[Quagmire]

Apple posted 2 documents regarding the imac G5. The first document is the parts the user can replace. Which is the ae card, ram, HD, optical drive, power supply, LCD display, modem card, and mid-plane assembly( contains the main logic board, G5 processor, fans, and so fourth. They still recommend to send it in for service to do this stuff. The second document explains the diagnostic LED's. The LED's tell you how the computer and LCD is communicating, if the imac is overheating, and more.

Link one: replaceable Parts

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86812

Link 2: LED's

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86812

[sunrain]

Wow, that's a nice thing. BTW - You've made two links to the first document.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by sunrein Wow, that's a nice thing. BTW - You've made two links to the first document.

The diagnotics LEDs info can be found here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86815

EDIT: By the way, to see the arrow and the LED location, dig up the interior shot of the iMac G5 at Apple's PR site.

[Moogs]

This one thing alone makes this version of the iMac more user-friendly than the last one IMO, however goofy looking that front bezel may be. The previous versions are a pain in the ass to service and upgrade.

[alcimedes]

so does that user replaceable board also contain the GPU?

[pscates2.0]

That is the nice thing about this new iMac. For the first time ever, an iMac has G4/G5 tower-level ease in accessing the guts.

Ever taken apart a jellybean iMac?

Don't.

iMac G4, beyond that bottom plate where you put the RAM and AirPort card, weren't any better.

This one? Three screws, off pops the back. Proceed merrily.

[thegelding]

you want one so bad you can taste it paul



g

how is your slow week going?

[pscates2.0]

How do you think...

Nah, don't want one. Just like Paige Davis, I'm happy to sit and admire it from afar, and feel good for whoever gets to take it home.

[murbot]

Ah, you guys. I just popped a 120GB HD into my 600MHz G3 iMac... was no biggie.

Unless you just mean the slot loaders, I hear tham thar things be bitches to crack.

Paul, just effing order one man. If you hate it, eBay it. I'll walk you through it.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by alcimedes so does that user replaceable board also contain the GPU?

A lot of people are asking that question. I guess we'll just have to wait for some intrepid Japanese geek to tear apart his/her iMac G5.

[pscates2.0]

Put a sock in it, murbot. Can't a brother dig something without wanting to buy it?

I like Toyota Tundras, Leatherman pocket tools and silent-running dishwashers. Ain't planning on buying any of 'em though...don't really have a need. Same with the new iMac. Unlike SOME people, I don't/can't/won't buy every model that comes out...

[murbot]

You don't have a Leatherman?! OMG.

I have a Wave, and it rocks, man. heh heh

[Wrao]

Slot loading iMacs=bitch to remove the bubble dome.

I tried twice, I got halfway there but was missing something, some screw somewhere that I could not see. So, rather than break it open in primal rage, I just stopped while I was ...ahead.

[oldmacfan]

I have cracked open most models of the original iMac and they do take some patience. I think the Rev a-d's are the best of the bunch as far as getting in and doing stuff easily. I just cracked a slot loading imac last night and replaced the battery. The mesh cage can be unnerving.

Have not, as of yet, cracked a G4 iMac, there are not a lot of them on campus.

[stoo]

The most unnerving things about cracking open the original iMac was the way you had to bend the polycarbonate bottom part of the shell to get it back on.

[jonnybleu]

does anyone know if the RAM in the G5 iMac is standard DDR or is it specific to the machine for some reason? Can I just go down to any computer store and buy pc3200 DDR400 memory?

[chucker]

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Memory 256MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM, supports up to 2GB

[jonnybleu]

yeah... i know. i read that. but sometimes machines are specific to a certain type and you can't just use generic
just want to know, if anyone knows this early, if it is generic ddr or a special type to fit in the new machines

[windowsblowsass]

Originally Posted by alcimedes so does that user replaceable board also contain the GPU?

(contains the main logic board, the G5 processor, fans, NVIDIA graphics processor, and so forth).

so apparentley you can

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by jonnybleu yeah... i know. i read that. but sometimes machines are specific to a certain type and you can't just use generic just want to know, if anyone knows this early, if it is generic ddr or a special type to fit in the new machines

While I'm not sure Apple computers never had problems using generic RAM, there is a quality issue you have to worry about. Macs don't take shit from RAM. If the RAM is bad, your computer won't start up, or KP a lot. Other wise, your as happy as a clam in some mud.

[alcimedes]

man, if you can replace the GPU and CPU, this model has legs. might have to take a harder look. i'm trying to find a nice TV/Tivo type solution anyway, this could be it.

[applenut]

Originally Posted by windowsblowsass so apparentley you can

yea, if you find someone who's offering a better graphic chip embedded on an iMac G5 motherboard. (not going to happen)

the whole board is removable. not the individual chip

[alcimedes]

no, but there will be an upgrade board that a third party company will offer some time in the next year or two that upgrades the entire board, processor, graphics card and all. in every case where apple has offered a daughter board for upgrades, a third party company has come up with a solution.

[pscates2.0]

Originally Posted by alcimedes man, if you can replace the GPU and CPU, this model has legs. might have to take a harder look. i'm trying to find a nice TV/Tivo type solution anyway, this could be it.

Get the iMac and one of those Elgato EyeTV products (whichever matches your TV set-up: analog cable, satellite, etc.). I ordered the EyeTV 200 and it'll be here this week! TV viewing, digital recording/scheduling/archiving, analog-to-digital converter (digitize old video tapes, etc.).

I'll post a mini-review/impressions when I get it up and going...

[applenut]

Originally Posted by alcimedes no, but there will be an upgrade board that a third party company will offer some time in the next year or two that upgrades the entire board, processor, graphics card and all. in every case where apple has offered a daughter board for upgrades, a third party company has come up with a solution.

um, the daughter card you are talking about is the motherboard. no third part company has come up with a solution of replacing the entire motherboard. pretty sure its impossible as long as apple continues to use a hardware ROM. also, any upgrade that included that would cost so much that it would be a tough sell.

[Patchouly]

Isn't it ironic though? Most parts inside the new iMac G5 are user replaceable EXCEPT for the one part (weak Mickey Mouse GPU) that most users would actually WANT to replace?!

I am glad they've adopted the diagnostic LED system (Dell and others have been using this for years) but you should not have to take off the back lid to see if there is a problem.

Apple is definitely heading in the right direction with the iMac G5 - so I am hoping that RevB model will make the rest of us happy.

[Luca]

Apple has sold motherboard upgrades before. In recent history, Sonnet has sold a "motherboard on a chip" upgrade - the PowerMac 7200 had a soldered-on CPU, so they actually devised a mini-motherboard with its own RAM slots and G3 CPU that fits in a PCI slot.

Also, one company does offer a CPU replacement for slot-loading iMacs, which have soldered-on processors. They just replace the CPU itself, but I wouldn't be surprised if a company offered a service where if you sent in your old motherboard (perhaps needed for the ROM or something), they'd send you a new one with a faster CPU and better GPU. I don't know, but I don't see it as being impossible. I've also heard that a few of the CPU upgrade companies are thinking of devising a replacement G5 motherboard that is compatible with older G4 towers. Again, no idea if it can be done for a reasonable amount of money, but it's definitely a possibility.

[jl51]

Originally Posted by jonnybleu does anyone know if the RAM in the G5 iMac is standard DDR or is it specific to the machine for some reason? Can I just go down to any computer store and buy pc3200 DDR400 memory?

Here are the full iMac G5 Memory specifications :
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86814

"iMac G5 computers work with memory modules (DIMMs) that meet all of these criteria: PC3200, 2.5V, unbuffered, 8-byte, nonparity, 184-pin, 400Mhz DDR SDRAM.

There are two RAM slots. The maximum amount of RAM you can install is 2 GB. You can use RAM module sizes of 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB, in either slot.

DIMMs with any of the following features are not supported in the iMac G5 computer: registers or buffers, PLLs, ECC, parity, or EDO RAM. "

Jean

[Proxy]

I''ve got to disagree about the earlier iMacs being difficult to service, at least when it comes to the HD's on the G3 iMacs.

My sister took a blueberry iMac 400 DV with her when she moved abroad and the HD shredded itself within a week or two of her going. The Irish technicians wanted a fortune to change the HD so I bought one and cloned my G4 iMac's drive to it using Carbon copy cloner (amazing app.) and sent her that along with some instructions printed from Macworld.com. It took her twenty minutes to replace it and boot it up succesfully... and she'd never been near anything electrical with a screw driver before! My PC using friends were aghast when I told them how we solved that problem.

[stoo]

Can I just go down to any computer store and buy pc3200 DDR400 memory?

Yes (as long as it's a full size DIMM rather than a SO-DIMM (Small Outline DUal Inline
Memory Module)).