PM G5 Quad Overheating

[BadGoldEagle]

Heyyy

Got my PM to post thanks to a new PSU I bought on ebay. Seems to work fine, except the fans are deafening me. Seems to run rather hot too, CPU temps are reaching 70°C at idle. When opening a large .dmg, it ranks up to 87!! That's not normal. Rest of the computer runs cool though.

I know these things are water cooled, and I read alaska's guide on how to repair a g5 quad LCS but haven't gone around doing it yet. I already spent way too much money (70€ in total: I know this isn't much but if I keep spending more and more and still can't get it to work properly, it will turn into a proper money pit). Keep in mind I only paid 10€ for the whole computer!!

So, what are the odds of the LCS being the only thing wrong here? I had to replace the O-rings (they are just here to hold the processors in place, they don't come near water at all), so I cleaned and checked the processor boards and reapplied some thermal compound: they looked okay to me.

No apparent water leakage.

The black plastic tubing gets quite hot to the touch. One of the two (per pump) should be cold, but it isn't.

Is my assumption correct? Radiators are cool BTW. Pumps vibrate a little bit: it seems water is being moved around.

So I think the LCS is faulty on my unit.

At first I tried to re-calibrate the fans using ASD 2.6.3 (the only one that works with the late 2005 PM G5s) but it won't even boot. I get an over temp warning light as well as CPU hang. Re-did the test after the unit had cooled down. It only took 20 seconds to overheat! Room temperature=22°C.

So what's the next step?

 

[Byrd]

Without a doubt, the LCS needs rebuilding especially if it has never been done.  Coolant evaporates/degrades over time, as does build-up of contaminants.  The pump should be warm with use.  

Time to buy up on the correct size o-rings, coolant and flexible tubing and clamps ... but all can at least be obtained from a hardware store

JB

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Thanks JB.

So you think it is worth my efforts? I was planning on selling this thing on the bay or something.

At least my processors 'work' I think: On Activity Monitor, CPU load is evenly distributed between the two G5s. No apparent lock ups, all is smooth. 

Opening a .dmg is god damn slow too compared to my intel rMBP. Perhaps the G5s thermal throttle under heavy load? 

When I had this thing apart to change the o-rings, it sounded like some water was still in the system (probably not much though!)

 

[Byrd]

Hi BadBoldEagle,

You wouldn't get much for it if resold.  Mine needs the same overhaul - it has no leaks, never been touched but overheats in a warm room.  Laying the Quad on its side results in more consistent temps, assume something to do with gravity and water

One day I'm just going to yank the lot and rebuild, but best to test it all on the bench first for a day or so to ensure no leaks.  It could prove a fun project provided you have all the parts on hand ready to go.

JB

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Yeah I had a look at ebay and 95% of G5 quads on sale today have problems. And they are quite expensive too!

LOL I'm happy I only paid 10€ for it.

Some don't post. Some work* 

* 2nd processor is not always recognised. (that's worse!)

It's good to know I'm not the only one here having LCS problems... alaska was right, I didn't believe him at first.

ALL of them are faulty today. ALL of them need maintenance.

Well, better prepare the materials... Will skip the testing part. 

On a different note, why are the Cinema HD displays so expensive? 100 bucks for a defective unit without the PSU? Seriously?

I've seen 30 inch examples reach $300+

 

[belgaonkar]

Maybe that's an european thing. In the states Cinema monitors are cheap. I got one for free and another for $5, neither included a power supply.

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Here's a 20 inch model (entry level) that works : 180 euros!

Working 23 inch model with psu: 240 euros!

and here's a 30 inch one: 500 euros!!!

Same thing in the UK:



I mean those displays are really old now. Why would they demand such a premium? They aren't particularly rare...

 

[Unknown_K]

They are Apple monitors and match old machines (and not made anymore).

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Yeah but the ADC Apple Cinema (non HD) displays are dirt cheap. I could pick one up in great condition for about 30€.

But it doesn't go well with the late PM G5s so I'll pass.

The HD displays are slightly less expensive than the much newer LED displays... I once saw a 27 inch Cinema LED display in good condition for 400€. 

I still don't get it.

 

[Unknown_K]

Didn't Apple quit making displays? People want that logo on their gear.

I remember many years ago when car audio was the craze and everything was expensive as hell. A shop I was at had a guy come in with an expensive car and wanted all the coax wiring ripped out (expensive premium brand and 100% working) just to get matching Alpine (I think it was) cables put in so they all match to his Amps. He didn't go to competitions and nobody would even see the cables since they are covered but he wanted that brand.

 

[Compgeke]

One thing to watch out for on the aluminum displays is the power supply bricks are absolutely rubbish. They get pretty hot and tend to be either failure prone or very temperamental. In my case on a 20" with a 23" PSU it'll usually work but every few days I have to unplug the monitor and mains and let the PSU sit for 10 minutes or so before it works again.