to be confused with PCI-Express, a.k.a. PCIe, the wider-bandwidth expansion bus found in newer Windows-based PCs), but if you choose the build-to-order Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card to populate the AGP slot (as in our test system), it will block the adjacent PCI-X slot. Our system also came with 4GB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM (up from the standard of 512MB) in four 1GB sticks, leaving four slots vacant. A free storage bay lets you add a second hard drive for a possible total of 800GB of storage (ours had the standard 250GB Serial ATA 7,200rpm drive); that's an improvement over the previous high-end Power Mac, which topped out at 500GB. Still, two hard drive bays is the bare minimum for a system in this class.
Apple is stubbornly keeping the number of USB and FireWire ports low, with one USB 2.0 port on the front and two on the back, one FireWire 400 port on the front and one on the back, and a FireWire 800 port on the back. Plug in a mouse and a keyboard, and you'll use up two of those USB ports; however, if you use the Apple keyboard and monitor, you'll gain two USB 2.0 and two FireWire ports on the back of the monitor and two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard. High-end Windows PCs routinely offer more ports. Likewise, it's increasingly rare for a comparable Windows PC not to have a built-in card reader--something no Mac has ever had--or to offer only a single optical drive.
Although the Apple Power Mac G5 has only one optical drive, it's been improved to a 4X DVD+R double-layer drive (it also handles DVD±RW and CD-RW discs). The double-layer support seems designed to coincide with the inclusion of the high-definition H.264 codec in OS 10.4, allowing you to burn an entire high-definition project on one disc.
The base configuration of this Power Mac costs $2,999, but the system we tested comes to $5,397 with memory and graphics upgrades plus Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a 20-inch Cinema Display. That's steep, but in line with comparable Windows models, such as the Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX once you've added a monitor. Remember to budget extra for speakers (no, $2,999 doesn't get you a pair of speakers), a keyboard with dedicated media keys, and a two-button mouse with a scrollwheel. Why Apple continues to torment customers with a one-button mouse is a mystery to which only Steve Jobs knows the answer.
The target audience should love that the dual 2.7GHz Power Mac G5 can now drive a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display out of the box. Previously that required a graphics-card upgrade, but the high-end Power Mac comes with an ATI Radeon 9650 card that can handle the task. The middle two Power Macs can upgrade to the ATI Radeon 9650 for only $50. They normally ship with the ATI Radeon 9600, which can drive two 23-inch displays, while the dual 2.7GHz Power Mac's ATI Radeon 9650 can drive one 30-inch and one 23-inch display. To use two 30-inch displays, you'll need to upgrade to the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, a $450 option found on our test system.
Our Power Mac G5 review unit held up well in CNET Labs' tests and showed itself a match for comparable Intel PCs running at faster clock speeds. In our Adobe Photoshop CS test, the Power Mac was bested only by the Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX, an overclocked 3.2GHz dual-core system. While that's impressive, the Power Mac's built-to-order 4GB of RAM was likely a big help. Compared to the older dual 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 (also with 4GB of memory) that we tested last year, the dual 2.7GHz G5 model took 48 fewer seconds to complete the Photoshop CS test.
On our new Apple iTunes MP3-encoding test, the dual 2.7GHz Power Mac G5 took top honors by a wide margin, likely due to iTunes running more efficiently on the hardware on which it originated. Finally, on our Sorenson Squeeze 4.0 video-encoding test, the Power Mac ran only slightly behind the ProMagix DCX and a white-box system with Intel's new 3.73GHz Extreme Edition chip--an impressive feat for the PowerPC G5 chip, showing that it's up to the task of matching the latest from Intel.
In our usage tests, the Apple Power Mac G5 was a pleasure, consistently able to handle whatever we threw at it, including processor hogs such as high-definition QuickTime movies and multitrack GarageBand songs. Even when we ran several programs at the same time, the Power Mac performed smoothly, without any visual or audio glitches.
The Power Mac comes with Apple's standard professional software bundle, which is strong in multimedia apps but weak in business ones. It ships with OS 10.4, so you'll get the fun of Dashboard and its widgets as well as the latest versions of QuickTime, the iLife '05 suite (with iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, and GarageBand), Mail, Safari, and iCal. Professional designers will like Art Directors Toolkit and Graphic Converter. But Apple seems to think that those are the only professionals who would buy a Power Mac, since the meager remainder of the bundle consists of QuickBooks New User Edition and a 30-day trial of iWork (with Pages, the word processor, and Keynote, the presentation tool).
Apple's support options are decent but hampered by skimpy phone help. In the box, you'll get a slim but comprehensive user guide and a guide to OS 10.4, as well as a pamphlet on service and support options. Apple offers just 90 days of toll-free phone support and one year of repair service standard. For further peace of mind, buy the AppleCare Protection Plan at checkout, giving you three years of phone support and repair service for $249. If you decide to help yourself, Apple has a well-organized support Web site. We recommend the user forums, since someone is bound to have had the same problem you're experiencing, and Mac fans are typically helpful to those in need.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Intel dual-core white box
3.2GHz Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Edition 840; Intel 955X Express chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB Sapphire Radeon X850 XT PCIe; 160GB 7,200rpm Seagate ST3160827AS Serial ATA hard drive; Windows XP Professional SP2
Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition white box
3.73GHz Intel Pentium 4 Processor Extreme Edition; Intel 955X Express chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB Sapphire Radeon X850 XT PCIe; 160GB 7,200rpm Seagate ST3160827AS Serial ATA hard drive; Windows XP Professional SP2
Apple Power Mac G5
Dual PowerPC G5 2.7GHz; 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL AGP; 250GB 7,200rpm Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive; Macintosh OS 10.4
Apple iMac G5
PowerPC G5 2.0GHz; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon 9600; 160GB 7,200rpm Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive; Macintosh OS 10.4
Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX (4.0GHz Intel P4 560; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz)*
3.2GHz Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Edition 840 overclocked to 4.0GHz; Intel 955X Express chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB ATI Radeon X850 XT PE PCIe; two 74GB 10,000rpm Western Digital Serial ATA hard drives in a RAID 0 array; one 400GB 7,200rpm Hitachi HDS724040KLSA80 Serial ATA hard drive; Windows XP Professional SP2
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29out of 29 user reviews
These you've got to watch out for.
Pros: Stable and fast but,
Cons: components get damaged without an Online UPS also other complications
I was advised to get a UPS for the Mac. So, I went and got myself an off line UPS. The brand was APC 1.5 Kva.
As I started to use the Mac, I found that I was getting shocks from the machine. I thought it was the earthing of the flat.
I had shifted into another flat by then which was couple of months later. The Mac would just stop working. It wouldn't boot at all.
All of a sudden it would start working all over again like nothing ever happened. So I thought it had to do with the warped electric system in my country. Oh! and by the way, I live in India.
In no time the hard disk, processors and logic board was changed due to this. But I still continued to receive the shocks from the system and it used to hang whenever it felt like it.
I used to receive a lot of Kernal Errors.
I shifted into another flat couple of months later and still had the same problem.
So I thought of a good friend Sandeep who works at apple computers in Bangalore, India who advised me to buy an online UPS when I first picked up the Mac.
That's when I decided to pick one up. So I went and got myself an online UPS. The brand was an APC 3Kva with a 1 hour back up.
So finally after a year I truly saw and felt the performance of the Apple Power Mac Dual 2.7 with 8GB of memory work to it's utmost performance that did not happen a year ago.
Beware of weird sites and I would strongly advise Norton Anti virus Version 10+ for the Mac.
Do not pick up RAM from just about anyone. If it's a duplicate it slows down the machine tremendously, so pick it up from apple.
When you pick up an online UPS go for APC with a (0) milli second shift over. For RAM my preference is Kingston.
Make sure you have a spike buster. It is vital.
I hope you've found this information useful. If you have anymore doubts please email me at sajjidmanuel@gmail.com
I will be more than happy to share any information with you that you might find useful.
Best Regards,
Sajjid Manuel
out of 29 user reviews
awesome Dream machine
Pros: Any mac fanatic Dream machine
Cons: new faster models out there
out of 29 user reviews
You get what you pay for
Pros: Fast, Dependable, Easy to upgrade, No Spyware, No Viruses, No Adware, Easy to use and Powerful OS
Cons: Intense tasks create fan noise, heats my home office
Out of the Windows based machines that were compared, the one that was faster (in some tasks) was an over clocked machine.
A quote from the article:
"Our Power Mac G5 review unit held up well in CNET Labs' tests and showed itself a match for comparable Intel PCs running at faster clock speeds. In our Adobe Photoshop CS test, the Power Mac was bested only by the Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX, an over clocked 3.2GHz dual-core system."
Only one PC was faster than this Mac, and that's only because it was over clocked. I'm not sure where the negative commentors got their information from; obviously not the article that precedes their comments.
One other thing to consider is that Apple consistently scores better, year after year, than any other computer manufacturer for total customer satisfaction. Read it in consumer reports, or go Google it, that's a fact, and it's a fact for a reason.
I use both Macs and PCs, and I can get by with both, but Apple's hardware and software are my choice. I am a graphic designer and Web developer, and have been using both Macs and PCs for over 6 years.
If you only need to surf the net, check email, and type Word documents you don't need a Mac. If you are creative person, and like to work with Graphics and multimedia than you really should consider a Mac.
If the thought of Viruses, AdWare, and/or Spyware are words you're not familiar with, or things that worry you, go with a Mac - the operating system that comes with all Apple computers is MUCH more secure than Windows XP.
Those worrying about the Intel move, don't worry. It's a good move, and it is beneficial to both Intel and Apple. Intel builds the world's most advanced chips, and Apple builds the world's most advanced and secure Operation System, what's not to like. With 80% of the MP3 player share (iPod) and Intel on the horizon, Apple's future is looking bright.
Want more proof, check the progress of Apple's stock over the past year or two. Be prepared to kick yourself for not investing years ago.
out of 29 user reviews
Awsome system with unbeatable processing power and operating system stability.
Pros: Fast, Attractive, and Stable.
Cons: Big, not enough standard RAM installed.
I finally made the switch to Mac at home and can't believe I did not do it sooner. I am a Graphic Designer and have been using Macs at work for years, and have always wanted one at home. The PowerMac Dual 2.3 is quite fast, much more so than my old DELL with a 3.02 GHz Pentium 4 with HT. While it is fast, Apple is skimpy with the standard RAM; 512mb is the absolute least you should have in this machine. Thankfully, adding additional ram is simple and cheap.
MAC OS X 10.4 Tiger is an awesome operating system; everything looks great, and runs smoothly. No crashes, no viruses, and no worries that something you've been working on for the last 2 hours will be lost if you forget to save. Almost all of the necessary programs are available for MAC as well; Microsoft Office, most Adobe products, and Quicken. Also, the iLife suite of software that came with system is great. The Mighty Mouse is very useful with the additional buttons, and it is still an elegant Apple design.
My only caveats are with the size of the system. It is quite large, and just barely fits on my desk. However, with all that power under its beautiful aluminum hood that's to be expected I guess.
Overall, I love the Macintosh operating system, and the PowerMac G5. After using them at work for so many years and loving them, I am so glad I finally replaced my home computer with an Apple PowerMac G5.
Also, buy one now before they switch to Intel, there are sure to be problems when they first switch over, and regardless of the advertised GHz speed, I cannot see the new systems being much faster than the IBM PowerPC chips.
Recently a friend of mine said he had the ability to try a prototype Mac with the new Intel chips. He said the chip was a dual core 4.0 Ghz in a PowerMac. He felt that the system performance seemed no faster that the current G5 PowerPC chip. One more reason not to wait for Intel.
out of 29 user reviews
U MAC USER just do not understand right
Pros: Looks really cool
Cons: Prize, wanabe nigh end porcessor
out of 29 user reviews
Perfect!!!!!
Pros: Perfect!!!!!
Cons: Perfect!!!!!
out of 29 user reviews
Should I wait
Pros: Get a Dream machine
Cons: Or be left out when the next generation comes out in 2006
out of 29 user reviews
System and Tiger Rock!!!
Pros: operating system, speed, and best for the Apps I run
Cons: Better selection of video cards and drive expansion
out of 29 user reviews
The ONLY computer for real designwork
Pros: Two G5s, Two G5s, Two G5s
Cons: Steep pricing
out of 29 user reviews
So Sweeet!!!
Pros: Hmm... EVERYTHING!!!
Cons: What cons???
I deffenetly rocommend this comp to anyone who does video editing or needs a powerful server.
out of 29 user reviews
Dual Layer DVD, Dual Memory
Pros: 2.7 Ghz 2 processors
Cons: One Drive Bay
out of 29 user reviews
(READ)It's cool to get an Apple, but that doesn't make it a great product.
Pros: Dual 2.7ghz processors
Cons: OS, USB ports are minimal, Could build a PC that performs better for much less.
Sure, dual 2.7 ghz is great, but Apple's OS hardly supports any great games. All the shortcomings of this computer could be taken away if you built your own computer. Building your own computer is inexpensive and rather easy to accomplish. For 3000 dollars, this computer is hardly worth it. Creating a computer with 3000 could make one of the fastest pcs you could have. Or, you could stick with apple and dell and have pieces of crap. (Apple = Expensive crap, Dell = Cheap crap)
out of 29 user reviews
Fastest Mac available + Tiger = 9
Pros: Fast as #$@! combine that with the capabilites of Tiger and you have a very efficiant, reliable workstation. I have CS2 on my machine and have not had a single crash, freeze etc.. That is priceless!
Cons: Fans can get loud and the size of the case.
Q. What would you rather have? A 400hp Chevy, or a 250hp Ferrari?
out of 29 user reviews
Best comp ever!! How can you not like it?
Pros: Fast, Encoding Video, photoshop! yeahhh
Cons: expensive, but worth it if you know what your doing
out of 29 user reviews
How do you feel?
Pros: Good overall performance for what you can buy software wise
Cons: Can you say INTEL inside
A. The Apple is poorly constructed. The sales person picked it up and the computer rebooted. Oh very comforting!
B. I can't run a lot of my expensive software " at least at a tolerable speed" on this computer.
C. Apple has what a 1.5% market share? A 100% improvement "never happened" would be a 3% share!
I will admit my bias.
1. I don't like Steve Jobs!
2. I would like him better if Apple would abandon the proprietary model. I mean his nemesis, Bill Vader never embraced that model!
3. I have to believe that if the guru would allow the sale of OS X? for IBM compatible PCs, Apple would crush Microsnot.
4. I have largely owned Win/tel PCs and largely they have worked just fine for me. I know there is a population that needs someone "Steve Jobs" to tell them what they want and need.
1. GROW UP!
2. Computers are not that hard to learn.
3. Free yourself from Steve and Bill!
out of 29 user reviews
This Computer is too expensive
Pros: A good change from Windows, has 8 GB of RAM and a IBM CPU
Cons: This is the last we will see IBM anywhere in consumer pc world, thanks to Steve Jobs
out of 29 user reviews
Power and elegance
Pros: Fast, powerfull, sleek, stable, easy, easy, easy
Cons: Only one year warranty
For illustrators and graphic designers this machine would be a huge overkill, so i would suggest the smallest Dual g5 for those.
out of 29 user reviews
$2999 base price, wow what a deal!
Pros: The silver plastic box still looks almost as good as the new Dells
Cons: Over-priced, slow compared to a PC, stupid 1-button mouse, no gaming for Mac. etc. etc.
out of 29 user reviews
still one of the best, though more expansion would be nice
Pros: speed, dual processors, quietnessm, design
Cons: cost, expandabilty
If Apple included a optical drive with this computer, it would have been rated 8.5 by cnet.
out of 29 user reviews
miserable performance for the cost
Pros: gorgeus monitor, stable OS (that's what they say)
Cons: EXPENSIVE!!! AND PC STILLL BEAT IT
The only test the mac won is itunes...hmmm itunes is mac software, it MUST be faster.
I must accept i hate mac OS(and i use it twice a week in my computer class) and what's that with the one bottmo mouse!!!is primitive even a monkey can use it, if that's the purpose...great!
out of 29 user reviews
OH WOW THIS IS SIMPLY STUNNING
Pros: DESIGN, QUIET, VIDEO SUPPORT, GRAPHICS, RECORDING MUSIC
Cons: HMMMM NOT ENOUGH USB PORTS
out of 29 user reviews
WHY BUY A ROLEX WHEN A CASIO DOES THE SAME?
Pros: BLAZING PERFORMANCE, OPTICAL AUDIO, BEST OS AROUND, DUAL LAYER DVD, KILLER DESIGN.
Cons: STILL SHORT OF 3 GHZ, ONE OPTICAL DRIVE, NO INTEGRATED BLUETOOTH OR 802.11g.
out of 29 user reviews
It is already obsolete
Pros: Faster and more complex G5
Cons: in Job's view, not x86 compatible
out of 29 user reviews
Think different? Why?
Pros: Good looking,ease of use.
Cons: Price, Compatibility, Price.
PS. Do yourself a favor, dont think different. But if you still do, get linux.
out of 29 user reviews
Power house for the Pro............
Pros: Outstanding Quality inside and out
Cons: It is expensive, if your cheap then buy a Dull
out of 29 user reviews
So Close to Perfect
Pros: Power, Quality, Quiet, Over-all Design, QS X 10.4
Cons: Could use additional drive bays and ports.
out of 29 user reviews
magic... the computer to make you feel like you're famous!!
Pros: speed, baby. my god, over my imac 17" this is testosterone plus
Cons: this baby is big--make sure you have storage room
out of 29 user reviews
Wow, this is one heck of a machine!
Pros: Dual PowerPC processors, up to 8 GB RAM, way cheaper and way faster than a dual Xeon.
Cons: Room for only 2 internal hard drives. I suppose this isn't a big issue since a raid adapter would have external ports anyway.
Just like other computers there are the usual Firewire and USB ports available but there is also Firewire 800 and optical audio in/out in the back. Nice touch. As far as a display is concerned I opted for the 23" HD Cinema display. Although the included Apple Pro keyboard sports two USB 1.1 ports (one for the mouse. I can't imagine what I'd use the other USB 1.1 port for) the back of the display has two Firewire 400 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. I don't think I have viewed a better flat panel display. Besides, it looks perfect next to the G5.
The specs are very impressive, indeed, but there are also many small details that caught my eye. Such as: a spare set of button head screws mounted near the drive space for a adding a second sata hard drive, small bluetooth and wifi antenas that plug into their respective ports in the back, a case that is simply the best I've seen and the thought that went into designing the internals. I can't say enough about the attention to detail on this computer. The internal comparison of a G5 to a typical PC is very eye opening. I am surprised it doesn't sell for a higher price, but then again a higher price would put it out of reach of many photo/video enthusiasts.
Enough about the hardware. The OS is totally outstanding! The rock solid combination of FreeBSD/Mach provides a stability and security while the Aqua GUI is nothing short of polished perfection. I won't go into details of the individual iApps but suffice it to say they all work great. One reason for this is they are all integrated with each other. Need music for a movie you are putting together in iMovie? No problem! Your entire music library is at your fingertips. Need some pics to insert into a menu of your DVD project? Just grab it from your iPhoto library! Simple as that! That's just a small sample of the integration built into the included iLife suite as well as the equally impressive iWork suite that handles your word processing and presentation chores. This level of integration is typical throughout the user experience. Easy, simple, elegant and yet very powerful. What? You're a UNIX geek? No problem. The Mac OS can satisfy you too.
My only regret I have with my G5 is not ordering the optional internal Bluetooth module when I first purchased my G5. There may be a chance I can get an Apple store to install it for me but having one sent to me directly isn't possibility.
If the typical hot-rod PC is a Camaro then the dual 2.7 G5 must be a BMW performance sedan. And worth every penny.
out of 29 user reviews
WHOA! CLEAR THE RUNWAY
Pros: FAST!...HOLY COW! Runs really quiet....you barely hear it. Doesn't crasy or hang, or lag...but it's a mac so that's pretty normal
Cons: A little expensive but to be honest you seriously get what you pay for. Oh and I think it should have more USB/FW Ports. Mouse is outdated and boring. Same with the Keyboard
Buying Advice: This isn't for people who just to basic stuff like emailing and word processing, web browsing, etc. It's a work horse meant for heavy lifting. If you're just a regular user then you're wasting your money on this. For regular users get an iMac G5. If you do graphics and video and stuff like that then this is the computer to have. By the way I'm really picky about my computers and how they perform so when I say something is good you can bet it really blows me away hehe. I've rated 3 or 4 computers on CNET and I've never given anything scores of 10
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