PowerMacG5 Original/Late 2003

The Apple Power Macintosh G5/1.8 DP (PCI), part of a lineup that included the Power Macintosh G5/2.0 DP (PCI-X 2) and Power Macintosh G5 2.5 DP (PCI-X), was notable for being among the first Mac models to employ the 90 nm 64-bit PowerPC 970fx (G5) processor. This advanced chip was characterized by its lower power consumption and reduced heat generation compared to its predecessors.\n\nAt its core, the Power Macintosh G5/1.8 DP (PCI) featured dual 1.8 GHz PowerPC 970fx (G5) processors. Each CPU was paired with an optimized AltiVec \"Velocity Engine\" vector processing unit and a 512k level 2 on-chip cache. The machine shipped with a standard configuration of 256 MB of 400 MHz PC3200 DDR SDRAM, an 80.0 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM), an 8X \"SuperDrive\" (DVD-R/CD-RW), and an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics card (AGP 8X Pro) with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM.\n\nConnectivity options included USB 2.0, FireWire \"400\" and \"800\", ADC and DVI ports, and optical digital audio in/out, along with support for AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth 1.1. A key characteristic of this specific model was its lack of support for the faster PCI-X expansion slots.\n\nContinuing the design language of earlier models, it utilized the same \"anodized aluminum alloy\" case renowned for its efficient cooling system. This system divided the interior into four thermal zones managed by nine computer-controlled fans. Easy access to internal components was facilitated by a removable side panel. Customers also had the option to choose from various custom configurations.

The Mid-2004 dual 1.8 GHz G5 was positioned as the entry-level model in a refreshed dual-processor lineup. While it offered the significant multi-threading advantages of two processors, it was distinguished from its more expensive siblings by its lack of PCI-X slots, relegating it to the slower PCI standard. This made it a trade-off for users: they gained dual-processor power for tasks like rendering and encoding, which showed a clear performance benefit over single-CPU systems. However, they lost the high-speed expansion capability that was crucial for many professionals. It utilized the newer, more efficient 90nm PowerPC 970fx processors, which helped manage the heat output that G5s were known for. Ultimately, it was seen as a capable machine for those whose workflows benefited from multiple processors but did not require the specialized, high-bandwidth peripherals that necessitated PCI-X, offering a more budget-friendly path to Apple's dual-processor ecosystem.