Power Mac G5
History
Introduced: June 23, 2003
Discontinued: August 7, 2006
Original Retail Price: $2,499
Model #: A1117
Tech Specs
Processor: Dual-Core 2.3 GHz PowerPC G5
RAM: 2.5 GB
Hard Drive: 250 GB SSD (upgraded)
Optical Drive: SuperDrive
OS: 10.5
Condition & Notes
This unit is in excellent condition, and is complete with all the original packaging, power cable, DVI-to-VGA adapter, keyboard, mouse, software CDs, and documentation.
This particular machine is the single-processor, dual-core 2.3 GHz model from late 2005, making it a member of the final generation of G5 towers. For more on the (quite substantial) differences between the “Late 2005” models and earlier revisions, see this excellent episode on YouTube by 65scribe detailing the history of the G5.
This also means it’s the last and fastest air-cooled G5 tower ever made, as all of the faster 2.5 and 2.7 GHz systems (including the G5 Quad) were equipped with the infamous liquid cooling system. Today this is seen as a major benefit from a collector’s standpoint because the liquid cooling systems are known to fail, leak, and severely corrode the motherboards and PSUs, rendering the machines useless. The liquid-cooled systems require extensive maintenance (up to and including a full rebuild) to maintain their operability and the presence of corrosive coolant composes a major liability from a preservation standpoint.
In 2024 I replaced the original 250 GB hard drive with a 250 GB SSD. HDD to SSD conversion is a common technique used in vintage computer preservation, as the original hard drives are prone to failure due to age. This upgrade also makes the computer quieter, faster, and more reliable. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more on this.
The original ship date on the box is 11/07/2005.
It is in fully working order and is currently running Mac OS X 10.5.
Model Identifier
In this chart, blue denotes liquid-cooled systems and red denotes dual-core systems.
This particular machine is the single-processor, dual-core 2.3 GHz model from late 2005. This makes it the last and fastest air-cooled G5 tower ever made, as all of the faster 2.5 and 2.7 GHz systems (including the G5 Quad) were equipped with the infamous liquid cooling system.
Packaging
Main Tower
This large piece of acrylic is an air shroud, which helps route the air around the inside of the case.
The inside (back) of the case door has an instructional graphic showing how to install RAM in the machine.
Accessories
Keyboard, mouse, power cable, keyboard extender cable, DVI-to-VGA adapter, software CDs, and documentation packet.
User’s Guide, OS X Tiger manual, warranty/registration/license info, AppleCare guide, software coupons, certification program info, and software CDs.
With Displays
With 20” Cinema Display
With 23” Cinema HD Display
With 30” Cinema HD Display
System Specs
This system has a single dual-core processor, which reports as two processors here.
mSATA SSD Installation
This upgrade makes the computer quieter, faster, and more reliable. I chose to install a 250 GB mSATA SSD using a 2.5” mSATA-to-SATA adapter housing and a 2.5” to 3.5” SATA adapter enclosure.
The 3.5” adapter with 2.5” assembly installed. I swapped over the four rounded screws (seen at top and bottom) from the original HDD which enable the drive to slide in and out along the rails in the G5’s HDD bays.
This SSD was a plug-and-play solution with the original SATA cables. It slotted into Bay A just like the original HDD.