Ersterhernds iMac G5 20 Inch A1076 Project

[ersterhernd]

Hi nfsgamer, I switched all my machines to Clover UEFI boot. It was a big job, but well worth it. Vanilla installs with all kext injection done at boot time.

I highly recommend spending the time to make the move to Clover.



Cheers!

 

[ersterhernd]

Build Log 17 - Performance Summary

Its been three days since this system began running, and its been flawless so far. As in any new build, a few days of continuous use and testing has to be done to ensure there's no issues. This one is no different, but that said, its worked like a dream so far.

The NUC D54250DWYK is running faster and much cooler than the i3 NUCs installed in my other iMac G5 builds. It's CPU fan is set to under 2000 rpm and hasn't had to run above that as of yet. CPU operating temps range from 30 (idle) up to around 43 degrees depending upon load. Its nearing winter here in Canada, so the house is always around 20C in the room, of course it'll be somewhat warmer in summer months.

The three iMac fans running at the minimum 3.3V are quiet and efficient. There is a continuous flow of cool air moving from bottom to top. Touching the outer shell near the NUC or Apple PSU is not even warm, there is no heat at all. The exhaust airflow out of the top rear vent is cool, not even warm. This is a huge difference from the Apple G5 hardware, which began expelling very warm air out the rear vent after only a few minutes of operation. I'm confident that this amount of cool airflow will ensure a long life for all internal components and the 20" LCD of this computer.


GeekBench 2 64 bit Result

Internet Speed Test Result

Local LAN Transfer 500MB file (received) 10.8 MB/sec

Local LAN Transfer 500MB file (sent) 13.7 MB/sec

Power Consumption (medium screen brightness at idle CPU)

Power Consumption (highest screen brightness with full screen 1080p video)

Overall, I'm elated with the performance of this system so far. It is quiet, cool and snappy. At the time of this writing, the Haswell NUC is definitely the way to go with an iMac G5 build; because of its lower power requirement, two SATA ports, HD5000 graphics and thinner depth.

The mod was designed fairly simply. The addition of the Picaxe microcontroller circuits to control the LED and Chime were not absolutely necessary, just a nice touch for authenticity. The system would work equally well without the added effort. Perhaps the most difficult part was soldering the HDMI connector to the tiny hair-like strand wires of the TMDS LCD cable. With a little patience and a steady hand, it isn't impossible even for a soldering novice like myself.

I hope this thread has been beneficial for those who are perhaps considering undertaking such a mod. With the availability of iMac G5's still out there, many in excellent condition, it seems almost shameful to throw one away after using this system in its new form.

Thanks alot for reading!



Ersterhernd

 

[justein230]

Build Log 17 - Performance Summary

Its been three days since this system began running, and its been flawless so far. As in any new build, a few days of continuous use and testing has to be done to ensure there's no issues. This one is no different, but that said, its worked like a dream so far.

The NUC D54250DWYK is running faster and much cooler than the i3 NUCs installed in my other iMac G5 builds. It's CPU fan is set to under 2000 rpm and hasn't had to run above that as of yet. CPU operating temps range from 30 (idle) up to around 43 degrees depending upon load. Its nearing winter here in Canada, so the house is always around 20C in the room, of course it'll be somewhat warmer in summer months.

The three iMac fans running at the minimum 3.3V are quiet and efficient. There is a continuous flow of cool air moving from bottom to top. Touching the outer shell near the NUC or Apple PSU is not even warm, there is no heat at all. The exhaust airflow out of the top rear vent is cool, not even warm. This is a huge difference from the Apple G5 hardware, which began expelling very warm air out the rear vent after only a few minutes of operation. I'm confident that this amount of cool airflow will ensure a long life for all internal components and the 20" LCD of this computer.


GeekBench 2 64 bit Result

Internet Speed Test Result

Local LAN Transfer 500MB file (recieved) 10.8 MB/sec

Local LAN Transfer 500MB file (sent) 13.7 MB/sec

Power Consumption (medium screen brightness at idle CPU)

Power Consumption (highest screen brightness with full screen 1080p video)

Overall, I'm elated with the performance of this system so far. It is quiet, cool and snappy. At the time of this writing, the Haswell NUC is definitely the way to go with an iMac G5 build; because of its lower power requirement, two SATA ports, HD5000 graphics and thinner depth.

The mod was designed fairly simply. The addition of the Picaxe microcontroller circuits to control the LED and Chime were not absolutely necessary, just a nice touch for authenticity. The system would work equally well without the added effort. Perhaps the most difficult part was soldering the HDMI connector to the tiny hair-like strand wires of the TMDS LCD cable. With a little patience and a steady hand, it isn't impossible even for a soldering novice like myself.

I hope this thread has been beneficial for those who are perhaps considering undertaking such a mod. With the availability of iMac G5's still out there, many in excellent condition, it seems almost shameful to throw one away after using this system in its new form.

Thanks alot for reading!



Ersterhernd

Any plans on a summary video for this one?

 

[ersterhernd]

Yet another awesome build from you. My plans to mod my G4 over the summer fell through, as I simply do not have the expertise and patience necessary to complete this. Although you did not post the OS X Installation process yet, did you use Clover, Chimera or Chameleon? Also, why not go with Bluetooth and WiFi modules that support Handoff and continuity?

Thanks J, this build was a lot of fun with few curve balls to deal with. I boot using Clover UEFI on all my systems now, made the switch a little while back. Its far superior in my opinion because you can keep a Vanilla install of OSX, which makes updates a snap.

Handoff and Continuity at this point don't interest me. If I ever change my mind, BT and WiFi modules are cheap and easy to change out.

As for a video summary, maybe at some point but the machine is gonna remain closed up for a while now.


Still would like to see a build from you...


Cheers!

 

[justein230]

Thanks J, this build was a lot of fun with few curve balls to deal with. I boot using Clover UEFI on all my systems now, made the switch a little while back. Its far superior in my opinion because you can keep a Vanilla install of OSX, which makes updates a snap.

Handoff and Continuity at this point don't interest me. If I ever change my mind, BT and WiFi modules are cheap and easy to change out.

As for a video summary, maybe at some point but the machine is gonna remain closed up for a while now.


Still would like to see a build from you...


Cheers!

Just got one of my expert hardware friends on board for a mod, so I'm going to team up with him and do a 17" iMac G4. The hinge is a little loose, but the machine is still beautiful! Really excited to start it (although might not start until December or April, depending on our schedules).

 

[buurin]

Before I get my own build thread up, I'll share a few hacks I made to my G5 case.

I hacked a Keystone cat6 jack into the back cover's ethernet spot by filing off just enough of the plastic and metal. I had to completely unscrew and pry up the metal backing plate to get it in. Once in place, it still moves a bit, but remains captive. It should not come loose in regular use. Then it's as easy as making a short patch cord to run this ethernet port to NUC. I'll say this is better than having to solder for G4.

Next I'll do up a little PCB for the USB ports. I'm doing this because I don't have a G5 logic board to cut into (nor do I intend to get). The other ports would be taken care of by short extension cables either off ebay or made up on the spot.

 

[minihack]

Congratulations Ersterhernd,
Another wonderful build from you, with faultless documentation. Don't know how you do it!
....And thanks for the mention in the first post. Always appreciated.

 

[cumik2]

Sorry for my bad english,
you are the old school, its not about to have money an get a new 5K imac from shop, its about pleasure with rebuilding old mac machine and thinking how to to it. Thanks for inspiration !

Roman Slovakia

 

[ersterhernd]

Hi cumik2, yes you are correct. The reason I do this is because I have an affinity for older Apple hardware. To be honest, going into an Apple dealer and purchasing a new one does not interest me at all.

Hopefully we will continue to see more of this restorative work done on the old machines.


Cheers!

 

[cumik2]

Hi cumik2, yes you are correct. The reason I do this is because I have an affinity for older Apple hardware. To be honest, going into an Apple dealer and purchasing a new one does not interest me at all.

Hopefully we will continue to see more of this restorative work done on the old machines.


Cheers!

Yes i feel it too, older machine is about passion and the new models about business, but may be its only nostalgy, hope im mistake and there are still developers with passion working in apple, i dont want to live in nostalgy only