Using an Apple Power Mac G5 Today - Is It Still Usable?

The PowerMac G5 was Apple's flagship machine in 2003, but how well does it hold up almost 20 years later? I check out some new operating system updates for Apple's PowerPC behemoth, and see how usable it is in 2022.

▬ Contents of this video ▬

0:00 - Intro to the Power Mac G5
01:35 - Power Mac G5 Hardware Tour
03:30 - Power Mac G5 Internals
06:30 Apple USB Mouse & Keyboard
08:07 - NordVPN Sponsor Slot
09:26 - Power Mac G5 Cooling Fan Test
10:50 - Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Tour
14:20 - Mac OS 10.5.9 Sorbet Leopard
15:45 - MorphOS
18:00 - Summary

Sources used in this video (with permission or under fair use):

#retrocomputing #apple #powerpc #vintage #macos #osx

[dj_grumble]

Up until this year, I was using a dual 2.0-GHz PowerMac G5 as my main audio workstation and produced multiple gold records with it. i bought it from a computer recycling center for $80 in 2016 to replace my aging G4

[CommodoreFan]

It still blows my mind when I think about how a modern Android Tablet like a Nokia T20 in many ways is more powerful than this Power Mac G5, and cost many times less than this did when it was new, but still cool to see the Power Macs getting support from the community to this very day.

[zedovski]

Using a Mac Pro 5, 1 with dual-X5690s, 1TB SSD and 8TH HDD, triple 4K monitors. Works like a charm with the latest Mac OS thru OCLP. The old Mac Pros were timeless machines. I can even simultaneously emulate Windows and Linux on it owing to 48GB of RAM.

[lucius]

It is usable. In Germany electic heaters are out of stock, you could use one of those as replacement

[RockTo]

I got one of these as soon as it came out. I believed the hype. I got the top-spec dual 2.0GHz G5. Spent a bloody fortune on it. The logic board died 3.5 years later.

[YearsOfLeadPoisoning]

That case is still the best looking traditional PC case out there. The way the latch works and how beautifully it's laid out inside is unmatched IMO.

I use a maxed out Intel '08 for audio production and it still absolutely flies.

[MegaManNeo]

I'm excited to see you testing MorphOS.
Sure, the G5 is a sucker for energy but the idea of bringing new life to old tech still fascinates me.

[blegh]

Oh I remember over the G5 back in the day. Could not afford it. But I actually did have the chance to buy a first generation Intel Mac Pro though my first job. I still remember being amazed by the engineering and quality of the case alone. No sharp edges, everything fits and feels heavy and premium and professional. It's even beautiful on the inside. Gorgeous, even. Such a great computer it was.

[WalkerKirchman]

These machines hold a special place in my heart. I have the highest end build to order model from 2003 with the dual 2.0 processors, 2GB RAM, and the 9800 graphics card (complete with it's own cooling fan) and that machine is the most powerful computer from 2003 that I could ever imagine using. It is impossible for me to believe that it's almost 20 years old when it still can do so many modern tasks.

[NijiDash]

Oh my, this video brought back so many memories! I used to be so obsessed over the looks of this case in particular, and it still looks great to this day. It inspires you to turn it on and start editing video right away or something. Also a pretty nice space heater in the winter it seems, lol. Microsoft also used one of those to test Xbox 360 games IIRC, as the CPU came pretty close to the one inside of that console.

[jamesdecross]

Just bought a number of old PowerMac G4 and G5 for 'lightroom' photography. My film scanner needs the older machines for compatibility. Besides, they are beautiful machines.

[RockTo]

Ah man, OS X used to look so nice. Much better than it does in recent versions.

[Chalisque]

Due to space, I have to get rid of my old G5. I booted it up recently. It is amazing how well Logic Pro 8 runs compared to what you get on modern machines, and with a fraction of the CPU horsepower.

[rachelblack]

I still use my Quad G5 today to run old graphic arts software that still works well for me. The main reason that I bought it used many years ago is bc it is the fastest Mac that can run the Classic environment, even faster than a Classic-native machine could.

[samuelgosling]

fun fact I use a modded power Mac g5 case to house my pc, from the outside it looks 100% original and I love it so much

[nevadaxelizabeth]

just to add, the liquid cooling on the later G5 was insane because it used automobile grade coolant, Dex Cool, which it was surprising because it is corrosive.
also. nice to hear there is gonna be a new video of someone running MorphOS and on a G5. i was literally looking for a recent video of someone running it on a G5 a few days ago.

MorphOS always have mystified me and i never had the chance to use it

[InfiniteLoop]

I have an 05 dual processor sitting by my desk because the applications on it, I own, I don't have to rent them like you do on newer machines, and Photoshop ect still work fine.

[richardhunter]

I’ve got a Quad Core G5 and I’ll be completely honest all I’ve ever run on it is MorphOS. Definitely the best MorphOS machine out there as I’ve also got a MacMini G4 and PowerBook G4 so I’ve got something to compare it to.

[delightfulsquirtle]

we did have the same G5 in my agency and I had to use it a few times due to some old hardware that only ran on that system. Man...this really made me apcreciate all the modern stuff like SSD we got nowadays.

[strifemusic_]

I own the PowerMac G5 with the Dual 1, 8 GHz CPU, 6 GB DDR SDRAM and FX 5200 GPU, which runs on Mac OSX 10.5.9 Sorbet Leopard. I mainly use it for old school gaming and music production. I installed games like Warcraft III, The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 (NoCD patch doesn‘t work for me on Sims 2 unfortunately) and DAWs like Logic Pro 8 and Ableton Live 7, which surprisingly ran fine.