R/E/P Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: G5 down....  (Read 1832 times)

Taproot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 713
G5 down....
« on: January 20, 2009, 09:24:23 AM »

....so my main computer went down last Friday. The repair guy here in town, who almost exclusively works on PCs, was unable to completely diagnose the problem. He "thinks" there is a problem with the motherboard and was quoting a potential cost of $700-$1000 to replacerepair. Is he crazy? He recommended I take it to the Apple Repair Center in Memphis, but I can buy another one for waaaay less than what he's talking about in repair.

The box has been acting funny for a while. Here's what it was doing: It will spin up, but not boot up. It's gotten progressively worse and worse and Friday, after about an hour and a half of trying, I gave up, cancelled my session and took it to the shop. It will boot up eventually, but it's become a HUGE hassle. Have any of you had any similar experiences? I'm wondering if this could be power supply problem! I believe here was some sort of recall, but I never received any notice. Any suggestions?   Mad
Logged
Jeffrey Reed
Taproot Audio Design
Oxford, Mississippi
www.taprootaudiodesign.com
www.myspace.com/taprootaudio

"That boy's so dumb, he thinks the Mexican border pays rent!" -Foghorn Leghorn

bblackwood

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7036
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2009, 09:45:51 AM »

Buddy of mine recently had problems with his old G4 - a new logic board (mother board) is about $700 +/-. Out of desperation, he ended up loading Tiger onto an external drive with his laptop and booting off that with is G4 - it worked. Even though the software was telling him he had a logic board problem, he figured out it was a physical system drive failure. Replaced the drive and all is well.

IOW, I'd start trying to find out if it's a localized problem or a systemic one (logic board).
Logged
Brad Blackwood
euphonic masters

Tim Halligan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1302
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2009, 09:46:08 AM »

Taproot wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 23:24

He "thinks" there is a problem with the motherboard and was quoting a potential cost of $700-$1000 to replacerepair. Is he crazy?  


Nope...he isn't crazy.

I just dodged a Aus$1400 bullet - that's what a Main Logic Board for a Macbook Pro goes for in Australia.

Plus labour.

Luckily it was a warranty job.

G5 being older...I imagine that the figure quoted would be about right.

Just don't let a PC guy near it.

HTH

Cheers,
Tim
Logged
"Don't forget, we are all engaged in a battle to the death against mediocrity." - J. Whynot

"You can tune a room only with a bulldozer." - Andy Peters

ssltech

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4780
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2009, 09:55:48 AM »

See the sticky/announcement thread in Dave Hecht's forum:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/24692/2172/

-It sounds like that number would be perfectly reasonable if a new motherboard is required... -A gut-punch for sure, but about the right price.

Keith
Logged
MDM (maxdimario) wrote on Fri, 16 November 2007 21:36

I have the feeling that I have more experience in my little finger than you do in your whole body about audio electronics..

amorris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1029
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2009, 01:14:51 PM »

first eliminate the ram. take all but 1(pair) stick out and try boot with each stick.
Logged

jimlongo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 422
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2009, 01:48:55 PM »

Unless it's a new computer it's probably going to be cheaper to buy a used one than replace a motherboard.
Logged

Taproot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 713
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2009, 03:52:28 PM »

jimlongo wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 11:48

Unless it's a new computer it's probably going to be cheaper to buy a used one than replace a motherboard.


I figured that out pretty quick. I can get the same model (G5 Dual 1.8GHz) refurbed for $500 or less. I'm going to take it to the Apple Store in Memphis and see if they can narrow it down. May get lucky.

It is doing the "fans going to 11 thing" that the liquid cooled ones experience, but AFAIK it's not liquid cooled.
Logged
Jeffrey Reed
Taproot Audio Design
Oxford, Mississippi
www.taprootaudiodesign.com
www.myspace.com/taprootaudio

"That boy's so dumb, he thinks the Mexican border pays rent!" -Foghorn Leghorn

Kassonica

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 280
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2009, 07:16:18 PM »

Having similar problems last year with my G4 lappy I can tell you it was HD failure in the end.


Logged
Mark Ludwig

Should have been a Drummer


Taproot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 713
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2009, 08:42:24 PM »

Kassonica wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 17:16

Having similar problems last year with my G4 lappy I can tell you it was HD failure in the end.




Fortunately, I know it's not HD failure. It will boot up eventually, but as of late, it could take an hour of trying.   Rolling Eyes
Logged
Jeffrey Reed
Taproot Audio Design
Oxford, Mississippi
www.taprootaudiodesign.com
www.myspace.com/taprootaudio

"That boy's so dumb, he thinks the Mexican border pays rent!" -Foghorn Leghorn

Kassonica

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 280
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2009, 10:23:51 PM »

There are some diagnostic disks that you could try.

Tech tool is one.

Before my HD drive it would take a looong time to boot.


A OS reinstall could help you sort out some problems as well.
Logged
Mark Ludwig

Should have been a Drummer


sui-city

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 330
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2009, 01:00:06 AM »

Taproot wrote on Wed, 21 January 2009 03:42

Kassonica wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 17:16

Having similar problems last year with my G4 lappy I can tell you it was HD failure in the end.




Fortunately, I know it's not HD failure. It will boot up eventually, but as of late, it could take an hour of trying.   Rolling Eyes


Jeff,

My dual 1.8 also went down a few weeks ago. $1,000 logicboard replacement. What fun.

But from what i've read online, it seems that there was an issue with these boards.

And just for shits and giggles, the first replacement they sent us was DOA. Unbelievable.

Good luck.

EDIT: We have just had the joy of finding out that the motherboard is not the only problem. It seems the first one was not DOA and that in fact there seems to be a fault with the processors too. What my tech told me is that they have had this happen before and what they don;t know is if the board damages the processors, or the other way round.

A Mac Pro with Chassis is beginning to look attractive.
Logged

Taproot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 713
Re: G5 down....
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2009, 11:42:41 AM »

sui-city wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 23:00



EDIT: We have just had the joy of finding out that the motherboard is not the only problem. It seems the first one was not DOA and that in fact there seems to be a fault with the processors too. What my tech told me is that they have had this happen before and what they don;t know is if the board damages the processors, or the other way round.

A Mac Pro with Chassis is beginning to look attractive.


I'm thinking I may have the exact problem you have. I was able to boot up once yesterday and again today (took about an hour) and finish some jobs on 1 processor. Sometimes, if I restart it, it will recognize both processors (in PT), but it always crashes after a few minutes and I have to do the whole boot/re-boot thing. I'll probably just buy another one and sell this one for parts on eBay. I just got my freakin' surgery paid for this week. Perfect timing!  Mad
Logged
Jeffrey Reed
Taproot Audio Design
Oxford, Mississippi
www.taprootaudiodesign.com
www.myspace.com/taprootaudio

"That boy's so dumb, he thinks the Mexican border pays rent!" -Foghorn Leghorn
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.074 seconds with 20 queries.