Apple G5 PowerMac 2.5GHz Desktop Computer
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Two dual-core 2.5GHz PowerPC G5s. 1.25GHz frontside bus per processor. 250GB hard drive.
Overview
The Power Mac G5 Quad introduces dual-core PowerPC processors, a modern PCI Express architecture, and wicked-fast workstation graphics. Power one up today and blaze through your work, deliver ahead of schedule, and astound your clients -- because this baby really moves.
Quad-Core G5 Processing
With two dual-core processors, at speeds up to 2.5GHz per core, the Power Mac G5 Quad doubles the punch of its dual-processor predecessor. Do the math: Quad-core processing means four Velocity Engines and eight double-precision floating-point units for blistering performance of up to 76.6 gigaflops. That means you can manipulate mountains of images or miles of footage. Crunch enormous data sets. Encode HD video or high-bit-rate audio. All at speeds you never imagined possible.
PCI Express Architecture
A modern PCI Express architecture opens up a world of high-performance expansion cards to the Mac platform. Two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot are designed for the latest video I/O, audio DSP, and Fibre Channel expansion cards -- so you'll have tremendous power and productivity in a single system.(1) And with 533MHz DDR2 main memory and integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet, you can customize your Power Mac G5 for your professional workflow -- even join an Xsan media network while connecting simultaneously to the Internet.
Workstation Graphics
Graphics assume a new level of realism with the latest PCI Express graphics cards. Drive two Apple displays -- including a glorious 30-inch Apple… read more Cinema HD Display -- from every Power Mac G5.
Enormous Performance Gains
Quad-core processing dramatically accelerates performance in real-world applications. Take, for example, Adobe After Effects: The Power Mac G5 Quad renders 3D images up to 69 percent faster than the fastest dual-processor Power Mac G5 ever built.(3) Scientists, researchers, and developers will benefit from similar performance gains. Building an Xcode project on a Power Mac G5 Quad, for example, runs 76 percent faster than on the fastest dual-2.7GHz Power Mac G5.(4)
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(3) To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(4) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems tested were shipping units.
Music and Audio
Create Without Limits -- Innovative tools for the Mac platform -- such as Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer, and Steinberg Cubase SX and Nuendo -- provide composers and sound designers with a wealth of software for capturing every inspiration. With the new Power Mac G5, you'll have even more power at your fingertips to compose, record, edit, mix, and perform.
-- Dual-core PowerPC G5 processors allow you to synthesize instruments and apply effects effortlessly.
-- Up to 16GB of memory provides ample bandwidth to compose using an unprecedented number of tracks.
-- A modern PCI Express expansion architecture supports state-of-the-art audio DSP and I/O solutions.(1)
-- Built-in optical digital and analog audio ports support both new and legacy hardware, and convenient FireWire and USB ports let you connect to virtually any audio, MIDI, and storage devices.
-- Multiple displays enable you to spread out your tools and timelines.
-- Mac OS X with Core Audio allows you to run several applications simultaneously, while Audio Units provide a robust plug-in protocol designed to work seamlessly across host applications.
-- Also integrated are MIDI Services for increased stability and performance, as well as Audio MIDI Setup for managing your MIDI needs and defining a systemwide MIDI configuration that's available to all of your applications.
Audio in Mac OS X -- Mac OS X integrates audio technologies that streamline performance for musicians, composers, sound designers, and audio editors. A new plug-in architecture called Audio Units provides a robust protocol designed to work seamlessly across Mac OS X applications. Several Audio Units ship with Mac OS X, including one that adjusts timing without affecting pitch, a Velocity Engine-optimized reverb, and a matched pair that streams audio over a network.
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
Design
Talk about fast. On the inside, dual-core PowerPC G5 processors and a host of state-of-the-art technologies translate into ferocious performance. Of course, an exceptional computer demands an exceptional enclosure. The Power Mac G5 sports a handsome and meticulously designed exterior that's graced with convenient ports and an easy-to-open side panel. Take a look inside and outside the sleek aluminum chassis of the Power Mac G5.
Truly Intelligent Design -- Apple engineers are pretty obsessive about clutter. Look inside the Power Mac G5 and you won't see any. "A place for everything and everything in its place" isn't just something your mom said: It's an important philosophical precept that Apple applies rigorously to hardware design.
FireWire and USB 2.0 ports -- Ports on the front and back -- two FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, and four USB 2.0 -- allow you to plug in your choice of peripherals and devices. The included keyboard also has two USB 1.1 ports.
Dual-Core G5
Enter the dual-core PowerPC G5 processor: one silicon chip with two independent 2.5GHz processor cores. Now take two of those chips and you have the Power Mac G5 Quad, for groundbreaking quad-core processing.
With four processing cores, you'll have more 64-bit resources: more L2 cache, more Velocity Engines, and more double-precision floating-point units. Videographers can edit more footage, filmmakers can produce more real-time effects, designers and photographers can process more higher-resolution images, and researchers can crunch through data sets for faster results. Compare a quad-core Power Mac G5 to the fastest dual-processor G5 ever built, and you'll experience up to 69 percent faster performance running popular professional applications. Or make that up to three times faster, if you're comparing with a Power Mac G4.
Do the Math -- The new dual-core PowerPC G5 combines two processor cores on a single silicon chip, providing double the computational power in the same space as a single-core processor. With four processor cores, applications can take advantage of four 1MB L2 caches, four 128-bit Velocity Engines, and eight double-precision floating-point units for a radical increase in desktop performance.
64-Bit Memory Addressing -- The dual-core PowerPC G5 joins forces with Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger to enable 64-bit computation. With 42 bits of physical address space, the PowerPC G5 supports a colossal 4 terabytes (4TB) of system memory. Although it's not currently feasible to purchase 4TB of RAM, the advanced architecture of the PowerPC G5 allows for plenty of growth in the future.
More practical and still far more than a typical PC, the Power Mac G5 can be configured with 16GB of addressable memory. Such large quantities of memory enable the system to contain a complex 3D model, massive digital images, a scientific simulation, or a sequence of video entirely in RAM.
64-Bit Computational Power -- The other advantage provided by the 64-bit PowerPC G5 is the ability to perform multiple simultaneous 64-bit floating-point and integer calculations. The PowerPC G5 features full 64-bit data paths and data registers, allowing it to express the extreme precision needed for floating-point mathematics and to express integers up to 18 billion billion. By contrast, a 32-bit processor must break these types of computations into multiple pieces -- requiring multiple passes through the processor and slowing down application performance.
Eight Double-Precision Floating-Point Units -- The PowerPC G5 core contains two double-precision floating-point units, each capable of performing a multiply and an add at the same time. This means a Power Mac G5 Quad, with four processor cores and a total of eight floating-point units, can complete up to sixteen 64-bit floating-point operations in a single cycle.
Such immense computational power accelerates applications in many fields, including audio creation, 3D content creation, and scientific visualization and analysis -- resulting in performance levels far beyond those of previous Power Mac generations.(1)
Four Velocity Engines -- The Velocity Engine in each core is optimized with two independent queues and dedicated 128-bit registers and data paths for efficient instruction and data flow. This 128-bit vector processing unit accelerates data manipulation by applying a single instruction to multiple data at the same time, known as SIMD processing. With four Velocity Engines, the Power Mac G5 can achieve up to 76.6 gigaflops -- almost double the performance of its predecessor.(1)
Vector processing is useful for transforming large sets of data, such as manipulating an image or rendering a video effect. Each Velocity Engine pipeline speeds up these tasks by processing up to 128 bits of data -- in four 32-bit integers, eight 16-bit integers, sixteen 8-bit integers, or four 32-bit single-precision floating-point values -- in a single clock cycle. That works out to 16 simultaneous 32-bit floating-point operations on a Power Mac G5 Quad.
(1) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems were shipping units. For complete test information, download the Technology Overview.
PCI Express
The new Power Mac G5 introduces a modern PCI Express architecture to the Mac platform. A future-savvy choice for your lab or studio, PCI Express opens up a world of high-performance system technologies and peripherals -- and paves the way for emerging solutions for media and networking.
The all-new PCI Express architecture allows you to customize your Power Mac G5 to the needs of your workflow -- providing tremendous power and productivity in a single system. As your needs change, you'll have the flexibility to add solutions for emerging workflow scenarios, such as video capture cards from Blackmagic Design or AJA Video, data acquisition devices from National Instruments, or the Apple Fibre Channel PCI Express Card for connecting to Apple's Xserve RAID storage solution.(1)
From the dual-channel bidirectional frontside bus (one for each processor) to the 16-lane PCI Express graphics bus, the Power Mac G5 architecture ensures the throughput required for handling huge media files and massive data sets -- without bottlenecks.
Dual bidirectional frontside buses -- Leveraging the dual frontside bus architecture pioneered in the original Power Mac G5, each processor in Power Mac G5 Quad systems has its own interface to the system controller -- unlike traditional dual-processor systems, which constrain throughput by placing all processor resources on one bus. This high-performance frontside bus architecture also enables each core to discover and access data in the other cores caches, further increasing performance on dual-core and quad-core systems.
System controller -- This fast application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) uses a lower-latency memory subsystem with support for ultrafast DDR2 SDRAM.
PCI Express graphics -- With the introduction of PCI Express architecture comes a new 16-lane PCI Express graphics interface, supporting the latest graphics controllers for up to 4 GBps of data throughput. That's double the throughput of the previous AGP 8X protocol. And by supplying up to 150 watts of power to the primary graphics processing unit, the new Power Mac G5 provides the headroom for high-performance, next-generation graphics processors and applications.
533MHz DDR2 main memory -- The new 128-bit memory controller in the Power Mac G5 supports DDR2 main memory running at speeds up to 533MHz. In addition to writing data at a double rate, or twice the rate of the clock speed, the memory controller increases efficiency by reordering read and write operations. By addressing two banks of SDRAM at the same time, the new Power Mac G5 can reach a memory throughput of up to 8.5 GBps, a 25 percent increase over its predecessor. Power Mac G5 systems can hold up to eight 2GB DIMMs -- up to 16GB of memory.
PCI Express expansion -- Unlike older parallel technologies, PCI Express guarantees each device dedicated bandwidth to and from the system controller. PCI Express cards and slots are defined by their bandwidth, or number of data lanes -- typically one lane, four lanes, eight lanes, or 16 lanes. At 250 MBps per lane, a four-lane slot can transfer data at up to 1 GBps and an eight-lane slot, up to 2 GBps -- almost twice as fast as a 133MHz PCI-X slot at a maximum throughput of just over 1 GBps.
In addition to the 16-lane graphics slot, the Power Mac G5 features three PCI Express expansion slots: two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot.(1) Each slot uses a standard connector that can accommodate a card of any size. This means you can install a PCI Express graphics card in any PCI Express slot -- enabling a single Power Mac G5 to support four, six, or even eight displays.(2)
Dual Gigabit Ethernet -- Two independently configurable 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet interfaces deliver tremendous networking bandwidth with no contention between your network traffic and other I/O. Each Gigabit Ethernet controller in the new Power Mac G5 supports jumbo frames (packets up to 9000 bytes), Virtual LAN tags (VLAN 802.1q), and link aggregation. Dual Gigabit Ethernet is ideal for users in an Xsan environment that requires independent networks for metadata and general networking.
SuperDrive with double-layer support -- The built-in SuperDrive reads and writes to a wide variety of DVD and CD media, including double-layer (DVD+R DL) discs capable of holding up to 8.5GB of data. This means you can author discs with over 3.5 hours of video encoded in standard MPEG-2 format on one DVD+R DL disc, compared with 2 hours of video on a standard DVD-R disc
Serial ATA storage -- The Power Mac G5 can hold two internal 500GB Serial ATA drives for a total capacity of 1TB of storage.(3) Each drive is on an independent bus, so there's no competition for drive performance as with Parallel ATA. Designed to keep pace with the demands of digital video creation and editing, audio storage and playback, and other data-intensive applications, Serial ATA supports 1.5-Gbps throughput per channel (equivalent to a data rate of 150 MBps).
Integrated I/O -- Serial ATA, FireWire, USB, audio, and wireless technologies are integrated through two bidirectional 800MHz HyperTransport interconnects for a maximum throughput of 1.6 GBps, providing ample throughput for a host of peripheral devices.
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(2) The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 graphics card occupies the 16-lane PCI Express slot and adjacent PCI Express slot. Maximum of one NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 or GeForce 7800 GT card per system. To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(3) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
Graphics
Ready to experience the real world in real time? With an all PCI Express architecture come state-of-the-art graphics technologies that ensure a spectacular visual experience.
How Much Reality Can You Handle -- Each Power Mac G5 graphics card supports two displays in extended desktop and video mirroring modes. The PCI Express architecture means you can install up to four graphics cards in your Power Mac G5 -- for connecting up to eight Apple Cinema Displays.(1) Imagine viewing high-resolution satellite images across an array of displays. Or consider controlling a suite of public information kiosks or a multimedia museum exhibit from a single Power Mac G5 system.
16-Lane PCI Express on Every Power Mac G5 -- A new lineup of PCI Express graphics cards provides professional capabilities and programmable graphics choices at all levels. Every Power Mac G5 supports two displays -- including a glorious 30-inch Apple HD Display -- and can be expanded to drive an array of up to eight displays.(1)
Gaming Performance -- 3D gaming involves complex visualizations and rapid movements that require maximum processor performance and top-of-the-line graphics capabilities -- all with more complexity and better texturing than ever before. Frame rates were measured using the game Halo, one of the most popular gaming titles on the market today, which leverages the programmability features of the graphics card.(3)
(1) To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(3) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems tested were shipping units. For complete test information, download the Technology Overview.
Technical
Start your next project on the ultimate creative platform. Whether you choose one of the dual-core configurations or the groundbreaking quad-core Power Mac G5 Quad, you'll benefit from PCI Express expansion options, the latest graphics cards, and a host of built-in capabilities -- like SuperDrive, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and plenty of ports for connecting FireWire, USB, and audio devices.
A 64-Bit OS for Your 64-Bit Machine -- Every Power Mac G5 comes with Tiger, the latest release of Mac OS X. Search your entire Power Mac in a single click with Spotlight. Access up-to-the-second information with Dashboard. Automate complex or repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow using Automator -- no programming required. And with its 64-bit features, Tiger provides access to as much physical memory as you can install in your Power Mac G5, up to 16GB. In fact, your transition to 64-bit performance is seamless: Current 32-bit code -- such as the Mac OS 9 Classic environment and existing applications -- runs natively at processor speed. With no interruptions to your workflow. And no additional investment in software required to take advantage of 64-bit power, period. read less
Quad-Core G5 Processing
With two dual-core processors, at speeds up to 2.5GHz per core, the Power Mac G5 Quad doubles the punch of its dual-processor predecessor. Do the math: Quad-core processing means four Velocity Engines and eight double-precision floating-point units for blistering performance of up to 76.6 gigaflops. That means you can manipulate mountains of images or miles of footage. Crunch enormous data sets. Encode HD video or high-bit-rate audio. All at speeds you never imagined possible.
PCI Express Architecture
A modern PCI Express architecture opens up a world of high-performance expansion cards to the Mac platform. Two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot are designed for the latest video I/O, audio DSP, and Fibre Channel expansion cards -- so you'll have tremendous power and productivity in a single system.(1) And with 533MHz DDR2 main memory and integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet, you can customize your Power Mac G5 for your professional workflow -- even join an Xsan media network while connecting simultaneously to the Internet.
Workstation Graphics
Graphics assume a new level of realism with the latest PCI Express graphics cards. Drive two Apple displays -- including a glorious 30-inch Apple… read more Cinema HD Display -- from every Power Mac G5.
Enormous Performance Gains
Quad-core processing dramatically accelerates performance in real-world applications. Take, for example, Adobe After Effects: The Power Mac G5 Quad renders 3D images up to 69 percent faster than the fastest dual-processor Power Mac G5 ever built.(3) Scientists, researchers, and developers will benefit from similar performance gains. Building an Xcode project on a Power Mac G5 Quad, for example, runs 76 percent faster than on the fastest dual-2.7GHz Power Mac G5.(4)
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(3) To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(4) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems tested were shipping units.
Music and Audio
Create Without Limits -- Innovative tools for the Mac platform -- such as Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer, and Steinberg Cubase SX and Nuendo -- provide composers and sound designers with a wealth of software for capturing every inspiration. With the new Power Mac G5, you'll have even more power at your fingertips to compose, record, edit, mix, and perform.
-- Dual-core PowerPC G5 processors allow you to synthesize instruments and apply effects effortlessly.
-- Up to 16GB of memory provides ample bandwidth to compose using an unprecedented number of tracks.
-- A modern PCI Express expansion architecture supports state-of-the-art audio DSP and I/O solutions.(1)
-- Built-in optical digital and analog audio ports support both new and legacy hardware, and convenient FireWire and USB ports let you connect to virtually any audio, MIDI, and storage devices.
-- Multiple displays enable you to spread out your tools and timelines.
-- Mac OS X with Core Audio allows you to run several applications simultaneously, while Audio Units provide a robust plug-in protocol designed to work seamlessly across host applications.
-- Also integrated are MIDI Services for increased stability and performance, as well as Audio MIDI Setup for managing your MIDI needs and defining a systemwide MIDI configuration that's available to all of your applications.
Audio in Mac OS X -- Mac OS X integrates audio technologies that streamline performance for musicians, composers, sound designers, and audio editors. A new plug-in architecture called Audio Units provides a robust protocol designed to work seamlessly across Mac OS X applications. Several Audio Units ship with Mac OS X, including one that adjusts timing without affecting pitch, a Velocity Engine-optimized reverb, and a matched pair that streams audio over a network.
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
Design
Talk about fast. On the inside, dual-core PowerPC G5 processors and a host of state-of-the-art technologies translate into ferocious performance. Of course, an exceptional computer demands an exceptional enclosure. The Power Mac G5 sports a handsome and meticulously designed exterior that's graced with convenient ports and an easy-to-open side panel. Take a look inside and outside the sleek aluminum chassis of the Power Mac G5.
Truly Intelligent Design -- Apple engineers are pretty obsessive about clutter. Look inside the Power Mac G5 and you won't see any. "A place for everything and everything in its place" isn't just something your mom said: It's an important philosophical precept that Apple applies rigorously to hardware design.
FireWire and USB 2.0 ports -- Ports on the front and back -- two FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, and four USB 2.0 -- allow you to plug in your choice of peripherals and devices. The included keyboard also has two USB 1.1 ports.
Dual-Core G5
Enter the dual-core PowerPC G5 processor: one silicon chip with two independent 2.5GHz processor cores. Now take two of those chips and you have the Power Mac G5 Quad, for groundbreaking quad-core processing.
With four processing cores, you'll have more 64-bit resources: more L2 cache, more Velocity Engines, and more double-precision floating-point units. Videographers can edit more footage, filmmakers can produce more real-time effects, designers and photographers can process more higher-resolution images, and researchers can crunch through data sets for faster results. Compare a quad-core Power Mac G5 to the fastest dual-processor G5 ever built, and you'll experience up to 69 percent faster performance running popular professional applications. Or make that up to three times faster, if you're comparing with a Power Mac G4.
Do the Math -- The new dual-core PowerPC G5 combines two processor cores on a single silicon chip, providing double the computational power in the same space as a single-core processor. With four processor cores, applications can take advantage of four 1MB L2 caches, four 128-bit Velocity Engines, and eight double-precision floating-point units for a radical increase in desktop performance.
64-Bit Memory Addressing -- The dual-core PowerPC G5 joins forces with Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger to enable 64-bit computation. With 42 bits of physical address space, the PowerPC G5 supports a colossal 4 terabytes (4TB) of system memory. Although it's not currently feasible to purchase 4TB of RAM, the advanced architecture of the PowerPC G5 allows for plenty of growth in the future.
More practical and still far more than a typical PC, the Power Mac G5 can be configured with 16GB of addressable memory. Such large quantities of memory enable the system to contain a complex 3D model, massive digital images, a scientific simulation, or a sequence of video entirely in RAM.
64-Bit Computational Power -- The other advantage provided by the 64-bit PowerPC G5 is the ability to perform multiple simultaneous 64-bit floating-point and integer calculations. The PowerPC G5 features full 64-bit data paths and data registers, allowing it to express the extreme precision needed for floating-point mathematics and to express integers up to 18 billion billion. By contrast, a 32-bit processor must break these types of computations into multiple pieces -- requiring multiple passes through the processor and slowing down application performance.
Eight Double-Precision Floating-Point Units -- The PowerPC G5 core contains two double-precision floating-point units, each capable of performing a multiply and an add at the same time. This means a Power Mac G5 Quad, with four processor cores and a total of eight floating-point units, can complete up to sixteen 64-bit floating-point operations in a single cycle.
Such immense computational power accelerates applications in many fields, including audio creation, 3D content creation, and scientific visualization and analysis -- resulting in performance levels far beyond those of previous Power Mac generations.(1)
Four Velocity Engines -- The Velocity Engine in each core is optimized with two independent queues and dedicated 128-bit registers and data paths for efficient instruction and data flow. This 128-bit vector processing unit accelerates data manipulation by applying a single instruction to multiple data at the same time, known as SIMD processing. With four Velocity Engines, the Power Mac G5 can achieve up to 76.6 gigaflops -- almost double the performance of its predecessor.(1)
Vector processing is useful for transforming large sets of data, such as manipulating an image or rendering a video effect. Each Velocity Engine pipeline speeds up these tasks by processing up to 128 bits of data -- in four 32-bit integers, eight 16-bit integers, sixteen 8-bit integers, or four 32-bit single-precision floating-point values -- in a single clock cycle. That works out to 16 simultaneous 32-bit floating-point operations on a Power Mac G5 Quad.
(1) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems were shipping units. For complete test information, download the Technology Overview.
PCI Express
The new Power Mac G5 introduces a modern PCI Express architecture to the Mac platform. A future-savvy choice for your lab or studio, PCI Express opens up a world of high-performance system technologies and peripherals -- and paves the way for emerging solutions for media and networking.
The all-new PCI Express architecture allows you to customize your Power Mac G5 to the needs of your workflow -- providing tremendous power and productivity in a single system. As your needs change, you'll have the flexibility to add solutions for emerging workflow scenarios, such as video capture cards from Blackmagic Design or AJA Video, data acquisition devices from National Instruments, or the Apple Fibre Channel PCI Express Card for connecting to Apple's Xserve RAID storage solution.(1)
From the dual-channel bidirectional frontside bus (one for each processor) to the 16-lane PCI Express graphics bus, the Power Mac G5 architecture ensures the throughput required for handling huge media files and massive data sets -- without bottlenecks.
Dual bidirectional frontside buses -- Leveraging the dual frontside bus architecture pioneered in the original Power Mac G5, each processor in Power Mac G5 Quad systems has its own interface to the system controller -- unlike traditional dual-processor systems, which constrain throughput by placing all processor resources on one bus. This high-performance frontside bus architecture also enables each core to discover and access data in the other cores caches, further increasing performance on dual-core and quad-core systems.
System controller -- This fast application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) uses a lower-latency memory subsystem with support for ultrafast DDR2 SDRAM.
PCI Express graphics -- With the introduction of PCI Express architecture comes a new 16-lane PCI Express graphics interface, supporting the latest graphics controllers for up to 4 GBps of data throughput. That's double the throughput of the previous AGP 8X protocol. And by supplying up to 150 watts of power to the primary graphics processing unit, the new Power Mac G5 provides the headroom for high-performance, next-generation graphics processors and applications.
533MHz DDR2 main memory -- The new 128-bit memory controller in the Power Mac G5 supports DDR2 main memory running at speeds up to 533MHz. In addition to writing data at a double rate, or twice the rate of the clock speed, the memory controller increases efficiency by reordering read and write operations. By addressing two banks of SDRAM at the same time, the new Power Mac G5 can reach a memory throughput of up to 8.5 GBps, a 25 percent increase over its predecessor. Power Mac G5 systems can hold up to eight 2GB DIMMs -- up to 16GB of memory.
PCI Express expansion -- Unlike older parallel technologies, PCI Express guarantees each device dedicated bandwidth to and from the system controller. PCI Express cards and slots are defined by their bandwidth, or number of data lanes -- typically one lane, four lanes, eight lanes, or 16 lanes. At 250 MBps per lane, a four-lane slot can transfer data at up to 1 GBps and an eight-lane slot, up to 2 GBps -- almost twice as fast as a 133MHz PCI-X slot at a maximum throughput of just over 1 GBps.
In addition to the 16-lane graphics slot, the Power Mac G5 features three PCI Express expansion slots: two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot.(1) Each slot uses a standard connector that can accommodate a card of any size. This means you can install a PCI Express graphics card in any PCI Express slot -- enabling a single Power Mac G5 to support four, six, or even eight displays.(2)
Dual Gigabit Ethernet -- Two independently configurable 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet interfaces deliver tremendous networking bandwidth with no contention between your network traffic and other I/O. Each Gigabit Ethernet controller in the new Power Mac G5 supports jumbo frames (packets up to 9000 bytes), Virtual LAN tags (VLAN 802.1q), and link aggregation. Dual Gigabit Ethernet is ideal for users in an Xsan environment that requires independent networks for metadata and general networking.
SuperDrive with double-layer support -- The built-in SuperDrive reads and writes to a wide variety of DVD and CD media, including double-layer (DVD+R DL) discs capable of holding up to 8.5GB of data. This means you can author discs with over 3.5 hours of video encoded in standard MPEG-2 format on one DVD+R DL disc, compared with 2 hours of video on a standard DVD-R disc
Serial ATA storage -- The Power Mac G5 can hold two internal 500GB Serial ATA drives for a total capacity of 1TB of storage.(3) Each drive is on an independent bus, so there's no competition for drive performance as with Parallel ATA. Designed to keep pace with the demands of digital video creation and editing, audio storage and playback, and other data-intensive applications, Serial ATA supports 1.5-Gbps throughput per channel (equivalent to a data rate of 150 MBps).
Integrated I/O -- Serial ATA, FireWire, USB, audio, and wireless technologies are integrated through two bidirectional 800MHz HyperTransport interconnects for a maximum throughput of 1.6 GBps, providing ample throughput for a host of peripheral devices.
(1) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(2) The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 graphics card occupies the 16-lane PCI Express slot and adjacent PCI Express slot. Maximum of one NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 or GeForce 7800 GT card per system. To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(3) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
Graphics
Ready to experience the real world in real time? With an all PCI Express architecture come state-of-the-art graphics technologies that ensure a spectacular visual experience.
How Much Reality Can You Handle -- Each Power Mac G5 graphics card supports two displays in extended desktop and video mirroring modes. The PCI Express architecture means you can install up to four graphics cards in your Power Mac G5 -- for connecting up to eight Apple Cinema Displays.(1) Imagine viewing high-resolution satellite images across an array of displays. Or consider controlling a suite of public information kiosks or a multimedia museum exhibit from a single Power Mac G5 system.
16-Lane PCI Express on Every Power Mac G5 -- A new lineup of PCI Express graphics cards provides professional capabilities and programmable graphics choices at all levels. Every Power Mac G5 supports two displays -- including a glorious 30-inch Apple HD Display -- and can be expanded to drive an array of up to eight displays.(1)
Gaming Performance -- 3D gaming involves complex visualizations and rapid movements that require maximum processor performance and top-of-the-line graphics capabilities -- all with more complexity and better texturing than ever before. Frame rates were measured using the game Halo, one of the most popular gaming titles on the market today, which leverages the programmability features of the graphics card.(3)
(1) To support up to eight 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays, install up to three additional NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics cards.
(3) Testing conducted by Apple in September 2005 using preproduction 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units; all other systems tested were shipping units. For complete test information, download the Technology Overview.
Technical
Start your next project on the ultimate creative platform. Whether you choose one of the dual-core configurations or the groundbreaking quad-core Power Mac G5 Quad, you'll benefit from PCI Express expansion options, the latest graphics cards, and a host of built-in capabilities -- like SuperDrive, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and plenty of ports for connecting FireWire, USB, and audio devices.
A 64-Bit OS for Your 64-Bit Machine -- Every Power Mac G5 comes with Tiger, the latest release of Mac OS X. Search your entire Power Mac in a single click with Spotlight. Access up-to-the-second information with Dashboard. Automate complex or repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow using Automator -- no programming required. And with its 64-bit features, Tiger provides access to as much physical memory as you can install in your Power Mac G5, up to 16GB. In fact, your transition to 64-bit performance is seamless: Current 32-bit code -- such as the Mac OS 9 Classic environment and existing applications -- runs natively at processor speed. With no interruptions to your workflow. And no additional investment in software required to take advantage of 64-bit power, period. read less
Specs
Model: M9592LL/A
Processor: Two dual-core 2.5GHz PowerPC G5
L2 cache: 1MB per core
Frontside bus: 1.25GHz per processor
Main memory: 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-4200); supports up to 16GB
Standard graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256MB of GDDR SDRAM, one single-link DVI port, and one dual-link DVI port
Hard drive (1):250GB Serial ATA; 7200 rpm
Optical drive: 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Expansion (2): Three open PCI Express expansion slots: two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot
Ports and Bays: One FireWire 800 port, two FireWire 400 ports (one on front), four USB 2.0 ports (one on front), two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard), two internal hard drive bays (one occupied)
Audio: Optical digital audio input, optical digital audio output, analog line-level input, analog line-level output, front headphone minijack and speaker
Networking: Dual 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet ports; integrated wireless antenna; optional AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (build-to-order option or through an Apple Authorized Service Provider)
Software: Mac OS X, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, and GarageBand), iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment, Art Directors Toolkit X, FileMaker Pro Trial, GraphicConverter, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks New User Edition, Zinio Reader, Xcode Development Tools
Hardware accessories: Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, USB keyboard extension cable, DVI to VGA adapter
Limited warranty and service: Your Power Mac G5 comes with 90 days of telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three full years. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-certified technicians using genuine Apple parts.
Detailed Specifications
Processing:
-- Dual 2.5GHz dual-core PowerPC G5 microprocessors
-- PowerPC processor architecture with 64-bit data paths and registers; each core includes:
* 1MB on-chip L2 cache running at processor speed (total 2MB per processor)
* Parallel data structure supporting up to 215 simultaneous in-flight instructions
* Simultaneous issue of up to 10 out-of-order operations
* Dual-pipeline Velocity Engine for 128-bit single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) processing
* Two independent double-precision floating-point units
* Advanced three-component branch prediction logic
-- Native support for 32-bit application code
-- Dual 1.25GHz 64-bit DDR bidirectional frontside buses
-- Point-to-point system controller
Memory:
-- 128-bit memory controller and data paths
* 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-4200)
* Eight DIMM slots supporting up to 16GB of main memory
-- Support for the following DIMMs (in pairs):
* 256MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit)
* 512MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit)
* 1GB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit or 1-Gbit)
* 2GB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 1-Gbit)
PCI Express expansion (2):
-- Two open full-length four-lane PCI Express slots
-- One open full-length eight-lane PCI Express slot
-- PCI Express cards of any size supported in all slots
Graphics and displays:
-- 16-lane PCI Express graphics slot with one of the following graphics card installed: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256MB of GDDR SDRAM, one single-link DVI port, and one dual-link DVI port
-- Support for graphics cards that require up to 150W
-- Support for digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; dual-link DVI ports support up to 2560 by 1600 pixels
-- Support for analog resolutions up to 2048 by 1536 pixels
-- DVI to VGA Adapter included
-- Dual-display support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
-- Support for up to two Apple flat-panel displays for each graphics card installed
Storage:
-- Two 3.5-inch hard drive bays, each with a 150-MBps Serial ATA controller; one of the following is installed:
* One 250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA; 8MB memory buffer (1)
-- 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW); writes DVD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 6x speed, reads DVDs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-R and CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed, reads CDs at up to 32x speed
Communications:
-- Two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames
-- Optional AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 (build-to-order option or installed by Apple Authorized Service Provider)
* AirPort Extreme: Based on IEEE 802.11g standard and Wi-Fi Certified for 802.11g and 802.11b interoperability (4)
* Bluetooth: Support for Enhanced Data Rate, or data rates up to 3 Mbps
-- Optional external Apple USB Modem (RJ-11) (5)
-- Integrated wireless antenna
Peripherals and audio:
-- One FireWire 800 port and two FireWire 400 ports (one on front panel, 15W total power)
-- Four USB 2.0 ports (one on front panel), two USB 1.1 ports on included keyboard
-- Front headphone minijack and speaker
-- Optical digital audio input and output Toslink connectors
-- Stereo analog line level input and line level output minijacks
Electrical and environmental requirements:
-- Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
-- Line voltage: 100 - 125V AC or 200 - 240V AC (wide-range power supply input voltage)
-- Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
-- Maximum current: At least 10A (low-voltage range) or 5A (high-voltage range)
-- Operating temperature: 50 degrees to 95 degrees F (10 degrees to 35 degrees C)
-- Storage temperature: -40 degrees to 149 degrees F (-40 degrees to 65 degrees C)
-- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
-- Maximum altitude: 10,000 feet
Size and weight:
-- Height: 20.1 inches (51.1 cm)
-- Width: 8.1 inches (20.6 cm)
-- Depth: 18.7 inches (47.5 cm)
-- Weight (standard configurations): 44.5 to 48.8 pounds (20.2 to 22.1 kg) (6)
(1) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
(2) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(3) The Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse require Bluetooth technology.
(4) Actual rates will vary.
(5) Wireless Internet access requires AirPort Extreme technology, a base station or other wireless access point, and Internet access (fees may apply). Achieving data rates up to 54 Mbps requires that all users have an 802.11g-enabled computer and connect to an 802.11g wireless access point. Some ISPs are not compatible with AirPort. Streaming music requires a compatible stereo system or powered speakers. Range may vary with site conditions.
(6) Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Internet access requires a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply. Product contains electronic documentation. Backup copy of software is included.
Processor: Two dual-core 2.5GHz PowerPC G5
L2 cache: 1MB per core
Frontside bus: 1.25GHz per processor
Main memory: 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-4200); supports up to 16GB
Standard graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256MB of GDDR SDRAM, one single-link DVI port, and one dual-link DVI port
Hard drive (1):250GB Serial ATA; 7200 rpm
Optical drive: 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Expansion (2): Three open PCI Express expansion slots: two four-lane slots and one eight-lane slot
Ports and Bays: One FireWire 800 port, two FireWire 400 ports (one on front), four USB 2.0 ports (one on front), two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard), two internal hard drive bays (one occupied)
Audio: Optical digital audio input, optical digital audio output, analog line-level input, analog line-level output, front headphone minijack and speaker
Networking: Dual 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet ports; integrated wireless antenna; optional AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (build-to-order option or through an Apple Authorized Service Provider)
Software: Mac OS X, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, and GarageBand), iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment, Art Directors Toolkit X, FileMaker Pro Trial, GraphicConverter, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks New User Edition, Zinio Reader, Xcode Development Tools
Hardware accessories: Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, USB keyboard extension cable, DVI to VGA adapter
Limited warranty and service: Your Power Mac G5 comes with 90 days of telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three full years. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-certified technicians using genuine Apple parts.
Detailed Specifications
Processing:
-- Dual 2.5GHz dual-core PowerPC G5 microprocessors
-- PowerPC processor architecture with 64-bit data paths and registers; each core includes:
* 1MB on-chip L2 cache running at processor speed (total 2MB per processor)
* Parallel data structure supporting up to 215 simultaneous in-flight instructions
* Simultaneous issue of up to 10 out-of-order operations
* Dual-pipeline Velocity Engine for 128-bit single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) processing
* Two independent double-precision floating-point units
* Advanced three-component branch prediction logic
-- Native support for 32-bit application code
-- Dual 1.25GHz 64-bit DDR bidirectional frontside buses
-- Point-to-point system controller
Memory:
-- 128-bit memory controller and data paths
* 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-4200)
* Eight DIMM slots supporting up to 16GB of main memory
-- Support for the following DIMMs (in pairs):
* 256MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit)
* 512MB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit)
* 1GB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 512-Mbit or 1-Gbit)
* 2GB DIMMs (64-bit-wide, 1-Gbit)
PCI Express expansion (2):
-- Two open full-length four-lane PCI Express slots
-- One open full-length eight-lane PCI Express slot
-- PCI Express cards of any size supported in all slots
Graphics and displays:
-- 16-lane PCI Express graphics slot with one of the following graphics card installed: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256MB of GDDR SDRAM, one single-link DVI port, and one dual-link DVI port
-- Support for graphics cards that require up to 150W
-- Support for digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; dual-link DVI ports support up to 2560 by 1600 pixels
-- Support for analog resolutions up to 2048 by 1536 pixels
-- DVI to VGA Adapter included
-- Dual-display support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
-- Support for up to two Apple flat-panel displays for each graphics card installed
Storage:
-- Two 3.5-inch hard drive bays, each with a 150-MBps Serial ATA controller; one of the following is installed:
* One 250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA; 8MB memory buffer (1)
-- 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW); writes DVD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 6x speed, reads DVDs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-R and CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed, reads CDs at up to 32x speed
Communications:
-- Two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames
-- Optional AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 (build-to-order option or installed by Apple Authorized Service Provider)
* AirPort Extreme: Based on IEEE 802.11g standard and Wi-Fi Certified for 802.11g and 802.11b interoperability (4)
* Bluetooth: Support for Enhanced Data Rate, or data rates up to 3 Mbps
-- Optional external Apple USB Modem (RJ-11) (5)
-- Integrated wireless antenna
Peripherals and audio:
-- One FireWire 800 port and two FireWire 400 ports (one on front panel, 15W total power)
-- Four USB 2.0 ports (one on front panel), two USB 1.1 ports on included keyboard
-- Front headphone minijack and speaker
-- Optical digital audio input and output Toslink connectors
-- Stereo analog line level input and line level output minijacks
Electrical and environmental requirements:
-- Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
-- Line voltage: 100 - 125V AC or 200 - 240V AC (wide-range power supply input voltage)
-- Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
-- Maximum current: At least 10A (low-voltage range) or 5A (high-voltage range)
-- Operating temperature: 50 degrees to 95 degrees F (10 degrees to 35 degrees C)
-- Storage temperature: -40 degrees to 149 degrees F (-40 degrees to 65 degrees C)
-- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
-- Maximum altitude: 10,000 feet
Size and weight:
-- Height: 20.1 inches (51.1 cm)
-- Width: 8.1 inches (20.6 cm)
-- Depth: 18.7 inches (47.5 cm)
-- Weight (standard configurations): 44.5 to 48.8 pounds (20.2 to 22.1 kg) (6)
(1) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
(2) PCI Express slots are not compatible with PCI or PCI-X expansion cards.
(3) The Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse require Bluetooth technology.
(4) Actual rates will vary.
(5) Wireless Internet access requires AirPort Extreme technology, a base station or other wireless access point, and Internet access (fees may apply). Achieving data rates up to 54 Mbps requires that all users have an 802.11g-enabled computer and connect to an 802.11g wireless access point. Some ISPs are not compatible with AirPort. Streaming music requires a compatible stereo system or powered speakers. Range may vary with site conditions.
(6) Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Internet access requires a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply. Product contains electronic documentation. Backup copy of software is included.
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