Apple Power Mac G5 Desktop M9455LL/A (Dual 2.0-GHz Power PC G5, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

by Apple

Product Details

Product Manual [9.21mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 44.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 58 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002A6Y0S
• Item model number: M9455LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The creative class needs superior tools to produce designs, music, high-definition video or the next scientific breakthrough. The new Power Mac G5 spans as far as you require. Its dual 64-bit G5 processor— with a processor speed of 2.0GHz — room for up to 8 GB of main memory, 8X SuperDrive and ultrahigh-bandwidth system architecture will give you more results than systems costing twice as much.

Supersonic Twin Engine Speed Mac OS X really shines when it divvies up tasks between two CPUs, and now the Power Mac G5 offers dual processor models across the board at 1.8GHz, for a substantial speed boost at the top of the line. The Power Mac G5 packs so much power into tight quarters that Apple designed a liquid cooling system, resulting in a cool tower that runs Photoshop nearly two times faster than a Pentium 4-based system. In fact, for most creative endeavors, the Power Mac G5 simply has no competition in its class. Does It In Double-Time The PowerPC G5 processor dramatically accelerates performance in real world applications. When compared head-to-head against PCs in a large series of Photoshop tests, the dual 2.0GHz Power Mac G5 system ran the 45 filters 82% faster than the 3.4GHz Pentium 4-based system, and 63% faster than the dual 3.2GHz Xeon-based system. Additional performance tests reveal similar performance gains for professional film, video, music and audio creation, and scientific analysis of genetic research.

The dual 2.0GHz Power Mac G5 system ran the 45 filters 82% faster than the 3.4GHz Pentium 4-based system, and 63% faster than the dual 3.2GHz Xeon-based system.

Exquisitely Advanced Technology
With 64-bit power and high-bandwidth architecture, this groundbreaking system alleviates the limitations and bottlenecks of the traditional PC — opening up a wealth of possibilities for 2D and 3D designers, video and audio producers, scientists, researchers and game developers and players. The industry’s fastest frontside bus, an advanced system controller and high-speed, high-capacity memory combine to make the Power Mac G5 one of the fastest PCs ever built.

The Power Mac G5 2.0GHz comes equipped with one FireWire 800 port, two FireWire 400 ports, three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports.

Bandwidth to Burn The Power Mac G5’s ultra-high bandwidth system architecture features a 1GHz frontside bus — one on each processor — for maximum throughput from the system to the G5 processor. And a point-to-point system controller lets data move directly between subsystems, without affecting processor function. Plugged In It’s easy to plug printers, scanners and other devices into the Power Mac G5. In addition to sporting a full complement of ports on the back, the front panel of the Power Mac G5 offers FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, as well as a headphone jack. PCI-X Expansion Slots PCI and PCI-X cards enable the Power Mac G5 to perform specialized tasks, such as video acceleration and audio digital signal processing (DSP). PCI-X supports 3.3V signaling and Universal 33MHz and 66MHz PCI cards. Three 64-bit PCI-X slots let you add one card running at 133MHz and two cards running at 100MHz. Three 64-bit PCI slots allow you to add three 33MHz cards. Optical Digital Audio The Power Mac G5 comes with audio capabilities that are not usually found on personal computers. The state-of-the-art optical digital audio in and out ports use the S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) protocol over Toslink cables for connecting to devices such as decks, receivers, digital instruments and even 5.1 surround-sound speaker systems. And since S/PDIF is an optical signal — a beam of light — you won’t get any ground loop interference caused by copper wiring.

Truly Intelligent Design An exceptional computer demands an exceptional enclosure. The Power Mac G5 has a stunning chassis forged of anodized aluminum. Apple engineers were also pretty obsessive about clutter. That’s why there isn’t any. Especially conspicuous by its absence is that tangle of unsightly wires and cables that turn the inside of a typical PC into a veritable rat’s nest. “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. Each of the four thermal zones is equipped with its own dedicated, low-speed fans. Apple engineered the nine fans to spin at very low speeds for minimum acoustic output. Using 21 different sensors, Mac OS X constantly monitors component temperatures in each zone, dynamically adjusting individual fan speeds to the appropriate levels for the quietest possible operation. As a result, the Power Mac G5 runs two times quieter than the previous Power Mac G4 enclosure.

The enclosure design allows heat dissipation through four independently controlled thermal zones. A transparent internal air deflector channels airflow over the processor heat sinks and the expansion slots.

Since its introduction, the Power Mac G5 has stunned customers, critics and developers alike with the promise of unprecedented performance in a desktop computer. Unlike other 64-bit systems, the Power Mac G5 runs existing applications natively, without emulation. In fact, unmodified Mac software can already take advantage of the speed benefits of the G5, since Mac OS X Panther has been fine-tuned for the new processor. You’ll find that adding a Power Mac G5 to your workflow will pay you back before you know it. In every way, the Power Mac G5 outpaces the previous generation, thanks to faster processors and a high-bandwidth architecture.

Product Description

Apple M9455LL/A Power Mac G5 Desktop Computer - This desktop computer has been engineered for those of you that require as much raw power as possible for your creative applications. The dual 2GHz PowerPC G5 processors are the core of what makes this machine scream in programs such as Photoshop. For Photoshop, and other programs that are dual processor compatible, both 2GHz chips work simultaneously on the task at hand. Couple these processors with the ability to add up to 8GB of PC3200 DDR SDRAM, and you can easily handle gigantic image files, complex hi-res video streams and more! NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB of DDR SDRAM 160GB SATA 7200 RPM Hard Drive SuperDrive - (write) up to 8x DVD-R, 24x CD-R & 10x CD-RW / (read) up to 10x DVD & 32x CD 56k v.92 Data/Fax Modem Slots - 3 full-length PCI-X (1 133MHz 64-bit & 2 100MHz 64-bit) (3 open), and 1 AGP 8x Pro (0 open) Ports - 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 FireWire 800, 2 FireWire 400 (1 on front), 3 USB 2.0 (1 on front), 2 USB 1.1 (on keyboard), ADC/DVI, Optical Digital Audio In, Optical Digital Audio Out, Analog Audio In, Analog Audio Out, & Headphone (front) Bays - 2 internal hard drive (1 open) & 1 optical drive bay (0 open) AirPort Extreme Ready (requires optional AirPort devices) Includes - Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse, USB keyboard extension cable, DVI to VGA adapter, modem cable, AirPort antenna, Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD & GarageBand), QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, Safari, Sherlock, iSync, iCal, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, & more

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid, steady, impressive, September 13, 2004

By 

Eirik J. Iverson (Herndon, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple Power Mac G5 Desktop M9455LL/A (Dual 2.0-GHz Power PC G5, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

This is my first Mac in ages, having used Windows machines for most of my adult life. While the price was a bit touchy for me, several things through me over the edge to make the switch.

First, I wanted to begin a new digital video hobby. There are cheaper solutions elsewhere but none offer the same ease of use and stability. I would say that one should realize that even Final Cut Express costs around $300 whereas a dozen (roughly) functionally comparable packages for Windows are available for about $100 or less. I had planned on buying Final Cut Express but sticker shock slowed that. Second, I was fed up with the myriad of malware threatening my Windows 2k box. Even with Symantec's Norton anti-virus and personal firewall, my machine got infected, and not due to me opening some dumb ass email attachment (I've always been very careful about that). Next, I want to learn Unix without the hassels of Linux. I'm not as much as a geek as I'd like to be. I do have a Linux box but its never worked well because the video card was old and I failed to figure out how to correct the problem (very jerky, bleeding imagery)(that's just one of many hardware related problems, btw). And yes, this will sound silly. But I wanted a better iTunes experience.

I'm investing more in my machine this week. Tripling RAM, more than doubling storage, and adding a Tivo-like card (for VCR-like capability).

BTW, before buying, I swore I'd get a two-button mouse. Its been over two months and I still haven't got one installed yet. Its not that I'm okay with a one button. But, I'm getting by.

Eirik

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slick, December 20, 2004

By 

D. Higbee (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apple Power Mac G5 Desktop M9455LL/A (Dual 2.0-GHz Power PC G5, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

This is a great box with flexibility for upgrades through the years. My last Mac, a Powermac G4 was built in 1999 (I've since upgraded the video card and processor), and is still running well, but I wanted the extra speed for Photoshop. I'll pass the other one down to my kids. They've been salivating over it for some time now.

This Mac will hold it's value for a long time. Unlike getting a PC, you won't throw it away in 2 years, nor will you want to. They really become more like a friend than a computer. The operating system is wonderfully friendly, stable, and quite customizable. I've never had a virus. My former Mac crashed once in the entire time I used it, due to bad software. Mac OS X plays well with Windows XP. My husband uses a Windows box, and we've had no issues with networking and file sharing.

Although this computer is not for the faint of pocketbook, think of it as an investment. It will last and work well for many years. The PCI-X slots definitely improve your upgrade options. In addition, I expect several 3rd party companies will offer processor upgrades within the next 1-2 years.

By the way, I'm enjoying it's blazing fast speed, and it's quietness. General operation is much snappier, and applying a filter in a large Photoshop file takes 2 seconds instead of 10. Response and video quality in iMovie is markedly improved. Pretty slick!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zoom zoom zoom!, January 18, 2005

By 

Kelvin Chen "Macs & Shoes for me" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apple Power Mac G5 Desktop M9455LL/A (Dual 2.0-GHz Power PC G5, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

Okay so it may not be the fastest (2.5Ghz) but given the urgency I had then to get a new computer, I settled for the 2GHZ and not the 2.5 which I have to wait about 3 weeks more for it. After spending 4 years with a 500Mhz G4, upgrading to a dual 2.0GHZ is a MAJOR step forward for me. You start to notice the subtle differences in performance immediately. iTunes rip way faster, iMovie is simply a joy to use now versus the snail crawl I lived with previously... Photoshop filters zzpped through... and all of this amazing Herculean tasks are done with a barely audible whisper from the fans cooling the processors within.

I had mine customed configured by Apple- internal bluetooth, 128MB graphics card, 2.00 GB RAM... and a 23" cinema display. The only thing I got different was the Phillipe S+arck mouse from MS. i think it looks cooler than the white button mouse and more in sync with the whole aluminium silver look. Now I wish they would make the keyboards ala the PowerBooks- glow in the dark.