It looks like the power supply in my G5 DP Power Mac (The 1.8Ghz model that supports 4GB of RAM. Late 2004?) has croaked. I did all the usual; replaced the battery, reset the SMU and the PMU, blew out every last spec of dust I could get to, reseated the memory and the video card. Nothing. Not even so much as a flicker of the light when I press the power button.

Looking on line, used power supplies go for about $150 and new ones go for ~$290. I've looked at the instructions for DIY replacement and while it's a little bit fiddly, I'd be willing to try it. The thing is, what if it's the mobo and not the powersupply? Money down the crapper on the PS on top of the money to have the mobo replaced. I can't afford that right now.

It's long out of warranty, but I guess I'll take it in to an Apple Store (Where I'll have to lug it up two flights of stairs. Thanks store planning guys!) and get an estimate from them. I probably won't have the spare money for any repairs till at least the end of October anyway.

I've got net access at work, so that helps a little, but it's still going to be a long dry spell of not having a computer at home. I've already lost count of how many times I've reflexively started to go to the computer to do some task or look something up.

Off the grid till I'm back at work on Monday.

> It's long out of warranty, but I guess I'll take it in to an Apple Store...

Where they'll try to sell you a new Mac and quote you an outrageous price to do any work on it.

Go to a certified third-party repair place if you want a quote.

[consultants.apple.com]

Depending on the cost of repair, you might want to cheeck out G5 auctions on eBay. It might be simpler to get a similar model than to repair the one you have. If you had to pay for a new part(s) plus labor, it could get expensive in a hurry.

Also: if it's a logic board problem, wouldn't you get at least some signs of life from the power supply? Someone here must know the answer to that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2008 09:37PM by ka jowct.

If it was working right up until it didn't start up; I would suspect the power supply.

The location of the power supply in the G5s pretty much meant that it was going to suck a ton of crap into the fans. Also, why no access to the power supply through the bottom of the case? You have to disassemble a good part of the computer just to get to the power supply.

I purchased a G5 Dual 1.8 PCI-X, 8 RAM slot machine for $500 off eBay a couple of months ago. It looked like a new machine. Taking ka jowt's advice might be the way to go.

---

I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making
him carry me, and yet assure myself and others
that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his
lot by all possible means — except by getting off
his back. - Leo Tolstoy, novelist and Philosopher
(1828-1910)

Quote
MacArtist
If it was working right up until it didn't start up; I would suspect the power supply.

The location of the power supply in the G5s pretty much meant that it was going to suck a ton of crap into the fans. Also, why no access to the power supply through the bottom of the case? You have to disassemble a good part of the computer just to get to the power supply.

I purchased a G5 Dual 1.8 PCI-X, 8 RAM slot machine for $500 off eBay a couple of months ago. It looked like a new machine. Taking ka jowt's advice might be the way to go.

Yeah, it was working and then, pfffft. Unfortunatey, it conked out while I was out on a run to the store, so I don't know if there was any kind of sound and fury attached to the sudden departure. The screen was blank when I got home and at first I thought my admittedly aging monitor had finally died (The computer itself is normally quiet enough that the lack of fan or hard drive noise didn't immediately send up a red flag).

I might consider a flatout replacement from ebay. The only quandary there is that it's past time I make the move to an Intle machine, which I had planned to do Spring/Summer of next year. $500 to replace this one is halfway to a refurbed 20" iMac. I'd have to mull over whether to bite the bullet and wait a few more months to make the upgrade to Intel.

Thanks for the input everybody.