Next we cut out the backs of the cases to accommodate our new backplates and I/O shield. Like a lot of people who do G5 mods, we used “ATX Low 120” kits from The Laser Hive, which were simple to work with and removed a lot of guesswork and extra labor from the project.įirst, we stripped the G5s of all their components, leaving just the bare cases. He’d never built a computer, so I helped pick out the parts for both of us. Dremels and soldering are not my forte, but I was joined on this adventure by my friend Russell, who’s an expert with electronics. I’d built 4 computers before, starting in 2012, but never a project like this, where the actual hardware needed modification. (Plus, with all the speculation in the air about ARM-based Macs, I knew that if this was gonna be one of the last Hackintoshes I ever built, I’d be kicking myself if I hadn’t gone all out.) And while scouring Craigslist one day, I came upon two working-condition G5s for a song and thought, if not now, then when? So I knew I needed to build a new workstation. When my college sent us home early because of the pandemic, I lost access to a high-powered desktop computer, one of the most vital components of my livelihood. Even Apple must have loved it because they kept it in production for ten years, a lifetime for them. Whether by rose-tinted nostalgia or the effects of advertising on the 6-year-old brain, the design of the G5 to me represents the pinnacle of conventional desktop computer construction. The G5 front board replacement (Apple 922-5979, 630-4805, 820-1560) can be puchased at ebay or some other online shops.It’s been a longtime dream to build a Hackintosh in an old Powermac G5 case. You'll need to unscrew those two tabs/inserts, and then the old model board will fit perfectly. Once you extract the front panel board on the late 2005 G5 you'll end up with this (photo by rekd): It fits perfectly as the case's holes for the ports and screws are the same. The solution for those who have the "Late 2005 G5" cases and want to use this cable would be to replace the front panel board with one from an earlier G5 model.
This connector is visible without the need of removing the board.
An easy way to check without taking the board out is to look for the 18 pin connector on the board (black square conector on the right of the picture).
#POWER MAC G5 FRONT PANEL WIRING SERIAL NUMBERS#
Make sure you have a similar one (there are a few more serial numbers for the same board). The cable is compatible with this front panel board (present in all G5 models except the "Late 2005" G5):Īpple 922-5979, 630-4805, 820-1560. There I also host pictures of some of my mods, useful links, etc If you want one drop me a message here in the forum! Alternatively, you can contact me through my page. Please make sure you add your correct shipping address with your payment. I accept Paypal or international bank transfer. They cost 25€ a piece, including traceable shipping and jumpers.
Its just matter of experiment a bit with and without the jumper. Probably other boards will need this jumper too. Z68 and Z77 Gigabyte boards will need the included audio jumper to activate the front audio connector. If your motherboard doesnt have on-board firewire (AKA IEEE 1394) you will need to use the inlcuded ground jumper. They're about 70cm long, all-covered with black nylon braided sleeve, with the apple 18 pin connector in one end and standard ATX firewire, audio, USB, power button and led connectors in the other.Įach cable is tested before shipping.